Network of Arab Liberals RSS Feed http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html 2009 2009 In reaction to the Israeli attack against Gaza-bound aid ships, the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) publishes the following statement:

NAL – representing liberal parties, organizations, and leaderships from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, the Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine – condemns the Israeli assault on the Freedom Flotilla, which led to the killing and injuring of a great number of unarmed civilians in international waters in the high seas. It is indeed an act of piracy, violence, and state terrorism against civilians, whose only crime is seeking to provide medical supplies and food for the relief and assistance of other civilians, who have been under Israeli siege illegally for years in Gaza.

This Israeli assault also indicates the persistence of the continued disdain for the international laws, and the condescension of the international community. This behavior confirms the blind eye the international community turns to Israeli offensive practices; the use of double standards; the failure to take deterring punitive measures against Israel over many past incidents – most recently the Goldstone report on the Israeli attack on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009 ; act as a sort of implicit permission to Israel to pursue its violations of the international laws and legitimacy, and to disrespect the lives of others in a flagrant manner that hits human consciousness hard.

The Israeli practices are essentially in contradiction with liberal values and human rights, especially the right to life, the right to move, the right to peaceful association, the right to food, health, and education etc. The world today has reached a crossroads: either to stand by liberal values, justice, human rights, and the fair application of international law according to equal standards; or to defeat such values and principles, to give way to the law of blind force and to succumb to the chaos of life in the wilderness. This would ultimately make us live with entailing violence, terrorism, armed confrontations and bloody wars with millions of victims from amongst our sisters and brothers in humanity, and would take us and our civilization hundreds of years backwards.

NAL calls upon the world liberals and advocates of human rights to join ranks with the victims of the flotilla and the detainees in Israeli prisons, and to demand immediate release and reparation for all the victims. NAL calls upon the international community to take appropriate punitive measures against the aggressors, and to end the siege of the Gaza people immediately, as well as respect the right to life through the preservation of the lives of the civilians on all occasions even during armed conflicts.

Cairo, June 1. 2010

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 Senior members of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) convened in Rabat on March 26 and 27, 2010 for a conference titled "Parliaments in the Arab World. Chances and Challenges for Liberal Political Parties". The opening ceremony was held in the main hall of the Assembly of Councillors, the Upper House of the Moroccan Parliament.

It was the first time the Network held a session in an Arab parliament – and, consequently, more than one speaker highlighted the historic importance and the political symbolism of the event.

"I want to pay tribute and respect to the Arab Liberals", said Hans van Baalen, Member of the European Parliament and President of Liberal International, the world federation of liberal political parties.

"We need cooperation, together we can solve problems, alone we cannot", he said. On the sidelines of his visit to Rabat, van Baalen held political talks with the leaders of the Moroccan liberal parties. These constitute a formidable force in their country and also in parliament.

In his welcoming remarks, Mohamed Abied, the President of Union Constitutionnelle said that Morocco’s "modernization needs a strong liberal component". Mohaned Lanser, Minister in the Royal Government and Secretary General of the Mouvement Populaire, said that Moroccan liberals "are proud of the renaissance of liberal thought". He also said: "We are proud to see that this liberal family is extending to all Arab countries".

In their discussions on the chances and challenges of parliamentary politics in the Arab world, the delegates – most of them sitting or former members of parliament themselves – painted a bleak picture of the situation in their countries: There was a general consensus that most Arab governments do not concede the space that is needed for genuine political competition.

This has lead to a diminished role of the opposition parties, thus, in turn, effectively eliminating the prerequisites for a peaceful transfer of power from the ruling party. In a programmatic paper, the delegates plead for a stronger role of parliaments in their respective countries as an independent power in a system of checks and balances; they demand transparent and representative elections and an end to the domination of political life by the ruling party. They also ask for a stronger role of women, the youth and minorities in the respective parliaments and uncensored access to the media, which remain under governmental control in many countries.

Human Rights for Migrants

While in Rabat, the Arab liberal politicians continued their dialogue on migration issues with a high level delegation of the European Liberal Democrat Reform Party (ELDR) led by their Vice President Marc Guerrero. This session followed a joint workshop last November in the European Parliament in Brussels where NAL and ELDR had set out to find common positions in the migration issue. The two sides now issued a joint statement in which they emphasize the importance of protecting the human rights of migrants and call upon the European states to balance between security considerations and issues of development. They also call on their governments to strengthen efforts to develop legal channels of migration and raise awareness among prospective immigrants regarding the economic, social and political situation in Europe.

Read the full text of the Joint Statement between the Network of Arab Liberals and the European Liberal Democratic Party on Migration

You may also view the speech by FNF’s Regional Director Dr. Ronald Meinardus and other speeches held at the opening of the conference at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ_mG5KGewc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWA-LUj4MXs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pMXiKMxv8c

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 A senior delegation of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) visited Brussels for meetings with the European Commission and liberal leaders at the European Parliament. The meetings were part of a program co-sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) entitled "Liberal Approaches to Sustainable Migration Policies in the Mediterranean Region" and were a follow-up to internal discussions of the Network held in Tunis in August of this year.

At the European Parliament (EP), the Arab delegation held talks with Mrs. Neyts-Uyttebroeck and Baroness Sarah Ludford, members of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).

