Neal Keny-Guyer's blog

I was overseas in the UK when 9/11 happened. I made my way to London and participated in a moving, stirring prayer vigil — with people of many faiths from around the world. All seemed united in soulful remembrance of lives lost, while determined to honor the dead by building a better world. It took me several days to get back home. When I finally arrived, I hugged my wife and kids very tightly.

I remember well those early days after 9/11 when so many expressions of sympathy and solidarity poured in from all over the Mercy Corps world — especially from our Muslim colleagues and partners. I remember well the sense that prevailed in so many corners of America — that this tragedy can be redeemed, not by vengeance, but by justice and by using our shared solidarity as Americans as the way to build a better America.

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For much of July, I visited Mercy Corps' country programs in the West Bank and Gaza, Egypt and Libya. On my return, I wanted to share my thoughts on the challenges we face there and also the reasons that I came away hopeful.

At the political level, things are fairly bleak.

Progress toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians is dangerously stalled with warning signs that the worst is yet to come. Mercy Corps' challenge there is to ensure that our work has a high impact in a complex and volatile political landscape.

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Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps

The death of Osama bin Laden continues to dominate the news in the U.S., yet here in Amman, Jordan — where I've spent the last few days at a regional meeting for Mercy Corps' Middle East and North Africa programs — I've seen that the Arab Spring, not bin Laden, is still strikingly at the forefront of our team members' minds. The energy of this gathering, particularly from our younger team members, has led me to hope that the death of bin Laden is just part of the end of an era in the Middle East, and that the Arab Spring will replace that old story of terrorism and intolerance for a new one of fresh and courageous aspirations for democracy and peace.

Libya remains at the center of our attention, as the conflict continues and humanitarian needs escalate. Our team has made multiple trips from Benghazi to Misrata to help facilitate with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) the evacuation of thousands of foreign nationals, deliver food assistance, survey civilian conditions, and lead coordination efforts among other groups. We've just wrapped up our fourth visit to Misrata after conducting several rounds of humanitarian assessments.

Our team reports that critical supplies including food, medical and basic hygiene items are dwindling and limited amounts of aid are arriving in the midst of continued fighting, with no clear or protected humanitarian corridor. There is an urgent need for increased medical staff and supplies to treat extensive civilian casualties. Most foreign nationals have been evacuated and the city’s remaining residents are in dire need of assistance. The Mercy Corps team will return to Misrata shortly to continue its humanitarian efforts and determine what more we can do there.

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Over the weekend I visited the tsunami-devastated zone of Japan's northeastern coast, and wanted to share the following observations with you. They're excerpted from an internal email I sent earlier today to Mercy Corps' global team — of which I consider you a integral member.

Mercy Corps and our partner Peace Winds have moved quickly to help the people of Japan in recognition of their incredible need, given a triple blow of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Our response has been made possible thanks to the outpouring of generosity we've received from supporters like you around the country, and also here in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you.

So here's a quick update:

The overall atmosphere in Japan, understandably, is subdued. There are great fears regarding radiation, ongoing power shortages, and continuing shock and sadness at the tsunami's devastation. As we see in many parts of the world after a disaster, a number of people I spoke with, including Peace Winds leaders, noted the opportunity in this crisis. Here, that opportunity may be that it jolts Japanese society into action — particularly calling young people to greater purposes.

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The recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt — and their ripple effects across North Africa and the Middle East — have reminded the world how powerful young people can be. In Egypt's astonishing 18-day revolution, young people were at the front lines of peaceful change, toppling an autocrat and moving their country toward democratic governance.

Unfortunately, the outlook for young people in that region is not rosy. The unemployment rate for Arab youths is nearly double that of the world at large. And many young people aren't just jobless, but voiceless. They're politically marginalized, disenfranchised by corruption and not included in local or national decision-making. Too many feel isolated and powerless to effect change.

The challenge before us is to positively channel young people's energy and ideas -- even their frustrations. At Mercy Corps, we believe if the world does not rise to that challenge, we run the risk of losing an entire generation to the influences of radicalism, coercive political movements, crime and corruption. Even in hope-filled Egypt, the real work of young people and the nation starts as the Mubarak era ends.

