#Syria #NoLostGeneration
On Tuesday, October 14, Next Gen LA hosted its latest free programmatic event at Soho House in West Hollywood. It was our honor and pleasure to hear from journalist, author, and all-around amazing woman Gayle Lemmon. Gayle is a Senior Fellow at the Council on International Relations and the author of New York Times bestseller The Dressmaker of Khair Khana - among other titles - and she writes and speaks extensively on all manner of international issues, with a particular focus on fragile states and developing economies. She is deeply knowledgeable about Syria and the region, and came to talk with us about what's happening, what we can do, and why it matters. Next Gen LA Co-Chair Bettina Barrow introduced Gayle and then Gayle took the floor to speak about the ongoing conflict in Syria, and particularly what it means for children. The numbers are staggering and growing. Gayle explained that fewer than 50% of Syrian children are in school, millions are displaced, and their families are struggling to provide for their most basic needs. The consequences of the situation are many. In the short term, it means that these girls are boys are vulnerable and in need of educational and psycho-social support. The boys may find themselves trying to support their mothers and sisters by finding illegal underage work or vulnerable to recruitment by military groups. As for girls, the possibility of exploitation is ever-present. They face the risk of child marriage or working as domestic help when their families have no way to feed them. And, girls are often isolated from their peers because their families fear that if they are allowed to go out they will be raped, taken, or worse. Gayle also talked about the broader implications of the current crisis, and explained that without action by the global community to mitigate the problem, the long term outlook is dire. If this entire generation of children comes of age without education or support, the risk of future violence and instability is ever increasing. Gayle emphasized that this is a global issue - for those who believe this to be a faraway problem or don't care about the individual children affected, they will care when their personal security is threatened - and it demands our attention now. For better or for worse, we live in a globalized world, and there is no ignoring this crisis. Gayle acknowledged that the enormity of the problem makes it difficult to tackle, but that the contributions of individuals do make a difference. She pointed to the work UNICEF and other organizations have undertaken to educate children, provide for their most basic needs, offer counseling, and so on. She emphasized that even the smallest window of normalcy is invaluable - the chance to connect with peers, the community of a school setting - and that our dollars go to these ends. And she offered her personal experience, gained from years of visiting conflict zones and reporting on similar issues. She recalled speaking with a father of four in Afghanistan who had seen to it that each of his children - including his daughters - received an education, even as war raged on. When she asked him how he had managed, the father said simply that he did as much as he could for as long as he could. And Gayle urged us to do just that: as much as we can. Because there is no alternative. We loved hearing Gayle speak and answer our questions, were impressed by her (more than one person present said out loud "I want to be her") and were and are so grateful for her time, which is predictably very much in demand.