In her welcoming remarks, Mrs. Neyts, who is also President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), stressed the importance of a political dialogue with the Network of Arab Liberals and praised NAL for what she called "extremely important and remarkable achievements" in developing programmatic principles for a liberal Arab migration policy.

Earlier, Mohamed Tamaldou, the President of the Network of Arab Liberals, had presented the so called Tunis principles on "Migration and Development". These state - among others - that "the relationship between the Arab world and Europe has a multidimensional strategic depth which requires from the liberal family an exceptional effort to fend off the threats of all forms of extremism through constructive and responsible dialogue". In her talk, Baroness Ludford highlighted the need for a common European migration policy: "We know that Europe needs migrants, but immigration must be well managed."

The two sides agreed to continue their dialogue on migration in a meeting which would be held in Morocco next spring. Tentatively the next round of talks would be held I the Moroccan Parliament.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 Well over two hundred senior members of liberal political parties from all parts of the world have signed up for the 56. Congress of Liberal International (LI) to be held in Cairo from October 29 through November 1, 2009. The theme of this year’s Congress, the first ever to be held in Egypt, will be "Education in the 21st Century". This major international political event is hosted by NAL member party from Egypt, the Democratic Front Party (DFP) which has recently joined Liberal International.

All NAL member parties who are also members of Liberal International will be represented with high ranking political delegations. These are the Union Constitutionelle (UC) and the Mouvement Populaire (MP) from Morocco, the Parti Social Liberal (PSL) from Tunisia and the Al Ghad Party from Egypt. The National Liberal Party (NLP) from Lebanon has expressed intention to join the liberal world organization.

In parallel with the Congress, NAL will hold a one-day workshop on November 1 entitled "Freedom of Expression in the Arab World. The Media, the State and Political Parties". On the evening of the same day, the book "Liberalism in the Arab World.

Views and Perspectives of Political Practitioners" will be launched in a joint activity co-sponsored by Mahrousa Publishers and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. This will be followed, the next day, by the meeting of the Executive Committee and – on the afternoon of November 2, 2009 – the annual General Assembly, the most important event of the organization. For the first time, a liberal delegation from Iraq will be present at the NAL event.

On November 3, 2009 a senior delegation of NAL leaders will travel to Brussels for meetings with European liberal officials and a two-day workshop entitled "Liberal Approaches to Sustainable Migration Policies".

For more information on the Congress of Liberal International go to: www.liberal-international.org

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 Senior members of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) gathered in Tunis on August 18-19, 2009 for a workshop entitled "Migration and Development. Liberal responses to the Challenges of Migration in the Arab World". During the two-day activity the political leaders presented and discussed current population and migration issues in the Arab world and adopted the "Tunis Declaration on Migration and Development". This is a programmatic political document which will be the basis for further discussions which a senior delegation of the Network will hold with members of European liberal parties in early November. The aim of this effort, which is co-sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF), is to reach joint Arab-European policies regarding the issues of migration and development.

"The history of mankind is based on immigration", said Wael Nawara of the Egyptian Liberal El Ghad Party. And in his opening statement, NAL president Mohammed Tamaldou reminded the participants that "US president Obama is the product of successful immigration and so is French president Nicolas Sarkozy".

In their declaration, the Arab liberals bemoan what they term "the paradox of the age of globalization, which witnesses the free movement of capital and goods, on the one hand, and a rather increasing restriction of the natural movement of individuals". NAL regrets "the deterioration of the rights of immigrants in Europe" and – at the same time – supports the "opening of legitimate channels of immigration" citing the Tunisian-French Immigration Agreement as a best practice to be followed by others also.

The Tunis workshop was hosted by the NAL-member Parti Social Liberal (PSL). Egypt was represented with senior delegates from NAL-members Democratic Front Party (DFP) and the Liberal El Ghad Party. For the first time, the United Democratic Liberal Party (UDLP) of Sudan attended an activity of the network. In Tunis, UDLP-president Nour Tawir Kafi expressed the interest of her party to join the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL).

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 In a statement, NAL president Mohamad Tamaldou praised the outcome of the recent parliamentary elections in Lebanon and also had positive comments regarding the results of the local elections in Morocco. In both elections, member parties of the Network participated successfully. The statement of Mr. Tamaldou follows:

"It would be my pleasure to express on behalf of all the members of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) that we are very satisfied with the positive outcomes of the recent elections in Lebanon and in the Kingdom of Morocco, and the values these elections to establish social liberty, dignity, and democracy in the Arab world.

In Lebanon the Future Movement, with the National Liberal Party, has succeeded with their multi-ethnic and multi-cultural people to give the region a great lesson on the importance of relying on democracy and freedom of opinion, and how to exchange different ideas and represent them to the people in an atmosphere of responsibility and mutual respect.

I highly appreciate the role played by our liberal brothers to support liberty in this critical moment in Lebanon's history, which will definitely promote real stability and coexistence in all the elements of it's rich diverse society.

In the Kingdom of Morocco both NAL member parties, the Mouvement Populaire and the Union Constitutionnelle, were able to maintain their status as two important parties that give insight on exercising liberal policies on the national scale, and have been highly successful in the local council elections and have been represented as highly credible entities in terms of liberal policy makers."

