Participant Arrivals Recommended

Time / Hall

Events

14:00 – 15:00

Press Briefing
Goals of the U.S.-Islamic World Forum

Speakers:

-         Peter W. Singer , Director, Project on U.S. Policy Towards the Islamic World, Saban Center at Brookings, United States.

-         > H.E Muhammed Abdulla Al-Rumaihi, Assistant Foreign Minister for Follow Up Affairs, State of Qatar

·  What does the Forum hope to accomplish?

·  Who will be attending?

·  What will be discussed?

Saturday, February 18, 2006

12:00 – 14:00

14:00 – 15:30

Perceptions and Reality: The Latest from Public Opinion Polling

Chair:

-   Shibley Telhami, Professor, University of Maryland; Senior Fellow, Saban Center  for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

Opening Speakers:

-   David Brooks, Columnist, The New York Times, United States.

-   Daniel Yankelovich, Chairman, Public Agenda; Viewpoint Learning, Inc., United States.

-   Khalil Shikaki, Director, Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.

• What does the data show about public beliefs and perceptions?
• Are there key misperceptions?                    
• What issues do the public want leaders to focus on?

18:30 – 20:00

The State of U.S. Muslim World Relations

Welcome Address:

H.E Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabr Al Thani, First Deputy of Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Introductions:

-   Martin Indyk, Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, United States.

Session Speakers:

-   Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom Of Bahrain.

-   Syed Hamid Albar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia.

-   Karen Hughes, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, United States.

-   Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General, The Organization of the Islamic Conferences.

·  With the five year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks coming up, where do matters stand now in broader US-Muslim world relations?

·  Where do we want to be five years from now?

·  What are the key challenges that we must solve to reach this vision?

20:00 – 22:00

Dinner for Sponsors and Attendees, Followed by Leaders Roundtable 1

The Greater Middle East :  Five Years After 9-11, Five Years Forward

Chair:

Martin Indyk, Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, United States.

Session Speakers:

-   Abdel Ilah Al-Khatib, Minster of Foreign Affairs, Jordan.

-   Edward  Djerejian, Director, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, United States.

-   Ayed Sarraj– Member of Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens Rights.

·  What are the various visions of what the Greater Middle East would look like five years from now?

·  What are the key opportunities and challenges faced for the future?

·  What actions are called for from outside leaders and organizations?

Sunday,       February 19, 2006

09:00 – 10:30

Al-Wasail Hall  

Leaders Task Force Session 1

Setting the Stage

Task Forces:

1) Security Task Force:  

Co-Chairs:

-   Stephen Cohen, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, United States

-   Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, Chairman & CEO, Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia.

Session Speakers:

-   Dr. Hassan Al-Ansari, Director, Gulf Center of Strategic Studies ,Qatar.

-   Max Boot, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Columnist, Los Angeles Times,  United States.

-   Asad Durrani, Former Director-General, Inter-Services Intelligence; Former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan.

-   Robert Kagan, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Columnist, Washington Post, United States.

-   Rami Khouri, Editor, The Daily Star, Jordan.

-   Carlos Pascual, Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution, United States.

-   Amina Rasul-Benardo, Convenor, Philippine Counsil For Islam and Democracy, Philippines.

·  What would an ideal security architecture look like five years from now? Are there models that can be aimed at?

·  What are the prerequisites for better dealing with the security challenges presented by internal conflicts and linked outside interventions?

·  What are the pending crises in trans-border issues that can be identified over the horizon and what can be done to avoid/solve them?

·  What can leaders do to spur the creation of a security relationship that is more conductive to the forces of progress than the forces of radicalism?

2) Youth and Development Task Force:  

(Developed in Partnership with the International Youth Foundation)

Co-chairs:

-   L. Michael Hager, President Education for Employment Foundation, United States.

Coordinator:

-   Awais Sufi, Director of Business Development, International Youth Foundation, United States

Session Speakers:

-    Rifat Hisarcikliogu, President, The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, Turkey.

-    Musa Hitam, Chairman, Kumpulan Guthrie; Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.

-    Imran Riffat, Financial Controller, The Synergos Institute, United States.

-    Toni G. Verstandig, Senior Policy Advisor, Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, United States

-   Adrian Godfery, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sisco Systems Inc, United States.

·  What are the various visions for solving youth, development and employment concerns in the five years ahead, especially heightened by demographic pressures?

·  What are the prerequisites required to create a positive environment for investment?

·  What education reforms are needed to produce a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of global business? How can business leverage its strength to push for real reform? 

·  What methods of public-private partnerships are available to facilitate such reforms? What examples are available to emulate?

3) Governance and Reform Task Force:

Co-chairs:

-   Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Chairman, Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, Egypt.

-   Shibley Telhami, Professor, University of Maryland; Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, United States.

Session Speakers:

-    Gamal Al-Banna, Fawziyya and Gamal El-Banna Foundation for Islamic Culture and Information, Egypt.

-    Sadig al-Mahdi, President, National Umma Party; Former Prime Minister of Sudan.

-     Khurshid Ahmed, Chairman, Insititute of Policy Studies, Pakistan.

-    Hossam Badrawi, Former Chairman, People's Assembly Education, Scientific Research Committee, Egypt.

-    Marwan Muasher, Former Deputy Prime Minister, Jordan.

-    Jillian Schwedler, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland; Chair, Middle East Research and Information Project, United States.

·  What is the role of governments and outsiders in reform?

·  Where are the lines of agreement in the various reform visions?

·  What is the role of Islamic political parties in reform efforts?

10:30 – 11:00

11:00 – 12:30

Al-Wasail Hall  

(1,2,3)

Leaders Task Force Session 2

12:30 – 14:00

Women Leading Change

Chair:

-   Robin Wright, Diplomatic Correspondent, The Washington Post; Visiting Fellow, Saban Center at Brookings, United States.

