Week In DC – Page 5 – The Pandora Report

Week in DC: Events

June 21, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

June 22, 2015

Report Release: Project Atom
Date: June 22, 9:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, 2^nd Floor Conference Center, Washington DC

Project Atom took a competitive strategies approach to its zero-based, “blue sky” review of U.S. nuclear strategy and force posture. Three independent think tank teams – the Stimson Center, the Center for a New American Security, and the National Institute for Public Policy – investigated U.S. nuclear strategy for the new era (2025-2050) and what U.S. nuclear posture is needed to support that strategy. Their analysis, unconstrained by current strategy and policy and conducted within a common framework of assumptions, resulted in competing recommended strategies and postures for 2025-2050. The panel will discuss their analysis and recommended nuclear strategies and postures. Hard copies of the report will be available in limited number.

Shared Water Resources in a Warming World: Conflict and Cooperation
Date: June 22, 10:00 am
Location: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

Growing populations, rising resource demands, and mounting environmental pressures are putting increasing strains on global water supplies. From the Middle East to the Sahel and South Asia, stresses on the world’s crucial transboundary river basins—those shared by two or more nations—are stoking tensions and stirring conflict. Continuing global climate change will exacerbate the challenges confronting policy makers, altering river flows in every populated basin on Earth by 2050.

Meeting these emerging threats to the planet’s common water resources will require increased dialogue and collaboration among all riparian nations. How can international water diplomacy, multilateral development agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders help build cooperative governance structures, institutions, and practices to ensure global water security in the 21^st century? In a panel discussion co-hosted by the Stimson Center and the Wilson Center, water policy experts and practitioners will explore innovations, insights, and impediments to the cooperative management of shared rivers around the world. The conversation will include discussion of a new book onTransboundary Water Management and the Climate Change Debate by Anders Jägerskog and colleagues, and the findings of a new Stimson Center study of civil society initiatives to promote water cooperation in international river basins.

RSVP here.

A New Foreign Policy for America
Date: June 22, 12:00 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

In an era of new and emerging global threats, Senator Chris Murphy believes there is an urgent need to refocus the traditional debate between isolationism and military interventionism. Join us as Senator Murphy outlines the eight principles for a new foreign policy vision that seeks to maintain U.S. global leadership but looks beyond our traditional military toolkit for engaging the world.

In discussion with the Wilson Center’s Aaron David Miller, he will set these principles in the context of current international crises, from nuclear negotiations with Iran, to the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, to Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.

India’s Nuclear Command and Control and its Implications for Strategic Stability in South Asia
Date: June 22, 3:30 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Although the US has reconciled itself to accepting India and Pakistan as de facto nuclear weapon powers since 1998, its concerns about the likelihood of a nuclear conflict in the region have increased in recent years. These concerns derive from a recent evolution in Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine and associated threats to use nuclear weapons in a tactical role on the conventional battlefield. As during the Cold War, sub-strategic nuclear use is considered highly destabilizing. In this context, Brigadier Arun Sahgal will discuss India’s nuclear command and control and its effects on strategic stability in South Asia.

June 23, 2015

Nations in Transit: Democracy on the Defensive
Date: June 23, 12:00 pm
Location: Freedom House, 1850 M Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington DC

Democratization in post-communist Europe and Eurasia is not simply stalled but is actively opposed by forces that are determined to see it fail. The findings of the 2015 edition ofNations in Transit, Freedom House’s annual study of democratic governance in Central Europe to Central Asia, underscore the growing audacity of democracy’s foes in Eurasia, where four of every five people live under authoritarian rule.

Financing for Global Health
Date: June 23, 2:00 pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Please join us for the launch of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)’s Financing Global Health 2014 report: Shifts in Funding as the MDG Era Closes.

Dr. Christopher Murray , Director of the IHME at the University of Washington, will lead off with a presentation of findings from IHME’s newest report and a new article in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Murray will highlight how funding patterns have shifted across time and identify where funding gaps persist.

Following Dr. Murray’s presentation, there will be a roundtable discussion, moderated by Talia Dubovi, Deputy Director of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center that will feature: Dr. Christopher Murray, Dr. Howard Bauchner, Editor-in-Chief of JAMA and Dr. Jennifer Kates , Vice President and Director of Global Health and HIV Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The roundtable discussion will focus on the policy implications of IHME’s report.

Envisioning the Future of Urban Warfare
Date: June 23, 3:00 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

In the not-too-distant future, most of humanity will live in megacities. Megacities will serve as economic, cultural, and political hubs of international affairs–but they also will form the complex landscape of rivalry and violent conflict. Recent instances of urban combat–Saigon, Sarajevo, Fallujah–only begin to inform the epic challenge of fighting in our mid-century megacities. To fill in our understanding of that challenge, the Art of Future Warfare project will host a discussion on Envisioning the Future of Urban Warfare at the Atlantic Council on June 23 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is the capstone of the project’s “war-art challenge” that is eliciting illustrations (as from a graphic novel) that render scenes from urban fights in the 2040s and 2050s.

To further engage the topic, Max Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of World War Z, will join Jon Chang, the writer of the Black Powder Red Earth series, and Caerus Associates CEO Erin Simpson, plus the winner of the challenge in a panel discussion moderated by August Cole, the project’s Director. The best illustrations will be on display and the panelists will share their own perspectives on urban conflict, the future of warfare, and how creativity and the arts can enhance foresight, preparedness, and understanding of this singularly challenging battleground of the future.

The Art of Future Warfare is a project of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security which aims to give artists, writers, illustrators, directors, videographers, and other creative expressions a recognized voice in the defense establishment’s planning and preparation for the future of warfare and conflict.

Please also join us for a book signing by Max Brooks and Jon Chang following the event.

June 24, 2014

Cybersecurity: Managing the Risks of the Digital Frontier
Date: June 24, 8:00 am
Location: Newseum, Knight Broadcast Studio, Third Floor, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

American officials say thousands of cyberattacks are aimed at the United States every day. These malicious hacks have been called possibly the biggest systemic risk to the country. The administration declared them a national emergency and has rolled out a slew of financial penalties to respond to the threat.

In Congress, efforts to boost cybersecurity include legislation to ease information sharing between companies and the government. While many businesses support the move on Capitol Hill that offers them a degree of liability protection, civil liberties groups say it would increase cyber-surveillance.

Join National Journal for a forum of key stakeholders and experts to discuss the nation’s cybersecurity policy and strategy: Are efforts by the administration and Congress sufficient to deter and combat cyberattacks? What can companies do to deal with cyber risk and protect their critical infrastructure? What safeguards need to be in place to protect the personal information of consumers?

Building Peace in Permanent War: Counterterrorism and Constraints on Peacebuilding Five Years After Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project
Date: June 24, 9:30 am
Location: Charity & Security Network

Five years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project upheld the application of the “material support” prohibition to include key conflict prevention and resolution activities aimed at getting terrorist groups to lay down their arms, making it clear that good faith is no defense. As the report states, the HLP ruling “sent shockwaves through the peacebuilding community.” This is but one in a broad range of counterterrorism policies in numerous countries that are impacting the work of civil society around the world, leading some organizations to scale back or withdraw assistance programs in conflict zones where their services are often most needed.

This webinar will explore these issues, what civil society has done to adapt to this environment and what can be done to make peacebuilding feasible in terrorist-controlled areas.

Defending U.S. Critical Infrastructure
Date: June 24, 11:00 am
Location: Government Executive

Please join Government Business Council, in conjunction with our partners at CDW-G and Palo Alto Networks, for a panel discussion on the evolving threats to U.S. critical infrastructure and the federal government’s role in countering them.

The threat of crippling cyber attacks against U.S. critical infrastructure presents an unprecedented challenge for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and other organizations tasked with securing our nation’s most vital systems. Between 2011 and 2014, the United States witnessed an 82 percent increase in the number of cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure, a trend likely to escalate over the next decade. To address the mounting capabilities gap between sophisticated cyber intruders and the increasingly outdated techniques used to protect U.S. critical infrastructure today, the federal government will need to invest in tools that provide defense in depth.

Tune in to learn more about some of the most pressing questions in cybersecurity today, including:

How has the threat to U.S. critical infrastructure evolved over the last two decades?
Why has critical infrastructure been slow to adapt to the current threat environment?
What is the federal government’s current approach to defending its vital systems, and where is there room for innovation?
What strategies and tools can help federal agencies achieve their missions?

Defense Acquisition Reform
Date: June 24, 12:00 pm
Location: Hart Senate Office Building, SH-902, Washington DC

The Lexington Institute is organizing a Capitol Hill forum on Wednesday, June 24th to discuss ways of streamlining management and procurement at the defense department.

The forum will be a series of back-to-back presentations by subject matter experts. It will be held from 12:00 PM until 3:00 PM, and is designed to bring out useful information quickly from experts and policymakers.

This forum will focus on:

— what the Pentagon can do to make itself a better buyer, increase incentives, and attract a broader spectrum of companies to bid on its work. DoD’s policies on profit, intellectual property, commerciality, long time to contract, constantly changing and burdensome regulations are widely cited as contributing factors to reluctance of commercial suppliers to do business with the defense department

— actions the defense department can take unilaterally to weed out duplicative regulations and requirements. Can cost accounting, testing and earned value management be improved in ways that will speed up procurements, and lower costs?

— the role Congress plays in mandating cost increases on weapons programs. By some calculations half of the mandates the defense department must follow are generated by the legislative branch

— the trade spaces, if any, between the McCain and Thornberry approaches to acquisition reform. Should the defense department welcome the McCain effort to decentralize power back to the military services?

Clearly, there is tremendous potential to achieve significant savings within defense management and acquisition. Unquestionably such changes would be difficult, but we need to keep exploring additional reforms for functions and processes that do not contribute to defense readiness at a time of tremendous fiscal pressures, and growing overseas threats.

RSVP to Constance Baroudos at baroudos@lexingtoninstitute.org or via telephone 703.522.5828

Pirates, Islam, and U.S. Hostage Policy
Date: June 24, 12:00 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 5^th Floor, Washington DC

Michael Scott Moore, Freelance journalist, Spiegel Online and Author, will discuss his two and a half year ordeal as a captive of Somali pirates, with a focus on certain myths about hostage-taking.