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 The three-day founding conference of the Union of Arab Liberal Youth (UALY) concluded its proceedings on the evening of April 26th having successfully launched ULAY after a series of heated debates and negotiations.

The conference, which started on the 24th of April, adopted the statutes of the Union during the first meeting of its General Assembly on the 25th of April and elected its first Executive Board on the 26th.

Ms. Daad Azzi from the Lebanese National Liberal Party will head the Union for the coming two years. She will be joined on the board by Mr. Abdelatif M'hamedi from the Moroccan Union Constitutionelle party as the Vice President, Mr. Aziz Al Darmoumy from the Moroccan Mouvement Populaire as Secretary General, Mr. Mohammad Al Ghazou from the Jordanian Free Thought Forum as Treasurer, Ms. Hayat Alami from the Palestinian Freedom Forum as Media Representative, Mr. Ahmad Nassar from the Egyptian Ghad Party as Foreign Relations Representative and Ms. Shehrazad Akacha from the Tunisian Parti Social Liberal as Public Relations Representative. The Secretariat of UALY will be hosted by the Movement Populaire in Rabat.

The historic launch was co sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's (FNF) Regional Office in Cairo. The opening ceremony of the first General Assembly saw words of welcome from Dr. Ronald Meinardus, the Regional Director of FNF, Mr. Sayed Bassiouny of Al Ghad Party's Executive Bureau on behalf of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL). Mr. Frederick Ferie, Vice President of IFLRY and experienced facilitator Mr. Wolf Pabst were also present during the conference to offer advice, share experiences in organization building and help facilitate the early sessions. A letter received by all the participants from the president of NAL expressed Mr. Tamaldou's confidence "that if the Arab world has something different to offer the liberal family, its difference lies in that its youth are more than its seniors and this is a truth which you are responsible for utilizing positively."

NAL members also showed their support to the young union. Mrs. Margaret Azer, Secretary General of the Democratic Front Party organized a dinner for the participants, generously hosted by the Party; and Mr. Wael Nawara, Executive Board member of Al Ghad Party which also hosted a dinner, attended one of the sessions and gave a word of encouragement and support to the youth.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 Upon invitation of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's Regional Office, the President of NAL Mr. Mohammad Tamaldou and the Secretary General of Liberal International Mr. Emil Kirjas, came together in Cairo on Thursday April 2nd for a forum on the political role of regional and international liberal networks. The seminar, which attracted over 70 participants, was moderated by Dr. Osama El Ghazaly Harb, president of the Democratic Front Party of Egypt.

The talk spurred serious engagement on the part of the audience on topics such as liberalism and poverty, dialogue and freedom of speech, the liberal discourse on Palestine and the reciprocal benefits of cooperation for liberal parties and international liberal networks.

During the event, Dr. Osama EL Ghazaly Harb formally announced that his party will host Liberal International's World Congress in Cairo in October of this year.

"The presence of these regional and international liberal alliances strengthens local liberal forces, and that the effect is reciprocal" said Dr. Osama El Ghazaly Harb, whose party is a founding member of NAL and is also affiliated with LI. On his part, Mr. Emil Kirjas, the Secretary General of Liberal International explained that liberalism adapts to all contexts, including the Arab world with its particularities, pointing out that "Liberal forces all over the world have consistently supported the struggle of Palestinians for a state." He expressed his happiness at the success of NAL’s recent Amman meeting. Mr. Mohammad Tamaldou, President of NAL, stated that NAL stood for the rule of law, equality and free market institutions: "Words such as democracy and participation have become empty and meaningless in the Arab reality. But we seek to end a period in our political life where talk was just talk," adding that the idea that liberalism comes from abroad is "intellectual protectionism which is only rejection of reform." Tamaldou concluded that it has been proven in the Arab world that conservative societies do not lead to stable governance.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 In cooperation with the Jordanian Free Thought Forum, one of the member organizations of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL), and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF), senior members of NAL member parties met in Amman from March 30th to April 2nd for their first event in the Hashemite Kingdom. Under the title "The World Economic Crisis: Impact on the Arab world and Homegrown Solutions," The delegates discussed the impact of the world economic crisis on the Arab world, and proposed ways to overcome it.

The delegates represented NAL member parties, member organizations and observer organizations from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.

On the first day, the workshop featured distinguished panelists and speakers, whose backgrounds ranged from academic to governmental as well as entrepreneurial, including former Jordanian minister Mohammad Halayqa, senior scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center, Dr.Ibrahim Seif, Economics professor at the American University in Beirut Dr. Jad Chaaban, as well as Jordanian entrepreneur Mr. Khalid Al Kurdi. The second day saw the presentation of NAL-moderated country reports by the member parties and organizations. The workshop culminated in a group discussion and brainstorming session moderated by Mr. Wael Nawara of the Egyptian Ghad party, which resulted in a number of policy recommendations made by NAL on the economic crisis.

"This crisis demands that we clearly articulate our values as Arabs and as Liberals and that we are honest with our constituencies regarding how the crisis will affect their lives," said NAL president Mohammad Tamaldou, expressing a general sentiment among NAL members. The workshop coincided with the G-20 summit held in London to discuss the world economic crisis and presented a number of alternative scenarios for the impact of the crisis on the region.

