Post-Revolutionary Egypt

President Mubarak will soon be history. Civil society groups will be responsible for his ouster. We have heard little about the organizers of the marches and demonstrations, how they built their capacity and what role they might play in post-revolutionary Egypt. I intend to add this missing dimension. From 2004-2007, I oversaw USAID's portfolio of democracy programs in Egypt. Many of these programs were designed and implemented by Egyptian organizations. USAID funded them despite tremendous hostility from the Egyptian Government and the state-financed media. Efforts by donors such as USAID to strengthen civil society groups were intended to enable these groups to build a movement that reflected their own values and interests. All of these groups have one common interest - removing Mubarak. I will identify where their interests diverge and how that might influence the formation of coalitions that cooperate and compete for power, in a post-Mubarak Egypt.