Study
Climate Change and Democratisation
July 12, 2010 - The paper examines whether democracy at the country level and global climate change matter for another. It raises the question of how to support democracy’s advance in the face of multiple challenges that include the adverse effects of global warming and extreme weather events merits much more attention than it has received so far. Peter Burnell more»
Event
Middle East Delegation on Human Rights to Washington DC – July 6, 2010 - On the occasion of the anniversary of U.S. President Obama’s Cairo Speech and the upcoming elections in Egypt, the North America and Arab Middle East offices of the Heinrich Boell Stiftung invited a delegation of human right activists from the Middle East. more»
Imtiaz Gul
Event
Pakistan's Lawless Frontier: The Most Dangerous Place – June 18, 2010 - The Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America and the New America Foundation were pleased to host Imtiaz Gul, a Pakistani journalist and author of the newly-released book The Most Dangerous Place: Pakistan's Lawless Frontier. more»
Interview
Hamas Gains the Most from Israeli Raid – June 3, 2010 - Israel’s raid on a flotilla of humanitarian aid has refocused global attention on Gaza’s isolation. In a new Q&A, Taghreed El-Khodary, visiting scholar on hiatus from reporting in the Gaza Strip for the New York Times, details what’s happening on the ground in Gaza and how the incident will shape politics in the area. more»
FY2011 Appropriations and Middle East Democracy Report
Report
FY2011 Appropriations and Middle East Democracy – The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) has become a centerpiece of the administration's efforts to engage civil society and support democracy in the region.  Following a 30% increase in funding in FY10, the new budget requests an additional 32% increase up to $86 million. Stephen McInerney, Project on Middle East Democracy more»
Policy Paper
Von Filibustern, Cloture und Reconciliation – Gesetzgebungsstau in den USA – How can the current legislative back lock be overcome? This policy paper discusses Filibuster Reform, Cloture and Reconciliation as means to improve legislative outcome in the American Senate. Philipp Bleckmann more»
report
Sudan – No Easy Ways Ahead – As the interim period of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) draws to a close during 2010–11, Sudan faces two critical tests of its nationhood: the general elections and the referendum on self-determination for Southern Sudan. more»
Conference and dossier
Palestine and the Palestinians 60 Years after the "Nakba" – The geographic and social fragmentation of the Palestinian people is essentially a result of the conflict in the Middle East. This topic represents the main focus of our two-day conference with international experts in March 2010. Our dossier provides further information about the conference and the invited experts. more»
Conference
Engaging Cuba: Policy Options for the United States,Europe, and the Western Hemisphere – November 16, 2009
With recent leadership changes in Cuba and the inauguration of a new President in the United States, change in U.S. policy toward Cuba appears likely. As Cuba’s leadership under Raúl Castro has been cautiously opening up civil society, reaching out to the international community, and attempting to strengthen its economic base, the political climate in Washington has perhaps never been more propitious for a review of U.S.-Cuba relations. more»
Panel Discussion
Engaging on Human Rights in the Middle East. Multilateral Frameworks & the Role of the U.S. – September 1, 2009
The new US administration has reclaimed the U.S. seat on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in an effort to actively engage in this international forum. But the Council is just one avenue that Arab states, including key U.S. allies, have taken to undermine numerous multilateral human rights regimes. How can the United States work with countries in the region to support regional human rights regimes without appearing to be imposing certain values on the people in the region? more»
Panel Discussion
FY2010 Appropriations & Middle East Democracy – July 2009
In May, the Obama Administration submitted to Congress the details of its first annual budget request for foreign operations, for Fiscal Year 2010. As the House and Senate now continue their debates over appropriations, the Heinrich Böll Foundation North America & POMED  announced the publication of a new report, The Federal Budget and Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2010: Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights in the Middle East. more»
study
The Federal Budget and Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2010. Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights in the Middle East – July 2009
In May, President Obama submitted to Congress the full details of his first budget request, for Fiscal Year 2010.
This report offers an in-depth analysis of Obama’s attempts to support democracy, governance, and human rights in the Broader Middle East and North Africa.
By Stephen McInerney more»
Panle Discussion
Restoring Credibility on Human Rights and Democracy. Detention, Rendition, and the Middle East – June 15, 2009
The Obama Administration portrayed its release of legal memos on torture and harsh interrogation, the closing of Guantanamo, and its reevaluation of military commissions as the first steps toward restoring our government’s moral integrity and adherence to the rule of law. more»
Dossier
Power Struggle in Iran. Where is My Vote? – Power Struggle in Iran. Where is My Vote?
web dossier (partly in German)
more»
study
Beyond Guantánamo. Restoring U.S. Credibility on Human Rights – May 2009
Thomas C. Hilde outlines several post-Guantánamo detainee policy proposals – and their difficulties – that address these distinctive sets of issues, such as military commission trials, continued preventive detention, a national security court or U.S. criminal court trials. In the long run, however, restoring credibility through a reformed detainee policy is only one component of post-Guantánamo credibility; the second indispensable element is accountability By Thomas C. Hilde more»
study
Learning from Each Other: The Integration of Immigrant and Minority Groups in the United States and Europe – April 2009
The United States and the European Union share much in common, including a similar religious and cultural heritage, strong democratic institutions, and a commitment to civil society. One thing they do not share, however, is a common set of political attitudes and attendant policies on how best to integrate immigrant and minority groups into their larger societies.
By Spencer P. Boyer more»
panel Discussion
What Women Want: Voices from the Middle East – June 2008
Women's political participation in the Middle East has been impeded by various social factors, and discriminatory laws against women remain in effect. As a consequence of that basic imbalance, public policies advanced at the national level often fail to address underlying gender inequities or the concerns of women. more»
policy paper
Perception of U.S. Democracy Promotion – May 2008
Though Middle Easterners desire democracy and seek to reform their own political systems, public opinion data show that they are also unhappy with American democracy promotion efforts, and that they believe the U.S. does not genuinely and consistenly support democratic reform. Analysis of this polling data suggests that the U.S. needs to seriously reassess its impact on political reform in the region. By David M. DeBartolo more»