On the sidelines of the workshop, the NAL leadership held its first Executive Board meeting of the year, during which important decisions were taken regarding strengthening the network and solidifying its presence as well as possible acceptance of new members. Among these decisions was the appointment of Mrs. Margaret Azer, Secretary General of the Egyptian Democratic Front Party, as the Treasurer of NAL and the launch of a NAL periodical newsletter.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 With the cooperation of the Liberal Democrats, the liberal party of the UK, who also provided two experienced trainers, women from the member parties and organizations of NAL met in Cairo from March 11th through the 14th 2009 for a hands-on training for women in politics.

Senior and junior women members from NAL member parties in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt came together for an intensive two day workshop on how to be effective as women in politics. Under the title "Women in Politics: A Hands-on Training," the workshop encouraged participants to push their own limits regarding how they engage with politics and helped them identify and analyze problems of communication, leadership and organization as active women in politics and gave them the tools to face the political arena in their respective countries.

"Reinforcing the role of women in Arab politics is an essential step on the road towards democracy and pluralism" said Margaret Azer, Secretary General of the Democratic Front Party of Egypt. The training in Cairo was a follow up to a workshop in Tunisia in October 2008 during which senior party members of NAL discussed the role of women in political parties in the Arab world.

On the side lines of the training, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which helped organize the workshop, organized a book launch for an innovative publication entitled "Women and the Mirror" which included a collection of studies written by prominent female intellectuals. The signing and discussion of the book which featured prominent women's rights activist Dr. Fatma Khafagy attracted over 100 participants. Workshop participants Fetta Sadat, a member of the Algerian RCD party and Daad Azzy, a member of the Lebanese National Liberal Party, both participated by bringing to the discussion the experience of women in their respective countries.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 The President of the Network of Arab Liberals Mr. Mohammad Tamaldou sent a congratulatory letter to Dr. Ayman Nour, the founder of the Egyptian liberal Al Ghad Party upon his release from prison. Al Ghad Party is a founding member of NAL, the party is also represented in the Executive Board.

In his letter, Mr. Tamaldou wrote the following:

"It is my pleasure to offer you the warmest congratulations on behalf of myself and all the members of the Network of Arab Liberals and its Executive Board on the occasion of your release after long years of imprisonment which, no doubt, constrained your movement, but which surely did not affect your faith as a liberal who believes that human beings cannot live except with freedom and the responsibility which comes with it and in the necessity of disseminating and promoting these values as widely as possible. I am certain that your struggle for freedom of thought is proof of the perseverance of all those who aspire to create a society where all views coexist in a framework of dignity, respect for human rights, the rule of law and the establishment of democracy. I am also certain that your suffering is that price which all Arabs must generously accept to pay whenever circumstances require it."

Meanwhile, Lord Alderdice, the President of Liberal International, called the release of Dr. Nour "fantastic news". In a press release, the head of the world federation of liberal parties said the following:

"The release of Ayman Nour is fantastic news. First and foremost for his own freedom and well-being, but also as an inspiration for liberal and democratic forces in Egypt. Mr. Nour's courage and determination in speaking out for the freedom of speech, democracy and political freedoms in Egypt, even at the sacrifice of his own personal freedom, have been an inspiration to many. His intended return in politics is a particularly encouraging sign for liberals in the Middle East, who have so successfully established the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) over the last few years in which Mr. Nour’s party is an active member. As members of the Liberal International across the world, we will continue to actively support Mr. Nour and other liberals in the region."

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 The Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) has announced the appointment of Yosra Sultan as the new Program Officer of the Network. Ms. Sultan’s experience includes work with civil society and student organizations in the Arab world to promote civic awareness and participation as well as human rights advocacy. She graduated from the American University in Cairo (AUC) with a degree in political science and a specialization in Middle East politics and has extensive experience in writing and editing for various newspapers, blogs and magazines.

Meanwhile, the Cairo-based Network announced a series of planned activities aimed at strengthening the bonds of liberal parties in the region and enhancing political dialogue among Arab liberal forces: From March 11 through 14, 2009, a hands-on workshop for women leaders of NAL-member parties will be held in Cairo. Entitled "Women in Politics," the three day event is sponsored by the Liberal Democrats of the United Kingdom in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF). The workshop aims at bringing together women politicians from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and the host-country Egypt. Just two weeks later, the leaders of the Arab liberal network are planning to convene in Amman, Jordan for a workshop to discuss "Liberal Responses to the Global Economic Crisis". While in Amman, the NAL leadership will also assemble for its bi-annual Executive Committee meeting.

Finally, delegates from youth wings of NAL member parties are planning to hold the inaugural gathering of what has provisionally been termed the "Union of Liberal Arab Youth" (ULAY) in Egypt in late April 2009. The preparatory discussions for the establishment of this regional liberal youth network have been laid at a workshop in Beirut in October of last year.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 Hosted by the Moroccan member parties of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL), the Union Constitutionelle and the Mouvement Populaire, leading representatives of liberal parties from Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco met in Marrakech on November 23 and 24, 2008 for the first ever conference of the liberal parties of the Maghreb.

