Dr. Amr Hamzawy
Senior Associate
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Abstract
Democratization and Conflict Management in the Arab World

The Middle East witnessed some turbulent episodes in the past few years. Yet the region also saw irrefutable improvements in terms of democratization and rule of law. Doubtless, some places, like Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine, did not share in these developments. Nevertheless, across considerable areas of the Middle East, a new promise gathered steam.

The levitation of the idea of democracy in the Arab public space has forced authoritarian ruling establishments to embrace new pro-reform language and policies. Most significantly, over the past two decades, Arab ruling establishments have substantially eased the restrictions imposed on freedom of expression. On the other hand, Islamist and leftist opposition movements began developing strategic commitments to gradual democratic reform.

Much of the renewed cynicism about democracy in the region is based on mistaking the Middle East’s most problematic states for the norm—weak, failing or (in one case) incomplete: Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine. Indeed, these special cases present the most difficult challenge for would-be democratizers. Fostering democracy while simultaneously strengthening state institutions is a difficult task in any setting. In the midst of unresolved international conflicts, it may be nearly impossible.

In view of that, it becomes apparent that only a prudent differentiation between the mainstream cases of reform in the Arab world and these problematic outliers can help put the contemporary democratic condition in the region in a truer perspective.