Will Todman: Powering Recovery

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with the Middle East Program's Will Todman to break down Will's new report, Powering Recovery: Reform, Reconstruction and Renewables in Conflict-Affected States in the Arab World. They talk about how governments and politicians in conflict-affected states can actually benefit from broken electrical systems, what the United States and international donors miss when they ignore those dynamics, and how renewable energy can offer a better pathway forward for donors and conflict-affected societies in the region. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Lubna Yousef and Caleb Harper, diving into Lubna's chapter on Libya and her experience on the ground before and after the revolution, and what key lessons donors should take away from Will's report. 

• Transcript, "Powering Recovery," CSIS, March 7, 2023.

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Jon Alterman
Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program
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Will Todman
Chief of Staff, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department; and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
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Lubna Yousef

Lubna Yousef

Former Research Associate, Middle East Program
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Caleb Harper

Caleb Harper

Former Program Coordinator and Research Assistant, Middle East Program