Titled "Towards Building a Maghreb Liberal Vision", the two day event brought together leaders from NAL member parties in Morocco and Tunisia, delegates of the Algerian Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) and, for the first time, representatives of liberal parties in Mauritania.

The aim of this meeting is to open a space for the exchange of opinion and dialogue between the liberal parties of the Maghreb and, also, to develop a unified vision towards our common concerns," said NAL President Mohamed Tamadou. The participants engaged in discussions regarding liberal positions on issues of religion, culture, politics and the economy.

Liberal International, the world federation of liberal parties, was represented in Marrakech by Mr. Jochem De Groot. Speaking on behalf of LI President Lord Alderdice, he expressed his full support for NAL: "We are encouraged that the liberals of the Maghreb are growing and are also strengthening their links", he said.

In the end, the participants resolved that meetings of the Maghreb liberal parties should be repeated on a regular basis.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 Seven senior members of youth organizations associated to member parties of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) visited Germany from November 22 to 29, 2008 for a series of political and educational meetings organized by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF).

During the one-week-program the young activists from liberal parties in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon attended a seminar in Gummersbach and held informative meetings in Aachen, Düsseldorf and Berlin.

The program aimed at introducing to the Arab youth activists the role of political party youth wings in the political system of Germany with a special focus on the relationship of the youth organizations with the respective mother parties. All major German political parties have well established youth organizations that play an active role in party affairs. The delegation from the Middle East met with members of the German and European Parliaments, the leadership of FNF, and also had extensive discussions with Junge Liberale (Julis), the youth wing of the German liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Promoting the cooperation between Arab and European liberals is an important objective of the Network of Arab Liberals. In this regard, the discussions the Arab youth delegation held with leading members of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) and the European Federation of Liberal Youth Organizations (LYMEC) were important as they laid the ground for future cooperation.

Summarizing the outcome of seven busy day in Germany, Egyptian delegate Mohamed Saad from the Ghad Party said: "The program was an excellent opportunity for us to communicate with European and German politicians, to exchange experiences and also to discuss future cooperation".

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2009 Young leaders from liberal Arab political parties laid the ground for the establishment of a pan-Arab liberal youth organization at a regional workshop in Beirut/Lebanon from October 28.-31, 2008. Titled “Cooperation for Freedom: Creating a Liberal Arab Youth Network” the workshop brought together young liberal politicians and activists from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. The three-day event was sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) in cooperation with the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL).

In a written statement presented at the workshop, NAL-President Mohamed Tamaldou expressed his support for the objectives of the activity. He also expressed his satisfaction that this event was held in Beirut, “the symbol of the challenge for freedom”. In his welcoming remarks, NAL-Executive Board member Dr. Chamile Chamoun greeted the young delegates and also emphasized the importance of the project to set up a liberal Arab youth network.

In a first step, the participants then discussed the ideological and political dimensions of cooperation among Arab liberal youth. In special sessions, they talked about the present economic crisis, the widespread political disenchantment with politics among the Arab youth and the repressive nature of most governments in the region. The delegates acknowledged that they have not yet reached a common understanding of what exactly the liberal response should be to the many challenges confronting the Arab youth today. They agreed to deal with this programmatic issue as a matter of priority once the network is formally established.

The delegates also dealt with organizational matters related to the setting up of an international network. They agreed that the youth network which they tentatively titled Union of Liberal Arab Youth (ULAY) should be closely associated with the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL). Furthermore, the delegates agreed that the organization would be formally established at a General Assembly to be held in the region in early 2009. The organizational preparations for this event and the drafting of the statutes were delegated to a provisional Steering Committee with members representing political youth wings in Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon.

In a special session, Frederik Ferie, vice president of the International Federation for Liberal Youth (IFLRY) gave an overview of liberal international and regional organizations. According to Mr. Ferie, IFLRY represents two million young liberals in all parts of the world. The Federation is interested in strengthening cooperation with liberal youth wings in the Arab world.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Senior members of liberal Arab parties and women activists came together in Tunis on October 18-19, 2008 for a workshop entitled The Role of Women in Political Parties in the Arab World. The event was the first activity of the Network of Arab Liberals in Tunisia and was cosponsored by the Parti Social Liberal (PSL) of Tunisia in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF). Among the participants were political leaders from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Palestine. Numerous members of the women wing of the host party PSL attended the event.

The delegates agreed that the Arab world is far away from achieving gender equality.  In the conclusions adopted at the end of the workshop the group states: “A large number of women in the Arab countries are unaware of their rights.” The participants lament “the growing fundamentalist currents that oppose women’s rights and threaten the existing social and political benefits by imposing condescending views of women”.

In the end, the NAL-representatives formulated recommendations and vowed to put these into practice in their own organizations. Among these are:

- Strengthening the role of women in civil society and encouraging women to join and participate in political parties

- Introduction of the quota system in liberal political parties to ensure as a transitional step fair and active presentation in political decision making

- Development of strategies and training programs aimed at enhancing the role of women in leadership positions and political elections

- Evaluation of women’s participation in NAL member parties and elections

The Network furthermore vowed to work for the complete equality between men and women in Arab constitutions and related legislations and to aspire for the reform of family laws in order to achieve gender equality and achieve generally accepted modern international standards.

