2007

Understanding Islamic Charities

Understanding Islamic Charities is a book project that the Middle East Program took on in 2007. The book explores the variety of roles that Muslim charities play in different countries, their interactions with national and international institutions, and the boundaries and connections between their philanthropic roles and their political impacts.

Philanthropy is a vital lens through which to examine dynamics in the Muslim world because it harnesses enormous material and human resources as well as organiza¬tional capacity. Many in the West view Muslim philanthropic enterprises with considerable skepticism because of accusations of material support for, or condoning of, acts of violence against civilians. Drawing on CSIS’s regional and functional expertise, Understanding Islamic Charities explores the varieties of roles that Muslim charities play in different countries, their interactions with national and international institutions, and the boundaries and connections between their philanthropic roles and their political impacts.

North Africa

North Africa is a remarkable microcosm of the opportunities and challenges for U.S. policy in the Middle East, from forward-leaning, reforming nations like Morocco to former “rogues” like Libya and lingering authoritarian modernizers like Tunisia. Since September 11 the depth of U.S. engagement with the five states of the region (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania) has transformed dramatically, presenting new opportunities for the United States and the region.

Maghreb Roundtable

To evaluate emerging trends and identify opportunities for constructive action, the Middle East Program launched a Maghreb Roundtable throughout 2006-2007. The Maghreb Roundtable series brought attention to key emerging issues and created a community of interest in this region. The roundtable brought together a diverse group of academics, regional experts, government officials, and business leaders to share information and seek to develop a common understanding of vital developments in the region.

North African Security Conference

North Africa is emerging as a pivotal region in global affairs. As a major energy supplier and key front on the global war on terror, developments in North Africa have a significant impact on regional as well as global trends. Opportunities for constructive engagement abound, yet legitimate concerns about long term stability remain unanswered. The threat of terrorism is growing in places like Morocco and Algeria, where militants have allied themselves with the forces of Al Qaeda. Recent attacks in neighboring countries raise the threat of a transnational terror network coalescing. Though security-oriented state systems remain robust, unresolved divisions within society over the pace of political development, the integration of Islamist political forces, and the distribution of resources continue to hamper stability.

CSIS convened a full day conference on strategic trends in North Africa, looking at the challenges and opportunities of engagement with the region, as well as issues influencing long term stability.  The symposium gathered some of the leading North Africa experts and scholars, drawing from expertise within Washington and beyond.

2006

The U.S., EU and Middle East Reform

From January 29 to February 3, 2005 CSIS led a group of twelve American and European experts on a five-day study tour to Morocco to examine the issue of reform in the Arab world. The group, composed of leading specialists on development, European Union policy toward the Mediterranean world, the sociology of the Arab world, Morocco and the Middle East more broadly, first sought to analyze the reform process that Morocco has recently undertaken. Secondly, the group evaluated the international community’s political and social development programs in Morocco, looking especially at potential cooperation and coordination between the United States, the EU and individual European countries.

The initial report offers a summary of the CSIS trip, representing the diversity of views that participants heard on the ground. It starts by offering a historical look at the reform process, and then examines three areas in which reform efforts have been especially concentrated: freedom of speech, women’s rights, and an equity and reconciliation process that examines past human rights abuses. The report then considers the challenges of decentralization of government power and political liberalization, finally turning to an evaluation of the pace of reform and the role of outside forces in encouraging it. In the coming months, CSIS will author and release a full-length analytical study detailing U.S. and European efforts to promote reform in Morocco and assessing the potential for increased cooperation.

2005

Arab Media

In partnership with the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies and other organizations, the Middle East Program has established a dialogue between Western and Arab news professionals on matters of common concern. Discussion focus on issues like bias, news judgment, and responses to external pressures on newsgathering. Among other outcomes, the discussions will feed into the creation of a set of multimedia teaching materials in Arabic and English for use in journalism schools and training programs.

Broadcast Media in the 21 Century: Engaging the World
February 4-7, 2005
CSIS, in partnership with the Salzburg Seminar, gathered 25 senior Arab and Western broadcast journalists for three days of focused discussions in February 2005.
(Agenda, Conference Report)