Libya Policy Forum III: Challenges and Opportunities was a two day conference and roundtable meeting held on November 20-21 at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. The event gathered some of the most prominent experts, activists and thought leaders on Libya along with other policy makers, NGO representatives, academics and other parties interested or involved in the country’s transition.
The first day was devoted to informative presentations on various aspects of post-conflict Libya followed by Q&A sessions. Unlike other international level events on Libya, of the 10 speakers on the agenda, 8 were Libyan and included activists traveling directly from Libya to share their perspectives and contextual knowledge of the current challenges and conditions on the ground. Also noteworthy, former Libyan Justice Minister (from 2012-2014), Salah Al-Marghani opened the conference as the keynote speaker. Although the program went from the morning well into the evening, almost all of the original audience remained for the entire duration due to the high level of interest generated.
The following day entailed a roundtable discussion which was divided into five different themes. Each one was briefly introduced and then the floor was opened for comments and questions. Having had the stage set by the previous day’s panels, the engagement and discussions that followed were constructive, lively and informed.
Based on feedback received throughout and following the event, Libya Policy Forum III was deemed a great success in its structure, participants and overall content. The speakers’ papers will eventually be published as part of its proceedings. We hope to replicate and further improve upon this model for future events.