| |
America provided the Arab World with billions of US Dollars during the
last few decades. However, previous experience showed us that the vast
amount of US aid did not achieve the expected or intended results of
democracy, peace and development rather it led to conflicts, wars,
anti-Americanism, terrorism and the continuation of dictatorships and
the Arab Israeli conflict.
In one of the recent studies regarding this subject Marina Ottaway and
others concluded that “if there is one region of the globe in which
democracy deemed extremely weak and difficult or impossible to develop
in the near future, it is the Arab World” (Ottaway, 2000 p, 21).
Ottaway, argues that the large amount of US money “are never spent in
the recipient country but paid to expatriate consultants,
administrative overhead and that the data is often imprecise or
incomplete” ( P33). The study concluded that ”civil society assistance
has not been decisive for democratization in Palestine or in Egypt, nor
it is likely to become a force in the foreseeable future” (p. 44). The
study showed civil society assistance to Egypt in 1988 was about 1
percent of the total US 2.3 billion aid to Egypt (p.33).
Mustapha Al-sayyed pointed out to a very important issue that the US
aid is not only ineffective but that the some part of the Arab public
do not see the that aid as a sign of US commitment to promote
democracy: rather they look at it as instrument for furthering US
foreign policy goals” (Al-sayyed, 2000: p.4). Indeed and as Keane
argues that: None of the 21 Arab States has a democratic system or can
be said to be democratizing (Keane, 1988:13-21).
It is true that the Government of Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain,
Morocco and Yemen had taken several steps towards political reform
during the 1990s. Some of them conducted regular general elections,
municipalities elections, presidential elections, others established
legislative bodies, constitutions, political parties, eased
restrictions on freedom of press, established satellites TV stations,
privatization, etc. As for Jordan political reform included abolishing
marshal law, initiating many new political parties, economic and press
laws, and conducting free and fair Parliamentary elections and allowing
the establishment of more that 32 political parties. There was a lack
of progress, however, regarding press freedom, political participation,
women rights and judicial independence and more importantly all
governments in the Arab World are not representative in the democratic
sense and the parliament belonging to one party or consists of
individuals without actual power to oversee governments.
.
Why is this Issue important?
The concern with Democracy Promotion represents a dramatic change of
thinking for US policy makers. Despite the rhetoric, the old thinking:
was as long as Arab regimes are favorable to US interests (oil,
anti-communism, peace process, etc…), the US would support them.
After the 9/11, new thinking is much different. Political reform and
democracy in the Middle East is in America’s interests. Many
Administration officials have spoken about this – not just President
Bush’s Nov. 6th 2003 Speech to the National Endowment for Democracy in
Washington DC.
It was most directly stated by the Richard Haas – the former Director
of Policy Planning at the State Department Haas said:”At times, the
United States has avoided scrutinizing the internal workings of
countries in the interests of ensuring a steady flow of oil, containing
Soviet, Iraqi and Iranian expansionism, addressing issues related to
the Arab-Israeli conflict, resisting communism in East Asia, or
securing basing rights for our military… It is not in our interest – or
that of the people living in the Muslim World – for the United States
to continue this exception. US policy will be more actively engaged in
supporting democratic trends in the Muslim world than ever before.
Countries plagued by economic stagnations and lack of opportunity,
closed political systems, and burgeoning populations fuel the
alienation of their citizens. As we have learned the hard way such
societies can be breeding grounds for extremists and terrorists who
target the United States for supporting the regimes under which they
live.” from a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations entitled
“Towards Greater Democracy in the Muslim World.” December 2003).
To help the Arab World to reach political reform and democratization
the United States Administration rightly announced a new initiative for
achieving these goals- ‘known as the greater Middle East Initiative’
(MEPI)- because, practically the previous US aid policy did not achieve
any of its main objectives in the area mainly: permanent peace,
stability, development, democratization, end of terrorism and
democratization. This Initiative was modified and accepted by the G8
and the EU which give it more importance.
Objectives:
The objectives of the project are to increase understanding about
United States aid policies to Jordan and to other/Arab countries and
assess their impact on democratization and political reform during the
last decade; examine US levels of aid funding to Jordan and to
other/Arab countries during the last decade; conduct interviews with
relevant policy-makers regarding future policy that will be followed
for the allocation of US aid for the new ‘Greater Middle East-goals and
criteria for democracy’; to write a research paper and 20-page policy
study in coordination with the group advisor with recommendations for
relevant policy-makers, parliamentarians, political parties, media and
academic circles in the United States, Jordan. Finally to increase our
understanding of US future aid and policy regarding the methods that
will be followed to spend the new US aid that allocated for the new
‘Greater Middle East initiative for democracy’.
Outcome and Publication
There are four different types of publication format that may serve as
a vehicle for disseminating ideas and policy recommendations advanced
in this fellowship project. They are outlined below. It is important to
note here that many issues, which are cited in the project as a source
of US aid policy to Jordan and other Arab countries, do not look
immediately or obviously problematic. However, persuading policy maker
in America to change US aid policy to make it more effective in
achieving its intended democratic goals is not an easy task. The
research suggests a set of policy measures for achieving US aid policy
and those are the primary goals of the proposed publications.
1. Policy paper “Impact of US aid policy on democracy
and political reform in Jordan and other Arab countries” can be
published in the form of a Center for Policy Studies discussion or
policy paper or in the form of an article in policy-oriented journal in
both Arabic and English, and that may require a substantial extension
of empirical part of the paper. The conceptualization of US aid policy
to Jordan and other Arab countries and formulation of policy
recommendations in the paper can have a number of applications for US
policy towards democracy and political reform in the Arab World in
general and in Jordan in particular.
2. Holding a seminar or workshop to include some Arab and American
academics, policy makers and parliamentarians to discuss this issue
during summer 2006, in Amman or Washington- depending on funding.
3. The policy and research paper could be published in the form of a
chapter in an edited volume on "US aid policy to the Arab World" and.
this depends in getting funding. Any suggestions or information about
this possibility from any one or institution would be most welcomed by
the author (Professor Abdel Mahdi Alsoudi email: alsoudi@ju.edu.jo
4. The policy paper and the research findings could be published in
both Arabic and English in a monograph to be distributed to relevant
research institutions, Parliament, policy makers in Jordan and USAID,
MEPI offices in Amman, Washington and in other Arab capitals.
It is hoped that outcome of this project will be useful to respected
Arab and US governments, congress, parliaments and other institutions
to determine the best way of spending the money allocated by the US
Administration for the ‘Greater Middle East Initiative for democracy’,
particularly to support legislation, freedom of press, political
parties, women organizations, parliamentary reform and elections’
practices.
|
|