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In the past couple of weeks, I’ve traveled from Haiti to South Sudan to this Swiss mountain village where the World Economic Forum (WEF) holds its annual meeting on the state of the world’s economy. Before I sit down with the leaders gathering here, I’d like to share with you a few insights from my recent trips.

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Last week I had the honor of being in Haiti on January 12, the one year anniversary of the earthquake that took so many lives and caused so much suffering. On that day in Port-au-Prince, I saw processions of Haitians in the streets. They wore white, the color of mourning in Haiti, to remember their loved ones lost in the earthquake. Song emanated from churches, sad, strong and hopeful. At dusk, I saw a group of children carrying candles, the flames burning steadily.

While I know that many recent news reports have focused on the pace and progress of the recovery efforts, and while I would be the first to say that we all wanted to do more for Haiti, for me the real story in Haiti is the courageous spirit of the Haitian people, which continues to move the country forward.

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Mercy Corps President Nancy Lindborg greets participants in a cash-for-work program in Kurmuk, Sudan. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez/Mercy Corps

I am thrilled to tell Mercy Corps’ friends and supporters that our President, Nancy Lindborg, has been confirmed by the US Senate for the position of Assistant Administrator for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the main source of American overseas development assistance. Nancy will head up USAID’s Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance.

This confirmation is a great recognition of Nancy’s outstanding leadership, and a testament to the potency of Mercy Corps’ work. The US Government has gained a real treasure – a great policy mind, innovative thinker, and champion of the world’s poorest people.

Nancy visited displacement camps in Haiti in January, just days after the earthquake struck. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps

I have had the pleasure of leading Mercy Corps side-by-side with Nancy for 14 years, and I can tell you that she is exceptional: never reluctant to offer praise and support, never shy to ask the hard questions, and always striving for excellence. Nancy has overseen a period of unprecedented growth at Mercy Corps, increased our focus on failed and failing states and innovation at all levels, and built remarkable policy expertise.

Mercy Corps has no plans to fill the position of president, which was tailored to match Nancy’s specific capabilities and talents. We will rely on our very experienced and talented leadership team, and the guidance of our exceptional board of directors. In addition, we are restructuring to ensure that Nancy’s responsibilities – particularly programs and policy initiatives – are given the leadership and attention they require.

While we admire Nancy’s commitment to public service, we will greatly miss her and the energy, intelligence and insights she has brought to Mercy Corps for the past 14 years. Please join me in congratulating Nancy and wishing her all the best!

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As we all know, today is the Eid feast marking the end of Ramadhan 1431. In solidarity with the many Mercy Corps team members of the Muslim faith and in recognition of the many Muslim countries in which we work, I would like to offer an Eid prayer for peace, prosperity and justice for all. May we all pause today and offer Eid Mubarak to our Muslim brothers and sisters and reflect on our own spiritual motivations and on our common humanitarian values — values that spur us to build a better, more sustainable world.

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We are very happy and relieved to inform you that three members of our Pakistan team have been released after nearly five months in captivity. All three are unharmed and are being reunited with their families in Pakistan.

The three team members are Dr. Syed Asif Abbas, age 50, Iftikhar Shafiq, age 34, and Beeburg Suleman, age 27. They were abducted on February 18, 2010 when their vehicle was intercepted en route to our office in Quetta. Our colleagues were working with local district health officials in Balochistan to implement health programs.

The past five months have been an extremely difficult time for our Pakistan and global teams. Emotions are surely mixed. While we celebrate the safe return of our three colleagues, we are still mourning the loss of our fourth abducted team member, Habibullah, who was killed by his captors earlier last month.

We send warmest thoughts and wishes to our released colleagues, and their families and friends in Pakistan. We will stand by them in the coming days, providing comprehensive support to ensure that they are physically and emotionally healthy, as well as financially stable.

We know that many of you are wondering about the future of our programs in Pakistan. At this time, our Pakistan programs are still suspended and undergoing review. While we remain deeply committed to the people of Pakistan, the safety of our team remains our number one priority. We need to ensure that, if our work continues, it can be done effectively and without putting our team at risk.

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