Civil society and the promotion of democratic transition in Egypt: opportunities and challenges

In Egypt after Mubarak, there is a greater space for civil society groups to work and fulfil their mission. However, after the ousting of President Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood regime, the government has passed or proposed laws that appear to target “terrorism” or “national security,” but in reality restrict freedom of expression and association. In this lecture Professor Hassan suggests several concrete steps that could be taken to advance the efficiency and impact of civil society in Egypt after Mubarak.
Hamdy Hassan is a Professor of Political Science at Cairo University currently based at the Institute for Islamic World Studies at Zayed University in Dubai. Professor Hassan is also a member of the advisory board of the Swedish Network of Peace, Conflict and Development Research, and the founder and director of the Center for African Future Studies, Cairo, since 1996. His research focuses on dynamic Islamic discourses in Africa and the Arab world, as well as democratic transition and development in African and Arab societies. He has published widely in Arabic and English, including his recent book Islamic Discourses in Africa (2013).
Professor Hassan is a visiting professor sponsored by the Council for Australia-Arab Relations (CAAR) in association with the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF) at Deakin University.