Two years after the Arab Spring uprisings triggered a process of democratic transition, the challenges facing young Arab democracies remain enormous. Despite a string of successful elections and the emergence of a vibrant and vocal civil society, transition processes are stalling as a result of deepening social and political divisions and a deterioration of economic conditions. As Arab transition countries search for new formulas to overcome these obstacles, what can and should external actors do in order to help with these transitions?

The seminar explored this question by looking at the changing relationship between the Nordic countries and the Arab world in light of the on-going transitions. What are the main obstacles facing these transitions? What can Nordic countries do in order to assist with democratic reforms? Do Nordic experiences of governance and participatory democracy hold any lessons for the region? How is external assistance perceived in the Middle East?

The workshop was organised by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in cooperation with the Tampere Peace Research Institute and the EuroMeSCo research network.