In this turbulent, chaotic and uncertain regional context, the absence of a shared vision for the future that liberates the Middle East and its people from internal tyranny and foreign dependence seems to be the only prevailing reality. Conflicting agendas and priorities of national, regional and international powers compete at all levels. Those who call for a continued war on terrorism support authoritarian regimes under the pretext of stability and the reinforcement of state authority. Other powers support peoples’ demands for freedom and democracy, and still others suppress and impede change. All of this provides fertile ground for continued crisis and the outbreak of ethnic, cultural and sectarian conflicts. This session addresses where the Middle East is heading in the context of its current state.