DATE=10/31/2003

TYPE=ON THE LINE SHORT

NUMBER=1-01419

TITLE=DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE ARAB WORLD

INTERNET=Yes

EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY 619-0038

CONTENT= INSERTS IN DALET

Voice: This is On the Line and I'm _____________.

A new United Nations study calls on the Arab world to embrace democracy, freedom of speech, education, and tolerance. Written by a team of Arab scholars, the second Arab Human Development Report examines how to create a climate of freedom in a region plagued by authoritarian governments.

The report includes results from what's called "The World Values Survey," a poll taken of people worldwide. Of those surveyed, people in the Arab world expressed the most confidence in democracy as the best form of government. Ali Al-Ahmed, executive director of the Saudi Institute, says that people in the Middle East are, in his words, "starved for democracy and freedom":

ACT ONE ALI AL-AHMED 0:33

"Contrary to [the views of] many pundits in the West, pro-regime pundits who are saying that the Arabs are not capable of democracy or they are somehow genetically deficient to practice democracy -- which is a bigoted and racist belief -- the Arabs are not different than anybody else in the world. They like democracy. They like freedom. They like everything that anyone in this country likes to do - to practice their religion, or to think freely, or read the book that they want and eat the food they prefer."

Voice: Eleana Gordon is policy director at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Just back from a visit to Iraq, Ms. Gordon says that the transition from authoritarianism to freedom is complex:

ACT TWO ELEANA GORDON :36

"I think on the one hand, people want freedom, but people are also afraid of chaos, afraid of disorder, and the enemies of democracy are using that. And they're saying: 'Democracy is chaos.' 'Democracy is what you're living right now in Iraq where people are being blown up.' That's not what democracy is, but that's what they're telling them. Or, democracy, the leaders when they would go out and loot, they would say: 'Oh, this is democracy. We can take what we want.' And so I don't think it's as simple as people just not wanting totalitarian rule. I think people are suspicious. I think people want accountability, they want to be involved."

Voice: Alirezah Nourizadeh, director of the Center for Arab-Iranian Studies, says that democracy is something that will not come overnight:

ACT THREE ALIREZAH NOURIZADEH :41

"It's impossible. You cannot do that because the people are not ready for it. But I believe the process of democracy is a long-term process. We have to have civil society. For instance, in Iran we do have these civil societies. I mean, they are the ones who are active. They are the ones who bring the students to the streets. And we should have these non-governmental organizations, more and more and more in the Arab world in order to be able to reach the target point which is democracy. It cannot come within by pressure from the United States or other countries. But it is something which gradually the society has to adopt itself to gain it."

Voice: If the conclusions of the second Arab Human Development Report are correct, people in the Arab countries want democracy and are confident that the democratic process will prevail.

For On the Line, I'm ________________.