Remarks by Alina Romanowski at the
Arab Western Summit of Skills
Berlin
January 17, 2004
Thank you very much, Mr Ambassador (Dan Coats). It is an
honor to be invited to participate in this conference, which
is focused on how together we can address the critical challenges
facing the Middle East at this time. But it is also a bit
intimidating to stand in front of such an impressive audience.
For the title of this conference is particularly apt: you
do indeed represent the elite, or "the summit , of Arab
and Western skills. And it is the extraordinary talent, expertise
and accomplishment which people like you can bring to the
Middle East which give us reason to be optimistic for that
region's future. I am also honored to be sharing the stage
with such a distinguished colleague as Ambassador Vorwerk.
I would like this evening to touch both on the vital importance
of partnership in promoting democratic development and economic
and social reform in the Middle East, and the critical role
which civil society must play.
From a U.S. Government perspective, I can say that no question
is more timely. I have been working on Middle East issues
for much of my 23 year career. It is a fair criticism of all
our efforts during those years to say that we have never paid
adequate attention to the long term importance of opening
up some very stagnant political systems, particularly in the
Arab world. This was damaging, not just to the region itself,
but to all our interests. For as President Bush said in a
speech in November, "Sixty years of Western nations excusing
and accommodating the lack of freedom in the Middle East did
nothing to make us safe-because in the long run, stability
cannot be purchased at the expense of liberty. As long as
the Middle East remains a place where freedom does not flourish,
it will remain a place of stagnation, resentment, and
violence ready for export.
Forward Strategy of Freedom
The United States has therefore embarked on a new approach
to the Middle East- the "forward strategy of freedom
outlined by President Bush in a major speech on 6 November.
This strategy will require the same effort .and staying power
that the United States has shown before, in promoting democracy
in Germany and Japan after World War II and in Central and
Eastern Europe during the Cold War. But it is an effort that
is critical to supporting the people of the Middle East as
they undertake to bring democracy to their own countries.
Partnership
Partnership is a key part of this strategy -and it's the operative
word in the Middle East Partnership Initiative, or "MEPI
, which forms the centerpiece of the Administration's approach.
I shall talk in more detail on this initiative in my address
tomorrow morning, but its aims can be summarized as to support
economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the
Middle East and champion opportunity for all the people of
the region, especially women and youth.
The point about "partnership is that change cannot be
achieved unless we work in partnership with the people we
are trying to help. Enduring democratic change and economic
modernization must be driven from within Arab societies. They
cannot be imposed from without - any more than Europe's reconstruction
and reintegration could be accomplished a half-century
ago purely through American prescriptions. The initiative
has to be home-grown.
But what is encouraging across much of the Middle East today
is the extent of self-examination underway, and the tangible
steps that many countries are taking towards political and
economic reform. The Arab Human Development Reports issued
over the past two years bear eloquent testimony, from Arab
thinkers themselves, about what needs to be done to ease serious
deficits in political freedoms, economic openness, educational
opportunity and women's empowerment. The hard reality as we
enter the 21st century is that countries that adapt, open
up and seize the economic and political initiative will prosper;
those that don't will fall further behind.
MEPI also fits well in the larger U.S. strategy of
partnerships that Secretary of State Powell laid out in an
article in Foreign Affairs this month. "Partnership,
he wrote, "is the watchword of U.S. strategy in this
administration. America's partnerships include organizations
operating at the geostrategic level, such as NATO and the
United Nations. Others are regional, like MEPI.
Another key US partnership is with the European Union. This
partnership is particularly relevant for the Middle East,
where Europe has had a long record of support for economic
and political development. The EuroMed process has been an
important contribution, and indeed I have just come from Brussels,
where I have been discussing how our respective efforts in
the Middle East can be complementary. This conference is another
opportunity for committed individuals from the US and
Europe to share their talents, ideas and experience with colleagues
from the region.
Civil Society
My second key point is that civil society organizations must
be at the forefront of reform. To repeat my earlier point,
the responsibility for true reform cannot come from the United
States or any other outside actor. It must come from the region
itself. Civil society will play a vital role in generating
this reform.
Civil society organizations are critical actors in an open
society. Political parties can improve the quality of political
life and increase the choices for voters. Unions can protect
workers' rights and prevent exploitation. Advocacy groups
can be a voice for those who would otherwise have none. And
watchdog organizations can help keep governments and business
accountable.
As the driving force behind the US's forward strategy of freedom
in the Middle East, MEPI seeks to listen to these voices for
change in the region, and to empower them. MEPI is therefore
supporting a number of programs to help civil society organizations
achieve their potential as agents for change in the Middle
East. I shall not go into details today, but these projects
reflect MEPI's shift away from traditional bilateral aid programs,
which gave technical assistance only to governments. By supporting
NGOs and other grassroots organizations directly, we can better
reach reformers and have the most impact.
Unfortunately, civil society faces some difficult challenges
in its ability to operate freely in this region. The
Arab Human Development Report 2003 cited some of these obstacles.
Among them are one country's new law restricting NGO activities,
an order by another country's minister of interior to close
a citizens' rights association over alleged financial and
administrative violations, and the prosecution of human rights
activists in a third country for distributing publications
without permission and spreading false news abroad. Even in
some of the more open countries in the region, the government
must approve the formation of new NGOs. But the activities
of civil society cannot be stifled if the nations of the Middle
East are to achieve thriving, democratic systems. The region
needs strong, independent organizations to engage in dialogue
and debate and push for freedom.
Conclusion
Across the region, though, I think you will agree with me
that voices are beginning to speak up for change, and in a
manner that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
It is our duty, and in our own enlightened self-interest,
to help them.
It is important for leaders to talk about these issues. But
when I look at the great talent and energy assembled in this
room, it is yet another reminder that the true engine for
change will be the region's people, working from the ground
up, and in partnership with governments and people in America
and Europe. If we can tap into that potential, and unleash
it in the service of a shared vision, I think a better future
is close at hand.
Thank you.
