Operation Provide Comfort: Reflections And Lessons For Today

The Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by  The Middle East Institute (MEI)  titled, Operation Provide Comfort: Reflections And Lessons For Today. Experts  presented the background story and history of the many nations  who banded together to protect and deliver a religious minority in the Middle East from total annihilation in 1991. At the time of the turmoil, many fled their homes with as little as the clothing on their back  from the threat of war and terror. Experts focused in on the  paramountcy of nations coming together at the time of a crisis to produce help, aid, and a safe haven for people  in dire need of humanitarian relief on a massive scale. Experts went into detail of the many lessons learned from the project from its defeats and accomplishments that allowed them to ultimately save the religious minority.

Experts spoke of the change in attitude from the people they were sent to help from being very uneasy when seeing a soldier to finally embracing them three months later when the work was done. Experts were asked how can  they effectively get the stories like these and many other issues in front of the general public. The recommended  was to research more into think tank publications, research centers and really making an effort to search for stories published by professors, scholars  and trusted sources. Shirazi Foundation researcher talked with a panelist about  various aspects of the presentation, while offering experts in attendance a suggestion to look into  the role  that human rights plays in conflicts, intrastate with foreign actors.