Change to democracy in many Arab countries hinges on their people being able to enjoy two basic rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the right to assembly and freedom of expression. For decades, most Arab rulers have denied their people these rights, using a multiplicity of

With the government already screaming about the media, will we ever get a real environment of press freedom in Jordan? IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for the new administration to get riled up about the media. Just before the turn of the new year, two deputies got into a verbal exchange of insults over

To understand what is happening in the Arab world today one needs to know only two things: that the majority of Arabs are young and for the most part connected to the net, and that despite the fear mongerers in the West, these connected Arab youths are secular although not totally opposed to the

After the strong beginnings of 2009, during the Obama administration’s first days in office, 2010 began on a cautious note on the Palestinian cause. There were some promising signs: the Israeli government partially froze its settlement activities; indirect talks commenced and there was hope that in