Week in DC: Events: 4.25-29.2016

Monday, April 25th, 2016
Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War –Heritage Foundation
Time: noon-1pm
Location: Heritage Foundation214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002(map)
Since September 11, 2001, America has been at war. And that’s about all anyone can say with certainty about a conflict that has cost 7,000 American lives and almost $2 trillion. As long as the most basic strategic questions – Who is the enemy? Why are we fighting? – remain unanswered, victory is impossible. In Defeating Jihad, Dr. Sebastian Gorka argues that this war is eminently winnable if we remove our ideological blinders and apply basic strategic principles. That means accurately naming the enemy, understanding his plan, and drawing up a strategy to defeat him. Our enemy is not “terror” or “violent extremism.” Our enemy is the global jihadi movement, a modern totalitarian ideology rooted in the doctrines and martial history of Islam. America has defeated totalitarian enemies before. Dr. Gorka examines how a toxic political agenda has corrupted our national security practices, precluding the kind of clear-eyed threat analysis and strategic response that led to victory in the Cold War. Taking his cue from the formerly top- secret analyses that shaped the U.S. response to the communist threat, he provides a profile of the mind and motivation of the jihadi movement and a plan to defeat it. Sebastian Gorka, Ph.D., an internationally recognized authority on strategy, counterterrorism, and national security, holds the Major General Matthew C. Horner Distinguished Chair of Military Theory at the Marine Corps University. He is a regular lecturer for the U.S. Special Operations Command, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and the Green Berets, and has briefed the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the National Intelligence Council. Dr. Gorka is the Chairman of the Threat Knowledge Group and a recipient of the Joint Civilian Service Commendation, awarded by U.S. Special Operations Command.

The Security Situation In Ethiopia And How It Relates To The Broader Region– Brookings Institution
Time: 10-11:30am
Location: Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036(map)
As Africa’s oldest independent country, Ethiopia has a history that is unique in the continent. The country has faced its share of conflict, including a protracted civil war from 1974 through 1991. A land-locked location in Eastern Africa, the country has also been witness to climate catastrophes, — including the drought that killed a half a million people in the 1980s and the threat of a new drought today. Despite being one of Africa’s poorest countries, Ethiopia has experienced significant economic growth since the end of the civil war, and a majority of its population is literate. In addition, Ethiopia is a crucial U.S. security partner, particularly when it comes to counterterrorism, in a region plagued by threats. On April 25, the Africa Security Initiative at Brookings will host a discussion examining the security situation in Ethiopia, in broader political, economic, and regional context. Panelists will include Abye Assefa of St. Lawrence University and Terrence Lyons of George Mason University. Michael O’Hanlon, co-director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, will moderate.Following discussion, the panelists will take audience questions.

Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
Humans Versus Thinking Machines In National Security Processes– The Center for Security Studies
Time: noon-2pm
Location: Georgetown University3700 O St NW, Washington, DC 20057, United States(map)
Intercultural Center Executive Conference Room (7th Floor)
This panel of experts in security, policy, and technology will explore the age old debate of “humans vs machines” as it relates to mational security and foreign policy decision-making processes.
The fields of national security and intelligence have periodically experienced cycles of investment in personnel and in technology. Today, major advancements in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, cognitive computing, remote sensors, cyber capabilities, and an ever-increasing volume of big data create new opportunities for technological innovation for intelligence collection and analysis. Do these technologies also reduce the importance of, or demand for, humans in analytical, defense, and policy roles?

Pandemics In A Changing Climate: Evolving Risk And The Global Response– Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS1740 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20036(map)
Room: Kenney-Herter Auditorium – The Nitze Building
Ebola, Zika and MERS are among the most recent outbreaks that have demonstrated insufficient global capacity to predict and respond to large-scale public health emergencies. Meanwhile, climate change effects reduce returns to outbreak preparedness by increasing the unpredictability of an outbreak’s location, type, and severity. At this timely event, the Johns Hopkins SAIS Energy, Resources, and Environment / Swiss Re practicum team will present their preliminary research findings on pandemic risk in a changing climate, followed by an expert panel discussion on how innovative financial response mechanisms can be leveraged to more effectively mitigate evolving global threats.

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016
NATO’s Future: Bigger And Better Or Tired And Torn?– Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Time: 8:30-11:30am
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS1740 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20036(map)
Room: Kenney-Herter Auditorium – The Nitze Building
The NATO Alliance faces an array of simultaneous dangers at a time when Europe’s unity is being tested and American political figures have even questioned the need for NATO. Is NATO just tired and torn? How can it be made relevant to this new era? Join us for the release of Alliance Revitalized: NATO for a New Era, an unusual cooperative effort by five leading Washington think tanks.

Thursday, April 28th, 2016
Food Safety In China: Regulatory Revisions And Consumer Confidence- Brookings Institution
Time: 10am-noon
Location: The Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States (map)
Room: Falk Auditorium
China’s food safety challenges are well known. Exposés of unsafe foods have become all too common, especially after the 2008 scandal over melamine-tainted milk. From gutter oil to fake eggs to contaminated strawberries, the long list of food safety incidents in China has alarmed domestic and international consumers alike. In October 2015, China enacted its revised Food Safety Law, which aims to strengthen the regulation of food companies and enhance oversight along the supply chain. As with other issues, the key challenge rests not in setting regulations, but rather in enforcing them. Addressing China’s food safety woes is essential for maintaining the health and confidence of a steadily urbanizing population, increasing the competitiveness of the country’s agricultural sector, and meeting the needs of all food companies doing business in or with China. On April 28, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings will host an event to explore the evolving landscape of China’s food safety policies, consumer responses and initiatives, and the implications for related industries. Clement Leung, Hong Kong’s commissioner for economic and trade affairs in the United States, will deliver a keynote address on the roles of regulators, enforcers, and businesses in confronting the challenges of food safety in Hong Kong, drawing on his previous experience as Hong Kong’s director of food and environmental hygiene. Following Commissioner Leung’s remarks, a panel will evaluate the merits and limitations of China’s revised Food Safety Law, including challenges facing its implementation and lessons from the international community.

Deterrence In The 21st Century– Center for Strategic and International Studies
Time: 10-11:30am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036(map)
Panelists include: Michael Green Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Chair in Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy, Georgetown University Robert Kagan Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Project on International Order and Strategy, The Brookings Institution Nathan Freier Associate Professor of National Security Studies, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute Lisa Sawyer Samp Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS Moderated by:  Kathleen Hicks Senior Vice President, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, and Director, International Security Program, CSIS This event is made possible through partnership with the Army War College.

Friday, April 29th, 2016
Changing The Paradigm: New Solutions For The Global Refugee Crisis – United Nations Foundation
Time: 2-4pm
Location: United Nations Foundation1750 Pennsylvania Ave NW #300, Washington, DC 20006 (map)
Room: Suite 300
This event will include in-depth panel discussions on new approaches to addressing refugee challenges, with a focus on private sector and media engagement.