Reflecting on Development In The MENA Region

This is my first day back at my office at MSI, A Tetra Tech Company after a few months of touring the MiddleEast. Sitting down in my chair looking at Washington, DC from the window of my office made me pause a little bit and reflect on the growing gap between these two worlds – something I often do after such trips to the region.

I pondered the gap between our policy-making process in DC, the rapidly changing environment in the MENA region, and our understanding of the true community needs. We claim we talk to communities to design effective #internationaldevelopment programs, but the question is whether we really listen to them? Living in these both worlds, relating to these two cultures and speaking these two languages put me at odds with the belief that we listen to local communities.

While I see that this gap is growing, I still feel hopeful that our American values to Do-No-Harm will always prevail. I think having a balance between what we believe right and what the local MENA communities believe is right is the true change I see emerging in now.