The Atlantic Council welcomed Jeffrey Vanness of USAID and Jakob Wichmann of JMW Consulting for a roundtable meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Atlantic Council headquarters in Washington, DC. Wichmann presented his findings from a nationwide survey conducted in Libya in August and September 2015, and Vanness responded to the survey’s results from a US government perspective. Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Karim Mezran moderated the discussion.

Since its 2011 revolts and the overthrow of former ruler Muammar Qaddafi, Libya has experienced a series of weak governments, internal fighting factions, and extremist violence. In the attempts to resolve Libya’s complex political and security challenges, the voices of Libyan citizens often go unheard. The survey discussed includes representative samples for Tripoli, Misrata, and Benghazi, allowing for a comparison of perceptions and demonstrating differences in attitudes in Libya. Topics explored include political efficacy and engagement, preferences for the future constitution, gender issues, perceptions of local and national actors, evaluation of public services, perceptions of armed groups, and responses to insecurity.