The MENA Mix: Regional Recap is a monthly video podcast, produced by the Institute for Middle East Options (IMEO). Each episode features rotating experts who unpack and analyze key news stories shaping the Middle East and North Africa.
Our May episode brought together Doris Awwad (Gender and Global Politics Specialist) and Alia Mansour (NOW Lebanon Deputy Editor in Chief). They explored whether the region is moving toward genuine de-escalation following the Iran-Israel war or simply entering a new phase of conflict. Through discussions on Hamas and Hezbollah, disarmament, Lebanon’s political realities, and Syria’s evolving approach, they examined the interconnected challenges shaping the region and emphasized the need for diplomacy, reconstruction, and renewed efforts to address the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a key factor in long-term regional stability.
Doris Awwad is a Middle East advocacy and peacebuilding specialist with nearly two decades of experience working on governance, conflict, and political participation across the MENA region. Her work focuses on human security, transitional justice, and the inclusion of women and youth in political and peace processes, particularly in conflict and post-conflict settings. Ms. Awwad has extensive expertise on Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, with a focus on the impacts of conflict, displacement, political exclusion, and shrinking civic space. She has led regional and international advocacy initiatives, developed policy and gender-responsive strategies, and facilitated dialogue and mediation efforts aimed at advancing more inclusive and accountable governance. Based in Brussels, she works to connect local realities with regional and international policymaking processes. She holds an MA in Gender and Global Politics from SOAS University of London.
Alia Mansour is deputy editor-in-chief of NOW Lebanon and a columnist for Al Majallah, where she writes on Lebanese politics, regional affairs, and developments across the Middle East. She has been a contributor to Al Majallah since 2019 and is a frequent commentator on political and social issues affecting Lebanon and the broader region. Ms. Mansour studied political studies with a minor in Arabic at the American University of Beirut. She has also completed advanced studies in Middle Eastern affairs, including programs at Georgetown University and the International Institute for Political and Economic Studies in Greece. Her work focuses on Lebanese politics, regional dynamics, and the intersection of governance, society, and media in the Arab world.
