Manama Forum 2005

The second Forum was held in Bahrain in November 2005. The Forum's co-hosts, the governments of Bahrain and the United Kingdom, focused the agenda on "civil society and democracy" and "knowledge and education." The agenda recognized the region's emphasis on becoming a knowledge society as well as strengthening civil society's effort for reform. Governments and civil society also launched a Foundation for the Future, which will provide support for grass-roots civil society organization working toward democracy and freedom, and a Fund for the Future, which will provide much-needed capital to small and medium-sized businesses.