Marwan Muasher (Saturday, April 21 2012)

Dr. Muasher  is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment. He served as foreign minister (2002–04) and deputy prime minister (2004–05) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications. He is also a senior fellow at Yale University.

Muasher began his career as a journalist for the Jordan Times. He then served at the Ministry of Planning, at the prime minister’s office as press adviser, and as director of the Jordan Information Bureau in Washington.

In 1995, Muasher opened Jordan's first embassy in Israel, and in 1996 became minister of information and the government spokesperson. From 1997 to 2002, he served in Washington again as ambassador, negotiating the first free trade agreement between the United States and an Arab nation. He then returned to Jordan to serve as foreign minister, where he played a central role in developing the Arab Peace Initiative and the Middle East Road Map.

In 2004 he became deputy prime minister responsible for reform and government performance, and led the effort to produce a 10-year plan for political, economic, and social reform. From 2006 to 2007, he was a member of the Jordanian Senate.

Most recently, he was senior vice president of external affairs at the World Bank from 2007 to 2010.

He is the author of The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation (Yale University Press, 2008).

He spoke about "The Arab Awakening: One Year On" at the Ohio State University, Saturday, April 21 2012 - The event was co-sponsored by The Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Middle East Studies Center, The Department of History, the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, and The Alumni of the American University in Beirut. 

The major themes he spoke about were:

• The current process of seeking democratic government is not a battle between secularists and Islamists.  It's a struggle for pluralism that needs to come from both sides.    
• There is a new awareness of the strength of organized political action. Further, it is an irreversible process, even if it is a problematic one.
• With education and pluralism jobs can be created and representational government will be possible.   

Long-range perspective on some of the key challenges:

• The electoral process is not moving forward quickly due to a multiplication of parties.  However,
• After Franco 161 parties competed in the elections, now there are less than 10. It's a natural progression.
• There are underrepresented groups.  Equality of education that emphasizes critical thinking and democratic values. He said: "A citizen should be concerned about the rights of all his fellow citizens. 
• Economic problems, such as a lack of jobs, prevent progress.  The only way to create enough jobs will be created is if human capital is increased through education.    
• Islamists have 15% of actual popular support despite garnering 34% of the electoral support.  This is because they haven't yet been in power so they haven't been tested. Muasher predicts they won't do as well in the future. 

This talk was organized by the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut, and co-sponsored with the Mershon Center, the Department of History, and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.