Support for Democratic Reforms in the MENA region

For the last 10 years we have worked on consensus building and transitional processes in various countries of the MENA Region.

Launched in February 2007, in response to an expressed need for greater efforts towards and in support of democratic dialogue and freedom of association in the Arab world, the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid developed for two years its first major initiative in the region aimed to strengthen discourse and association in the Middle East and North Africa.

Calling on the leadership experience of its Members and working with local partners promoting the constructive engagement of civil society, the WLA-CdM provided strategic counsel to leaders for reform in Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Egypt before the Arab Spring.

The Members did not impose external ideals, but rather worked with local partners to discreetly nurture and facilitate the construction of discourse for democratic reform and development. Responding to the political context and efforts towards reform in each country, Club de Madrid members – leaders who have faced similar leadership challenges, many directly related to the democratic transformation of their own countries – shared relevant experiences and provided counsel. By supporting dialogue between authorities and civil society, Club de Madrid worked to transcend current constraints and create important policy frameworks and goals to build a shared vision of society, and advance and better protect citizen’s rights.

WLA-CdM has also supported democratic champions in Libya and Jordan, women leaders in Yemen and accompanied Tunisian key stakeholders in their struggle for an inclusive and successful transition process with different projects and initiatives in the last 5 years. In this context, our Members has played a significant role in supporting the democratic efforts of Tunisia’s political and civil society leaders.