Newspapers and websites continue to carry articles every day on the need for national dialogue. Although the articles deal with various aspects of the dialogue, we have yet to spell out clearly what it is we hope for from it. I don’t find it unusual to ask for a meaningful dialogue with the government as one of many channels to be used in making this effort.
Some people may be surprised that the issue is being raised at this particular time. Nonetheless, what I hope for is that we will be able to establish a legitimate platform for initiating discussions on urgent matters of public interest in various government institutions and legislative bodies.
This is particularly important since some laws, regulations and decisions are in great need of being reviewed and possibly changed. What I hope for is a sustained and comprehensive dialogue in which detailed questions are asked. Had we taken such an approach and sought to develop a new creative school of thought capable of handling different areas of discussion, we would be on different ground today, where the central role of dialogue was clear and correctly understood.
Why then not initiate a dialogue on conflicting decisions which cause confusion to our educational system? Why not try to find out why all these different measures which relate to the issue lack consistency? What is wrong with holding public meetings with officials in senior positions? For example, we might want to determine why a well dried up in a certain area or why some citizens are still living without electricity.
What harm can result from presenting the ministry of commerce with a memo containing suggestions and solutions to problems facing small investors? Why not ask health officials to explain the measures they have taken — rather than the ones they intend to take — to fight certain diseases? Why not investigate why it is well nigh impossible for citizens to meet the head of a small municipality to discuss matters of public interest?
We want to see genuine and candid discussions taking place inside ministries and other government departments. These discussions would definitely be a very healthy sign.
The role of intellectuals and the educated is to lead the way and direct the nation as it makes progress. In order to do this, the scope for discussion should be widened and the philosophy behind serious and constructive dialogue targeting all issues clearly defined. Any attempt to contain, limit or dictate dialogue will be futile and, in the end, benefit no one.
— Arab News Local Press 4 October 2003
