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CLIME is a transatlantic initiative designed to foster liberal democratic values in the Middle East. CLIME advocates peaceful transitions to political systems that protect individual liberties, enable a higher level of political participation, and respect ethnic, religious and political diversity. Read more. |
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Welcome to CLIME!
CLIME's new website marks an opportunity to educate and inform the global community about issues in the development of liberal, democratic societies in the Middle East. The site features the Voices of Liberty project- our online guide of influential Middle Eastern writers, activists and politicians working towards freedom and human rights in their societies. The site also highlights our publications, including the Egypt, Jordan and Syria Monitors, and new Middle East Memos.
To learn more about CLIME’s projects, please use the pager below.
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Welcome to CLIME!
CLIME's new website marks an opportunity to educate and inform the global community about issues in the development of liberal, democratic societies in the Middle East. The site features the Voices of Liberty project- our online guide of influential Middle Eastern writers, activists and politicians working towards freedom and human rights in their societies. The site also highlights our publications, including the Egypt, Jordan and Syria Monitors, and new Middle East Memos.
To learn more about CLIME’s projects, please use the pager below.
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The Pledge for Iraq is the only issue-based campaign in Iraq—a compact between Iraq's elected leaders and the Iraqi people to guarantee freedom and human rights. It is a campaign representing individuals and organizations from all regions, religions and ethnicities who believe in human rights, freedom and equality under the law and has been signed by over 500 Parliamentary members, community leaders, political activists and NGOs.
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The Tharwa Institute for Democratic Leadership is a partnership between the Tharwa Foundation, founded by Syrian dissident Ammar Abdulhamid, and the Center for Liberty in the Middle East (CLIME), to train and educate regional democracy, civil, and human rights activists on the principle ideas of democratic activism.The Institute held its first training workshop in April, 2007, in Istanbul, Turkey. The workshop brought together a diverse group of 15 activists and reformers – journalists, bloggers, human rights activists, and students – to discuss regional challenges to democracy, learn about methods of nonviolent activism and how they have been used in previous political movements, and to explore the possibilities for transitional change in their own societies.
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The Syrian Opposition Portal: Edited by Research Fellow Tony Badran, OpenSyria.org aims to serve as one-stop hub for information about Syrian groups and individuals who oppose the monopoly on power held by Bashar el-Assad’s regime. The site provides daily news and updates from the opposition within and outside of Syria. Click here to sign up for the monthly OpenSyria Digest.
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The MENA Institute for Women Candidates provides advanced campaign training for women candidates running for office in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region in 2007. The Institute will provide customized mentoring to 14 women candidates running in elections in Jordan, Morocco, and Algeria. In 2006, the Institute provided training and mentoring to two female candidates in Bahrain’s parliamentary elections. |
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The Iraq Democracy Papers is a series of collected writings on the ideas and practice of democracy that was published in Iraq in 2005 by the Iraq Democracy Information Center in partnership with the American Islamic Congress and the Independent Women’s Forum.
The series is intended as a dialogue that draws from the literature of different eras and cultures to discuss issues relevant to Iraq's democratic transformation. The papers examine universal versus particular characteristics of democracy, and include case studies illustrating democratic principles implemented in other countries. They also feature short commentaries by Iraqi scholars and writers on how the selected writings apply to Iraq.
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Print, online, and broadcast media from the CLIME Team and more.
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| Let's Accept the Truth of Our Own Defeats |
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The Daily Star, Lebanon,
(07/04/2007)
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As the current situation in Palestine worsens, let Arabs not forget their past. Events that are portrayed as victories by Arab politicians are not always victories for the Arab people. Last month, the Arab world remembered one of its greatest defeats of the 20th century: the June 1967 war, which marked the end of the hope to wipe out Israel and the loss of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights.
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The Daily Star, Lebanon,
(2007/07/04)
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As the current situation in Palestine worsens, let Arabs not forget their past. Events that are portrayed as victories by Arab politicians are not always victories for the Arab people. Last month, the Arab world remembered one of its greatest defeats of the 20th century: the June 1967 war, which marked the end of the hope to wipe out Israel and the loss of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights.
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| Liberals, Arabs and Muslims, Please...Wake Up! |
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Libertates,
(05/05/2007)
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Liberals, of Arab and/or Muslim background, living either in the West or in the Arab Muslim world, please … wake up!
I do know you are there, I do read your articles, I do appreciate your ideas, your love and respect for freedom and life, but I feel really disappointed and embarrassed each time I am asked: “Where are they?”, “Don’t you think they are not organised?”, “Why do they hide?”
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Libertates,
(2007/05/05)
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Liberals, of Arab and/or Muslim background, living either in the West or in the Arab Muslim world, please … wake up!
I do know you are there, I do read your articles, I do appreciate your ideas, your love and respect for freedom and life, but I feel really disappointed and embarrassed each time I am asked: “Where are they?”, “Don’t you think they are not organised?”, “Why do they hide?”
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| Middle East Strongmen, Ancient and Modern |
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Middle East Quarterly,
(04/27/2007)
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The war in Iraq has exposed fissures in the structure of that modern Middle Eastern state earlier camouflaged by Arab nationalism and Saddam's brutal rule. While Arab leaders speak of unity, the war has uncovered the clout of other power centers - ethnic, sectarian, regional, and tribal - that parallel the state and limit the power of central governments.
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Middle East Quarterly,
(2007/04/27)
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The war in Iraq has exposed fissures in the structure of that modern Middle Eastern state earlier camouflaged by Arab nationalism and Saddam's brutal rule. While Arab leaders speak of unity, the war has uncovered the clout of other power centers - ethnic, sectarian, regional, and tribal - that parallel the state and limit the power of central governments.
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CLIME makes available writings in Arabic that democracy activists and educators are welcome to dowload and use in their programs, with proper attribution to CLIME.
The Iraq Democracy Papers
Writings from the literature of different eras and cultures (Arabic, Islamic, Western and Asian) examining universal versus country-specific characteristics of democracy.
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Policy Briefs, White Papers, and Country Monitors
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Morocco's Legislative Elections
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(09/17/2007)
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On September 7, 2007 the people of Morocco elected members of the House of Representatives (HR,) in one of the few free elections in the Arab world. Contrary to most expectations, the main Islamist Justice and Development Party did not pick up enough seats to become the leading party of Morocco. |
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Jordan's Municipal Elections
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(08/02/2007)
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The Jordanian government has long stressed its commitment to political reform, modernization and liberalization. While the municipal elections revealed visible gaps in this process, these and upcoming legislative elections do offer the potential to bring about better governance and increased citizen participation in political life.
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(2007/08/02)
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Egypt: Proposed Constitutional Changes and their Impact on Democracy
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(03/21/2007)
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On March 19 the Egyptian parliament passed a set of constitutional amendments that were proposed by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), amidst strong protests from opposition parties which have described the changes as a major blow to Egyptian democracy.
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On March 19 the Egyptian parliament passed a set of constitutional amendments that were proposed by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), amidst strong protests from opposition parties which have described the changes as a major blow to Egyptian democracy.
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Voices of Liberty, our online guide, seeks to raise awareness of influential writers, activists and politicians who are waging the battle of ideas in the Middle East on behalf of human rights and against religious extremism, and who are engaging their fellow citizens to reflect on issues of freedom and authoritarianism in their societies.
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