'Listening to Unfamiliar Voices - The Arab Democratic Wave' - Cairo book launch

The latest EUISS book ‘Listening to Unfamiliar Voices – The Arab Democratic Wave’ was launched in Cairo on 26 March 2012. 

Author of the book and EUISS Director Álvaro de Vasconcelos presented his work, explaining the how the Arab democratic wave is part of a wider shift towards a post-Western world and underlined the chance for lasting peace in the Middle East that the democratic transition can offer.

Speeches were then held by Volkhart Windfuhr, Cairo correspondent of Der Spiegel, and Amr Elshobaki, President of the Arab Forum for Alternatives. Mr. Windfuhr spoke of the importance of recognising that democracy is not exclusive to one civilisation or religion, but that the values of democracy are indeed global. Mr. Elshobaki stressed the need to establish true democracy in Egypt and spoke of the the ongoing difficulties in forming a constitution and the important role of the political opposition parties.

A question and answer session then followed in which the audience was able question the speakers and guest Khaled Hamza Abbas of the Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt). Copies of the book, which can be downloaded from the EUISS website here, were also distributed to participants.