Content

MENASource

Jan 14, 2026

Voices from Iran: As rejection of government reaches all-time high, Iranians also wary of foreign intervention

By Tara Kangarlou

If Trump is serious about peace, stability, and a lasting legacy, the path forward does not run through air strikes or transactional deals with a failing theocracy.

Civil Society
Crisis Management

MENASource

Jan 13, 2026

Eight questions (and expert answers) on the SDF’s withdrawal from Syria’s Aleppo

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts unpack why violence erupted, what it means for Kurdish safety and integration in Syria, and how Washington is engaging.

Civil Society
Conflict

MENASource

Jan 8, 2026

As Iran protests continue, policymakers should apply these key lessons

By Abram Paley and Nate Swanson

The Iranian people are bravely leading the current protests. It is essential to keep the focus on them.

Civil Society
Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

Dispatches

Jan 7, 2026

What to watch as anti-regime protests engulf Iran

By Nate Swanson

Recent protests expose the Iranian government’s inability to meet the economic, social, and political demands of its people.

Civil Society
Iran

In the News

Jan 5, 2026

Caroline Costello in Foreign Policy

By Caroline Costello

On September 9th, 2025, Global China Hub Assistant Director Caroline Costello published an op-ed in Foreign Policy about China’s role in fueling illegal logging in Africa.

Africa
China

Issue Brief

Dec 22, 2025

First hundred days: How Kast can accelerate US investment in Chile

By Maite Gonzalez Latorre, Jason Marczak

Chile's newly elected president enters office facing a slew of economic pressures: slow growth, weak investment, stagnant productivity, high inequality, limited social mobility, and regional gaps. What can his administration do to jumpstart foreign direct investment?

Americas
Civil Society

MENASource

Dec 19, 2025

Employment needs to take center stage in Gaza security plans

By Melanie Robbins 

The best way to undermine Hamas’s power in Gaza is to employ the people Hamas pays today.

Civil Society
Economy & Business

MENASource

Dec 7, 2025

Syria’s civil society must take center stage in reconstruction

By Tara Kangarlou and Merissa Khurma

One year since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria stands to have the most potential to showcase how local ownership can accelerate reconstruction.

Civil Society
Middle East

Freedom and Prosperity Around the World

Dec 4, 2025

Delivering justice and jobs is the real test of Ghana’s storied democracy

By Joseph Asunka

Vigilant media and active civil society sustain Ghana’s democracy, but weak judicial independence erodes public trust. Rising youth joblessness calls for reforms to strengthen industry, modernize agriculture, and align skills training to labor-market needs.

Africa
Civil Society

Issue Brief

Dec 4, 2025

A stronger, safer, and more prosperous hemisphere: The case for investing in democracy in the Americas

By Antonio Garrastazu and Henrique Arevalo Poincot

This issue brief is the fourth in the Freedom and Prosperity Center's "Future of democracy assistance" series, which analyzes the many complex challenges to democracy around the world—and highlights actionable policies that promote democratic governance.

Civil Society
Democratic Transitions

Experts