RSVP here.

Eradicating Boko Haram Sustainably: An Integrated Regional Approach
Date: June 24, 2:00 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

In recent months, Boko Haram has expanded its raids from Northern Nigeria across the border into Northern Cameroon. The attacks, including attacks in March and April which killed numerous Cameroonian villagers, have mainly been attempts to obtain more supplies for the group. The spread of Boko Haram across borders highlights the need for regional cooperation to halt the group. This week, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria announced plans to conduct talks with Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin to form a regional military force to combat Boko Haram.

Join the Wilson Center Africa Program on June 24th at 2:00 p.m. in the 6th floor board room for a meaningful discussion on ways to combat Boko Haram, both from the perspective of a U.S. official and a prominent Cameroonian activist who has traveled to the Far North of Cameroon, where Boko Haram attacks have been taking place.

RSVP here.

Coming to America: Global Suppliers for Defense and Security
Date: June 24, 4:30 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

The United States relies on global sources of supply to meet a growing share of the materiel requirements for its defense and security. The upstream end of this supply chain is replete with imported components, assemblies, and even sub-systems. In addition, the preponderance of Europe’s preeminent defense/security companies have invested in the establishment of indigenous businesses in this country both to facilitate these imports and to manage US operating companies. The panel will address the business strategies underlying their companies’ respective participation in this market and the public policies administered to shape their engagement.

The Atlantic Council Captains of Industry Series is a platform for senior executives in aerospace and defense to address the public interests their companies serve and the public policies that shape these markets. By engaging the perspective of business leaders about issues at the interface of defense ministries and industries, the series is cultivating a constituency for practical solutions to these problems.

Should the U.S. Put Boots on the Ground to Fight ISIS?
Date: June 24, 5:30 pm
Location: Brookings Institution

The question at hand: Should the U.S. put boots on the ground to fight ISIS? Do you have a strong opinion? Can a well-informed debate change your mind?

On Wednesday evening, June 24, three policy experts and one U.S. senator will go head-to-head in the first Brookings debate.

Arguing in favor of intervention will be Michael Doran and Michael O’Hanlon. Arguing against will be Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) and Jeremy Shapiro.

Watch the live webcast here.

June 25, 2015

Annual Global Missile Defense Conference
Date: June 25, 8:30 am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Missile Defense is a critical element for the United States’ strategy to defend its homeland and its collaborative efforts to secure the territories of its allies and partners in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In each of these regions, the combination of increased volatility, if not conflict, and new deployments by potential adversaries of increasingly capable ballistic missiles has made missile defense collaboration all the more challenging and urgent.

The Atlantic Council’s annual missile defense conference convenes leading missile defense and regional security experts to analyze the future trajectory of global missile defense issues. The conference focuses on how current and prospective geopolitical developments are shaping the requirements and opportunities for missile defense collaboration in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific and will include a panel addressing the programmatic and technological challenges that define success and failure in missile defense programs. The conference will also feature an opening address by former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James E. Cartwright.

Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World
Date: June 25, 9:00 am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 5^th Floor, Washington DC

What, really, was the Cold War? No declarations nor explosions. Hostility was in the air, but where was the battlefront? What made millions of people worldwide willingly embrace the existence of an invisible war?

Masuda Hajimu’s pathbreaking Cold War Crucible is an inquiry into this peculiar nature of the Cold War. It examines not only centers of policymaking, but apparent aftereffects of Cold War politics: social suppressions across the world during the Korean War. Such purges were not merely end results of the Cold War, as Masuda shows, but forces that drove Cold War reality in attempts at restoring tranquility at home. Revealing social construction and popular participation, Cold War Crucible elucidates how a mere discourse turned into an irrefutable reality, how and why ordinary people shaped such a Cold War world, and what the Cold War really was.

Examining historical experiences of the Cold War, Masuda’s book ultimately raises questions that are still relevant today: How and for whom are images of threats formed and circulated? How real are the rubrics used to understand global situations? In short, what is reality?

Join the Wilson Center as Masuda Hajimu (National University of Singapore) discusses these questions and introduces Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World. Andrew Rotter (Colgate University) and Ryan Irwin (University at Albany-SUNY) will provide commentary on Masuda’s presentation.

RSVP here.

Rouhani at Two Years: An Assessment on the Cusp of a Nuclear Deal
Date: June 25, 12:00 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 5^th Floor, Washington DC

During President Rouhani’s first two years in office, attention has understandably been focused on Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the P5+1. Yet these two years have also witnessed important developments—and conflicts—in the sphere of politics, the economy, human rights and social policy. Our panel will examine this broad spectrum of issues.

RSVP here.

Ukraine, Minsk II, and Deadlock: A Conversation with Tim Judah
Date: June 25, 12:00 pm
Location: German Marshall Fund, 1744 R Street NW, Washington DC

With reports of additional Russian troops amassing along Ukraine’s Eastern border captivating headlines, the fragile deadlock in Ukraine remains in place. In Kyiv, political leadership is trying to manage an untenable economic situation, as the country teeters on the brink of financial ruin. All the while, conflict simmers in the East and as with the Minsk II barely hanging on, transatlantic leaders are considering levying additional sanctions against Russia following the most recent G-7 meeting in Germany. Yet gains made by Russian backed rebels appear intractable and an end to the conflict elusive. Tim Judah is among the most informed and fearless observers of the Ukraine crisis, having reported extensively from Eastern Ukraine and Kyiv since the beginning of the conflict for the New York Review of Books and other publications. GMF is honored to host Judah for a conversation based on his unique experience on developments and deadlock inside Ukraine. The conversation will be moderated by GMF’s Counselor and Senior Advisor for Security and Defense Derek Chollet.

RSVP here.

Beyond Centrifuges: The Geopolitical Implications of an Iran Deal
Date: June 25, 2:00 pm
Location: National Iranian American Council, Stimson Center Conference Room, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

As negotiators work towards a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran by the June 30th deadline, there is much more at stake for the U.S. than just centrifuges and sanctions. While a deal has been contested by U.S. allies in Israel and Saudi Arabia, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen says a deal could “rebalance American influence” and that “Detente with Iran might better balance our efforts across the sectarian divide.”

How can a deal provide new options for the U.S. to resolve some of the most important challenges in the region? Join us for a timely discussion with Peter Beinart, contributing editor for The Atlantic and National Journal; Fred Kaplan, War Stories columnist for Slate; Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American Council; and moderator Barbara Slavin, South Asia Center Senior Fellow for the Atlantic Council.

RSVP here.

The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power
Date: June 25, 4:00 pm
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Many see China as a rival superpower to the United States and imagine the country’s rise to be a threat to U.S. leadership in Asia and beyond. In his new book, “The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power” (W.W. Norton 2015), Nonresident Senior Fellow Thomas J. Christensen argues against this zero-sum vision. Instead, he describes a new paradigm in which the real challenge lies in dissuading China from regional aggression while encouraging the country to contribute to the global order.

On June 25, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings will host Christensen for a discussion on the challenges in U.S. policy toward China. Drawing on decades of scholarship and his experience as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2006 to 2008, Christensen shows that although China is nowhere near powerful enough to be considered a global “peer competitor” of the United States, the country is already strong enough to destabilize East Asia and to influence economic and political affairs worldwide. Following his remarks, Christensen will be followed by Senior Fellow David Dollar and Alan Romberg, distinguished fellow and director of the East Asia program at The Stimson Center.

One Year Since Caliphate Declared: Combating ISIL
Date: June 25, 6:30 pm
Location: World Affairs Council—Washington DC, 1608 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Nearly a full year after it declared itself a caliphate, ISIL has greatly expanded its territory in Iraq and Syria, in addition to gaining the allegiance of terror networks around the globe. In the territory under their control they have effectively implemented a strict form of Sharia law, heavily utilizing corporal punishment as a means of enforcement, and they have been accused of committing genocide against ethnic and religious groups. The question remains of how the United States’ and Coalition allies’ strategy will change to more effectively address the spread of ISIL’s ideology and their expansion of territory. Join World Affairs Council- Washington, DC as we welcome back Dr. Shadi Hamid and Thomas Sanderson for a discussion about ISIL; one of the most momentous and imposing insurgent groups facing America today.

Our speaker panel includes the knowledgeable and versed voices of Dr. Shadi Hamid; a current fellow at the Brookings Institution – Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World in the Center for Middle East Policy. Thomas Sanderson is the co-director and senior fellow in the Center for Strategic International Studies Transnational Threats Project. Bryan Bender, defense editor for Politico, will moderate the discussion.

Week in DC: Events

June 15, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

June 15, 2015

Calculating the Costs of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Date: June 15, 12:00pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 6^th Floor, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

A new report by the RAND Corporation, The Costs of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, estimates the net costs and benefits over the next ten years of five alternative trajectories — (1) a two-state solution, (2) coordinated unilateral withdrawal, (3) uncoordinated unilateral withdrawal, (4) nonviolent resistance, and (5) violent uprising — compared with the costs and benefits of a continuing impasse.

This event will explore both the economic and the non economic factors surrounding the conflict that might influence the parties’ decisions and the long-term implications for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza and the international community.

RSVP here.

Global Cooperation Under Threat: Adapting the U.N. for the 21^st Century
Date: June 15, 1:30pm
Location: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Nearly 70 years after the United Nations charter was signed, the world faces new and rapidly evolving threats—both transnational and geopolitical. New tensions on the U.N. Security Council, however, risk limiting the United Nations capacity to intervene in civil wars and respond to humanitarian crises. At the same time, transnational and sub-state threats have the potential to seriously disrupt regional and international order.

On Monday, June 15, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings will host Susana Malcorra, chief of staff to the United Nations secretary-general for a discussion exploring how the organization is adapting to new geopolitical, transnational, and sub-state challenges.

In her current position at the U.N., Malcorra plays a central role in decision-making at the highest levels of the organization, advising the secretary-general on the full range of global and organizational affairs. Prior to her appointment as chief of staff in March 2012, Malcorra served as the undersecretary-general for field support, directing all support for U.N. peace operations worldwide. Malcorra also served as the chief operating officer and deputy executive director of the World Food Programme. Prior to joining the U.N., she spent 25 years in the private sector.

Watch live online here.

