In the fall of 2016, the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Strategy Task Force (MEST), co-chaired by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, offered a major set of policy recommendations for the incoming administration. We harken back to a critical emphasis in the 2016 report: “unlocking the human potential” of the Middle East and North Africa. Indeed, in addition to offering ideas about addressing the political crises of the region, a good deal of the MEST report talked about people—how to think about and support their needs and aspirations, with the prize being long-term positive change across the region.
Biden administration should act fast to bolster people-to-people exchanges with the Middle East
