Democratic Transitions in South Asia: Prospects for Success in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are home to some 376 million people. Each of these states have embarked upon democratization at different times and with differing levels of durable success. As experts in this panel will explain, each of these countries confronts myriad challenges to developing robust democracies. This discussion will address the prospects for democracy in these four states, identifying elements for positive change as well as sources of resistance. Each speaker will identify possible steps that the international community can take to increase the likelihood of successful democratic transitions.

Speakers

• Maneeza Hossain
  Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
• Colette Rausch
  Deputy Director, Rule of Law Program, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Marvin Weinbaum
  Scholar-in-Residence, Middle East Institute
• Scott Worden
  Advisor, Rule of Law Program, and Co-Director, International Network to Promote the Rule of Law (INPROL), U.S. Institute of Peace
• Christine Fair, Moderator
  Consultant, USIP