June 16, 2015

Can Afghanistan Stabilize as U.S. Forces Plan Their Exit?
Date: June 16, 10:00am
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC

The United States’ current policy in Afghanistan mandates a “responsible withdrawal” of U.S. forces by January 2017, when President Obama leaves office. With 18 months to go, a sense of crisis is mounting in Afghanistan as the economy sags, Taliban attacks increase, and the eight-month-old unity government remains deadlocked. Afghanistan’s instability has led policy specialists, commentators and other public voices to question whether enough progress can be made to let Afghanistan succeed if the U.S. withdrawal is conducted as planned.

Neither the international community nor Afghanistan’s divided political elites want to see the Afghan government fail. And the government has made some promising—if unfulfilled—initiatives, such as stronger anti-corruption efforts and an attempt to work with Pakistan against insurgents in both countries.

Join USIP’s experts on the region for a discussion on June 16, 2015, on both the perils of the situation and opportunities for improving it that have not been fully grasped.

USIP’s Dr. Andrew Wilder, will moderate the discussion, having just returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Former Afghan Minister of the Interior Ali Jalali will address security issues. Dr. William Byrd, former Afghanistan Country Director at the World Bank, will speak to the economic and fiscal issues. Scott Smith will analyze the function and dysfunction of the national unity government, and Moeed Yusuf will look at the prospects of President Ghani’s outreach to Pakistan and his attempt to reach a peace deal with the Taliban.

RSVP here.

Hearing: Advancing United States’ Interests at the United Nations
Date: June 16, 10:00am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “In the coming months, the United Nations Security Council is likely to consider several key issues, including sanctions on Iran and North Korea, peacekeeping reform, and Middle East security. It is critical that our mission to the United Nations advance our national interests in an institution that has long been in desperate need of reform and often taken positions against American interests. This hearing will give members an opportunity to press the U.S. Ambassador to the UN on Congressional concerns and priorities.”

Watch live online here.

Russia and its Northern Neighbors: Young Leaders on the Future of Baltic Security
Date: June 16, 10:00am
Location: Johns Hopkins University—SAIS, Bernstein-Offit Building, Room 500, 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Russia’s actions in Ukraine have sparked new concerns about the security of neighboring countries in the Baltic region. Despite being often grouped together as the Baltic States, these countries hold unique perspectives and face widely differing challenges vis à vis their neighbor to the East.

What are the top concerns among the younger generation in the Baltic countries and Finland about their relationship with Russia? How did the war in Ukraine and Russia’s annexation of Crimea affect local attitudes toward Russia, and toward Russian-speaking minorities at home?

Please join CGI and the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University SAIS for a panel discussion to address the future of Baltic security through the eyes of young professionals from the region. The panel will also consider how young Russians view the current situation and prospects for the future. Amid the current political environment, this panel will explore ways to ease tensions around the Baltic Sea for the broader goal of European security.

CGI Program Director Konstantin Avramov will give opening remarks. Donald Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, will moderate the discussion. A lunch reception will follow.

RSVP here.

Perspectives on the State of the TSA: Exploring Possible Reforms to the Transportation Security Administration
Date: June 16, 12:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

Following breaking news that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) failed to stop undercover agents in 67 out of 70 recent security probes, various reform initiatives and proposals are being discussed. Should airports opt out of TSA-administered screening and explore signing contracts with private contractors? What can be done to improve airport security assessments? Does the TSA need to adopt more risk-based strategies and programs? Are more fundamental changes needed?

Join us for what should be a lively discussion on which security reforms the TSA should pursue in order to recover from unacceptable lapses in homeland security.

RSVP to attend in person or watch live online here.

Subcommittee Hearing: Reviewing the Administration’s FY 2016 Request for Europe and Eurasia
Date: June 16, 2:00pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing: “This hearing will address how the Obama Administration’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget request will advance US interests and help our friends and allies in Europe and Eurasia. What is our policy and is our aid being used in a manner which promotes that policy? Are we funding efforts that are fiscally sustainable and don’t create a dependence on the part of the host government? This hearing will provide the chance to put the Administration on the record and continue the Subcommittee’s ongoing oversight efforts.”

Witnesses include: Ms. Alina Romanowski, Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Daniel Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, The Honorable Jonathan Stivers, Assistant Administrator at the Bureau for Asia in the U.S. Agency for International Development, Ms. Susan Fritz, Acting Assistant Administrator in the Europe and Eurasia Bureau at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Watch live online here.

Democracy in the Dark: The Seduction of Government Secrecy
Date: June 16, 6:30pm
Location: Politics and Prose at Busboys and Poets Brookland, 625 Monroe St NE, Washington DC

Recent revelations of the extent of NSA citizen surveillance were a shock—and there have been similar surprises in recent years. In his deeply researched study of the role of government secrecy in a democracy, Schwarz, who co-authored Unchecked and Unbalanced and served as chief council to the Church Committee on Intelligence, looks at key moments throughout U.S. history—from the nation’s founding to the Cold War to the War on Terror—to establish a framework for balancing legitimate national security needs with the protection of constitutional rights.

Schwarz will be in conversation with Josh Gerstein, a White House reporter for POLITICO.

June 17, 2015

Making the Case for Peace: 2015 Global Peace Index
Date: June 17, 9:30am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1800 K Street NW, Washington DC

Please join us for the release of the ninth annual Global Peace Index and discussion on: Making the Case for Peace: the 2015 Global Peace Index What is the state of global peace in 2015? What are the main threats to peace and how can we prevent violence in the future? What are the implications of these trends for foreign policy and aid interventions?

The 2015 Global Peace Index discussion will explore these questions, detailing recent trends in militarization, safety and security, and ongoing conflict, with a focus on analyzing the factors that underpin peaceful societies.

Panel: Moderated by Aubrey Fox, Executive Director, United States, Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index results presented by Daniel Hyslop, Research Manager, Institute for Economics and Peace Panelists: Ambassador Rick Barton Melanie Greenberg Executive Director, Alliance for Peacebuilding Matt Wuerker Editorial Cartoonist and Illustrator, POLITICO.

About the Global Peace Index: The Global Peace Index (GPI) is the first-ever analysis to methodically rank countries on their peacefulness and to identify potential drivers of peace. Comprised of 23 indicators measuring the absence of violence in society, the GPI takes into consideration both internal and external factors, and measures 99% of the world’s population.

Hearing: Assad’s Abhorrent Chemical Weapons Attacks
Date: June 17, 10:00am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “The Assad regime continues its chemical weapon strikes, despite Obama Administration claims to have destroyed its illegal stockpile. Assad denies having any chemical weapons, while his forces brazenly gas men, women, and children. This hearing will highlight these horrific attacks and what can be done to protect vulnerable Syrian civilians. The Committee will hear chilling accounts, including from brave responders working to save the lives of those targeted by the Assad regime.”

Witnesses include: The Honorable Robert Ford, Senior Fellow at The Middle East Institute, Mohamed Tennari, M.D., Idlib Coordinator at the Syrian-American Medical Society, Mr. Farouq Habib, Syria Program Manager at Mayday Rescue, Annie Sparrow, M.B.B.S., Deputy Director Human Rights Program and Assistant Professor of Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Watch live online here.

Climate Security: the Next ‘Battle Ground’?
Date: June 17, 10:00am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

As the international community heads to COP21 in Paris this December, much of the public discourse focuses on the relationship between climate and the environment. Equally important, however, are the ways countries address the global security threats that arise from climate change. From a national security perspective, climate change is viewed as a risk multiplier or conflict aggravator and a source of nontraditional threats that require nontraditional responses. What local and global actions can be taken to reduce the stresses climate change has on economic, social, and political systems? How can security planners and actors address the threat of climate change on international security? What are the dangers of inaction and could an international climate regime contribute to reducing instability and conflict risks?

In honor of the European Union’s (EU) Climate Diplomacy Day, please join the Atlantic Council and the EU for a discussion exploring the critical dynamic between climate change and global security. An introduction will be delivered by H.E. David O’Sullivan, the Ambassador of the EU to the United States and keynote remarks will be provided by H.E. Gerard Araud, the Ambassador of France to the United States. Panelists include The Hon. Sharon Burke, Senior Adviser to the New America Foundation’s International Security Program, Tom Burke, Founding Director and Chairman of E3G, Third Generation Environmentalism, Major General Munir Muniruzzaman (Ret.), Chairman of the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change (GMACCC) and President and CEO of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), and Dennis Tänzler, Director of International Climate Policy at Adelphi. The discussion will be moderated by Dan Chiu, Deputy Director of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council. Welcome remarks will be provided by The Hon. Richard Morningstar, Founding Director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center.

Advanced Nuclear Energy and the Battle Against Climate Change
Date: June 17, 12:30pm
Location: Capitol Visitor Center, SVC-203, East Capitol St and First St NE, Washington DC

Nuclear energy was once regarded by many as the answer to our energy needs. That enthusiasm waned in the U.S. after the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. Today, there’s a growing interest in advanced nuclear energy and new reactor designs that are safer and more efficient. As Third Way’s Josh Freed details in his Brookings Essay, “Back to the Future,” a flood of young engineers and private firms are focusing on advanced nuclear energy as the best option for battling climate change. Freed also argues that if the U.S. doesn’t invest in these new technologies, other countries will lead the way in this game-changing field. The good news is that today there’s significant private investment and several dozen companies developing the technology.

On Wednesday, June 17, Brookings will gather four energy experts, including Freed, at the Senate Visitor’s Center to talk about the opportunities for advanced nuclear energy and the challenges posed both in the U.S. and abroad. The conversation will be moderated by Quartz Washington Correspondent Steve LeVine. A light lunch will be provided.

Privacy and Security
Date: June 17, 12:30pm
Location: Goethe-Institut, 812 7^th Street NW, Washington DC

The AICGS Foreign & Domestic Policy Program; Goethe-Institut Washington; and the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier are pleased to invite you to the following seminar:

The Snowden revelations raise pointed questions in the United States and Germany about the future of privacy and security, particularly in light of our thoroughly networked and digitized age. A number of circumstances justify a focus on the American and German perspectives. America’s intelligence activities in Europe—and Germany in particular—have strained vital transatlantic partnerships in recent years. The different reactions to the so-called “NSA-Affäre” on opposite sides of the Atlantic have posed challenges to our assumptions about shared transatlantic values. As two of the most established—and respected—constitutional democracies, the newly-exposed differences regarding privacy in the United States and Germany present a unique opportunity for comparative constitutional reflection.

