I would like to welcome you all to this important Forum, which provides ample room for introducing and exchanging views and ideas freely and responsibly. This Forum used to tackle issues such as development, reform, popular participation, human rights, women's empowerment, peace, security and stability in our region.

      Of course, we do not claim that this Forum is only panel discussion addressing such issues and calling for the necessity to pay them due attention. Many regional and international forums and centers for research and studies, that call for justice, freedom, equality and respect for human rights have been sharing that with forum. These are the values advocated by all heavenly religions and international conventions. In our region, some have considered them as mere rhetoric. They further considered that when such values are discussed by the youth it is done for the purpose of passing the time or whiling the hours away . Accordingly, the necessity for implementing reform was not taken seriously in such a way that goes in par with the requirements of social and economic development. Thus, there was a lack of responsiveness to the ambitions of the future generations of our countries, who are willing to see their dreams come true with dignity and freedom. The ensuing result is the popular revolts we witness today, which call for change and reform that would cater to the peoples' citizen rights and justice.

      Arab revolts have proven that young people haven't been spoiled by the ills of consumer life, as may ostensibly seem, and that the yearning for freedom neither contradicts with the Arab culture and identity nor with Islam as a religion and civilization. It seemed even more obvious that this quest for freedom is coupled with a yearning for individual patriotic and nationalistic dignity.

      As the tumultuous events that the Arab region has been experiencing have proved, when the peoples are self–conscious about their entity and existence, they become the makers of their own history and future. Our Arab peoples are the makers of this new era in Arab history, because justice doesn't come mounted on tanks of the occupation forces. Furthermore, wars waged under the pretext of imposing democracy were not a supporting factor, but rather a major obstacle and an alienating paradigm that the peoples had to override in order to conquer their fear that instability under a foreign occupation might be the alternative to tyranny.

      On the whole, I suggest that everyone should customize to the idea that the Arab citizen will no longer accept that his individual dignity as a human being be trodden down by a local tyranny, nor accept that the dignity of his people be trampled on by any foreign occupation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,