Simon O’Connell is the Executive Director of Mercy Corps Europe. https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/contributor/simon-oconnell/rss en Civil Society Mon, 14 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Simon O’Connell https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2016/03/14/young-syrians-at-a-crossroads https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2016/03/14/young-syrians-at-a-crossroads Simon O’Connell, the executive director of Mercy Corps Europe, argues that Syria’s young refugees have been largely overlooked despite a massive aid operation and that without empowerment and real alternatives, many are likely to fall prey to the violent extremism that feeds on a sense of injustice.