CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY
CSID’s 23rd Annual Conference
Call for Paper Proposals
Defending Democracy in the Muslim World:
Why Democracy is Crucial in the Age of Global Authoritarianism
Thursday May 29, 2025
Georgetown Capitol Campus
125 E St. NW, 9th Floor Convening Space
Washington, DC 20001
The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) invites scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to submit papers for its 23rd Annual Conference. This year’s theme examines the urgent need to defend democracy in Muslim-majority countries amid rising authoritarianism worldwide. We seek submissions that explore the role of democratic governance in ensuring political stability, economic development, and human rights.
Suggested Topics:
The rise of authoritarianism in the Muslim world and its consequences.
Islam and democracy: Compatibility, challenges, and pathways forward.
The role of civil society, media, and political opposition in protecting democracy.
Case studies of democratic backsliding and resistance in specific countries.
The international community’s role in supporting or undermining democratic movements.
Democracy’s impact on peace, stability, and conflict resolution.
Syria’s political future: Prospects for democracy amid conflict.
Submission Guidelines:
Abstracts (300–500 words) should outline the paper’s key arguments, methodology, and relevance to the conference theme.
Include a short biography (100 words) with your submission.
Full papers (if accepted) should be submitted at least three weeks before the conference (by May 8, 2025)
Deadline for Abstracts: March 20, 2025
Submissions should be sent to conference2025@CSID-online.org
Selected panelists and speakers must cover their own travel and accommodations to participate in the conference, and pay the conference registration fee ($100) by May 1. CSID will waive the conference registration fee and provide an honorarium of $400 for speakers and panelists coming from overseas, and/or outside of Washington DC, to present their papers.
We look forward to your contributions as we engage in critical discussions on democracy’s future in the MENA region, and the wider Muslim world.
The Conference Program Committee
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID)
