Challenges in the ‘Rough Neighborhood’ Post-Arab Spring (VIDEO)
The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate. At least 17,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011, when government forces cracked down violently on peaceful protesters inspired by the Arab Spring.
Watch Roger Cressey, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, talk about Booz Allen Hamilton’s efforts in the Middle East and challenges facing those countries post-Arab Spring:
Related: Time Magazine Person of the Year – ‘The Protester’
Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategy and consulting firm, has a presence in Middle Eastern countries such as Oman, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
“What we’re seeing are the governments there trying to adjust to the reality of the Arab Spring and how it’s impacted that part of the region,” Cressey said. “That’s the most stable area in the Middle East right now … and they’re looking at two things.”
One of which is how those governments can ensure their citizens are being taken care of as they see uprisings in countries such as Syria, Egypt and Tunisia. Booz Allen Hamilton wants to make sure there is enough investment, health care and education in these countries, which form an island of stability amidst a volatile region, to remain so.
Related: Watch NBC’s Andrea Mitchell talk to genConnect about the volatility of the Arab Spring
“They’re in a rough neighborhood,” Cressey said. “They have Iran on one side and all the instability on the other side and so they’re trying to carve out a role for them.”
Civil war continues to rage in Syria in the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, while kidnappings occur, and Syria’s prime minister appears to have defected with three other government Cabinet members. Meanwhile, 24 United Nations monitors in Aleppo, Syria, have pulled out because of the worsening situation.
genConnect was credentialed press at the 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colo., where we interviewed the premier speakers and attendees at the conference. For more of our video interviews and articles from the Ideas Festival, click here.
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Category: 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival, Lifestyle, Politics, Videos, Views on the News
