Asan Plenum

Session: Session 1 / Grand Ballroom 3
Date/Time: April 22, 2014 / 13:00-14:15

Moderator:
Jang Ji-Hyang, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies

Speakers:
Salah Eddin Elzein, Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
Michael Hudson, National University of Singapore
Ellen Laipson, Stimson Center
Diederik Vandewalle, Dartmouth College

 
Panel Description
The Arab Spring toppled seemingly unassailable authoritarian regimes across the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab world at last seemed to be on the cusp of democratization. Yet, what ensued instead was chaos. Religious sectarianism and tribalism filled the void left by now-defunct dictatorships. Liberals and moderate political Islamists face political marginalization and repression by the powerful military establishments, on the one hand, and fundamentalists, on the other. As the Arab Spring turns into Winter, what does the future hold for this region?