The U.S./Middle East Project initiated consultations among leading Arab policy institutes about the formation of a consortium of Arab think tanks that will mobilize an indigenous Arab research capacity in support of reform and democracy in the Arab world. In December 2004, these consultations resulted in the launching of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) in Cairo. The consortium is comprised of institutes in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S./Middle East Project serves as consultant to the ARI and, in coordination with other European policy institutes, provides support as needed. In May 2005, Dr. Bassma Kodmani assumed the directorship of this unprecedented consortium of Arab institutions.
ARI’s activities include policy briefs, thematic and country studies, public opinion surveys, workshops and conferences – all with the aim of formulating policy recommendations that can advance homegrown reform and democracy in the Arab world.
For more on the ARI, please visit the website: http://www.arab-reform.net/
