Researchers
Lina Khatib (Principal Investigator) - Stanford University

The state of Yemen is now widely perceived as being on the brink of failure, suffering from a mixture of political, economic, and security problems affecting its overall stability. However, despite those challenges, Yemen's survival and development do not appear to be without prospects. Civil society in Yemen, which has made significant strides, and political parties which continue to engage the country's issues, have the potential to offer solutions after the current period of political turmoil.

Within this framework, the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law is launching a multidisciplinary research project, Political Reform Prospects in Yemen: A Holistic Approach. By engaging Yemeni scholars and practitioners from diverse backgrounds, this research provides new voices and original scholarship to help influence policy and development assistance to this country of strategic importance. The project is driven by the need to arrive at a thorough understanding of political reform prospects in Yemen, which can only be done by examining political, economic, security, and social factors and linkages among them.

The project will generate a series of papers authored by Yemeni scholars and practitioners gathered into an edited book, along with policy white papers that will present key findings and recommendations set forth in the research. Both products will be distributed to the policymaking and development community in the US and abroad to encourage greater understanding of a country that is understudied and oftentimes misrepresented in the media. Of particular significance is the fact that this research is conducted by Yemeni experts who represent a cross-section of Yemeni society, providing an authoritative account of these complex topics.

The final papers will be available in Arabic and English and will be publicized on the Arab Reform Program website in 2011. Below are the paper themes.

1. The Impact of Security Issues and Terrorism on Political Reform 
2. Media, Freedom of Expression, and Government Measures towards Political Activism 
3. Internal Economic Issues and their Impact on Reform 
4. Political Parties: Opposition and Ruling Party 
5. Foreign Intervention and Identity Politics in Yemen 
6. Public Opinion in Yemen towards Democracy and Reform 
7. The Role of Women in Yemeni Politics 
8. The Role of Foreign Intervention 
9. The Role of Political Parties in Reform
10. Reforming the Relationship between the Tribe and the State

Contact
Lina Khatib