“The women’s workshop featured high-level discussions with both academic and legislative contributions to the debate about liberal women in the Arab region, including a concrete plan of implementation”, Mohamed Tamaldou, the President of the Network of Arab Liberals said in a statement.

Read the full text of the recommendations titled "The Role of Women in Political Parties in the Arab World".

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Chaired by NAL-President Mohamed Tamaldou, the Executive Board of the Network met for its first ordinary meeting in Tunis on October 17, 2008. During their one-day reunion, the NAL-leaders dealt with a long list of organizational and political issues – among them the consolidation of the group, internal and external communications, the division of responsibilities and tasks among the board members, finances, membership and upcoming activities. Special attention was given to the procedures to invite and accept new members: According to NAL-program officer, Mrs. Cynthia Farahat, membership applications from liberal parties in Sudan and Iraq have reached the secretariat in Cairo.

Regarding planned activities, Mr. Tamaldou informed the Board about the upcoming conference titled Towards Establishing a Liberal Maghreb Vision to be held in Marrakech in late November 2008. This is envisioned to be the first meeting of liberal party leaders of the Arab Maghreb including Mauretania. The Executive Board also discussed plans to hold a workshop dealing with economic policies and liberal developmental strategies in Amman, Jordan in early 2009.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Following the successful Cairo meetings, international liberal leaders congratulated the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) and expressed their support for the newly elected President Mr. Mohamed Tamaldou of Morocco. In a congratulatory message, The Lord Alderdice, President of Liberal International, the world federation of liberal parties, said he was looking forward to an intensive cooperation in the future. Speaking on behalf of "the liberals from all parts of the world", Lord Alderdice congratulated the NAL-leaders and said that he was inspired by the recent progress in creating the Arab liberal network. Meanwhile, the President of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF), Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt, who is a member of the Federal German Parliament in Berlin, sent a congratulatory note to the newly elected leader of NAL and said that the liberal Foundation is "committed to promote the cooperation of liberal parties in the Arab world”. Several member NAL-member parties participate in Liberal International activities and the FNF has supported the network through educative programs and consultancies.

Numerous journalists from Egypt and other Arab countries attended the Cairo activities. On the sidelines of the conference, the newly elected NAL-leaders gave interviews to Television channels and newspaper journalists. In a special program, Nile TV International, the government controlled Egyptian English-language TV-station, interviewed NAL-Executive Board Member Wael Nanwara on the objectives of the Network and the political environment for liberal politics in the Arab world. Several political websites picked up the news and reported about the ground breaking NAL activities in Cairo.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Senior members of the Network of Arab Liberals actively participated in a conference in Cairo on July 12, 2008 titled "The Role of Liberal Opposition Parties in the Arab World: Challenges and Perspectives". The one-day event was co-sponsored by the Regional Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF). Political experts from Egypt and politicians from NAL member countries made presentations and discussed the constitutional, legal, political and social framework of liberal politics in the Arab world. In their papers, the speakers referred to numerous political and legal restrictions and constraints that prevent the liberal forces from coming to power. Speakers from Morocco and Lebanon stated that in their countries the situation for liberal parties is better than in other Arab nations and that their governments are not as restrictive as elsewhere in the region.

Presenters also argued that in many Arab countries the people "on the road" are unaware of liberal principles and values or do not fully understand them. Said Dr. Mohamed Sherdy, Member of Parliament for the Egyptian Wafd Party: "We need political education. If you talk to the Egyptians about liberalism they will ask what it means." Political liberalism is also weakened by internal divisions: In several Arab countries more than one political party supporting liberal positions exist. It was argued that in some cases authoritarian regimes are fanning internal divisiveness in order to weaken the liberal forces.

In the final discussion, the participants agreed to two conclusions: First, liberalism as a political concept and program needs to be redefined in an Arab context so that it may become conceivable for a majority of Arabs “in the street”. Second – to quote Beshir Abd El Fattah from the Egyptian Democracy magazine – "the citizens have to understand that liberalism has a direct impact on their lives".

Read the detailed report by Beshir Abd El Fatah.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 The Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) held its first General Assembly in Cairo on July 12, 2008. During this meeting, the delegates adopted the by-laws and elected a new leadership. The delegates unanimously elected Mohamed Tamaldou from Union Constitutionnelle (Morocco) as President of NAL.

Furthermore, the delegates elected the following members to the Executive Board:

Margrit Azer, Democratic Front Party, Wael Nawara, Ghad Party (both Egypt), Monder Thabet, Parti Social Liberal (Tunisia), Dr. Camile Chamoun, National Liberal Party (Lebanon) and Mohamed Arslan (Jordan).

The General Assembly also decided that the Secretariat would be in Cairo following an invitation by the Egyptian Democratic Front Party. Meanwhile the legal ramification would be examined before this decision is fully formalized. The General Assembly discussed the plan of activities for the second half of the year.

