After 16 years working in the field of democracy promotion, 14 of those leading the Middle East and north Africa division of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), it has been my experience that the citizens of the Arab world prefer to be able to choose their leaders, believe that democracy is the best way to order their societies, and demonstrate a desire to participate in the governance of their communities and nations. Unfortunately, Arab regimes are, at best, wary of ceding real authority to processes or institutions that would empower voters, and in some cases actively suppress indigenous attempts to diffuse authority. Outside providers of democracy assistance can, with the cooperation of local partners and the acquiescence of regimes, play a modest but significant role in helping people claim the right to choose leaders and demand that governments be responsive to their citizens.In this article, I will enumerate some of the key achievements of democracy assistance in the Arab world over the past decade; describe the strategies democracy assistance practitioners employ in their work; and explain, through four case studies and the voices of recipients, how specific interventions have contributed to the advancement of democracy in the Middle East and north Africa.1The people of the Middle East are acutely aware of what the United Nations development program has termed a deficit, and the pursuit of democratic norms and freedoms are increasingly part of public demands.2 Even where democratic practice is scarce, the language of debate is changing and meaningful progress is being made.For example, a national women's list for parliament in Morocco in 2002 saw 35 women take office.3 That success had repercussions around the region: it led to the election of six women through a quota in Jordan, the guarantee of seats for women in Iraq's council of representatives, the election of women in Bahrain and Qatar, and the right to vote for women in Kuwait. Spurred by these achievements, women activists in Saudi Arabia are increasingly assertive - demanding the right to drive, for example - and forming advocacy networks, including the Saudi Women's Action Network, formed recently with the National Democratic Institute's assistance.In addition, Islamist parties in Morocco, Bahrain, and Yemen have become more pragmatic and participate peacefully in the political system; newspapers in Algeria have written about and sponsored forums to discuss corruption and nepotism in government; Yemen has formed a public anticorruption commission crystallizing demands for more transparency; thousands of Facebook activists and bloggers in Egypt, Tunisia, and throughout the region are calling for government reform; and a number of Arab networks for democracy have been formed and are using coordinated action for more effective advocacy.Despite considerable evidence of indigenous Arab demand for change, democracy practitioners are cognizant that their vocation is viewed with suspicion and skepticism by some. Democracy assistance strategy is carefully formulated to reinforce local initiatives, and it has evolved over time. Active in the Arab world since 1993, the National Democratic Institute's early activities were modest and consisted of assessing the outlook for democratic progress in selected countries, building the capacity of local organizations, and waiting for an opportunity - sometimes provided by elections or leadership changes - to work with local partners to expand openings. It was possible to establish beachheads by opening small offices in a number of countries in the region, including Morocco, Algeria, the West Bank and Gaza, Bahrain, and Yemen. The maintenance of small offices with knowledgeable staff with the appropriate language skills allowed the institute to expand its network of local partners and contacts and to increase its understanding of the local political landscape.Support for democracy assistance and demand from local activists started to increase around 1999, paradoxically, as the Palestinian- Israeli peace process broke down and terrorist bombings, such as the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen and the embassy bombings in Africa, highlighted instability in the region and demonstrated the need for better governance. …
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Dec 16, 2012
Cohen 
Open Access