To Lebanon or Not to Lebanon?

This morning I received an email from a family friend and mentor who is a senior European diplomat. As the former ambassador of her country to Lebanon, she is one of my principle contacts regarding my planned placement there. Unfortunately, she believes that the political situation in Lebanon is deteriorating rapidly, as the September presidential elections approach, and that the security situation is worsening as well. She firmly believes that the timing is simply wrong. I was not tremendously shocked at her assessment, but was saddened and disappointed to hear her dire predictions, both for myself and for the Lebanese people. While I will wait to get more information from her and other contacts before making a final decision, I fear that this placement is doomed. It is particularly disappointing because I feel very strongly about going to work in the Middle East and reconnecting with part of my family’s history and heritage.

This afternoon, David Seibel, Insight President, and I had our usual meeting during which we check in on any immediate issues, placement plans and progress, fundraising, research themes, general logistics, skills and coaching etc. I raised the subject of Lebanon and asked for his thoughts. Of course, rather than giving me a straight answer, he turned the question around to me. I expressed that my logic for going in the fall is that the period around the elections could be a very exciting time for me to be in Lebanon. Even if something happens while I am on the ground, the likelihood of something happening directly to me is very small. If I decide not to go and nothing bad happens, I will very much regret not being there to experience it. However, the overarching security concerns remain: even if I am unharmed, I may be unable to continue working effectively in such an unstable environment, which seems to defeat the purpose of being there at all.

David and I brainstormed a little bit on some other options such as changing the order of my placements. Instead of beginning in Lebanon, I can postpone that placement until the spring—this way I can continue to monitor the situation and formulate some backup plans just in case. Additionally, David suggested that if I still feel very strongly about going, I can create a “mini-placement” and go for just a couple of weeks, like a journalist on assignment. Both options are appealing, so I will have to keep them in mind as I continue to think about this issue.