From Division to Unity

The Carnegie Middle East Center and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung held a conference, titled From Division to Unity: How to Share Power in the Middle East and Beyond, at the Phoenicia Hotel on March 4 & 5, 2019.

Different models of power-sharing across Asia, Europe, and the Americas aim at enhancing democratic governance, whilst protecting the rights of different communities, including religious and ethnic minorities. As many of the conflicts in the Middle East persist, finding an acceptable and inclusive model of power-sharing is essential to end violence and to open a way for peaceful dialogue and a sustainable and lasting post-war order.

The conference explored the nuances and potential of power-sharing in post-conflict countries in the region and experts discussed the relevant lessons learned from other countries as well. It assessed whether different power-sharing models offer viable options for addressing governance crises and ending conflicts in Arab countries.

SPEAKERS

Assaad Al-Achi is the executive director of Baytna Syria.

Joseph Bahout is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment’s Middle East Program.

Galip Dalay is a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Doha Center.

Chris Halliday is the political adviser to the UN special envoy for Yemen.

Harith Hasan is a nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

Diana Kaissy is the executive director of the Lebanese Oil and Gas Initiative.

Zahra' Langhi is the co-founder and CEO of the Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace.

Marina Ottaway is a Middle East fellow at the Wilson Center.

Jamila Ali Raja is the director of Consult Yemen.

Iavor Rangelov is an assistant professional research fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Sebastian Sons is a senior researcher at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient and an associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

Gunnar M. Sørbø is a senior researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.

Adnan Tabatabai is the CEO of the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient.

Marika Theros is a senior researcher at the Institute for State Effectiveness.

Carsten Wieland is a senior expert for intra-Syrian talks for the UN special envoy for Syria.

Heiko Wimmen is the project director for Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon at the International Crisis Group.

PANEL CHAIRS

Loulouwa Al Rachid is a co-director of the program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

Kim Ghattas is a BBC correspondent and former senior visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Mohanad Hage Ali is the director of communications at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

Alia Ibrahim is a journalist and co-founder of Daraj.

Liz Sly is the Beirut bureau chief at the Washington Post.