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Refugees
commentary
Jobs Can Improve the Lives of Syrian Refugees and Their Host Communities—and Support Stability in the Middle East
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_
Mar 11, 2019
Foreign Policy
Host governments, international development agencies, and donor countries like the United States could take several steps to improve Syrian refugee employment. This would increase self-reliance among Syrian refugees and ease pressures on host communities.
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Refugees
commentary
As Refugees, Syrian Women Find Liberation in Working
Louay Constant, Shanthi Nataraj @ShanthiNataraj, Fadia Afashe
Feb 19, 2019
United Press International
Syrian refugee women in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan want opportunities to work. But there are multiple barriers and challenges that limit them. Improving the chances of safe and dignified work opportunities for Syrian women in these countries could yield broad positive social benefits for both the refugee and host communities.
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Refugees
commentary
Syrian Skills: A Missed Opportunity
Shanthi Nataraj @ShanthiNataraj, Louay Constant
Feb 14, 2019
RealClearWorld
Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are finding ways to get by. But many refugees are not able to fully use their skills, and that is a lost opportunity both for the Syrians and the host countries.
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Political Reform Movements
q&a
The Post–Arab Spring Experience: Q&A with Shelly Culbertson
Aug 23, 2017
It's too early to say whether the Arab Spring will turn out to be a success or not. The Arab Spring was about people deciding what they did not want and rising up against it, but they hadn't worked out what they did want. Many of them still have hope.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Hidden Dangers of Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Dec 28, 2016
Newsweek
Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem would antagonize partners in the Islamic world who are key to fighting ISIS. And any potential cooperation that might have developed between Israel and Arab states over common concerns about Iran could suffer.
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Refugees
commentary
A Different Kind of Refugee Crisis
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
May 16, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
In Jordan and Lebanon, middle-income countries with robust public sectors where a significant Syrian population may be present for years to come, solutions should be more about supporting the expansion of existing national public services, rather than creating new, internationally run parallel services.
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Middle East
announcement
RAND's Shelly Culbertson Publishes Book on Middle East After the Arab Spring
Apr 19, 2016
A new book by RAND's Shelly Culbertson mixes travel memoir, reporting, and analysis across six Middle Eastern countries, presenting diverse experiences of the Arab Spring.
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Refugees
commentary
Battered by War, Syrian Refugee Kids Need to Be Taught
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Louay Constant
Jan 15, 2016
Newsweek
More than 700,000 Syrian refugee children are not receiving formal education. Host countries are struggling to create enough spaces to accommodate them in schools, and there are no formal programs to teach children who have missed years of instruction.
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Refugees
commentary
Help Syria Avoid a 'Lost Generation'
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Tom Ling, Marie-Louise Henham, Jennie Corbett
Jul 17, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Young Syrian refugees are brimming with potential, but lack the educational and livelihood pathways through which to channel their energy and aspirations. As the international community looks for ways to end the violence in the region, it must not overlook the plight or the potential of these children.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
ISIS's Calculated Barbarity
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Feb 10, 2015
The Hill
ISIS's decision to murder its Jordanian hostage by burning him alive may turn out to be a strategic miscalculation, but it is not madness. Through self-selection, continued fighting, and the exaltation of unlimited violence, ISIS has created a cult whose members command and revel in displays of ever-increasing cruelty.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
q&a
Experts React to ISIS's Gruesome Execution of Jordanian Pilot
Feb 4, 2015
The RAND Blog
A grisly video released yesterday by ISIS appears to show Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh burned alive in a cage. Why the shift away from beheadings? What does the execution mean for Jordan? What implications will it have for ISIS?
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Refugees
commentary
Syrian Refugees: A Blessing in Disguise?
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Feb 2, 2015
The National Interest
To avoid further resentment and restrictions on Syrians desperate to escape their war-torn country, as well as the instability such attitudes generate, the international community must work with host governments to increase and highlight the benefits refugee populations can bring to neighboring states.
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Refugees
commentary
Syria's Simmering Crisis
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Jan 21, 2015
CNN
At least half of Syrian refugee children aren't in school. Those who are face risks to the quality of education they receive, a risk they share with host-country children. But by making long-term investments, the international community can help ensure education isn't another casualty of the war.
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Developing Countries
commentary
The Health Needs of Syrian Women in and Around the Za'atari Refugee Camp
Mahlet Atakilt Woldetsadik
Oct 13, 2014
The RAND Blog
The Syrian conflict, now in its fourth year, has been the main contributor to the largest refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide—and the problem can be expected to get worse as the fighting continues.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
The U.S. Can't Count on Regional Support in the Fight Against ISIS
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Sep 16, 2014
The New York Times
Regional governments may put some of their differences aside to help fight ISIS. But in a region rife with turmoil and multiple internal fissures, Washington cannot count on its confrontation with ISIS as its partners' overriding priority.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
To Fight ISIS, Make Peace with Syria's Assad
William Young
Aug 14, 2014
USA Today
To disrupt al-Baghdadi's advance, the United States and its allies should start by addressing the source of the problem -- the conflict in Syria. They can begin by negotiating a truce with President Bashar Assad to stop the fighting in Syria.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Generations of Terrorism
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Dec 13, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Whatever its eventual outcome, Syria's civil war has already produced thousands of experienced jihadists who will continue to threaten the region for years to come, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
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Egypt
commentary
The Domino Effect of Arab Unrest
Julie E. Taylor
Feb 1, 2011
CNN
There is no clear political party or leader ready to step in if the regime in Egypt falls. However, this protest is not without leadership; it is spearheaded by a large network of Egyptian human rights groups and other citizens, writes Julie Taylor.
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