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1. Project Objectives:
- To increase understanding about United States aid
policies to Jordan and other Arab countries and assess their impact on
democracy and political reform during the last decade.
- To examine United States level of aid funding to Jordan and other
Arab countries during the last decade.
- To conduct interviews with relevant policy makers, regarding future
policy that will be followed for the allocation of US aid for the MEPI
goals and criteria for democracy.
- Write a research paper and 20 page policy study in coordination with
group advisor with recommendations for relevant policy makers,
parliament, political parties, media in the United States, Jordan and
other Arab countries.
2. Internal and External Stakeholders
a. Internal stakeholders and beneficiaries of the
project are:
- Jordan government
- Parliament
- Political parties
- Women organizations
- The Media
During the first four months of my project I conducted
extensive review of US Arab relations, US policy toward the region, and
the main factors that affected the mutual relations such as the cold
war, the peace process and terrorism. Parallel to this I gathered data
about US aid to Jordan and other Arab countries from the USAID office
and MEPI offices in Amman, from their websites, from official records
and from other published papers, books and reports. I conducted
A field survey of government officials, parliamentarians, political
leaders, policy makers, academics and experts on democracy and
political reform. Questions were asked about their opinion and
evaluation of US aid policy toward democracy and political reform and
about their views regarding democracy promoting and implementation of
political reform in Jordan. The research findings and recommendations
will be shared and discussed with relevant government officials,
members of parliament, women organizations and the media in a workshop
to be held at the end of the project depending on funding.
b. External stakeholders
- Department of States,
- USAID and the European Union.
- MEPI, political, economic and gender pillars.
I conducted interviews and meeting with experts and policy makers in
the State Department, MEPI, Associate director of OSI New York office,
researchers and experts on this subject from Center for contemporary
Arab Studies at Georgetown university, Brookings, Carnegie foundation
for international peace, Washington Institute for near East policy,
International Republican Institute, US institute for peace, George
Washington university, and others. These interviews and meetings took
place from June to September 2005 during my stay as a visiting scholar
at Georgetown University. The focus of these meetings and interviews
was on US aid policy to Jordan and the region; their assessment to the
impact of US policy on political reform; the main factors that affect
US policy now and in the future including terrorism and the situation
in Iraq, US need for Arab regimes cooperation in the war against
terrorism and stabilizing the situation in Iraq, the flow of cheep oil
and the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. It also
discussed the new US policy for political reform (MEPI) and US
strategies to implement it, and identifying future projects in this
field. Other activities in America included active participation at
general discussion with faculty members and post graduate students at
Contemporary Center for Arab Studies (CCAS). Finally, a seminar about
my project has been scheduled with on Spetember/12 to be attended by
interested audience, within the CCAS activities.
3. Cooperation with OSI/Soros Foundations
• I have a meeting with Mr. Anthony Richter associate director OSO
office in New your. During this meeting we discussed the objective of
my project, the OSI activities in Jordan and the Middle East and future
cooperation. We discussed the possibility of holding a round table
discussion at OSI office or in other institution. I understood that OSI
is supporting some media projects in Jordan something which I look
forward to examine after I return to Jordan.
• I have contact and exchanged views and resources with some collogues,
at the Islamic group especially Mehr Latif, Idrees Rahmani, and Syed
Mohammad Ali.We exchanged views about our work and future cooperation
and shared information about events and conferences.
• I am planning to examine the possibility of using other OSI resources
and expertise in this field in Washington.
• I am looking for future cooperation with relevant IPF alumni and
Policy experts working on relevant projects or are affiliated with
organizations which are directly concerned with democracy promotion in
America and Arab World.
4. Project Outcomes
1. 20-page research paper and a policy recommendations package with an
action plan, which will be distributed among relevant state
authorities, NGOs, academic circles, MEPI and other organizations and
made available at a web site for a wider use by interested public. The
research findings and recommendations will also be presented and
discussed at the political sociology courses for post graduate students
at Jordan University. I will try to organize a one day seminar or round
table discussion about the findings to include members of parliament,
government officials, representative of USAID and MEPI, other donors
and the media depending on funding.
2. publication of the research paper in academic journals in both
Arabic and English
3. Monographs to be published in Arabic and in English and distributed
to politicians, parliamentarians, political parties, MEPI and USAID
representatives in Jordan.
5. Research Paper outline
5.1. Background: Arab American relation during the last
decade
5.2. US Policy on democracy and political reform in
Jordan and the Arab World
• Before 9/11/2001
• After 9/11/2004
• The new US aid policy Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)
• The impact of US aid on democracy and political reform in the region
• Jordan and other Arab governments reaction to US policy
5.3. Political reform in Jordan during the 1990s
• Parliamentary reform: election laws,
• political parties and political participation
• Legislation, the status of women and the media.
5.4. The size and impact of MEPI on democracy and
political reform in Jordan
• Parliamentary elections and laws
• Political parities and political participation
• Women political participation
• The media
5.5. Understanding obstacles to political reform in
Jordan and the Arab World
• Obstacles to democracy and political reform
• Regional conflicts and wars : (in Iraq and the Palestinian -Israeli
conflict)
5.6. Conclusions and recommendations.
6. Policy paper outline:
1. Introduction
1.1. Problem statement;
1.2. Objectives;
1.3. Research questions,
1.4. Methodology;
2. US Policy for Promoting Democracy in the Arab World
2.1. Back ground
2.2. US Policy before 9/11/2001
2.3. US Policy after 9/11/2004
3. US Aid policy to the Arab World
3.1. Background
3.2. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)
3.3. MEPI funding and programs
4. Arab Responses to US Aid Policy
4.1. Arab perception of democracy and political reform
4.2. Arab reaction to MEPI
5. Arab reaction to US Reform Policy.
6. Conclusions and recommendations:
6.1. Conclusions
6.2. Recommendations
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