This lunch-time dialogue will feature David Cole (Hon. George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy at the Georgetown University Law Center) and Russell Miller (Professor of Law at Washington & Lee University School of Law). Professor Cole is one of the most prominent American voices in the public and scholarly debates surrounding the on-going “war on terror.” He has commented extensively and published widely on the constitutional law and legislative frameworks relevant to the “NSA-Affäre.” Professor Miller is a leading commentator on and scholar of German constitutional law. He is currently a DAAD Research Fellow at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) at Johns Hopkins.

Russia’s Strategic Interest with the West
Date: June 17, 12:30pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

As Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine’s east continues to escalate, President Putin is cracking down on opposition leaders and human rights activists at home. The murder of Boris Nemtsov, the alleged poisoning of Vladimir Kara Murza are recent and tragic examples of mounting human rights violence. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of Kremlin’s most prominent critics, has a broad set of experiences in Putin’s Russia and an extraordinary perspective on developments there, which he will share with us.

Prior to his arrest in 2003, Khodorkovsky was the head of Yukos, one of Russia’s largest oil producers, and an increasingly outspoken critic of corruption in Russia. Khodorkovsky was arrested, charged with fraud and tax evasion, and sentenced to nine years in prison, prolonged to eleven after the second trial. Khodorkovsky, who was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was released in December 2013 prior to the Sochi Olympics. In 2014, Khodorkovsky relaunched Open Russia, a nongovernmental organization aiming to unite pro-European Russians to promote a strong civil society.

Food Security in the Face of Climate Change
Date: June 17, 2:00pm
Location: World Resources Institute, 10 G Street NE, 6^th Floor Board Room, Washington DC

Join World Resources Institute for a discussion featuring the keynote presentation “Agricultural Research on Adaptation to Climate Change” by Dr. François Houllier, the President of INRA (the French National Institute for Agricultural Research).

A discussion on “Food Security in the Face of Climate Change” will follow the presentation.

Speakers include: Dr. François Houllier, President, l’Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Dr. Rob Bertram, Chief Scientist, Bureau for Food Security, U.S. Agency for International Development, Heather McGray, Director, Vulnerability & Adaptation, World Resources Institute, Dr. Keith Wiebe, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Tim Searchinger, Research Scholar, Princeton University and Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute (moderator).

Subcommittee Hearing: China’s Rise: The Strategic Impact of Its Economic and Military Growth
Date: June 17, 2:00pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, 2200 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Salmon on the hearing: “The People’s Republic of China is at a turning point economically, politically, demographically, and militarily. Though China’s military buildup has been a decades-long affair, recent Chinese military developments under President Xi Jinping have been particularly disconcerting, especially as its advances threaten to diminish the United States’ role in the region. China is also embarking on massive trade, infrastructure, and investment initiatives, which are global in scope and driven by economic shifts at home. At the same time, China’s domestic profile is changing—its workforce is shrinking, its population is disproportionately aging, and the Xi regime restricts more and more personal and political freedoms. The Subcommittee must fully understand China’s current and future changes to fulfil its duty to oversee U.S.-China relations, particularly in light of increasing bilateral tensions, and in preparation for Chinese President Xi ‘s November state visit.”

Witnesses include: Derek M. Scissors, Ph.D., Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Alison Kaufman, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist in the China Studies Division at the CNA Corporation, Mr. Jerome A. Cohen, Adjunct Senior Fellow for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr. Han Dongfang, Founder and Director of the China Labour Bulletin.

Watch live online here.

Subcommittee Hearing: The Iran, North Korea, and Syria Non-Proliferation Act: State Department’s Non-Compliance
Date: June 17, 2:00pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The GAO’s latest report on the State Department’s non-compliance with the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act’s (INKSNA) reporting requirements is greatly alarming. INKSNA can be a powerful tool in helping curtail the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction but its effectiveness is diminished when State does not sanction individuals and make timely reports to Congress as required by law. State’s non-compliance calls into question which other sanctions provisions the administration has been blatantly ignoring during these misguided and dangerous nuclear negotiations with Iran and puts our national security at risk by increasing the potential for additional proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This hearing will provide our Members the opportunity to examine State’s reporting history in regards to INKSNA, the reasons State has delayed reporting, how to improve the process to ensure that reporting requirements are met, and what impact State’s delays have had on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”

Watch live online here.

Cyber Risk Wednesday: Waging Cyber Conflict
Date: June 17, 4:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

We are still early into the age of cyber conflict and do not yet fully understand the dynamics of how nations and nonstate actors fight in cyberspace. Though there is a solid understanding at the tactical and technical levels of what happens between bits and bytes and particular adversary groups, the operational and strategic dynamics are often ignored. Failing to connect cyber conflict to larger strategic considerations leaves many central questions unanswered: How do cyber conflicts arise? How and by whom are they fought? Who wins and who loses? Is a country “winning” in cyberspace if it seizes more digital hilltops or if it wins the hearts and minds of digital natives around the globe?

To shed light on these questions and cyber operations and strategy beyond bits and bytes, this session brings together Jason Healey, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative Senior Fellow and editor of the first-ever cyber history book A Fierce Domain: Conflict in Cyberspace, 1986-2012 (2013); Chris Inglis, US Naval Academy Distinguished Visiting Professor in Cyber Security Studies and former NSA Deputy Director; and Dr. Brandon Valeriano, Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow and author of Cyber War versus Cyber Realities: Cyber Conflict in the International System (2015). The panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Nora Bensahel, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at American University’s School of International Service.

June 18, 2015

The Changing Sanctions Landscape: Past, Present, and Future
Date: June 18, 12:00pm
Location: Venable LLP, 575 7^th Street NW, Washington DC

Key developments in economic sanctions regimes over the last 18 months – spanning Cuba, Russia/Ukraine, and Iran, to cyber and beyond – have had a wide-ranging impact on businesses, and continue to raise a host of challenges for officials and industry players alike. Venable LLP and the Stimson Center invite you to a conversation about the practical implications of sanctions regimes. Industry experts, regulators, and practitioners will discuss how high policy is translated into concrete implementation measures, and how companies deal with the real-world fallout in their strategic and operational decision-making.

A light lunch will be served.

RSVP here.

Launch Event for the 2015 Fragile States Index
Date: June 18, 2:00pm
Location: United Nations Foundation, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

The Fragile States Index remains a leading tool that highlights current trends in social, economic and political pressures that affect all states, but can strain some beyond their capacity to cope. Apart from the impact on their people, fragile states present the international community with a variety of challenges.

Linking robust social science with modern technology, the Index is unique in its integration of quantitative data with qualitative data produced using content-analysis software to process information from millions of publicly available documents. The result is an empirically-based, comprehensive ranking of the pressures experienced by 178 countries. The Index is used by policy makers, civil society, academics, journalists and businesses around the world.

The event will include a presentation of the key findings of the 2015 Fragile States Index, as well as an expert discussion on fragile and conflict affected societies. The event will also include adequate opportunity for questions and comment.

Dress code is business or business-casual attire.

Fighting Terrorism in the Age of ISIS
Date: June 18, 5:00pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Please join the Smart Women, Smart Power initiative for a discussion of “Fighting Terrorism in the Age of ISIS” with Fran Townsend, former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser to President George W. Bush. The Islamic State, known as ISIS, ISIL or Da’esh, now controls territory in the Middle East that’s nearly the size of Belgium and is pushing into North Africa. It continues to recruit fighters to the cause, including some from Western Europe and a small number from the U.S. Ms. Townsend will offer insights on protecting the homeland and countering the threat.

June 19, 2015

President Rousseff’s Visit: Photo-Op or a New Era for the US and Brazil?
Date: June 19, 9:00am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

President Dilma Rousseff’s June 30 visit to the United States comes amid significant transformations in Brazil and in US-Latin American relations overall. Dilma is looking for big wins while the United States sees a moment to jumpstart relations with a hemispheric leader. Will this lay the foundation for moving from working-level collaboration to bold, far-reaching cooperation? How would a significant agreement on an issue like innovation be a catalyst for economic opportunity in both countries?

Join the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and the Brazil-US Business Council for a preview of the visit with top decision-makers in the bilateral agenda. The Arsht Center will launch its latest Brazil report, US-Brazil Relations: A New Beginning? How to Strengthen the Bilateral Agenda, in which our senior nonresident Brazil fellow, Ricardo Sennes, proposes specific ways to advance cooperation in investment, trade, education, and technology and innovation.

The Next Generation of Korea Experts: The Young and the Brave
Date: June 19, 10:00am
Location: Brookings Institution, Saul/ Zilkha Room, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Young scholars and practitioners have much to contribute to the policy debate about the Korean peninsula. They offer fresh perspectives on how the Koreas are analyzed, and introduce new information that prompts different ways of thinking about the Koreas. Moreover, young experts’ views will become critical to shaping future-oriented policies toward the Koreas.

On June 19, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings will host a conference featuring presentations by the youngest generation of Korea specialists. Young scholars and practitioners will gather to discuss the different generational attitudes toward Korea policy, present their perspectives on persistent regional and international policy challenges, and offer new strategies and analyses on peninsular issues through information flows and technology.

Lunch will be provided to conference guests.

Week in DC: Events

June 7, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

June 8, 2015

Asan Seminar: “The ROK-US Alliance: Facing Missile and Nuclear Threats on the Korean Peninsula”
Date: June 8, 3:00 pm
Location: The Asan Institute for Policy Studies, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

Panelists include Choi Kang, Vice President for Research at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies; Thomas Karako, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
Director, Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Woo Jung-Yeop, Research Fellow and Director, Washington, D.C. Office of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Nigeria in Transition: Prospects and Challenges for the New Government
Date: June 8, 3:00 pm
Location: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn into office on May 29, 2015, following his pivotal victory in the country’s March 2015 elections. Buhari’s electoral success represented a defining moment in Nigerian political history since, for the first time, an opposition party candidate transitioned to power through peaceful, democratic elections. In advance of his inauguration, Buhari established a set of commitments for his first 100 days in office, which include: boosting economic growth and employment, tackling rampant government fraud, and strengthening the country’s security institutions to contend with Boko Haram and other destabilizing threats. However, as Buhari and his government come into power, several factors—such as a growing fiscal crisis, opaque governance systems, and persistent, dynamic security risks—have the potential to undermine his ability to deliver on these promises.

