The Middle East and North Africa region is in a time of upheavals and transitions, hope and disillusionment. Its spirit of perseverance has captured the world’s attention. In the midst of individual and national struggles, it is time for these countries to think of how they will lay the groundwork for the future. Some, like Tunisia and Libya, have already made some progress in doing so. Others focus on resolving pressing issues, hoping it leads to one of the many competing visions of an “ideal” future.
Such is the theme of this blog, which will chart the events and paths currently being followed, where they might lead, and what intellectuals abroad can possibly hope to do about it.
The photo above, taken from TIME Magazine, is of the wreck caused by a car bomb in Baghdad. This past week, Iraq has seen a death toll of nearly 300. This is a far cry from the height of surge violence in 2007, but bad news for a country still struggling to find its balance ten years after the U.S. invasion. I like to think that the man standing atop the mess of twisted, rusted metal is looking toward a better tomorrow, however distant or difficult its achievement may be. At a time when Syria is wracked by civil war, crimes against humanity all around, and the destruction of homes and heritage sites; when Libya still has over 500 non-governmental militias; when Iran is girding itself for more electoral protests and the economies of Lebanon and Jordan strain to provide for Syrian refugees — this approach of hard work through optimism seems the best way forward.
MENA and Beyond 