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The textbook definition of Human Resource Management (HRM) is the set of organizational activities directed at attracting, developing and maintaining an effective workforce. In Syria, the study of HRM is slowly being introduced into educational curriculums, which will guarantee a steady influx of HR professionals who are proficient with the theories of HRM but unfortunately not necessarily the practice.

If Senator Hillary Clinton makes it to the White House she would be setting several precedents in US history; a woman, a former First Lady, and a Clinton. The presidential cycle would then read: Bush (1989-1993), Clinton (1993-2001), Bush (2001-2009), Clinton (2009-2013). Apart from being a powerful woman, with political weight, money, and connections, Hillary Clinton has an additional strong asset—her husband—former President Bill Clinton. Some regard him as a blessing. Others see him as a curse since due to his charm and popularity among the American public, Bill has sometimes—quiet unintentionally—overshadowed the former First Lady.

The situation in the Occupied Territories remains problematic—to say the least. For years, the Palestinians have insisted on building a better tomorrow for themselves, proving to the world that despite the hardships, they can survive and move on. Their future remains, however, as it has been since 1948, very uncertain.

Abba Eban, Israel’s Foreign Minister at the time of the 1973 Geneva Ac-cords, famously declared that «the Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity». This quip resurfaced after the 2000 Camp David Accords in reprobation of the late Yasser Arafat. But it seemed as though Palestinians had reversed this trend by January 2005, when they elected Mahmoud Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Many considered Abbas to be a more moderate leader than his predecessor and thus a better negotiating partner for Israel, one who could make significant progress toward creating a viable Palestinian state. I was in Ramallah on the day of the presidential election, given the hardships that Palestinians had endured, the atmosphere was surprisingly optimistic. Voter turnout was high, as most everyone seemed aware of the potential for peace that accompanied each cast ballot. Over the course of the next year this potential steadily diminished until the following January, when Hamas won a landslide victory against Fatah in the parliamentary elections, precluding any prospects for peace in the near future. Immediately following the elections, the US, together with Israel and the European Union, cut off all funds to the PA in protest of the Hamas victory. Soon afterwards President Abbas called for a general election, prompting Hamas to accuse Fatah of using undemocratic means to overthrow the results of a democratically elected government. The two political factions have been engaged in fighting ever since, which reached a critical point this past June when Hamas seized Fatah headquarters in Gaza and declared a separate Gaza Strip government. Abbas dismissed Prime Minister Ismail Haniya from the PA in response, and Fatah attempted to regain influence in Gaza by setting off roadside bombs, boycotting Islamist activity, and arresting suspected Hamas members and sympathizers all over the West Bank. An estimated 600 Palestinians have been killed in a series of battles waged between the two factions since January 2006.

Something changed forever after in Turkey on March 14, 2003, the day Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came to office in Ankara. Tall and charming, young, conservative, eloquent and charismatic, the new Prime Minister was a breath of fresh air for the Turkish public. Only 49 at the start of his tenure, the former Mayor of Istanbul and leader of the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (Justice and Development Party, AKP) was faced with an immediate challenge, being the US war on Iraq, which started the same month as his assumption of power and led to a series of negative impacts throughout the world.

Last month, First Lady Asma al-Assad inaugurated ‘Sea of Beauty’ an exhibition held at the National Museum in Damascus. Organized by the Directorate of Antiquities in Syria, the Italian Cultural Center, and National Museum of Naples, the launching was attended by director of the Italian Center in Syria, and Culture Minister Riyad Naasan Agha. The exhibition highlighted the importance of antiquity excavation in both countries, displaying a total of 35 items from Syria. Eleven of them were discovered in Mari and Ugarit and another 13 date back to the Roman Empire. Finally, 11 date back to the Islamic era, from the Fatimad, Umayyad, and Abbasid periods. The Italians participated with 150 items, copied from the Museum of Naples, mostly being gold ware, precious stones, and jewelry, dating back to the 8th and 9th century.

In October 2007, President Bashar al-Assad paid an oficial four-day visit to Turkey, accompanied by First Lady Asma al-Assad. They met with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulating them on the recent victory of the APK Party in Turkish elections. Rifaat Oglu, the chairman of the Turkish Chamber of Commerce, held a lunch in their honor. Assad spoke at the event saying that his positions vis-à-vis Turkish issues relected what was felt on the Syrian street and were not remarks from Syrian oficialdom. When Turkey gets political gains, so does Syria. When the Turkish economy prospers, Syria will gain inancially. When a Turk dies, Syria loses a citizen. Although pleased at political relations, the jewel of the crown of Syrian-Turkish cooperation, remains in the economic sector. Assad reviewed the economic situation in Syria since he became president in 2000, saying that growth rate at the time was just above zero, based on reports from the International Monetary Fund. By 2006, growth rate in Syria had reached 6.1%. With regard to bilateral economic relations with Turkey, the main goal is to increase trade exchange from the current one billion dollars to two billion. The president stressed that many bureaucratic procedures have been broken in the framework of modernization to facilitate the movement of businessmen and goods between the two countries. He indicated that many Turkish companies are currently operating in Syria, stressing Syria’s readiness to solve any problem that may arise in the course of their work. The president indicated that he may send Abdullah Dardari, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, to Istanbul to meet with Turkish businessmen to ‘discuss details and consequently ind solutions to problems.’ During the visit, a joint Syrian-Turkish Monitoring and Guidance Committee agreed to launch 37 projects between both countries in the upcoming period, worth a total of $6.7 million USD.

Insurance in Syria is going to reach $200 million in 2007, said Mohammad Hussein, the Minister of Finance. He was speaking at the launch of the Arab Orient Company for Insurance, which officially commenced its activities in October 2007. Commenting on the launch of the UAE-based company, Hussein noted how successful private insurance companies have been in Syria; a sector that for many years, had been controlled by the public sector. He emphasized on training human resources, with an aim of increasing public awareness to the concept of investment. The Arab Orient Company has al-ready invested heavily in HR, said Saeb Nahhas, the CEO of the Syrian company, having trained its young Syrian employees in Damascus and Dubai. Omar al-Futaym, the Deputy CEO of the Dubai-based mother company, said that this project was the first of its kind for his group in the Syrian market.

Two new clinics dedicated to refugee healthcare opened recently in Damascus, in Sayyeda Zeinab and Qudssaya. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the French Red Cross and the French Embassy attended the official opening of the new clinic in Sayyeda Zeinab. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent’s President Abdel Rahman al-Attar, the French Ambassador, Michel Duclos and the UNHCR Syria Representative, Laurens Jolles participated in the event.

Bank Audi-Damascus has started operation in Homs in October 2007. A reception was held for the occasion, attended by Iyad Ghazal, the governor of Homs, George Ashi, the CEO of Bank Audi-Syria, and Bassel Hamwi, his Deputy and General Manager of the Bank. Ashi spoke at the event, saying: “Bank Audi’s presence in Syria has enabled us to play an important role in refreshing the Syrian economy.” Both he and Hamwi stressed how important were the branches for Bank Audi in different Syrian cities. At present, the bank has eight branches in Syria, three being in Damascus, in addition to an office at Cham City Center, and one in Harasta in the vicinity of the Syrian capital. Additional branches have opened in Aleppo, Latakia, and Tartous. In addition to the headquarters in Lebanon, the bank also has branches in France, Switzerland, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. It plans on expansion into Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, Turkey, and Yemen.