On June 8, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings will host a discussion on the opportunities and challenges facing Nigeria’s recently inaugurated President Buhari and his newly elected government. A panel of Nigeria experts will provide an assessment of the historic nature of Nigeria’s latest political transition, as well as the implications of this shift in power for the country’s development, governance, and security priorities. Amadou Sy will have a conversation with Grant Harris and then take questions from the audience. Witney Schneidman will then moderate a panel discussion, after which he will open the discussion to the floor.

Public Forum with Dr. Saleem Al-Jubouri, Speaker of Iraq’s Parliament
Date: June 8, 3:15 pm
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC

The address by Dr. al-Jubouri, elected last year to lead Iraq’s Council of Representatives, follows USIP events with Iraq’s Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi in April and Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani in May. After making public remarks, Dr. al-Jubouri will respond to questions in a discussion moderated by USIP’s acting executive vice president, Amb. William Taylor.

Dr. al-Jubouri will be visiting Washington to meet with U.S. officials and members of Congress at a critical time for Iraq and its international partners fighting the extremist forces of ISIS (also known as the Islamic State). ISIS’ capture of the city of Ramadi and its sabotage of the country’s largest oil refinery, at Baiji, underscore the threat the group poses to the Iraqi people and state. Amid the war, the Council of Representatives is considering legislation on topics—such as the National Guard and the federal court system—that are critical to addressing governance and security problems that gave rise to ISIS.

Dr. al-Jubouri has been a member of the 328-seat Council of Representatives since 2005. He was awarded his PhD with distinction in law and was a law professor at Nahrain University in Baghdad.

RSVP here.

June 9, 2015

Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum: Crisis in Yemen—What Can be Done?
Date: June 9, 9:30 am
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Yemen is in the midst of a complex emergency, with over 1840 civilians killed and over 500,000 people forced to flee their homes. What should the international community’s strategy be for engagement in Yemen? How do we end this current crisis and pave the way for sustainable peace? What can be done?

Prime Minister Modi’s First Year: What Was Accomplished and What Lies Ahead?
Date: June 9, 11:30 am
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed one year in office on May 26. With the economy picking up steam and having logged 19 foreign trips, the Prime Minister has laid the foundation for New Delhi to play a more influential role in global and regional affairs. Join us to hear a distinguished panel of experts evaluate Prime Minister Modi’s first year in office and discuss future trends in India’s domestic and foreign policy.

RSVP here.

Transparency, Governance, and Foreign Policy: Meeting the Challenges in the Americas
Date: June 9, 1:30 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 6^th Floor, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

Throughout much of Latin America, the “golden years” of economic growth during the last decade’s commodity boom have given way to economic decline or stagnation. At the same time, a mobilized citizenry is demanding better government performance. These two factors have focused unprecedented attention on rule of law deficits and official corruption. Meanwhile, relations among countries of the hemisphere have grown more complex. As much as the region has welcomed the normalization of U.S.-Cuban relations, the options for international insertion now extend far beyond the Western Hemisphere.

RSVP here.

June 10, 2015

Subcommittee Hearing: Iran’s Enduring Ballistic Missile Threat
Date: June 10, 10:00 am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

The Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will discuss Iran’s Enduring Ballistic Missile Threat. Witnesses include, Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn, USA, Retired, Former Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; The Honorable Robert Joseph, Ph.D., Senior Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy, Former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; David A. Cooper, Ph.D., James V. Forrestal Professor and Chair of the Department of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College; and Anthony H. Cordesman, Ph.D., Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Watch live here.

The Shoulder-Fired Missile Threat in the Middle East
Date: June 10, 10:00 am
Location: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

Despite a decade-long international campaign to reduce the threat from man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), terrorists and insurgents continue to acquire and use these highly effective, lightweight missiles. Among the most severely affected regions are the Middle East and North Africa, where armed groups have acquired MANPADS from looted government depots and international trafficking networks. Most notably, these weapons include recent-generation Russian and Chinese systems not previously seen outside of government control. The use of improvised batteries developed by armed groups also gives new life to older missiles. The panelists will provide an overview of illicit proliferation of MANPADS in these regions, the threat that these missiles pose to military and civilian aircraft, and prospects for mitigating this threat.

This event serves as the official release for the new report Missing Missiles: The Proliferation of Man-portable Air Defence Systems in North Africa.

RSVP here.

Defense-Industrial Policy Series: Modernizing the Army’s Acquisition Process
Date: June 10, 10:30 am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Nigeria’s 2015 Elections: What Have We Learned?
Date: June 10, 3:00 pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Nigeria’s recent national elections are widely considered the best in the country’s history. Despite predictions of mass rigging and violence, the process was largely peaceful and credible and resulted in the first ever democratic transition of power from one party to another. Please join us for a conversation with Professor Attahiru Jega, chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, as he shares his perspective on what went right to ensure the integrity and credibility of the polls in a hard-fought and contentious electoral contest. Professor Jega will offer his assessment of the electoral process and share thoughts on lessons learned-both for Nigeria and other African countries entering similarly contentious, high-stakes elections.

June 11, 2015

Building Self-Reliance and Prosperity in Afghanistan
Date: June 11, 9:30 am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Russia and the Two Koreas: Old Friends, New Partners?
Date: June 11, 12:00 pm
Location: Korea Economic Institute, 1800 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington DC

RSVP here.

Youth and Civil Society: The Missing Powers in Yemen
Date: June 11, 12:00 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 6^th Floor, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

Youth activist and advocacy trainer, Yemen, and Leaders for Democracy Fellow, Maxwell School of Syracuse University Mohammad Al-Shami will discuss the different stakeholders and positions in Yemen and review what is happening on the ground. He will also draw attention to the struggles and consequences that Yemenis face if the conflict continues without an immediate solution. In addition, Al-Shami will highlight the importance of empowering youth movements and civil society in Yemen in order to mobilize the community to promote peace.

RSVP here.

The Future of Drones
Date: June 11, 6:30 pm
Location: Project for the Study of the 21^st Century (PS21), Thomson Reuters Conference Room, 1333 H Street NW, Washington DC

Of all the new developments in warfare in the 21^st Century, few have been less contentious than drones. PS21 brings together a uniquely qualified panel to discuss the shifting use of drones in warfare and civilian industry. Have they been a force for good or bad so far this century? And how might they be used next?

RSVP here.

Week in DC: Events

May 31, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

June 1, 2015

“Putin. War:” The Making of the Nemtsov Report
Date: June 1, 5:30 pm
Location: Human Rights Campaign, Equality Forum, 1640 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

On February 27, 2015, the Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was assassinated in view of the Moscow Kremlin. Two days prior, he had approached his friend Ilya Yashin to ask for his assistance on a sensitive investigation: tracking Russia’s secret military involvement in Ukraine. After the murder of the former deputy prime minister, Yashin led a group of opposition activists and journalists to piece together Nemtsov’s findings and publish the report in Russia and abroad.

How was the information compiled? What pressures did Yashin and his colleagues face when trying to bring the report to publication? And how do they hope the report will change the tide of Russian politics, and Putin’s actions in Ukraine?

Please join CGI and the Free Russia Foundation for an inside look at the creation of “Putin. War” with Ilya Yashin. Following a May 28 English-language release at the Atlantic Council, this discussion will allow the audience to engage in an intimate discussion with the report’s leading organizer through an open Q&A format.

This discussion is on the record and open to the public. A wine reception will follow. RSVP here.

June 2, 2015

Combatting Extremism’s Contagion: Creating a Counter Strategy and Stemming the Tide of Foreign Fighters
Date: June 2, 8:30 am
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC

The U.S Institute of Peace and the FP Group, publisher of Foreign Policy magazine and foreignpolicy.com, invite you to the next installment of PeaceGame on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. The fourth biannual PeaceGame will tackle one of the and most challenging of issues confronted by the U.S. government and stakeholders worldwide: the global rise of radical groups and violent extremism.

This event is now at capacity, but will be live streamed. Journalists requesting credentials should contact Allison Sturma.

Lasers, Railguns, and Unmanned Systems: Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on the Future of the Navy and Marine Corps
Date: June 2, 9:00 am
Location: American Enterprise Institute, 12^th Floor, 1150 17^th Street NW, Washington DC

The US Navy and Marine Corps serve as the forward edge of American power, influence, and aid by reassuring allies and deterring would-be adversaries. Through the dedication of their sailors and marines, the Navy and Marines have met increased global demand for their services — from disaster relief in the Philippines to presence missions in East Asia to the deterrence of Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf — but not without cost, including longer deployments and deferred fleet maintenance.

How does the Department of the Navy plan to maintain forward presence and meet requirements as demands rise and resources remain constant? How will new technologies such as unmanned aviation, undersea systems, and directed-energy weapons change the way the Navy and Marines deploy and fight?

Please join us at AEI as Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus discusses the future of the US Navy and Marines.

RSVP here.

Rethinking Cuba: New Opportunities for Development
Date: June 2, 9:00 am
Location: Brookings Institution, Saul/ Zilkha Rooms, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

On December 17, 2014, President Barack Obama and President Raúl Castro announced that the United States and Cuba would seek to reestablish diplomatic relations. Since then, the two countries have engaged in bilateral negotiations in Havana and Washington, the United States has made several unilateral policy changes to facilitate greater trade and travel between the two countries, and bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress to lift the travel ban. Meanwhile, conversations are ongoing about ending the 50-plus-year embargo and Cuba has continued the process of updating its economic system, including establishing new rules for foreign investment and the emerging private sector.

In light of the significant shifts underway in the U.S.-Cuba relationship, new questions arise about Cuba’s development model, and its economic relations with the region and the world. On Tuesday, June 2, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings will host a series of panel discussions with various experts including economists, lawyers, academics, and practitioners to examine opportunities and challenges facing Cuba in this new context. Panels will examine macroeconomic changes underway in Cuba, how to finance Cuba’s growth, the emerging private sector, and themes related to much-needed foreign investment. Throughout the program, the panelists will take questions from the audience.

