Can Syria bring its people back?

After a long cold winter, we were finally liberated by that first sunny day of spring, the kind that ignites a revolution in our spirits. I spent the day enjoying lunch with friends and a long walk that took us across the Harvard Bridge offering the most beautiful view of Boston, my hometown and the city where my relatives led from Otto-man-occupied Syria two generations ago.

Perhaps, defying the beauty surrounding us, a question broke our dazed silence as we took in the view of the tree-lined Charles River and the joggers, bikers, skaters and boaters enjoying the same. “So, Bob, with all your travel to the Middle East, would you ever go live there?” Not surprised by the question, having just returned from a trip, I paused.

I began deconstructing my thoughts into their most basic elements in order to construct a meaningful response. The truth was, I have imagined trying to do that for at least 15 years and have only recently begun to worry that I am too late to enjoy what I would seek from such an experience. I immediately began to re-count a series of events from my life which quickly brought me to April 2007, realizing as quickly that there is too much that I will have to explain about myself so I turned the question on the interlocutor, “Hmmm, how about you?” I bought myself more time, as thoughts raced through my mind.

I am already home, so why would I go live in the Middle East? I have no family there, and few close friends, I am an outsider, I don’t really speak the language, I have no history there, so what life would I have there and what could I reason-ably expect from such an experience? What would I give up and what would I get in return? Feeling conflicted, I know the happy life I live and am aware of the many enriching things that I would seek. The risk-re-ward function dictates, however, that with greater risk should come greater reward.

I have already spent nearly two years out of the last five traversing the region on more than forty trips to contribute to projects in education, entrepreneurship and finance, sometimes a few days or few months at a time. I know the answer, but it defies my beliefs, so I remain silent. Deep down, I have a desire to contribute to and experience my culture based upon a strong sense of identity, love and respect for my family and heritage. Yet, I still feel I have no real relationship with my country of origin; I am perhaps a welcome visitor or frequent tourist, but I know I am not alone in my predicament.

Syria is a country with 20 million expatriates, more than the number of citizens residing within the country, making the Diaspora a democratic majority. Syria has been a victim of occupiers and conquerors for centuries, but starting in April 1946 that was all suppose to change. In Flight of the Creative Class, a book that discusses the new global competition for talent, the author explains, “lasting economic advantage comes from attracting and retaining talented people”.

The “creative class”, those who create wealth, he explains, freely selects where it wants to live, first based upon the lifestyle that place offers. Knowing that they can participate in the global economy from almost anywhere, the creative class is highly mobile and seeks a certain quality of life. Mobility of labor thus is both a threat and tremendous opportunity to economies.

Countries and cities with good leadership know they need to compete to attract and retain top talent since talent is the only sustainable driver of economic development. Looking through this lens, parks are not mere patches of green, art and entertainment is not merely another industry, everything about a place becomes a competitive attribute -- from how clean it is to the amount of personal and economic freedom to the tolerance for diversity to the people and the culture -- in the minds of the talent that economies must compete to attract and retain. Looking at the Syrian Diaspora, we can lament at the events that have driven so many to abandon their country in search of a better life.

Thinking optimistically, this brain drain could be looked at as a strategic, global redistribution of talent to leading economies worldwide.

While for many the thought of returning to the Middle East leaves them feeling conflicted at best, most would find it very rewarding to contribute positively to their country of origin given the proper conditions. Thus, brain drain could be converted into brain circulation where experienced expatriates can be brought back to their country of origin for any given period to help contribute to the development of their society, with or with-out relocating completely. But, why should they? In order for this to take place, expatriates need to develop a relationship with their country of origin and with specific institutions and people that can effectively make use of their experience.

With that, they need to know that they will be valued and appreciated and that the contribution of their time and talent is valued and appreciated. There are cultural hurdles that will be difficult for many to adjust to and there are certainly those people who do not share any of the same sentiments that brought them back to serve their country. But before all of that, expatriates need to feel that there is something in it for them.

Many expatriates would find it rewarding and meaningful to do something positive for their country of origin, but there are a minimal set of conditions that will make them want to return. For many, as a practical matter, it will require superior risk-adjusted financial rewards to secure their livelihood. For others, it only need not be thankless or, worse, met with hostility, suspicion or intimidation. Some will come merely seeking to live and experience their culture and heritage as ordinary members of society assuming any reasonable set of trade-offs. In all cases, expatriates of all ages need to enjoy positive experiences that reinforce their bond with their country and for many their options may seem very limited.

In some ways, only relocating will provide expatriates with the opportunity to develop strong bonds that will make them feel connected to Syria, while at the same time relocating will expose them to a new set of issues that could challenge these feelings. Transitioning from a first world country to a developing country can cause even the most patriotic person to question their definition of identity and affinity, ex-posing so many differences that will leave them confronted with adjusting to often seemingly intolerable norms.

The set of trade-offs that each person is willing to make is highly individualistic, but without a formal system to attract, retain and reintegrate expatriates, for many it will not be easy, and the incentives for each will be of their own creation, or perhaps imagination. The President of Syria, according to press articles, has in the past lamented that Syria is constrained by limited financial and human resources in its development. This is true if expatriates are completely discounted and the financial wealth of Syrians, estimated at between $60 to $100 billion, which is kept out of the country is also completely discounted. Thus, based on what the President said, we must also believe that repatriation of talent and financial wealth is critical to the development of Syria.

However, no serious effort has ever been made to repatriate Syrians to their country and we know capital is coward, so the fact that Syrians keep so much money abroad is also indicative of serious domestic issues which do not invite expatriates. Expatriates cannot be expected to be the first to place their trust in Syria.

It is those sincere efforts at reform and development which will encourage many to return and participate. For over 150 years, or perhaps longer, Syrians have been leaving Syria for countries far and wide. Some families have been so uprooted that they no longer have relatives left behind, and thus no relationship with their country, while many have less than positive views of Syria based upon their own experiences or from their unique oral history.