Over the course of two days, Feb. 6-7, seven teams of students 鈥� each assisted by an experienced mentor 鈥� worked together to create negotiation strategies in order to ease tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots at a simulated U.N. peace conference. Teams represented the European Union, U.S., U.K., Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. A week before the exercise, participants received historical briefs on the regional stalemate as well as objectives specific to their assigned countries.

Retired Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas, who directs 麻豆原创鈥檚 Diplomacy Program, served as the exercise鈥檚 U.N. Special Representative. Referencing her own experience working with Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, she encouraged students to pursue compromise without overlooking the positions and goals of their countries.

As rounds of structured meetings gave way to student-initiated negotiations, delegates learned that many countries had competing goals, though they were still charged with improving relations in the region and with participating countries. While the results of the exercise did not 鈥渟olve鈥� the situation in Cyprus, students experienced firsthand the interplay among diplomacy, the military, the economy and social welfare. The aim of the exercise was to help emerging leaders develop skills in teamwork, communication, and strategy formulation and execution.

The exercise was run by a team from the Army War College, including Clausen, Ritchie L. Dion (Clausen’s Strategic Communication Operations Specialist), Major Dennis C. Davis and Major Joseph C. Chretien.
At the end of the exercise, a final debriefing allowed students and facilitators to comment on the process and results. Bersia noted, 鈥淔or two days, our students stepped from the academic world into the work world. They took on complicated, enduring challenges with seriousness and purpose 鈥� and came up with insightful and creative solutions. After observing their performance, I was more confident than ever about passing the baton to the next generation.鈥� Dion echoed that sentiment by stating that what the Army War College found was “a group of well-motivated individuals who were more than ready to excel in this type of event.”

In addition to the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office and the Army War College, sponsors and partners included the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, 麻豆原创 Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence, 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Terrorism Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies and the Global Connections Foundation.

More information about this exercise, including participant names and feedback, can be found here.

Khouri spoke to an audience of nearly 100 Thursday, Dec. 2. His presentation was part of the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office鈥檚 yearlong Global Peace and Security program.

Khouri also pens a column titled 鈥淎 View from the Arab World鈥� for the The Daily Star, the largest English-language newspaper in the Middle East. In addition, he serves as director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.

During his talk, Khouri addressed the importance of understanding the history between the Middle East and the West. He noted that what is going on today is anchored in historical traditions.

Promise lies in cross-cultural communication, because it is the driving force behind human advancements, he said. According to Khouri, everyone benefits from good relations with the Middle East.

鈥淲hen people interact, they learn, grow, prosper, become more creative, and generate wealth, stability and security,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ost importantly, they share human dignity in all of its dimensions.鈥�

Unfortunately, the perils are equally as numerous and striking, Khouri said, noting that the Middle East and the West have a long tradition of invasions, wars, tensions, fears and resentment.

Often, nations in the Middle East also clash with each other. The four key players in the region — Arabs, Iranians, Turks and Israelis — have different languages, governmental systems, cultures and traditions. Right now, they鈥檙e all interacting in a confrontational way, Khouri said.

However, Khouri said there are ways to expand the promise and minimize the peril. He said we must try to understand the baggage that ancient legacies bring to contemporary conflicts. That also applies to the region鈥檚 relationship with the West, he said.

It is also important to separate values from policies. Khouri said people in the Middle East and in the West have similar values of justice, democracy and accountability, and that the biggest disagreements are about policy. The policies of government can cause hostility because when they change, people鈥檚 opinions of each other often change, too, Khouri explained.

鈥淲hen you listen carefully to the United States and Middle Easterners, they want justice, democracy and to live peacefully with each other.鈥�

Sponsors of Khouri鈥檚 presentation included the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, 麻豆原创 Nicholson School of Communication, 麻豆原创 Terrorism Studies Program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.