August 5, 2014
Tunisia’s Democratic Successes: A Conversation with the President of Tunisia
Date: August 5, 11:00am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15th Street NW, 12th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC
Please join us for a conversation with Tunisian President, Moncef Marzouki to discuss successes to date and the how the country can address pressing economic and security challenges as its democratic transition continues.
With both presidential and parliamentary elections due late this year, Tunisia once again faces imminent milestones in its political history. Although many challenges remain, Tunisia has made significant progress since 2011 in the development of democratic institutions and a culture of pluralism. Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki will join the Atlantic Council for an exclusive engagement to discuss successes to date and the how the country can address pressing economic and security challenges as its democratic transition continues. In 2012, the Atlantic Council awarded President Marzouki its Freedom Award in recognition of his unique role and the achievements of the Tunisian people.
The Gaza Crisis: No Way Out? Policy Options and Regional Implications
Date: August 5, 2:00pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Root Room, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has lasted less than a month, but has already surpassed the 2008 war in physical destruction and human cost. While U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry works intensely to achieve an immediate cease-fire, both Israelis and Palestinians appear prepared for a protracted conflict, and regional players jockey for advantage. Many question whether the United States still has enough clout and influence to bring about a cease-fire, never mind a negotiated peace agreement that would resolve the tensions underlying this crisis.
On Tuesday, August 5, the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings will host a panel discussion examining the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the U.S. handling of the crisis, and the regional implications and influences. Brookings Vice President for Foreign Policy and former U.S. Special Envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations Martin Indyk will share his observations and insights. He will be joined by fellows Natan Sachs and Khaled Elgindy, a former adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team. Tamara Wittes, director of Brookings’s Center of Middle East Policy, will moderate the discussion.
After the program, the panelists will take audience questions.
Register here.
Putting the South Caucasus in Perspective
Date: August 5, 3:00pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have been independent states for more than 23 years. Although geographically contiguous, they differ in language, religion, and political and security orientation. How is each country faring in state-building, developing democracy, and improving economic performance? What are their relationships with Russia and the West, and with each other? How does their historical experience influence current developments, and what are their long term prospects? Join us for a town hall discussion of these and other issues with two of the most prominent academic experts of the South Caucasus, Professors Ronald Suny and Stephen Jones. The discussion will be moderated by Wilson Center Global Fellow, Ambassador (ret.) Kenneth Yalowitz.
RSVP here.
August 6, 2014
Privacy vs. Democracy: The Challenge for Japan and Australia
Date: August 6, 4:00pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 4th Floor, Washington DC
Protecting privacy is as critical as information sharing. In a democracy, protecting information goes hand-in-hand with ensuring individual liberty, and the rapid development of digital technology has made the protection of privacy even more important. One key challenge for democratic governance is formulating policies to ensure information privacy protection. In contrast to the United States and Western Europe, where privacy regulation started in the early 1970s, privacy regulation began to develop in Japan and Australia only in the 1980s, but each country has slowly developed comprehensive privacy regulation since then. Japan scholar and Minnesota State University professor Eiji Kawabata will examine the development of privacy policy in Japan and Australia, and assess policies that would be effective in balancing privacy protection and ensuring national security.
RSVP here.
Loved? Liked? Respected? The Success and Failure of U.S. Public Diplomacy
Date: August 6, 6:00pm
Location: Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1828 L Street NW, Suite 1050, Washington DC
Public diplomacy – the art of one government influencing the public opinion of another country – is complicated and controversial, particularly in an age when social media can spark a revolution. In this special program for interns, LINK, on behalf of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will host a debate on the value of U.S. public diplomacy. To analyze the role of public diplomacy in the Middle East – with particular attention to the crisis in Gaze, the ISIS campaign in Iraq, the ongoing conflict in Syria, and escalating terrorist threats in the region – Institute’s Executive Director Robert Satloff will stand off against the former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Iraq, James Jeffrey in a debate moderated by Viola Gienger of the United States Institute of Peace.
August 7, 2014
Elections Worth Dying For? A Selection of Case Studies from Africa
Date: August 7, 12:00pm
Location: International Foundation for Electoral Systems, 1850 K Street NW, Suite 500, Washington DC
The book Elections Worth Dying For? A Selection of Case Studies from Africaexamines the roots of violence within election processes in Africa from a variety of perspectives. Using recent case studies written by leading specialists in electoral processes in Africa, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) shows how electoral violence and prevention efforts fit within the context of the entire electoral cycle.
The forthcoming series of case studies examines how violence and its rate of incidence are affected by electoral management bodies, election technology, political finance, the media, women, youth and, importantly, political parties, among others. IFES believes the lessons taken from this study can support the prevention of electoral violence and encourage free and fair elections in Africa, and around the world.
Join IFES for a special book launch event. IFES’ event, taking place during the week of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, underlines the importance of engaging in questions of potential election violence and how to best mitigate it through a series of broad-ranging case studies.
RSVP here.
AIDS 2014: What Happened and What’s Next?
Date: August 7, 2:00pm
Location: Kaiser Family Foundation Offices, 1330 G Street NW, Washington DC
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will hold a briefing to assess the major outcomes of the 2014 International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014), held from July 20-25 in Melbourne, Australia. The discussion will touch on the latest scientific developments; the current funding climate for the AIDS response; the impact of anti-LGBT laws on efforts to address HIV/AIDS around the world; and other major contributions to the field emerging from the conference.
Panelists will include Chris Beyrer, President of the International AIDS Society; Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator; and Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center at CSIS. Jen Kates, Kaiser Family Foundation Vice President and Director of Global Health and HIV Policy, will moderate the panel discussion.
August 8, 2014
Beyond North Waziristan
Date: July 28, 10:30am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15th Street NW, 12th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC
As the Pakistani army wages a long-awaited operation, Zarb-e-Azb, against militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan, there are questions about how effectively it confronts the long-term challenge of terrorism in the region. This offensive has disrupted the former main operational base for Pakistani militants, Afghan insurgents, al Qaeda, and central Asian militants. Although the Army has seized control of main towns and put militants on the defensive, there are concerns that a significant part of the militant nexus fled the area for safer havens prior to the operation. The Army and government must now contend with the formidable challenges of sheltering and rehabilitating nearly a million displaced persons, stemming new threats from militants who fled to other parts of the country or Afghanistan, and responding to charges from the United States and Afghanistan of not taking sufficient military action against the Haqqani Network. How is the Nor th Waziristan operation impacting militant groups operating in the region, and the overall stability of Pakistan? Can the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan work together to address sanctuaries for insurgents on both sides of the border? Ikram Sehgal and Hassan Abbas will highlight the progress, pitfalls, and implications of Pakistan’s strategy in North Waziristan.
Register here.
The Pandora Report 
One thought on “This Week in DC: Events”