Session Speakers: 

-   Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s People Party, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan.

-   Joan Spero, President Doris Duke Foundation, United States.

-   Professor. Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad, President, Qatar University, Qatar.

·  How do gender issues link to broader US-Islamic World relations?

·  What are the key challenges for women that must be dealt with in the next five years?

14:30 – 16:00

Al-Wasail Hall  

A) Bridging the Divide: Muslim Minority Leaders Seminar

(Developed in partnership with the American Muslim Policy Planning Committee, Arab-Western Summit of Skills)

Co-chairs:

-   MJ Akbar, Editor, The Asian Age, India.

-   Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Masjid al-Farah; ASMA Society, United States.

Coordinators:

-   Muqtedar Khan, Professor, University of Delaware; Non Resident Fellow, Saban Center at Brookings, United States.

-   Hady Amr, Co-President, Arab Western Summit if Skills, United States.

Session Speakers:

-   Salam al- Marayati, National Director, Muslim Public Affairs Council, United States.

-   Hakim El Ghissassi, Founder and Director, Sezame; La Médina, France.

-   Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain.

·  What are the key concerns of Muslim minority communities?

·  What is the potential space for Muslim minority communities to assist more positive relations between the US and the wider Muslim world?

·  What are the capabilities within the community that might be better tapped?

B) The Media Effect: The U.S.-Islamic World Journalism Leaders Seminar

(Developed in Partnership with Shorenstein Center at Harvard University and RAND Corporation)

Co-chairs:

-   Zafar Siddiqi, CEO, CNBC Arabiya, UAE.       

-   Margaret Warner, Senior Correspondent, The News Hour-PBS, United States.

Session Speakers:

-   David Aaron, Director, Rand Center fro Middle East Public Policy, United States.

-   Faisal Al-Kasim, Host, Al-Jazeera, Qatar.

-   Rami Khouri, Editor, The Daily Star, Jordan.

-   Eric Larson, Senior Policy Analyst, Rand, United States.

-   Carol Saivetz, Research Associate, Davsi Center at Harvard University, United States.

-   Mohamed Annuar Zaini, Chairman, Bernama, Malaysia.

·  Do media from the US and Muslim world cover events differently?

·  How does the prism of media reporting shape opinion and understanding?

·  Do leaders in the media-in their role as journalist and as public figure-have special responsibility to help bridge the chasm of misunderstanding between the U.S. and the Muslim World?

C) Technology Partnerships: Science and Technology Leaders   Seminar

(Developed in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

Co-chairs:

-   George Atkinson, Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of State, United States. 

-   Mohammed H. A. Hassan, Executive Director, The Academy of Science for the developing world, president African Academy for Sciences, Sudan.

Coordinator:

-   Michael D’Arcy, Lecturer, King’s College, United Kingdom.

·  What are the needs and opportunities for enhanced science and technology cooperation in relations between the U.S. and the broader Muslim world?

·  How might technology partnerships assist in dealing with joint socio-economic and political concerns?

·  What can be done to stimulate such cooperation? What should be the roles played by the gathered leaders and organizations?

D) Arts and the Public Sphere: Arts and Culture Leaders Seminar

Co-chairs:

-   Salman Ahmed, Junoon, Pakistan.

-   Jane Alexander, Actress and former Director of the National Endowment for the Arts, United States.

Coordinator:

-   Cynthia Schneider, Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Georgetown University, United States.

Session speakers:

-   Bader Bin Hirsi, Film Director-Felix Films, Yemen.

-   Nasser D. Khalili, Founder, The Khalili Collections; Chairman, The Maimonides Foundation; United Kingdom.

-   Joan Spero, President Doris Duke Foundation, United States.

-   Amy Tan, Novelist, United States.

-   Muna Wassef, Actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador, Syria.

·  How does the prism of arts and culture link to politics and popular identity?

·  What are the roles and responsibilities of the artist as a public figure?

·  How might cultural diplomacy be brought to bear on US-Muslim world relations?

16:30 – 18:30

Al-Wasail Hall  

18:30 – 20:00

Policy, Faith, and Change in an Age of Globalization

(Developed in partnership with American university and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life )

Chair:

Session Speakers:

-   Akram Durrani, Chief Minister, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan.

-   Chris Seiple, President, Institute for Global Engagement, United States.

-   HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

-   Ziad Abu Amr – Member of Palestine Legislative Council.

·  What forces are defining and redefining the population’s relationship with leaders, religion, and politics?

·  Do leaders of faith bring a different perspective to issues?

20:00 – 22:00

Monday,     February 20, 2006

09:00 – 10:30

Al-Wasail Hall  

Leaders Task Force Session 3

11:00 – 12:30

Al-Wasail Hall  

Leaders Task Force Session 4

12:30 – 14:00

Action and Reaction: Moving Forward

Chair:

-   Peter W. Singer, Director, Project on U.S. Policy Towards the Islamic World, Saban Center at Brookings, United States.

Session Speakers:

-   Muhammadu Buhari, All Nigeria People’s Party, Former Head of State of Nigeria.

-   Elmar Mammadayarov, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan.

-   Endowment for International Peace; Columnist, Washington Post, United States.

·  What have we learned from this Forum?

16:30 – 18:00

Fatah Al-Khear

Youth Outreach Conference Report.

The Next Generation :

Youth and the future of US-Islamic Relations.

Video Conference with Students from :

-   American University, United States.

-   American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

-   The Center Education Distance, Cote d'Ivoire.

-   George Washington University, United States.

-   Georgetown University, United States.

-   The Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan.

-   Jordan University, Jordan.

-   Qatar University, Qatar.

-   Hunter College, United States.

16:30

Arts Leaders Outreach Session.