May 31- June 4, 2010
Brussels, Belgium

Freedom House will convene the final in its series of high-level roundtable dialogues in Brussels to envisage a new strategy for international engagement with civil society in the Middle East and North Africa. As part of Freedom House’s New Generation of Advocates program, the Dialogue series has brought together leading Arab civil society activists, prominent academics, government officials, diplomats, and influential journalists to answer several substantial questions:  How do local activists viewthe current challenges and opportunities for democracy and respect for human rights in the MENA region? What are their shared priorities for reform, both regionally and locally? How can the United States and Europe effectively support these priorities? Over the past two years, a total of five Dialogues were held in Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, and Washington, D.C. to address these questions amidst the backdrop of a sustained global democratic recession.

The Dialogue on Reform in Brussels will conclude the series by involving European counterparts in the discussion, assessing the priorities of the European Union in the MENA region, and conceptualizing new ways that the E.U. can work synergistically with the United States to provide protection and assistance to advocates of reform. The Brussels Dialogue will consist of three components:

Roundtable Dialogue:

The roundtable Dialogue on Reform will be an open discussion among civil society leaders from the MENA region and political and civil society leaders from Europe and the United States, focusing on specific areas in which the various parties can work together to foster human rights and political reform in the Arab world. MENA participants will have the opportunity to summarize their findings and priorities which were defined during the previous dialogues, while European and American participants will provide a realistic assessment of Western priorities regionally. All participants will work to identify areas of mutual collaboration, developing a reinvigorated framework for supporting on-the-ground Arab activists.

Hearing of European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights:

The European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights will host Freedom House’s regional Dialogue participants for an open hearing to brief MEPs on the current challenges facing human rights defenders and civil society activists in the Middle East and North Africa.

New Generation Human Rights and Democracy Defender Award Ceremony:

At a public event and reception, Freedom House’s New Generation program will present an award to two human rights and democracy defenders who have demonstrated exceptional moral courage in advocating for reform in their country. The awards will recognize the sacrifices these individuals have made in the cause of freedom, encouraging their work and raising awareness region-wide that others stand in solidarity with their struggle.

To present the award, Freedom House will enlist the support of its International Solidarity Committee, a global network of prominent political, diplomatic, and civil society leaders who share a vision for greater democracy and respect for human rights in the Middle East and North Africa. The Committee was created in response to the needs of on-the-ground activists in the region, adding a layer of protection for their work through the high-level international advocacy such a body can mobilize.

Watch videos of the event:
Subcommittee on Human Rights
Press conference: Heidi HAUTALA - Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights