On March 17th 2011, Foreign Policy Initiative BH held the second in a series of events which will focus on different aspects of BiH foreign policy, based on a concept of Kamingespräch (fireside chat).This is a German concept of casual fireside conversations about current affairs, meant to create an enabling atmosphere for open exchange of opinions between experts, diplomats and civil society representatives. The subject of the second meeting was on the social and political unrest in the Arab countries which was previously reported on by FPI in our policy analysis entitled “Revolt in Arab Countries – Change or Mere Promises”
The social and political unrest that began at the start of 2011, involving hundreds of thousands of citizens of Arab countries, is nowhere near an end. The demands of the protestors have been wide and varied: change of government and ruler, fundamental constitutional, political and economic reforms, democratisation, observance of human rights and freedoms and demands for substantial reconsideration of the international political and geostrategic positions of states and governments and the overall concept and methods of realisation of various interests in the region.
Is the West at present ready, willing and able and is it structured politically and economically as to be able to start reassessing the artificial yet widespread ‘democracy or security’dilemma pertaining to‘the rest of the world’? There are many reasons to believe that this is where the key to securing more prosperous future for everyone in the Middle East is to be found.
FPI BiH plans to continue organising similar events in future, focusing on the situation in the Middle East, German foreign policy in BiH, and other topics relevant to profiling BiH foreign policy. Discussions will be substantiated by analytical reports which will be written by our experts and associates and published on our webpage.