TUNIS, TUNISIA – International IDEA will launch Democratic Transitions: Conversations with World Leaders (available in Arabic, French and English) at 18:00 on 25 April 2016 at the Golden Tulip Gammarth Hotel.
Democratic Transitions: Conversations with World Leaders presents personal reflections, both on ending authoritarian rule and on building democracy. Lessons of managing democratic transitions were gained from individual interviews with 13 former presidents from 9 countries on 5 continents who have played key roles in such transformations over the past 30 years. In addition, a specific chapter is dedicated to the important role that women have played in transitions towards democracy in their countries. This compilation of interviews comprises the first ever volume that focuses on learning lessons from political leaders about promoting and managing democratic transitions.
As the author of the foreword of the publication and a key leader in Tunisia’s democratic transition, Doctor Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, former president of Tunisia, will provide opening reflections on the country’s transition to democracy.
The book was co-edited by Sergio Bitar and Abraham F. Lowenthal and contains a preface by International IDEA’s Secretary-General Yves Leterme in which he states, “What neither we nor others have thus far contributed is first-hand testimony from top political leaders about how transitions toward democracy have been achieved in different continents. This exciting publication fills that critical gap.”
Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, and founder and chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation for better global governance, describes the book in the following terms:
“The pragmatic wisdom and unique outlook of the experienced political leaders interviewed in Democratic Transitions are critical to the global dialogue on building open, democratic, and sustainable societies. The lessons of their failures and successes can help others to overcome tenacious global challenges, and support democratic transitions of political power.”
Francis Fukuyama, Professor at Stanford University wrote:
“Democratic Transitions accomplishes a remarkable feat, providing a readable and engaging history of the Third Wave of democratization for general readers and students, while filling in countless important details that specialists will appreciate. The lessons the editors draw from the unique individuals they interviewed provide critical guidelines for future political leaders and for those who want to help build democracies.”
Democratic Transitions: Conversations with World Leaders is published in English by Johns Hopkins University Press, in Spanish by Galaxia Gutenberg, in French by Les Petits Matins, in Dutch by Polis, and in Arabic by Shorouk Publishers.
Members of the press are welcome to join the launch of the book at 18:00 on 25 April at the Golden Tulip Gammarth Hotel.
For more information, contact: Shana Kaiser (s.kaiser
)
About the authors
