The EastWest Institute (EWI) convened a roundtable of Middle East experts on April 16, 2008, to discuss the Arab Islamic Renaissance Initiative, a project led by the Strategic Foresight Group (SFG), to formulate a strategy to restore the intellectual and economic prominence of the Middle East on the world stage. The initiative highlights the necessity of finding a strategy rooted in the region’s own cultural and historical traditions and that addresses the threat of an emerging ‘dignity gap. Speakers were:

• John Edwin Mroz (chair), president and CEO of the EastWest Institute
• Sundeep Waslekar (presenting), president of the Strategic Foresight Group
• Shamil Idriss (respondent), acting director of the UN Office of the Alliance of Civilizations

The roundtable was held in conjunction with EWI’s Global Security Program, which partners with key thought leaders around the world to explore new solutions to pressing regional and international security dilemmas.