A workshop dealing with the role of women in Arab political parties is tentatively planned to take place in Tunisia in October 2008 in cooperation with the Parti Social Liberal. The General Assembly also took note of the activities for young Arab liberal activists in Egypt and discussed plans to have a further activity for young Liberals tentatively also in October 2008 and in Lebanon

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Senior members of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) are visiting Cairo from July 11 to 14 2008 to participate in the conference "The Role of Liberal Opposition Parties in the Arab World: Challenges and Prospects" and attend the first General Assembly of the Network.

The conference aims at discussing the role of liberal opposition parties in the Arab World. Speakers will deal with the constitutional, legal, and political framework of political parties in the participating Arab Countries. Delegates from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, in addition to the hosting country Egypt have been invited.

On this occasion, the political leaders from the liberal member parties will hold the first General Assembly on July 12, 2008 during which they are expected to discuss internal organizational matters such as the by-laws, membership issues and the leadership of the group.

The Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) is comprised of Arab liberal parties and activists in the Arab world committed to the principles of freedom, responsibility, pluralism, tolerance, market economy, civil state, and separation of religion from state affairs.

A press conference is scheduled on July 13, 2008 at 7.00 p.m, at the Shepeard Hotel  to inform the members of the media about the results of the General Assembly and the conclusions of the Conference.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Leading members of youth wings of Arab liberal political parties and liberal youth activists from the Arab world assembled in Ain Souchna, Egypt, from May, 3 - 7,  2008 for a workshop titled “Communicating Liberalism: Moderation Training for Multipliers”. The activity was cosponsored by the Egyptian NGO Youth Contribution for Social Aid and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) and brought together, for the first time, young political leaders belonging to member parties of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL).

The main objective of the workshop was to improve the Arab young liberals’ programmatic knowledge about liberalism and, at the same time, also their facilitation skills. Young liberals from Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and host country Egypt attended the workshop.

Following the training at Ain Souchna, the group moved to Cairo for a well attended public debate on “The role of Liberalism in the solution of youth problems”. In their talks, the young liberals identified youth unemployment, political disenchantment and lack of political participation as their main common challenges. As possible liberal solutions they proposed market reforms for more growth and development, the opening of the political systems to encourage the youth to get involved and platform based politics to increase the level and quality of political discourse in their respective countries.

The Ain Souchna and Cairo events were the first of their kind to bring together young liberal Arab activists involved in party politics.

First Vice-President of the NAL-member Democratic Front Party (DFP) Dr. Ashraaf Balbaa attended the Cairo forum together with DFP-Secretary General Mrs. Margrit Azer. In attendance at the workshop was also a young member of the Lebanese Moustakbal which is not affiliated with NAL.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Senior members of Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) member parties visited Brussels and Berlin from April 20-26, 2008 for an informative program titled "Organization and Program Development of Modern Liberal Parties". In Brussels, the Arab delegation visited the European Parliament and met with leaders of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR). The NAL-delegation also got together with a representative of Liberal International, the world federation of liberal political parties. During their meetings, the Arab and European Liberals discussed the possibilities of cooperation between the various liberal networks. “There is an astonishing lack of knowledge about the Arab countries in Europe. Therefore, it is important that we Liberals engage in a dialogue,” said Jules Maaten, Member of the European Parliament of ALDE.

During their visit to Berlin the NAL-delegates met senior officials of the German government and the liberal party of Germany (Free Democratic Party, FDP). In a workshop, officials of the German opposition party made presentations regarding organizational and strategic issues related to the management of modern political parties. Among the highlights of the one-week programme was a public forum in Berlin on “Challenges for Liberalism in the Arab World” co-sponsored by the German-Arabic Society. There the Arab politicians had the opportunity to present their positions to a wider German public. The NAL-delegation also had meetings with the leadership of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) who sponsored and organized the informative program.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Senior members of the Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) participated in a workshop entitled “Political Communications in the Arab World. Strategies and Policies of Liberal parties” in Beirut (Lebanon) from March 27 to 31, 2008. This activity aimed at discussing the political, socio-economic and also legal ramifications of political communications in the member states. In their meeting the delegates also discussed the communications strategies of the member organizations. The workshop also dealt with the communicative needs and related strategies of the NAL. The delegates agreed to enhance the newly established website and engage in social networking through the Internet.

Mr. Alex Folkes, campaign manager of the British political party Liberal Democrats, presented best practices of political communications and election campaigning in the United Kingdom. Also, Mr. Mohamed Ouzzine from the Moroccan Mouvement Populaire (MP) presented his party’s recent electoral campaign.

On the first day of the Beirut meeting, the delegates discussed internal organizational matters in a follow-up to the Strategic Planning workshop held in November 2007 in Egypt. During their debates, the delegates agreed on the bylaws of the Network which include regulations on membership, the structure of the leadership and financial matters. The final draft of the bylaws is to be formally adopted by the General Assembly of the Network to be held later in the year. The General Assembly will also be tasked to decide on the location of the Secretariat of the Network which is provisionally in Cairo.

Finally, the delegates discussed upcoming activities. These will include a study tour to Brussels and Berlin for the leadership of the member parties and organizations slated for late April in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. Furthermore, leaders of the youth wings of the Arab liberal parties will participate in a training workshop in early May in Egypt and a workshop on women’s participation in Arab political parties is planned to be held later in the year in Tunisia in cooperation with the Parti Social Liberal.