Iran’s Missile Program
Date: June 2, 10:15 am
Location: Hudson Institute, 1015 15^th Street NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

The Islamic Republic of Iran has the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East. Missiles—whether conventional or potentially armed with chemical, biological, or nuclear warheads—enable Iran to pose an asymmetric threat to countries with much more sophisticated militaries. Despite U.N. resolutions forbidding the development and testing of nuclear delivery systems, Iran has continued its missile program unabated. The most recent unclassified government report suggests that Iran, with foreign assistance, could soon flight-test an ICBM capable of reaching the United States.

On June 2nd, Hudson Institute will host a conversation with Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Dr. David Cooper, Michael Eisenstadt, and Dr. Thomas Karako on the extent of Iran’s missile program and its relationship to Iran’s nuclear program. Hudson Adjunct Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs will moderate the event.

June 3, 2015

Korea Going Forward
Date: June 3, 9:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Please join us for an international public conference, co-hosted by CSIS and the Korea Foundation, with senior opinion makers, policy makers, and officials to frame the agenda for U.S.-ROK relations going forward in advance of the visit by President Park Geun-hye to the United States.

The distinguished panels will look at the broadening scope of U.S.-ROK cooperation around the globe as well as the challenges on the peninsula and in the region with an unprecedented gathering of experts.

This conference is by RSVP only and all remarks are on-the-record.

Weighing Concerns and Assurances about a Nuclear Deal with Iran
Date: June 3, 12:00 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 6^th Floor Conference Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

The Iran Project’s new report, Weighing Concerns and Assurances about a Nuclear Deal with Iran, is designed to encourage a balanced bipartisan discussion on emerging arguments for and against a P5+1 deal with Iran on its nuclear program.

Light refreshments will be served at 11:30am. Register here.

What Do Moscow’s Proposed Security Arrangements Mean for Central Asia and the Caucasus?
Date: June 3, 5:00 pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Rome Auditorium, 1619 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Moscow is aggressively demanding that the West accept a new security architecture that would take account the new “realities on the ground” created by Russia’s de-facto occupation of two Georgian regions, annexation of Crimea, and attempt to create new separatist statelet in Eastern Ukraine. Our speakers will examine these demands against the death of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty and the dysfunctionality of OSCE and other elements of the security umbrella that were supposed to maintain peace in the Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Speakers will also consider the West’s possible responses.

June 4, 2015

A Conversation with Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry
Date: June 4, 9:30 am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif assumed office, Pakistan has embarked on a proactive campaign to reach out to its neighbors as part of a larger vision for a peaceful neighborhood. Today, increased high-level exchanges with its neighbors reflect this important policy shift designed to secure Pakistan internally and externally. Building on this momentum, Pakistan is pursuing a number of regional economic connectivity projects, such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, the China-Pakistan economic corridor, and the Central Asia and South Asia electricity project. Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry will discuss how Pakistan is positioning itself in its quest for regional peace, security, and enduring development.

June 5, 2015

Recent Developments in the US-India Relationship
Date: June 5, 11:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2^nd Floor Conference Center, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Ambassador Richard Verma, who took charge as U.S. envoy to India in January, will provide a status update on the U.S.-India relationship and focus his remarks on the progress made in key areas over the past year as well as the challenges that remain. This event will be on the record.

Week in DC: Events

May 25, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

May 26, 2015

Europe and the Iran Nuclear Deal
Date: May 26, 10:00 am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

The Atlantic Council’s Iran Task Force invites you to a discussion with the Ambassadors of Britain, France and Germany about the role of the “E-3” in negotiating a nuclear agreement with Iran, and the implications of a comprehensive long-term deal for European relations with Iran.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) appear to be on track to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement by a June 30 deadline. If negotiations succeed, they will reflect the role of three European countries – Britain, France and Germany – which began engaging Iran about its nuclear program more than a decade ago. The E-3 ambassadors in Washington will discuss the history of the talks, the role their countries played, and the outlook beyond June 30.

The Iran Task Force, chaired by Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, seeks to perform a comprehensive analysis of Iran’s internal political landscape, its role in the region and globally, and any basis for an improved relationship with the West. It is supported generously by the Ploughshares Fund.

Next Generation Dialogue on Industry and Defense: Rethinking Research and Development for the Department of Defense
Date: May 26, 10:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2^nd Floor Conference Center, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

The Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at CSIS is leading a series – the Next Generation Dialogue on Industry and Defense – to reinvigorate the dialogue between the DoD and industry on significant shifts underway in the defense sector.

This event will focus on the major challenges and opportunities that confront the research and development enterprise serving DoD.

The Consequences of the Emerging American-Iranian Nuclear Deal
Date: May 26, 12:00 pm
Location: Hudson Institute, 1015 15^th Street NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

Since the Obama administration’s announcement of a nuclear framework with Iran, America’s allies in the Middle East have voiced concerns that the deal offers far-reaching economic concessions to Tehran while doing little to reduce that regime’s basic nuclear infrastructure and capabilities. Israel and Saudi Arabia, in particular, question the wisdom of providing billions of dollars in near-term sanctions relief to an expansionist neighbor that already exerts effective control over four Arab capitals. And third-party governments throughout the region are obviously nervous about a plan whose best-case scenario involves the removal of all nuclear sanctions against Iran within 15 years — at most. What will be the consequences should such a plan take effect?

Will Middle Eastern powers like Saudi Arabia and Turkey feel impelled to initiate nuclear weapons programs of their own? With the borders of this turbulent region already in flux, how might the accord reconfigure the strategic map and domestic political dynamics of the Middle East? Will a further-empowered Iran improve — or restrict — America’s effectiveness as an honest regional broker and security guarantor in the future?

On Tuesday, May 26th, Hudson Institute and the Rabin Chair Forum of George Washington University will host a lunchtime discussion about these and related questions surrounding the U.S.-Iranian “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JCPOA) — which the White House is expected to sign in late June — with Senior Fellow Lee Smith and Efraim Inbar, director of Bar-Ilan University’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.

Pakistan: The Citizens’ Fight for a Voice
Date: May 26, 12:00 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

From school children to rights activists, individuals from all walks of life have become targets of violence in Pakistan. With the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar to most recently the murder of leading human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud, Director of The Second Floor (T2F) in Karachi, those trying to give a voice to the voiceless are being silenced. Despite facing Taliban threats and potential arrest, Mohammad Jibran Nasir is leading a citizen’s movement against terrorism. He believes growing religious strife in Pakistan is part of a global phenomenon, and can be countered through a persistent and shared effort. Nasir will discuss the roles and responsibilities of government, non-state actors, and citizens in countering religious intolerance, sectarian violence, and terrorism, and how finding solutions in Pakistan could lead the way for a global citizen’s movement against the violent extremist narrative for the twenty-first century.

May 28, 2015

What a Conservative Victory Means for Economic Policy in the United Kingdom
Date: May 28, 11:00 am
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

The recent Conservative Party victory in the United Kingdom’s General Election could have major implications for economic policy across the Atlantic. No longer in coalition, how will the Tories change their legislative economic program? Which policy priorities will expand and which will be scrapped? What does the future hold for UK-EU relations? Has austerity helped or hurt Britain’s economic recovery? Is London’s financial industry waxing or waning?

Join us as we discuss the implications of a new government for Europe’s second-largest economy.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Putin’s War in Ukraine and Boris Nemtsov’s Putin. War.
Date: May 28, 2:00 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Russia is at war with Ukraine. The war’s toll—more than 6,000 dead, tens of thousands wounded, and nearly 1.3 million displaced persons—is the direct result of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to establish control over Ukraine. Putin continues to deny Russia’s military involvement, though the evidence that the Kremlin is directing the war is overwhelming.

Please join the Atlantic Council and the Free Russia Foundation for the release of two independently produced reports: Hiding in Plain Sight: Putin’s War in Ukraine and the English language release of Boris Nemtsov’s, Putin. War., onThursday, May 28, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Atlantic Council (1030 15th St. NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC, 20005).

The Atlantic Council report, Hiding in Plain Sight: Putin’s War in Ukraine, provides irrefutable evidence exposing the breadth and depth of Russian military involvement in Ukraine’s east. Drawing upon publicly available information, the report documents the movement of Russian troops from training camps into Ukraine. It also demonstrates that many artillery strikes on Ukraine originate in Russia and examines the wide array of Russian military equipment in the hands of so-called separatist forces.

Boris Nemtsov, the Russian opposition leader murdered in view of the Kremlin in Moscow on February 27, 2015, reached the same conclusion: Putin’s war is being fought in Ukraine at the cost of Russian lives. Published posthumously in Russian, Nemtsov’s report, Putin. War., will be released for the first time in English by the Free Russia Foundation.

Citizen journalism has been vital in documenting Putin’s illegal actions in Ukraine. The Atlantic Council encourages anyone that may have found their own evidence hiding in plain sight to post it on Twitter under #PutinAtWar.

A panel discussion will follow the report presentations.

May 29, 2015

Saudi Arabia’s Leadership Changes: Implications for Stability and Energy Markets
Date: May 29, 10:00 am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Last month, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman reshuffled his cabinet and appointed a new line of succession in a major reorganization of the top echelons of power in the kingdom. Following the announcement, reports indicated that the state-owned oil giant, Saudi Aramco, would be restructured to operate independently from the Saudi oil industry. Coupled with low oil prices, geopolitical instability in the region, and distrust over Iran’s nuclear program and regional ambitions, the kingdom’s new geopolitical reality raises several important questions: What impacts will the recent leadership changes in Saudi Arabia have on the global energy order and regional stability and security? Is the restructuring of Saudi Aramco indicative of future changes within Saudi Arabia’s energy sector? How will the outcomes of the Camp David meeting between President Obama and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders and a potential June P5+1 agreement with Iran influence Saudi actions in the region?

Please join us on Friday, May 29, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for a discussion on these critical issues. Panelists include Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Hon. Francis Ricciardone, Vice President and Director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, and Dr. Jean-François Seznec, Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. David Goldwyn, President of Goldwyn Global Strategies and Chair of the Atlantic Council Energy Advisory Board, will moderate the discussion and The Hon. Richard Morningstar, Founding Director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, will deliver welcome remarks.

