Ryan Pavel

Ryan Pavel is a graduate of the University of Michigan and studied International Relations with added emphasis on International Security. Ryan earned his Associates degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the Defense Language Institute in 2007, where he focused on the Arabic language. He spent thirteen months in Iraq working in the signals intelligence field as an Arabic translator and interpreter during his five years of Marine Corps service. Ryan’s research centers on trends and conflicts within the Middle East and the response of the international community to these conflicts as well as the motivations behind and impact of US foreign aid to other countries.

Most commented posts

  1. Iraq Aid – The Water Crisis — 2 comments
  2. South Sudan – News Resources — 1 comment
  3. South Sudan – What Now? — 1 comment

Author's posts

Jun 23

The Necessity of Training

Pulling out from Afghanistan without leaving behind a native security force capable of handling the job would be a mistake Towards the end of my second deployment to Iraq, I was offered a rather unique opportunity. Through a hookup from a fellow Arabic linguist, my coworkers and I were allowed to join a police training …

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Jun 21

Elephants to the Rescue

Southern Sudan’s wildlife could provide it with an opportunity to develop a vibrant tourism industry July 9th is fast approaching. This is the day when south Sudan is scheduled to secede from the north and become an independent nation – something many of us have been eagerly waiting for. Violence has plagued the build up …

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Jun 16

2 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Back

The Palestinians seem to be right back where they started 2 months ago Early last month, Fatah and Hamas, the two major Palestinian political parties, signaled that they were working towards forming a unity government. In my commentary on the talks, I assumed that the deal was, well, a done deal. Reporting at the time …

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Jun 14

Water for Sudan – Spotlight

Last week, I wrote a couple of posts about the security situation and aid organizations in Sudan. One element that factors heavily into both of these issues is water – that most essential of resources. Now that we’re less than a month away from southern Sudan’s secession from Sudan proper, it’s becoming obvious that resources …

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Jun 09

Sudan – The Human Cost

On Tuesday, I wrote about foreign aid into Sudan. While I did write a few lines about the security situation there, I didn’t go into much detail about it. I have a tendency to get caught up in the numbers and facts of aid. Sometimes it’s good for me to remind myself of the human …

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Jun 07

Aid to Sudan – Lessons Learned

Many of my posts this past month discussed the impacts and strategies of foreign aid. The more that I’ve researched projects undertaken by aid organizations, the more I’ve seen what commonly works and what doesn’t work. If we take a look at these commonalities, incorporate lessons learned from them and use them to inform current …

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Jun 02

The Aftermath of Censorship

It has been quite a year for censorship in the Middle East. The crackdown by Egyptian regime officials and their security apparatuses on protestors’ communications was relentless, going so far as to completely suspend cell phone and Internet service for up to a week at a time. During a revolution, half an hour without cell …

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May 31

Arab Education – Long Road Ahead

Many of the posts I’ve written thus far have mentioned the recent uprisings and governmental overhauls taking place in the Middle East. These events are bringing incredible amounts of change to archaic systems and have the potential to completely reshape the Arab world, a source of great excitement to people living in the region. To …

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May 26

Opening the Gaza Strip

Who would have thought that the self-immolation of a fruit vendor in Tunisia could effect so much change within the Middle East? As the citizens of Arab states revolt, the status quo and operating procedures of many countries have been drawn into question. In the somewhat geographic center of it all, Israelis have been wondering …

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May 24

Iraq Aid – The Water Crisis

One of the most pressing issues the Iraqi people face today is a shortage of potable water. In 2010, the International Community of the Red Cross estimated that one in every four Iraqis did not have access to drinkable water. Iraq is known as the land of the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, …

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