ARI's executive director

This month the Initiative puts on a new face with the launch of its changed website. Our window to the world is now richer with added sections and information, more effective for users to research quickly any topic over the last four years, and (we hope) more friendly. The challenge is to communicate to our readers in the clearest way possible the wealth of activities undertaken collaboratively by our members and the sustained work of several working groups of scholars and activists that have developed together a community of practice. Among the upcoming events are the final meeting of the project "Critical dialogue between political forces in Arab countries" on October 31st-November 1st, which will discuss "Threats to National Cohesion and Stability", as well as the international conference held in partnership with IDRC under the title "Traditional societies and modern politics, new processes of political participation in the Arab world". Both will be held in Beirut where ARI's office is located.

The next major event will be the publication of ARI's second report on the State of reform in the Arab world and the Arab Democracy Index for 2009. In the meantime, policy briefs on the elections in Tunisia, on the prospects for national reconciliation in Palestine, a Thematic Study on constitutional reforms in Arab countries and a Country Report on Lebanon will be addressed to you.

The website will continue to be work in progress with constant improvements that we invite you to explore and provide us with your comments.

The Closing Session of the project "Critical Dialogue Between Islamists, Leftists and Liberals in the Arab World" will take place in Beirut, October 31- November 1st, 2009.

On 2 and 3 November, ARI and The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) will be holding a Conference in Beirut, on "Traditional Societies and Modern Politics; New Processes of Mobilization and Political Participation in the Arab World."

This month read our briefs : The Current Palestinian Scene: Setting National Priorities Right, by Hani al Masri (also Arabic ) and Tunisia on the Eve of presidential and Parliamentary Electionsv, by Rachid Khechana (and in Arabic).