The Arab Spring

Policy Implications for the United States

Will the changes happening across the Arab world provide more stability or less in the long term? How will these changes affect emerging democracies elsewhere, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq? How will the transitions taking place affect our energy supplies? What is China’s interest in these changes?

On July 21, 2011, the Slade Gorton Policy Center at NBR hosted a roundtable discussion on “The Arab Spring” to discuss these and other issues with three experts on democracy-promotion who have been in the Middle East and North Africa this past year: with Kent Patton, former deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of State and current Middle East consultant; Cathy Allen, National Democratic Institute trainer in the Middle East and North Africa; and Jamie Nelson, former U.S. Department of State advisor and International Republican Institute manager in Iraq. The discussion was moderated by former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton.

Attending the discussion were elected officials, non-profit executives, civic and business leaders, and representatives from several international aid organizations.

Audio

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