Joel D. Hirst

Joel Hirst was a 2010-2011 international affairs fellow (IAF) in residence at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, D.C. He researched the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, a Latin American integration mechanism sponsored by Venezuela, with eight member countries, and its impact on U.S. policy toward the region.

Mr. Hirst has worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) as country representative in Uganda from 2008 to 2010, and before from 2004 to 2008 as the acting country representative and deputy country representative in Venezuela. Before serving with USAID, he was a humanitarian relief worker for six years serving with World Vision and Food for the Hungry in Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Venezuela, Chad, Honduras, Nicaragua, Kosovo and Costa Rica.

Mr. Hirst has an MA in sustainable international development from Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Lebanon

What Is Hezbollah?

Military experience gained from fighting in Syria’s civil war and decades of clashes with Israel have strengthened the Iran-backed group, but politically, its clout among Lebanon’s populace may be waning.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson July 2, 2024

Energy and Environment

Global Energy Tracker

As the effects of climate change mount, high-carbon energy sources continue to provide most of the world’s power. On average, 84 percent of tracker countries’ energy comes from high-carbon sources such as oil, whereas 16 percent comes from solar and other renewables. Low-carbon sources, however, are on the rise, particularly in developed countries.

Tracker by Benn Steil July 1, 2024 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

Iran

The Islamic Republic’s Power Centers

Who calls the shots in Iran on economic policy, security, and domestic calls for reform? A look at the government’s organization chart indicates how complicated the answer is.

Article by CFR.org Editors June 26, 2024

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