The political uprisings ignited in 2010 and 2011 in North Africa and the Middle East, labeled the "Arab Spring," have altered history and upended the balance of power in the region. The uncertainty and struggles that continue to unfold are the focus of "The 'Arab Spring': A Path to Democracy?" a CNN Dialogues event that will be held in Glenn Memorial Auditorium, 1652 N. Decatur Road, at Emory University Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

CNN International anchor Hala Gorani will moderate a dynamic evening forum, exploring issues of democracy, women's rights, the role of Islamists, and the role of social media in the uprisings from Tunisia to Egypt to Bahrain to Yemen with scholars, journalists and activists. Gorani is based in Atlanta, but has reported from every country in the Middle East and North Africa, including Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel and Saudi Arabia. She spent much of 2011 covering the tumultuous political uprisings in the region, particularly the Egyptian revolution.

The panelists for this discussion include:

• Lamees Dhaif, an award-winning journalist and activist who has been active in the Bahraini resistance campaign. She has been banned from writing by the Bahraini government since the beginning of the democracy movement there.

• Nic Robertson, a senior international correspondent, based in CNN's London bureau.  Robertson has been with the network for 20 years and covered every major global news event since that time, including war and conflict. Robertson has continued to provide key coverage for events associated with the "Arab Spring," including reporting on the democracy demonstrations and conflict in Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia.

• Ahed Al Hendi, a founder of the Syrian Youth for Justice who has worked as a journalist for publications including The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs and The Daily Beast. He lives in the United States.

• Carrie Rosefsky Wickham, an associate professor of political science at Emory University, specializing in political opposition movements and political integration in the Arab World.  She is the author of "Mobilizing Islam: Religion, Activism and Political Change in Egypt" (2002).

• Dalia Ziada, director of the Egypt office of the American Islamic Congress, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C that focuses on building interfaith and intercultural understanding. She is a published poet and active in pro-democracy politics. 

This is the first CNN Dialogues event of 2012. Admittance for this program is free, but pre-registration is required at www.jamesweldonjohnson.emory.edu.

Event Parking: Parking can be found in the Oxford Road Deck, 1390 Oxford Road, Peavine Visitor's Lot, 27 Eagle Row, and Fishburne Deck, 1672 North Decatur Road.

About CNN Dialogues

CNN Dialogues represents a partnership between CNN, Emory University's James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights for a series of community discussions on major topics shaping our times, led by leading thinkers of the day. The planning committee for CNN Dialogues includes writer Pearl Cleage, Morehouse College President Robert Franklin, president and trustee of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Penelope McPhee, vice president for communications and marketing for Emory University Ron Sauder, executive vice president and director of programming for Atlanta's World Affairs Council Cedric Suzman, president and CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Tisha Tallman, and Eric Tanenblatt of the Atlanta-based law firm of McKenna, Long, and Aldridge.