A secure transition to democracy

We cannot know when Iran will transition away from tyranny. What we do know is that for the transition to be stable, peaceful, and toward a democratic future, we must prepare ourselves to make it so.

Readiness for the future can help foster greater confidence among the people and their movement for democracy. Fruitful collaboration can allay fears, cynicism, and apathy. Nonpartisan planning can make for greater unity and trust among those committed to democratic change. At Cyrus Forum, those with skills and knowledge to contribute can find each other and be supported in their work. International stakeholders can see in the Iranian democracy movement unified will and preparedness.

Cyrus Forum will reverse engineer an Iranian government that upholds security, the rule of law, and individual liberty through capacity building for its constituent parts. We will convene experts—in democratic transition, national security, policy planning, constitution writing, truth and reconciliation, transitional justice, liberalization of the judiciary and prisons, and more—so that together they can plan for Iran’s needs with the most relevant expertise.

We will facilitate discussions, organize working groups, publish papers, and more to answer questions including:

—How can security and stability be protected in the sensitive period immediately following regime change?

—How can a provisional government best be formed? What are the most pressing needs it must address? Which laws, institutions, processes, personnel must remain in place during transition?

—How can the international community be best engaged to help?

—How can an independent judiciary be built? How can a liberal, secular cadre of judges be developed? What emergency judicial needs exist for which international assistance will be required? How must the prison system be overhauled?

—How can transitional justice and truth and reconciliation mechanisms optimally contribute to the people’s need for both accountability and stability?

—How can the new constitution—the process of its writing and its content—help to foster national unity and durable democracy?

—How can free and fair elections be secured and sustained?