Lebanon currently faces a surfeit of dire economic, humanitarian, and political challenges. In the midst of an economy reckoned by the World Bank as one of the most severe episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century, the national currency has lost over ninety-five percent of its value, more than three quarters of the population live beneath the poverty line, depositors are unable to access their savings in the bank, in addition to unprecedented inflation rates that have rendered basic goods unaffordable for the vast majority of the country. Notwithstanding such grave circumstances, an ill-timed presidential vacuum befalls the country as a consequence of political gridlock in the deeply divided parliament impeding the election of President Aoun’s successor before his term expired on October 31.

The United States is an integral component of Lebanon’s effort to revitalize its economy and implement reforms to effectively serve its citizens. Join us for an opportune conversation hosted by the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies on the current and future status of American foreign policy in Lebanon, featuring Ambassador David Hale – former Ambassador to Lebanon and previous Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; Wayne State Political Science professors, Dr. Nahla Hamdan and Dr. Fred Pearson; and our Moderator, Student Senate Director of Government Affairs, Abe Ahmad.