A panel of political and civic activists join former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in a discussion on the future of democratic movements in North Africa and the Middle East.
Participants from Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen take part in the forum, which is hosted by the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Ms. Albright chairs the NDI; she's joined by moderator Walter Isaacson of the Aspen Institute.
Panelists for the discussion include:
Atia Lawgali, who joined the National Transitional Council in Libya as Minister of Culture in May, previously served as manager of the Health Department Information Center in the Ministry of Health in Benghazi from 1988 to 2000.
Sheikh Mohammed Abu Luhoum, a founding member of the recently formed Justice and Building Party in Yemen, served as a member of parliament in Yemen's first legislature after North and South Yemen were unified in 1990. He was a founder of the Republican Party of Yemen in 1991.
Dr. Amal Habib Al Yusuf, a Bahraini civic activist and ophthalmic surgeon, was one of the doctors trapped in the main hospital in Bahrain during the siege by military forces last March.
Mohammad Al Abdallah, a Syrian lawyer, human rights activist and writer, formed the Committee for Families of Political Prisoners after his father and brother were arrested. He now writes for several English and Arabic newspapers and blogs.
Rafat Al Akhalim, a Yemeni youth activist, is a leader in Resonate! Yemen, an organization that promotes youth engagement on policy initiatives.
Dr. Muneera Fakhro is a Sunni candidate for parliament in Bahrain, where she has published three books and authored studies focusing on gender and democracy.
Dr. Azza Kamel is the director of Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development, an Egyptian women’s rights group, has published numerous studies on gender equality and the impact of violence against women.