Pictures of Beirut workshop

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Former Ambassador Mohammed Nagui El Ghatrifi, senior member of the Egyptian Al Ghad Party and founding member of NAL, represented the Network at the international conference entitled “Strengthening Networks and Combating Human Trafficking” organized by Liberal International in cooperation with the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Taipei (Taiwan) from December 7-10. 2007.

Speaking to the delegates from all parts of the world, Amb. El Ghatrifi termed the recent creation of the Arab network is “a ground breaking move providing a forum for Arab liberals to stand united against the totalitarian regimes and their oppressive ideologies prevalent in the Arab region.” He also said that the Network aims at ensuring that human rights in the Arab world are “re-established and fully protected”. The Egyptian liberal stated furthermore: “We maintain that human rights are indivisible and universal”.

In his well received speech, Ambassador El Gatrift presented an analysis of the socio-political conditions in the Arab world and dealt with the strategies and tactics of the “authoritarian dictatorships.” He said, the Arab governments “may offer labels democratic in name but which at heart are far from liberal and democratic”. He concluded by saying that “liberals in the Arab Middle East have a daunting road ahead of them.”

Read the full text of the speech of Ambassador El Ghatrifi

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 Senior members of the Network of Arab Liberals assembled in the Egyptian resort Ain Souchna for a strategic planning workshop from November 4 to 6, 2007 in order to discuss and formulate the strategic priorities of the political group. Delegates from all member parties attended the deliberations and, following intensive discussions, agreed on a basic programmatic document.

In this, the Network states that it is committed to “the principles of freedom and responsibility, pluralism and tolerance, market economy and the secular state.” The document asserts that “only strict democratic behaviour and the rule of law will avoid the further strengthening of fundamentalist and repressive regimes.” It says that NAL “will support its member parties to fight for individual freedom regardless if race, gender and religion.”

Following an assessment that Arab positions are not taken into consideration sufficiently and correctly in international fora, the Network declares that it aspires to become “an important factor for defending the Arab interests in the international community in order to overcome the unfair double standards oriented behaviour of some international powers”.

In Ain Souchna, the delegates also discussed organizational issues of the Network such as membership, finances and fundraising, a permanent secretariat and a plan of future activities. They agreed that a provisional secretariat would be set up in Cairo and that the next activity would be held in Beirut in early 2008 and deal with political communications, and the organizational consolidation of the group.

In a congratulatory note read to the delegates at the beginning of the workshop, Lord Alderdice, the President of Liberal International, expresses support for the Network: “Liberal International highly values the efforts of each and everyone involved in NAL as you take the next necessary steps to further build the Network”. The message was read by Mohand Lanser, Secretary General of the Moroccan member party Mouvement Populaire, who is a Vice President of Liberal International.

Liberal Discussions in Cairo

Following the workshop in Ain Souchna, the delegates moved to Cairo and attended an open forum entitled “Prospects of Liberalism in Egypt”. At this activity, prominent Egyptian political personalities engaged in a lively discussion regarding the perspectives of liberalism in the country. The ruling National Democratic Front (NDP) was represented by the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the People’s Assembly, Dr. Mostafa El Feqqi; Wafd Party Secretary General Mr. Monein Fakhry Abdel Nour and the Secretary General of the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Mr. Hafez Abou Seiada presented their perspectives.

“The lively debates are a reflection of the pluralism in the Egyptian political community,” said Jordanian parliamentarian and NAL-member Mr. Mohammed Arslan, who facilitated the discussions. Both events were also attended by Dr. Ronald Meinardus, the Regional Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, who gave short congratulatory speeches..

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B 2008 With the aim of defining the challenges that Liberals in the Arab World are facing today and coming up with a common understanding how best to confront these challenges, members of liberal Arab parties convened in Casablanca, Morocco, from May 27-30, 2007. for an international conference.

The liberal Union Constitutionnelle hosted the event titled “Liberalism in the Arab World. Challenges and Chances Today” at their party headquarters in downtown Casablanca. Senior members from liberal parries from Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and host country Morocco attended the two-day event.

After assessing the political conditions in their respective countries and the region as a whole, the delegates stressed the importance of regional cooperation of the liberal Arab forces. This cooperation – they said – was needed to counter the political pressure from authoritarian regimes and fundamentalist forces.

One session of the conference dealt with organizational matters of the group. The delegates agreed to change the name to Network of Arab Liberals or NAL. Also, in void of an agreed upon constitution, the delegates elected a provisional Steering Committee which would operate as an interim leadership. The delegates decided that each of the geographical sub- regions and Egypt should be represented. The following individuals were elected:

- MP Mohammed Arslan, Jordan (representing Mashreq)

- Mr. Mohammed Tamaldou, Director of the Union Constitutionnelle (representing Maghreb)

- Mr. Sameh Makram Ebeid, Vice Secretary general, Wafd Party (representing Egypt)

Mr. Jochen De Groot, Program Officer of Liberal International, and Dr. Ronald Meinardus, Regional Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation attended the conference as observers.

]]> http://www.arab-liberals.net/eindex.html E128506E-3D34-4D89-8F84-BCF9D798440B Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:56:15 +0200