Rafat Al-Akhali: Yemen on the Brink

Subscribe and Listen

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Rafat Al-Akhali, a Yemeni who went from being an exchange student in Canada to being a youth activist, a government minister, and then a development consultant. Together, they discuss youth activism in Yemen, the international community's responses to protracted conflicts, and the outlook for Yemen's future. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Will Todman and Leah Hickert to explore the problem of “brain drain” and how it affects conflict-affected societies.

Jon Alterman

Jon B. Alterman

Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy
Will Todman

Will Todman

Chief of Staff, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department; and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Leah Hickert

Leah Hickert

Former Program Manager and Research Associate, Middle East Program

Programs & Projects