Call for Abstracts:
Workshops in Algeria, Jordan, and Turkey - October 2003

Deadline for Abstracts: July 20, 2003

In October 2003, the Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID), in partnership with local groups, will be organizing three workshops, one each in Algeria, Jordan, and Turkey on “Islam & Democracy”. The purpose of these workshops is to bring together 20 to 30 political thinkers, leaders, and activists in each country to discuss the obstacles to democracy and develop a common platform and agenda for democratization. The workshops seek to bridge the gap between democracy advocates - both secularists and Islamists - and develop an acceptance of democratic process as a way of resolving political disputes and differences, while rejecting violence and repression.

The 2-day workshops will be similar in format to the CSID workshops organized last year in Morocco, Egypt, and Yemen (reports in English and Arabic are available).

In addition to local participants in each country, CSID invites interested individuals (scholars and activists) to participate in this project by submitting a 1-page abstract of a paper (250-400 words) addressing one of the following questions:

• “Who speaks for Islam?”

• “Can Islam and democracy coexist?”

• “How to implement Shura in a Modern Society?”

The abstract must be submitted by July 20, 2003. The abstracts should be in Arabic (for Algeria and Jordan) and Turkish or English (for Turkey), for that is the language to be used in the discussions. Accepted abstracts will be compiled and circulated among the selected participants by August 31, 2003.

The workshops will function as follows:

1. On the first day of the workshops, 3-4 well-known scholars and Muslim political thinkers (from the U.S., Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East) will give lectures (30 minutes each), followed by discussions on democracy and human rights in Islam.
    

2. During the second day, 20-30 participants, selected based on their abstracts and experience, will have 5-10 minutes to make a brief presentation. A platform for political dialogue and rejection of violence and oppression will be developed, discussed, and adopted by the participants. This project is funded and supported by CSID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). To receive more information and an application form, please send an e-mail to: masmoudi@islam-democracy.org, or visit www.islam-democracy.org

The deadline for submitting application forms and abstracts is: July 20, 2003.

They may be e-mailed to masmoudi@islam-democracy.org or faxed to CSID at: 704-846-0629, along with the attached application form, and a biography.

Call for Abstracts with Application - 2003 Workshops (PDF)
 

 © Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy, 2004.  All rights reserved.
Last update: 2004-08-15 | webmaster@islam-democracy.org

2121 K Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: (202) 942-2183
Fax: (202) 628-8189