Video

The Struggle for Freedom and Human Rights

December 21, 2011

The Arab Spring has not spread evenly, and the Kingdom of Bahrain is one place where a government "crackdown" has slowed the transformative wave of protests sweeping through much of the region. But activists on the ground, such as Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, continue the struggle in spite of government intimidation. In recognition of his efforts, Rajab is recipient of the 2011 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award, intended to both honor and encourage democracy activists. He recently traveled to Washington, DC to recieve the award during a ceremony at the Wilson Center. We took the opportunity to speak to him about his work, and also with Indrei Ratiu about the award presented in his late father's name and about the selection of Nabeel Rajab. Indrei Ratiu is vice president of the Ratiu Center for Democracy. The Ion Ratiu Democracy Award is presented annually and is intended to bring visibility and recognition to the ideas and accomplishments of individuals around the world who are working on behalf of decmocracy. The award is supported by the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation and the Ratiu Center for Democracy. Nabeel Rajab is president and co-founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. He also serves as deputy secretary general for the International Federation for Human Rights and as the chairperson of CARAM-Asia.

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Global Europe Program

The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe’s capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include “Ukraine in Europe” – an examination of what it will take to make Ukraine’s European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe’s energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more

Middle East Program

The Wilson Center’s Middle East Program serves as a crucial resource for the policymaking community and beyond, providing analyses and research that helps inform US foreign policymaking, stimulates public debate, and expands knowledge about issues in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Read more