After the September 11 attacks on New York City and Washington , D.C. , Slim decided to become involved in Track II diplomacy in the Middle East . She worked on an Iraqi national reconciliation dialogue involving Iraqi parliamentarians , tribal leaders and representatives of Iraqi opposition groups . After the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011 , Slim initiated Track II diplomacy aimed at resolving the conflict . She particularly emphasized making women part of the conflict-resolution dialogue . The BBC 's Kim Ghattas wrote in '' Foreign Policy '' , " The sessions organized by Slim continue , and they stand out because unlike most ' Track II ' dialogues , which include only former officials and experts , these include advisors and aides to current officials . Both Saudis and Iranians have attended all the sessions . " As director of the Middle East Institute 's Initiative for Track II Dialogues , Slim seeks to extend non-official talks to help resolve conflicts across the region
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Randa Slim