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Comment: From an Arab Spring to an Arab Autumn?

Last year, progressives all over the world welcomed the changes in the Middle East and North Africa which took place during the Arab Spring. The turmoil that followed the collapse of old regimes however brought instability. One year later, the process has become more complicated; as the elections in Egypt and Tunisia, as well as the brutal repression in Syria which only last night killed 170 people have shown,the Arab Spring's promises for democratic transition have not yet become reality.

For SOLIDAR, independent and democratic 'actors for change' have a fundamental role to play in these democratic transition processes. They work for the development of a democratic pluralistic society and strive to bring the social dimension into the development equation.

Next week, on 26 and 27 June, SOLIDAR has invited 20 civil society organisations and trade unions from Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Palestine to Brussels to indentify together the challenges that lie ahead in the region and to define - with our members active in the region - cooperation programmes that counteract the forces that promote inequalities and old power structures, which stand against social justice, human rights and democracy.

Building societies based on democratic principles will take time and needs a strong and organised civil society. Together, we will work to mobilise civil society, grassroots activists and workers' movements to jointly advocate for social, economic and cultural rights. Capacity building, for us, means empowering local 'actors for change' to deliver better education and training, healthcare, social services, social protection and rural development.

In spite of all the complications and difficulties which always appear in these times of transition, there is a momentum which should not be missed. Join us at the conference next week to Mobilise for Social Justice in Middle East and North Africa!