Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

Middle East Strategy Task Force: Beyond Refugees

An End to Exodus: Building Resilient States in the Greater Middle East

Date: Friday, September 18, 2015 / Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm 

Center: Middle East North Africa Center

Read the Event Coverage
Share This
Print the Page

The hundreds of thousands of refugees streaming into Europe are just the beginning. War, poverty and poor governance have uprooted 19 million people across the Middle East and North Africa. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley led a discussion September 18 of how the United States and its partners should respond to the greatest displacement of people since World War II. With former British foreign secretary David Miliband, USIP President Nancy Lindborg and other panelists, they focused on the steps needed to address this crisis at its roots.

MEST
Stephen J. Hadley, Hon. Madeleine K. Albright, H.E. David Miliband, Hon. Nancy Lindborg

The event was co-sponsored by the Atlantic Council and the U.S. Institute of Peace, and was the third public hearing of the Middle East Strategy Task Force (MEST). The task force, co-chaired by Albright and Hadley, is a bipartisan Atlantic Council initiative that includes USIP and other institutions. It aims to develop a long-term framework for U.S. policy in the broader Middle East region to support a stable, prosperous order based on resilient, legitimate, well-governed states. The immediate crisis is not only massive, but long-term: current-day refugees remain displaced on average for 17 years, according to the U.N. refugee agency. The United States and its partners should begin immediately the groundwork for a transformation in the Middle East that can halt the dislocation at its sources.

The panelists at the event were: Madeleine Albright, who served as U.S. secretary of state from 1997 to 2001 and is chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group. Following his tenure as U.S. national security advisor from 2005 to 2009, Stephen Hadley co-founded RiceHadleyGates LLC. He serves on the boards of the Atlantic Council and (as chairman) the U.S. Institute of Peace.  David Miliband is president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, and served from 2007 to 2010 as the United Kingdom’s secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs. USIP President Nancy Lindborg served from 2010 to 2014 as the assistant administrator of USAID’s Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, and as president of Mercy Corps. Antoine Frem is the mayor of Jounieh, Lebanon. Before joining USIP, Manal Omar was regional program manager for the Middle East for Oxfam - Great Britain, where she responded to humanitarian crises in Palestine and Lebanon.  

Continue the conversation on Twitter with #BeyondfRefugees.

Speakers

Hon. Madeleine K. Albright, Opening Remarks
Former U.S. Secretary of State
Co-Chair, Middle East Strategy Task Force

Mr. Stephen J. Hadley, Moderator
Former U.S. National Security Advisor
Co-Chair, Middle East Strategy Task Force

H.E. David Miliband
President and CEO, International Rescue Committee

Hon. Nancy Lindborg
President, United States Institute of Peace

Mr. Antoine Frem
Mayor of Jounieh, Lebanon

Ms. Manal Omar, Opening Remarks
Acting Vice President, Middle East & Africa Center, United States Institute of Peace

Related Publications

Iraq’s Lingering ISIS Challenge and the Role of Dialogue in Return and Reintegration

Iraq’s Lingering ISIS Challenge and the Role of Dialogue in Return and Reintegration

Thursday, November 21, 2024

By: Osama Gharizi

With conflicts raging in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan, concerns related to the extremist group ISIS may seem overtaken by these other conflicts. After all, Iraq declared the group’s military defeat in 2017 after the territory held by the extremists was retaken by Iraqi government forces in partnership with the United States. Yet just over a month ago, U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted a joint military raid against the group, killing nine senior ISIS leaders who were hiding in the rugged Hamrin Mountains in northern Iraq. This raid comes off the heels of the UK’s domestic intelligence chief stating that the group is positioning itself as a resurgent threat. Indeed, ISIS has conducted over 150 attacks so far this year in Iraq and Syria, more than those claimed by the group in 2023.

Type: Analysis

Reconciliation;  Violent Extremism

How the World Can Better Support Women Peacebuilders

How the World Can Better Support Women Peacebuilders

Monday, May 20, 2024

By: Pétronille Vaweka;  Dr. Marie-Marcelle Deschamps;  Abir Haj Ibrahim;  Hamisa Zaja

Whether it’s providing clean drinking water to displaced persons, organizing education for at-risk youth or directly engaging in mediation between warring parties, the 2023 Women Building Peace Award finalists have all shown themselves to be impactful advocates of peace and stability in their communities. USIP spoke to award recipient Pétronille Vaweka of the Democratic Republic of Congo and finalists Dr. Marie-Marcelle Deschamps of Haiti, Abir Haj Ibrahim of Syria and Hamisa Zaja of Kenya about their work and how the international community can help to empower and expand the critical efforts of women peacebuilders around the world.

Type: Blog

Gender;  Peace Processes

As Hezbollah-Israel Tensions Simmer, Lebanon’s Domestic Crises Drag On

As Hezbollah-Israel Tensions Simmer, Lebanon’s Domestic Crises Drag On

Monday, April 1, 2024

By: Mona Yacoubian

Nearly six months after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, tensions in two key flashpoints — Lebanon and Syria — continue to rise with significant Israeli airstrikes in both countries, leading to the highest death tolls in each country since October 7. Amid these rising tensions, ongoing clashes between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) threaten to escalate into a wider war. At the same time, Lebanon continues to reel from a series of crises that have unfolded over the past four and a half years, highlighting Lebanon’s perilous position as the Gaza conflict continues to reverberate throughout the region.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications