Rouhani Should Recast Relations in the Levant
Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani has an opportunity to chart a new course for the region.
![Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani gestures to the media during a news conference in Tehran Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani gestures to the media during a news conference in Tehran June 17, 2013. REUTERS/Fars News/Majid Hagdost (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS PROFILE) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTX10QWD](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2013/06/RTX10QWD.jpg/RTX10QWD.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=eItuKuIr)
My childhood was shaped emotionally, politically and physically by the Cold War. The Iron Curtain stood a 20-minute drive from my childhood home. The borders adjacent to my small village in the eastern Alps changed during my grandfather's lifetime, that of my father and during my own. Now, thanks to the collapse of communism and the expansion of the European Union, there is no border.
In my professional life, I have journeyed from the Hindu Kush to the shores of the Mediterranean, mostly during times of war. The most constant component of this journey across borders invented by past generations has been change. Change is also the most difficult aspect in political leaders’ vision, for change means the unknown, and the unknown requires courage. Yet, only those who have the courage to walk into the unknown can build a better tomorrow.