CNN Dialouges: The Arab ‘Spring’: A Path to Democracy?

A singular protest by a Tunisian street vendor ignited rebellion, resistance and regime change that spurred a tumultuous year across the Arab world. Now, armed with new media, fresh and vibrant voices are emerging all across the region to challenge old political control and some cultural traditions. What is often called the “cradle of civilization” is in a state of change.

Is this truly an Arab Spring? Revolutions can be hijacked, crushed or abandoned. Where are the uprisings today and where will they go from here? Who are the new powerbrokers? What is the role of the Islamists, women and social media? Are the nations in transition any closer to stability, democracy and freedom?

From the frontlines of the Arab uprisings, activists, scholars and journalists will come together to explore these pressing issues in this historic time.

Thursday, February 9, 2012 
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Glenn Memorial Auditorium
1652 North Decatur Road
Atlanta, GA 30322

General Admission: Free
Tickets are free. However, attendees will still need to reserve seats.
To reserve seats click here.

Moderator: Hala Gorani, CNN Anchor & Correspondent

Hala Gorani is an anchor and correspondent for CNN International and is based at the network’s headquarters in Atlanta. She anchors the 1300ET edition of the news program International Desk, and also goes into the field to report on major breaking news stories. Hala has reported from every country in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories.

In late June, she was part of a small team of journalists allowed into Syria for the first time since the protests began to cover the situation there. She previously reported extensively from Jordan and Egypt and has been instrumental in CNN’s coverage of the uprisings in the Arab world. In 2009, she presented The Middle East Challenge, a special hour-long program that took an insightful and thought-provoking look into the problems and promise facing the Middle East.

Follow Hala on Twitter: @HalaGorani

Panelists:

Lamees Dhaif, Journalist & Activist

Lamees Dhaif is a Bahraini journalist, who is active in the Bahraini resistance campaign. Known for her political and social criticism, she has written in various newspapers in the Persian Gulf region; but has been banned from writing since the start of the revolution in Bahrain due to her participation in the opposition movement.

Dhaif became famous when she presented a program on Al-Rai, a private television channel in Kuwait. The program tackled taboo topics in the region like poverty, sadism, prostitution, corruption, and inequality. In 2009, a legal case was filed against her after she harshly criticized corrupt judges; however, the case was suspended because of pressure from both local and international organizations.

Dhaif is the recipient of several awards including the Excellence Award in Journalism in 2008 in the second regional Conference on Women, and was honored as best writer by the Women’s Union on the International Women’s Day in 2009. She participated in the 2011 Yahoo! Business and Human Rights Summit on Women & Digital/Social Media and attended several conferences about the role of media in the Arab Spring. She blogs and is also active on social media.

Follow Lamees on Twitter: @lameesdhaif

Ahed Al Hendi, Activist & Dissident

Ahed Al Hendi is a dissident who fled his native Syria four years ago. As a student, he was imprisoned and tortured by Syrian authorities for establishing a secular student organization that was against the regime. He is now the Arabic Programs Coordinator at CyberDissidents.org, a New York-based human rights organization that highlights the voices of pro-democracy bloggers in the Middle East. Previously, he worked with the Samir Kassir Foundation in Lebanon as its Syrian researcher.

Al Hendi has held meetings with members of Congress to spotlight human rights abuses in his home country, and has also met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss these issues. 
He stays in contact with a wide network of activists in Syria on a daily basis and writes frequently about democracy in the Middle East. His articles have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, and The Daily Beast, among others.

Follow Ahed on Twitter: @ahedalhendi

Nic Robertson, Senior International Correspondent, CNN

Nic Robertson is a senior international correspondent, based in CNN’s London bureau. Since joining CNN in 1990, Robertson has been involved in some of the most significant news stories around the world. Throughout the decade Robertson continued to report extensively from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as on global terrorism often breaking news and winning awards for his compelling documentaries and in depth news reports.

In 2011, he reported extensively on the Arab Spring uprising securing many exclusives. From Libya, he reported on both sides of rebel and government, interviewing Muamar Gadhafi’s son Saif al Islam as well as being the first to report live during NATO bombings. In Bahrain, he secured the only western TV interview with the country’s Crown Prince as well as live reports during tear gassing in the thick of the clashes. From Yemen, he reported from the south of the fight against al Qaeda and in the capital delivered world first TV exclusive interviews with both the acting leader VP Hadi and opposition leader General Ali Mushen al Ahmar. Robertson has also covered the uprising all across Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon, securing an exclusive first interview with new Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati as street violence flared.

Follow Nic on Twitter: @NicRobertsonCNN

Carrie Rosefsky Wickham

Associate Professor of Political Science, Emory University
Author, Mobilizing Islam: Religion, Activism, and Political Change in Egypt

Carrie Rosefsky Wickham is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Emory University. She is also the author of Mobilizing Islam: Religion Activism, and Political Change in Egypt. Dr. Wickham’s primary area of specialty is the politics of developing countries, with a regional focus on the Middle East. Her current research explores the origins of political opposition in authoritarian settings, focusing on the rise of Islamic activism in Egypt and other Arab countries. Her research also examines the conditions for the political integration of “anti-system” parties in the Arab world, based on intra-regional and cross-regional comparison.

Dalia Ziada, Activist & Egypt Office Director, American Islamic Congress

Dalia Ziada is the director of the American Islamic Congress (AIC) Egypt Office. The AIC is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C that focuses on building interfaith and intercultural understanding.

Ziada’s work is dedicated to promoting women’s rights, freedom of expression, and nonviolent action in her homeland, Egypt. This past November, she ran for a seat in the Egyptian parliament. She also organized AIC’s Youth Debate Project in Egypt to prepare young leaders for political transition toward democracy. Ziada also led AIC’s Fahem Haqi Campaign, which educates citizens about civil rights and elections from a grassroots level.

She has been honored by Newsweek as one of the “150 Most Influential Women in the World” and selected by The Daily Beast as one of the world’s “17 Bravest Bloggers.”

Follow Dalia on Twitter: @daliaziada
Panelists subject to change.

CNN DIALOGUES is a community forum that aims to highlight diverse ideas and perspectives on the most significant issues and events shaping our time. It is a place where we address shared challenges and concerns to foster a dialogue of learning, understanding and hope.

Our mission is to come together to analyze and reflect on everything from the arts to the economy, from human rights to health and sexuality. The topics are limitless. We will explore how global events have local impact; and how having a dialogue that bridges our differences will help us collaborate to create solutions and opportunities for a shared future.

CNN Dialogues will take place in various venues around Atlanta, the capital of the South and a city of change.