24-25 November 2011, University of Warwick

Convenors: João Nunes (PaIS, Warwick) and Oz Hassan (PaIS Warwick)

The recent wave of change in the Middle East and North Africa has brought many challenges to International Politics. This workshop focused on the security dimension (including human security, the strategic implications and the role of outside intervention); and the democracy dimension (including democratisation, human rights and development aid) of these events. The following questions were addressed:

• What explains the political unrest in this region?
• What are the implications of recent events for the regional and global security landscape?
• What lessons can be learned in terms of democratisation trends?
• Is there a ‘new civil society’ in this region? How is local politics changing?
• What are the responsibilities of the international community?

Thursday 24 November

B3.03, Mathematics

17:00–19:00 Roundtable: Understanding the Arab Spring: Security and democratization

Chair: Stuart Croft (PaIS, Warwick)

Richard Aldrich (PaIS, Warwick)

Peter Burnell (PaIS, Warwick) Download audio

Nicola Pratt (PaIS, Warwick) Download audio

Richard Youngs (FRIDE and PaIS, Warwick) Download audio

Q&A session: Download audio

Friday 25 November

Wolfson Research Exchange, University Library

10:00-10:30 Welcome and Introduction

10:30-12:00 Roundtable: The Arab Spring from a Global Perspective

Chair: João Nunes (PaIS, Warwick)

Shaun Breslin (PaIS, Warwick), Oz Hassan (PaIS, Warwick), Richard Youngs (FRIDE and PaIS, Warwick)

12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-14:30 Roundtable: The regional dimension of the Arab Spring

Chair: Renske Doorenspleet (PaIS, Warwick)

Peter Burnell (PaIS, Warwick), Gulcin Lelandais (PaIS, Warwick), Ruth Hanu Santini (Brookings Institute)

14:30-15:00 Tea/Coffee

15:00-16:30 Roundtable: The local politics of the Arab Spring

Chair: João Nunes (PaIS, Warwick)

Michelle Pace (Birmingham), Nicola Pratt (PaIS, Warwick)

16:30 -16:45 Short Tea/Coffee break

16:45-17:30 Conclusions and future work

João Nunes (PaIS, Warwick), Nick Vaughan-Williams (PaIS, Warwick)

17:45 Drinks reception