Week in DC: Events

May 17, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

May 18, 2015

Former CIA Deputy Director to Discuss Agency’s Counterterrorism Success and Failures
Date: May 18, 10:00 am
Location: National Press Club, 529 14^th Street NW, 13^th Floor, Washington DC

Former CIA deputy director Michael Morell will offer his assessment of the agency’s counterterrorism successes and failures of the last 20 years at a National Press Club Newsmaker on Monday, May 18 at 10 a.m. in the club’s Bloomberg Room.

Morrell will argue that the threat of terrorism did not die with bin Laden and will illuminate new and growing threats from terrorist groups that could leave this country vulnerable to attacks much larger than 9/11 if not addressed. These insights are discussed in his new book, The Great War of Our Time: The CIA’s Fight Against Terrorism From al Qa’ida to ISIS.

Morell is one of this country’s most prominent national security professionals, with extensive experience in intelligence and foreign policy. Mr. Morell was a top CIA officer for over 30 years who played a critical role in the most important counterterrorism events of the past two decades.

Like all Newsmaker events, this news conference is open to credentialed press and NPC club members, free of charge. No advance registration is required.

Contact Keith Hill, Newsmaker Host, khill@bna.com.

From Cooperation to Competition—The Future of U.S.-Russian Relations
Date: May 18, 10:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Russian aggression in 2014 caught U.S. policy and strategy off guard, forcing reactive measures and reevaluation of U.S. policies towards Russia. Russia used nonlinear approaches and operated just beneath traditional thresholds of conflict to take full advantage of U.S. and NATO policy limitations. In light of this strategic problem, members of the Carlisle Scholars Program at the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) conducted a wargame which revealed four key considerations for future policy and strategy. This panel presentation will present the findings from that wargame. The views presented by the panelist are their own and should not be implied to be those of their sponsoring service, the U.S. Army or the U.S. Army War College.

Fighting for the Final Frontier? Conflict in Space During the Late 21^st Century
Date: May 18, 1:00 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Discussions about the future of warfare are often limited by necessity to the next two or three decades. Not on May 18, when the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security Art of Future Warfare project will travel the farthest yet into the future to consider conflict in space during the final decade of the 21st Century. Join best-selling science fiction writer David Brin and other experts to discuss whether the struggles over power and resources on Earth will extend off world, and how they might play out.

This event will also feature the winner of the project’s latest short story creative challenge that focused on conflict in space during the last decade of the 21st Century. As part of its mission to explore the role that artists can have in the national security community, the project works to showcase not only particular visions of the future but also the methodologies employed by the creative community in order to help better prepare for, and prevent, future conflict.

Like the recent Art of Future Warfare “Great War” creative challenge, this contest will showcase the value of creative thinking in the national security realm.

Bursting the Plutonium Bubble: How Utopian Communities Made Dystopian Nuclear Landscapes
Date: May 18, 4:00 pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

Historian Kate Brown draws on official records and dozens of interviews to tell the extraordinary stories of Richland, Washington and Ozersk, Russia – the first two cities in the world to produce plutonium. To contain secrets, American and Soviet leaders created plutopias – communities of nuclear families living in highly-subsidized, limited-access atomic cities. Brown shows that the plants’ segregation of permanent and temporary workers and of nuclear and non-nuclear zones created a bubble of immunity, where dumps and accidents were glossed over and plant managers freely embezzled and polluted. Drawing plutonium curtain around production sites and promoting ‘nuclear villages’ with healthy nuclear families has left a lasting legacy.

Kate Brown lives in Washington, DC and is Professor of History at UMBC. Brown, a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow, is the author of two award-winning books: Plutopia: Nuclear Families in Atomic Cities and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters (Oxford 2013) and A Biography of No Place: From Ethnic Borderland to Soviet Heartland (Harvard 2004). Brown’s most recent book Dispatches from Dystopia: History of Places Not Yet Forgotten will appear in 2015 with the University of Chicago Press.

This final meeting in the Washington History Seminar Spring 2015 series is co-sponsored by the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs Nuclear Policy Talks.

RSVP here.

Xi to Pakistan, Modi to China: What it Means for the West
Date: May 18, 5:30 pm
Location: German Marshall Fund, 1744 R Street NW, Washington DC

The geopolitics of Asia are on full display thanks to visits by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China. What do these trips tell us about diplomatic relations in Asia and why should it matter to the West? Experts Tanvi Madan, Daniel Markey, and Andrew Small will address these and other questions during this timely event. Following the discussion, there will be a drinks reception to celebrate the release of Small’s new book The China-Pakistan Axis.

RSVP here.

Crafting a National Security Strategy
Date: May 18, 6:30 pm
Location: Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC

On Monday, May 18th, join the NxGen International Security Network (NxGen ISN) for an exclusive opportunity to engage with the National Security Council Director for Strategic Planning, Colonel Troy Thomas, on the U.S. National Security Strategy at the French Embassy. Following the off-the-record discussion, a cocktail reception featuring French wine and cheese will be served.

NxGen ISN is a peer-based network that curates and empowers emerging leaders by linking them with influential practitioners through thematic cycles and public and private events.

May 19, 2015

Renewing the Section 123 Nuclear Agreement with China: Implications for U.S.-China Relations
Date: May 19, 9:00 am
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

As China moves to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in order to meet its 2030 climate change targets, nuclear energy is likely to play a major role in China’s future energy mix. Nearly 30 years ago, the United States and China developed a Section 123 agreement, which has allowed China to use U.S. technology to build up its nuclear fleet. This agreement has provided a strong foundation for Sino-U.S. cooperation and has significantly benefited the United States’ economy by allowing U.S. firms to export nuclear technology worth billions of dollars, which has generated tens of thousands of U.S. jobs. As the current Section 123 agreement is set to expire on December 30, 2015, the United States needs to decide this year whether or not to extend its terms.

On May 19, the Energy Security and Climate Initiative (ESCI) at Brookings will host a discussion on the future of the Section 123 agreement with China. Panelists will present an overview of the Section 123 agreement, including a discussion of how it has been implemented, its broader geopolitical context, its implications on the U.S. economy, and its importance in achieving U.S.-China climate emission reductions. Speakers will also address the implications of China’s program on nuclear nonproliferation and Sino-U.S. relations. ESCI Senior Fellow Charles Ebinger will moderate the discussion and audience Q&A.

Missile Defense and U.S. National Strategy
Date: May 19, 10:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Please join us for a discussion with Admiral Winnefeld on the past, present, and future of missile defense.

Featuring:Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Introduction by: Dr. John J. Hamre, President and CEO, Pritzker Chair, and Director, Brzezinski Institute, CSIS

Moderated by: Dr. Thomas Karako, Senior Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS

The Future of U.S. Defense Cooperation in Latin America
Date: May 19, 4:30 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security for a Commanders Series event with General John F. Kelly, Commander of US Southern Command, to discuss the future of US defense cooperation in Latin America.

Latin America is of increasing strategic importance to the United States. In an age of the rebalance to Asia, continued engagement in the Middle East, and the emergence of an aggressive Russia, Latin America has received comparatively little attention from the US national security community. Slowly, this is starting to change, especially with the recent crisis of unaccompanied children migrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America. How will these and other developments affect US defense strategy and cooperation in the region, and how will this strategy help the United States best deal with this important region? General Kelly will come to the Atlantic Council to discuss these and other questions.

Since 2012, General Kelly has been the Commander of US Southern Command, which is responsible for all Department of Defense security cooperation in the forty-five nations and territories of Central and South America and the Caribbean Sea, an area of 16 million square miles. Before his current position he served as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense from March 2011 to October 2012. Kelly also commanded Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North in Iraq from October 2009 to March 2011.

May 20, 2015

Crisis in Libya: European and Libyan Views
Date: May 20, 12:00 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Since the 2011 uprising against Muammar Qaddafi, Libya’s transition to democracy has been severely derailed, culminating over the course of the last twelve months in political and armed clashes between two main factions. The United Nations and Western states support a negotiated solution, but hardliners increasingly call the shots. With regional states lending support to the rival sides, options for breaking the impasse are few.

Meanwhile, security threats to neighboring states and Europe are on the rise as the political vacuum in Libya provides a haven for extremist militants, including the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Please join the Atlantic Council for a discussion exploring how Libyans view the devolution of their country, the current debate among European policymakers, and viable options for the international community to bolster chances for successful peace talks.

Efficient Cybersecurity Regulation: Ensuring the Cure Isn’t Worse than the Disease
Date: May 20, 12:00 pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington DC

A wave of data breaches at American companies has once again highlighted just how insecure consumer data is. Apple, Target, Sony, and recently Anthem (a Blue Cross and Blue Shield company) are some high profile examples. In response, various consumer advocates and regulatory agencies have begun to explore ways to encourage data-sharing between businesses, as well as with the government, and to encourage the development of data security standards. Can and should industry self-regulate? Is there a government agency equipped to regulate? What should data security standards look like, and could those standards open the door to unscrupulous tort litigation? Join us as our panelists discuss the competing risks of cyber-attack and overregulation.

U.S.-Russia Relations Beyond Ukraine: Realities and Recommendations
Date: May 20, 12:00 pm
Location: George Washington University, Lindner Commons (6^th Floor), 1957 E Street NW, Washington DC

The Russian-American relationship has reached its lowest point since the end of the Cold War. While the Ukrainian crisis has been the catalyst for pushing tensions over the edge, a number of more pervasive issues, such as disagreements over bilateral arms control, European security, and crises in the Middle East continue to drive Moscow and Washington apart.

What role have domestic factors played in shaping the present situation, and how has each side crafted its respective policies toward the other? What channels of cooperation remain, and where are U.S-Russia relations moving beyond Ukraine?

Please join CGI and the Institute for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies at GWU for a discussion with Richard Weitz, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at Hudson Institute, on the future of the U.S.-Russian relationship. The event will mark the release of Dr. Weitz’s forthcoming report for CGI, “The United States and Russia: Realities and Recommendations Moving Forward.” Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution will join as the discussant. Konstantin Avramov, Program Director at CGI, will moderate the Q&A.

