World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies

Barcelona, July 19th - 24th 2010

· NOT_DEFINED date: Fri 23.07.2010, 9:00 am - 7:30 pm

· NOT_DEFINED room: Hotel Shers

· NOT_DEFINED institution: Fundació Rafael Campalans and Foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

· NOT_DEFINED organizer: Esther Niubó

· NOT_DEFINED language: Castellano-English-Français

· NOT_DEFINED description: Presentations from academics and political actors and discussion on the role of political cooperation of socialist and progressive organisations in the Euro-Mediterranean region, their impact on the political democratisation and reform process in the Mediterranean, as well as on the prosperity of the region from the perspective of social justice.

PROGRAM

Thursday 22nd July 2010

Arrival of the participants at the airport of El Prat- Barcelona

Transfer by taxi to the hotel NH Pòdium (c. Bailén, 4-6 - 08010 Barcelona)

Check-in

20.00 h. Meeting in the hotel reception and transfer to Restaurant by bus

20.30 h. Welcome dinner (Restaurant Barceloneta, C. L’Escar 22, Moll dels Pescadors)

Return to the hotel by bus

Friday 23rd July 2010

Breakfast

8.00 h. Transfer from the hotel by bus to the Hotel Shers Campus in the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona

Arrival

In the room Arnau de Vilanova (40-60 people):

9.00 h. Presentation

• Albert Aixalà, director of the Foundation Rafael Campalans
• Lothar Witte, director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Spain

9.15 h. Strengthening Democracy and Social Justice in the Euromediterranean Region

Introduction by Eduard Soler i Lecha, coordinator of the Mediterranean and Middle East Program of the Foundation CIDOB and advisor on Mediterranean Affairs for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Spanish EU term Presidency

Speakers:
• Mustapha Kamel El-Sayed, professor in the American University of Cairo
• Latifa Jbabdi, member of the Moroccan Parliament for the USFP
• Emre Kekec, member of the Social Democracy Association

Presentations followed by Debate / Discussion

11.30 h. Coffee Break

Transfer to the room Lluís Vives II (25-40 people):

12.00 h. The political democratization and reform process in the Mediterranean, and the economic and social development of the area. Case studies and exchange of experiences and best practices from the different organizations (closed session)

Chair: Meritxell Batet, member of the Spanish Parliament

Introduction: Ulrich Storck, delegate of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Morocco

Inputs:
• Yosra Fraoues, member of the Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates
• Youssef Tlili, member of Union Générale des Etudiants Tunisiens
• Roby Nathanson, general director of The Macro Centre for Political Economics of Israel
• Mohammad Darawshe, executive director of The Abraham Fund Initiatives
• Naser Abdelkarim Mohammad Mufrej, Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute

Presentations followed by Debate / Discussion

13.30 h. Lunch

15.30 h. Working session. The future of the progressive organizations in the Euromediterranean Space: Which challenges for the socialists? The role of the political cooperation among progressive organizations in the different countries (closed session)

Introduction by Pau Solanilla, executive advisor to the Spanish Secretary of State for EU Affairs

Speakers:
• Ernst Stetter, general secretary of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies
• Mohammad Anwar Esmat El Sadat, member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs
• Aïcha Belarbi, member of the National Council of Morocco and delegate for Foreign Affairs of the USFP
• Raimon Obiols, member of the European Parliament and coordinator of the S&D Group in the EMPA

17.00 h. Coffee Break

17.30 h. Debate

19.00 h. Closing (closed session)

19.30 h. Return to the hotel by bus (from the Hotel Shers Campus)

21.00 h. Informal dinner (for those who are interested)

Saturday 24th July 2010

Departure from the participants to the airport (by taxi or bus)