A look at different ways of analyzing the current Lebanese crisis, drawing on the experiences of international mediation efforts, the role of civil society and foreign assistance in other conflicts. Makram Ouaiss is Senior Advisor at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI). He has conducted political party, election and parliamentary programs in over 20 countries. Associated with the Institute for over a decade, he has held the positions of deputy director for Central and West Africa and deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa region. Ouaiss lectures on conflict resolution and democratization at the Lebanese American University and Saint Joseph University. He has published articles and reports on democratization in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University and is a Ph.D. candidate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University in the United States.