Week in DC: Events 5.9-5.13.2016

Monday, May 9th, 2016
Islamist Terrorism In Europe : A History– New America Foundation
Time: 12:30-1:45pm
Location: New America740 15th St NW #900, Washington, DC 20005, United States (map)
In 2015 Islamist terrorism in Europe dominated the news with deadly attacks in Paris in January and November. Yet the attacks are only the latest in a long history of jihadist terrorism in Europe. In his new book Islamist Terrorism in Europe Petter Nesser provides a comprehensive account of the rise of jihadist militancy in Europe drawing upon a wide range of new primary sources and tracing the phenomenon back to the late 1980s. Nesser also examines how jihadist terrorism in Europe reflects the ideological agendas of armed organizations in conflict zones, and how entrepreneurial jihad-veterans facilitate the transnationalization of militancy. Dr. Petter Nesser is a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and the author of Islamist Terrorism in Europe: A History. He is trained in the areas of Social Science, Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic at the University of Oslo (UiO) and The American University in Cairo (AUC). Dr. Nesser has conducted extensive research on militant Islamism in Europe for more than a decade while focusing on motivational factors, recruitment and radicalization processes.  New America is pleased to welcome Dr. Nesser for a discussion of his book and the history of Islamist terrorism in Europe.

Tuesday, May 10th, 2016
The State Of Defense Acquisition– 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)
Please join us for a conversation on the state of defense acquisition with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), the honorable Frank Kendall.

Schieffer Series: Breaking ISIL’s Brand– Center for Strategic and International Studies
Time: 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036(map)

Wednesday, May 11th, 2016
The National Security Implications Of Rapid Access To Space– Heritage Foundation
Time: 9-10am
Location: Heritage Foundation214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002(map)
Co-hosted by For decades the United States has enjoyed a strategic advantage in outer space. Systems in space provided the U.S. military with unparalleled abilities to collect intelligence, communicate securely, and provide precision location and timing. While the U.S. still maintains an advantage in space, other countries and private industry have significantly changed the space environment. Today military leaders talk about space being congested, contested and competitive. Underlying all the changes in space, however, is the challenge of getting into space. Rapid access to space is the goal of initiatives like the Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space, but building, testing and launching a satellite still takes months or years. Congressman Jim Bridenstine, who recently introduced the America Space Renaissance Act, will provide opening remarks, followed by a panel discussion on the strategic importance and technology challenges of rapid access to space.

The Panama Papers Panel: Tax Havens – Who, Why, & Impacts- Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC)
Time: noon-2pm
Location: Founders Hall Auditorium 3351 Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22201 (map)
Room: Auditorium
Panel presentation on the Panama Papers, their analysis and impacts. Manager of the project, Marina Walker Guevara will discuss the analysis of the papers, impacts and recommendations. Juan Ricardo Ortega, former Commissioner of the Colombian tax and customs agency DIAN, will discuss his work fighting corruption and tax evasion through the use of shell companies in that role.

Thursday, May 12th, 2016
Strategic Pillars Of Security For Georgia: Trans-Atlantic Integration, Economy, Democracy- Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Time: 1:30-7pm
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Nitze Building1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036(map)
Room: Kenney-Herter Auditorium
Conference co-sponsored by Levan Mikeladze Foundation for Caucasus Studies and CACI at SAIS on “Strategic Pillars of Security for Georgia: Trans-Atlantic Integration, Economy, Democracy”. Features two ninety-minute moderated sessions on topics involving the strategic environment of the area, and internal security factors, discussed by area specialists, with each session followed by remarks. Also includes a closing reception for participants.

Friday, May 13th, 2016
The World Humanitarian Summit: Changing How We Respond To Global Crises- Women’s Foreign Policy Group
Time: 12pm
Location: The Wilderness Society 1615 M Street NW Washington, DC (map)
For the first time in history, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will convene a World Humanitarian Summit to be held in Istanbul on 23-24 May. The Summit is a response to the unprecedented crises the world currently faces, with the highest level of humanitarian needs since World War II. 60 million people have already been forced to flee their homes; conflicts are more complex and last longer than before; and the scale and frequency of disasters is growing, with climate change adding further volatility. The Summit is an opportunity to fundamentally change the way the world deals with these crises. Development, humanitarian and peacebuilding actors must find new ways to work together and far greater investment is needed in disaster risk reduction and resilience building, to avoid humanitarian need in the first place. Development actors have a key role to play in reducing need and building resilience, in partnership with governments, local actors, UN system partners and others. Clear commitments are needed at the Summit to capitalize on the momentum for change in this era of reform.
Izumi Nakamitsu was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator of UNDP and Director of the Crisis Response Unit in 2014. Previously, Ms. Nakamitsu served as Director of the Asia and the Middle East Division in the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations and was Director of the Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training. Before joining DPKO in 2008, Ms. Nakamitsu was Professor of International Relations at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, and during the same period she also served as a member of the Foreign Exchange Council of the Japanese Foreign Minister, and as a visiting senior advisor on peacebuilding at Japan International Cooperation Agency. Prior to this, she was Chef de Cabinet and Director of Planning and Coordination at the Stockholm-based intergovernmental organization, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Earlier in her career, she held several positions in the UN system both at Headquarters and in the field, including in the UN Reform Team of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Office of the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Policy and Operations Sergio Vieira de Mello, and in UNHCR field operations in the former Yugoslavia, Turkey and northern Iraq. Ms. Nakamitsu is a Japanese national. She holds a MSFS from Georgetown and a Bachelor of Laws from Waseda University, Tokyo. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
WFPG Members $25      Non-Members $35