A native of Fayetteville, AR, Brian Lee graduated from the
University of Arkansas in 2008 with a BA with Honors in International Relations,
Economics, and German. A recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship,
Brian continued his studies at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the
University of Vienna, where he received a degree in Masters of Advanced
International Studies (M.A.I.S.) in 2010. He currently resides in Vienna,
Austria and is fluent in German.
Brian worked with
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for several years
in Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was responsible for program
development and management in the areas of counter narcotics, rule of
law, and
criminal justice, in addition to fundraising and partnership development
initiatives.
He also has experience in the
areas of democracy development and institution building in Eastern and
South
Eastern Europe. He recently served as a long term election observer for
the
parliamentary elections in Georgia that took place in October 2012, and
has
worked with numerous governments, NGOs, and other regional and
international
organizations active in these regions, such as the Organization for
Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU).
Here's an excerpt of his recent article on Macedonia's current elections:
For most people, if they were asked today about current events
in the Western Balkans, their answer would more than likely center on
the current negotiations taking place between Belgrade and Pristina’ or
their opinion on the seemingly never-altering situation in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. I doubt few people outside those particularly interested
in the region would even mention Macedonia, much less know that the
first round of local elections took place yesterday, Sunday, March 24,
which saw the ruling center-right Democratic Party for Macedonian
National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) party receive the majority of votes in 54
districts, including Skopje. Not to say that this is surprising, but
the lack of attention being given to the country is a bit worrying, in
particular considering its role in the region and the progress it has
achieved as it strives to begin accession talks with the European Union
(EU).
Simply put, Macedonia’s local elections are worth paying attention
to. The outcome of both rounds in the elections and the subsequent
aftermath will have ramifications for not only the country, but the
greater region. The southern Balkan state has made large strides over
the past decade, and it again finds itself at an important juncture on
this journey. The country’s reaction to the election results in the
coming days and weeks will help determine whether it continues down the
road of reform and progress, or trips up and stumbles along the way.
The latter option would be a disappointment. It would serve to
undermine one of the best places to invest and conduct business in the
region, potentially worsening the already struggling economic situation
in the former Yugoslavian countries and their neighbors. Additionally,
Macedonia is on the verge of starting accession talks with the EU, which
would have a positive effect on neighboring countries as well, bringing
the entire region closer within the fold of the EU. The West and other
international partners have invested much energy and resources in the
country over the past two decades to reach this point. It would be a
shame to see these efforts eroded, and have to be repeated...continue reading