RSVP here.

Cyber Risk Wednesday: How Will Our Cyber Future Be Different from Today?
Date: May 20, 4:00 pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

The Internet and related technologies have been safe, secure, and resilient enough for the past three decades of their existence to reshape nearly every industry, create a hyper-connected world, and transform the global economy. Perhaps this will continue indefinitely, with the future holding yet more wonders. However, the increasingly pervasive Internet brings with it growing dependence on a shared, stunningly complex system-of-systems. This has critically exposed companies and governments to systemic cyber risks, where a series of local failures might turn into a global shock similar to the 2008 financial crisis.

What is more, while cyberspace has been continuously evolving through changes in usage and available technologies, most of the current cybersecurity trends now point to a darker future: every year we face more data breaches, critical vulnerabilities, and nations building and using offensive cyber capabilities. Will the accumulated downside risks of dependence on a sometimes rickety and untrustworthy digital infrastructure soon start outpacing the upside opportunities of global interconnectedness? Or will cyberspace head in a direction that is unlike anything ever experienced or envisioned? What game-changing discontinuities could transform the future of cyber conflict and cooperation?

The moderated panel discussion will assess these tensions between risks and opportunities rooted in cyberspace and discuss potential cyber futures that could take shape over the next decade.

This event is part of the Atlantic Council project with Zurich Insurance Group and the University of Denver’s Pardee Center for International Futures focusing on assessing the balance between risks and opportunities in cyberspace. In the first year, using quantitative and qualitative frameworks, the group is assessing the impact of accumulated downside cyber risks on upside opportunities for economic growth. In the second year, the team will evaluate the impacts of geopolitical and demographic risks.

May 21, 2015

The Convergence of Marine Science and Geopolitics in the South China Sea
Date: May 21, 10:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

The CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies is pleased to host a discussion with James Borton, former correspondent for theWashington Times; John McManus, professor of marine biology and fisheries and director of the National Center for Coral Reef Research at the University of Miami; and Kathleen Walsh, associate professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College. They will discuss the convergence of marine science and geopolitics in the South China Sea.

Borton teaches writing in the English and Marine Science Departments at Coastal Carolina University. He is a former foreign correspondent for the Washington Timesand has interviewed top leaders throughout Southeast Asia. He recently edited The South China Sea: Challenges and Promises.

McManus chaired the five-year review of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. As the former leader of the Aquatic Environments Program of the WorldFish Center in Southeast Asia he was the founder of ReefBase, the Global Coral Reef Database, and the International Coral Reef Action Network.

Walsh teaches policy analysis at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC). She has also co-taught electives on China’s national security and on the history of technology. Walsh is also an affiliate of the China Maritime Studies Institute and participates in the NWC’s Asia Pacific Studies Group.

The Federal Budget & Appropriations: Democracy & Human Rights in the Middle East
Date: May 21, 10:00 am
Location: Russell Senate Office Building, Room 485, 2 Constitution Ave NE, Washington DC

POMED and the Heinrich Böll Foundation of North America are pleased to invite you to attend a public panel discussion to release an annual publication, The Federal Budget and Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2016: Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights in the Middle East. This report, authored by POMED’s Executive Director Stephen McInerney and Advocacy Director Cole Bockenfeld, offers a detailed look at U.S. funding and assistance for democracy and governance in the Middle East, the congressional appropriations process, and implications for U.S. policy in the Middle East during a turbulent time. As the region is mired in multiple conflicts—protracted civil wars in Syria and Libya, the rise of the Islamic State, and surges of conflict and violence in Yemen—why and how should the United States continue to invest in democracy and governance?

This publication focuses on several key questions: How have the Obama administration and Congress responded to dramatic changes in the region since 2011? How have deteriorating political situations and escalating violence affected U.S. policy and funding in the region? How has the United States responded to Tunisia’s relative success in democratization? What are the most significant changes in U.S. funding and appropriations when compared to previous years? And what might we expect from Congress during its ongoing appropriations process?

RSVP required. RSVP here.

Counterterrorism and State-Building in Somalia: Progress of More of the Same?
Date: May 21, 2:00 pm
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

For years, the war-torn and famine-ravaged Somalia has been a haven for international terrorism, as demonstrated again in the recent horrific attack in Garissa, Kenya. International counterterrorism efforts – ranging from air strikes to proxy wars to the deployment of African Union forces – have provided limited results at best. International efforts to build more inclusive and less corrupt state institutions in Somalia have similarly struggled. While Somalia has set goals to reform its government and revise its constitution by 2016, most of these commitments remain in grave doubt. And as Somalia prepares for national elections in the year ahead, insecurity within the country continues to rise.

On May 21, the Africa Security Initiative, part of Brookings Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, will host a discussion on the current state of Somalia, its path to reform and increased stability, and its upcoming elections. Senior Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown, who has recently returned from Somalia, will focus on the political and military developments in the country and region, as well as the latest on extremist activity. Michael O’Hanlon, co-director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence will moderate.

Following discussion, the panelists will take audience questions.

May 22, 2015

Implications of Leadership Changes in Saudi Arabia
Date: May 22, 9:00 am
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-369, 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington DC

On May 22, 2015, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee are hosting a public affairs briefing titled “Leadership Changes in Saudi Arabia: What Implications for the Kingdom, the Region, and the U.S.?”

The featured specialist will be Mr. Nawaf Obaid, Visiting Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University; Lecturer, London Academy of Diplomacy, Stirling University; and Senior Fellow, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Serving as moderator and facilitator will be Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; and Member, U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy and Subcommittee on Sanctions.

RSVP here.

Week in DC: Events

May 11, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

May 11, 2015

The Future of Iraq: A Conversation with Sunni Leaders
Date: May 11, 9:00 am
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Wahsington DC

A significant victory against ISIS in Iraq will require meaningful reconciliation between Iraq’s warring communities. The greatest unknown is Iraq’s Sunni population. Their isolation from the Iraqi political system, stemming from the divisive policies of the previous Iraqi government, opened the door to ISIS’s return to Iraq and lies at the heart of this new Iraqi civil war. If Iraq is to achieve peace again and remain a unified state, one of the most important questions is how to bring Iraq’s Sunnis back into the fold.

On Monday, May 11, the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution will host a conversation with two key Sunni leaders from Iraq. Rafe al-Issawi served as deputy prime minister and minister of finance under former Prime Minister Maliki, and is one of the most prominent Sunni leaders from Anbar province; Atheel al-Nujayfi is the governor of Ninewah Province and one of the most prominent Sunni leaders from Mosul. These leading Sunni officials will discuss the future of Iraq with moderator and Brookings Senior Fellow Kenneth Pollack. They will explore the Sunni role in leading Iraq going forward, Sunni concerns about marginalization, and what role the United States might play in this delicate but vital process.

U.S. Strategy for Civil and Military Space
Date: May 11, 10:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Sean O’Keefe, former Administrator of NASA, and General James Cartwright, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will have an easy chair discussion moderated by Dr. John Hamre, President and CEO of CSIS, on U.S. strategy for civil and military space. The discussion will focus on new challenges the U.S. faces in maintaining its strategic advantage in space, and the implications of privatization for the future of U.S. leadership and innovation in civil space.

State of the Cybersecurity Union: A Discussion with Admiral Michael Rogers
Date: May 11, 10:30 am
Location: Homeland Security Policy Institute, Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21^st Street NW, Washington DC

The Center for Cyber & Homeland Security (CCHS) at the George Washington University invites you to a discussion on the “State of the Cybersecurity Union” with Admiral Michael S. Rogers, U.S. Navy; Commander, U.S. Cyber Command; Director, National Security Agency; Chief, Central Security Service.

At the event, Admiral Rogers will provide an overview of the current state of cybersecurity threats to the United States, and will discuss what U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency are doing to address them, in light of the new Department of Defense cybersecurity strategy released earlier this month. Admiral Rogers’ initial remarks will be followed by a moderated discussion with CCHS Director Frank Cilluffo and Q&A with members of the audience.

Russia’s Thorn in Europe’s Side: Kaliningrad, NATO, and the EU
Date: May 11, 11:00 am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 5^th Floor Conference Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

After Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the West’s introduction of economic sanctions, the Kaliningrad region has become a source of tension between Russia, NATO, and the EU. The region has staged tit-for-tat military displays by both Russia and neighboring EU and NATO members Poland and Lithuania. But while Russia is eager to project the image of Kaliningrad as a military stronghold and buffer against NATO expansionism, Kaliningrad’s real threat to European stability stems from its vulnerable exclave status and unclear economic relationship with the EU. This talk will outline the region’s curious history, focusing on recent years when Kaliningrad has served both as a military outpost and a cultural bridge between Russia and Europe.

RSVP here.

May 12, 2015

After a Nuclear Agreement: Whither Arab-Iranian and U.S.-GCC Relations?
Date: May 12, 8:30 am
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-369, 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington DC

On May 12, 2015, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, the West Asia Council, and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee are hosting a public affairs briefing titled “After a Nuclear Agreement: Whither Arab-Iranian and U.S.-GCC Relations?” Featured specialists include:

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; Member, U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy and Subcommittee on Sanctions; Author, “Strategic Dynamics of Iran-GCC Relations”;
Dr. Christian Koch, Director, Gulf Research Center Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland); former Director of International Studies, Gulf Research Center (Dubai, UAE);
Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, President, SVB Energy International; Author, The Marketing and Sale of Iranian Export Crude Oil Since the Islamic Revolution;
Dr. Thomas Mattair, Executive Director, Middle East Policy Council; Author,The Three Occupied UAE Islands: The Tunbs and Abu Musa and Global Security Watch – Iran: A Reference Handbook;
Dr. Alidad Mafinezam, President, West Asia Council; Author, Iran and Its Place Among Nations; and
Dr. Imad Harb, Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations; former Senior Researcher in Strategic Studies, Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Mr. John Pratt, Member, Board of Directors, and Distinguished International Affairs Fellow, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and former Chairman, Middle East Council of the American Chambers of Commerce, will serve as moderator.

RSVP here.

Central Asia in a Reconnecting Eurasia: U.S. Policy Interests and Recommendations
Date: May 12, 9:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

In January 2014 the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program launched the Eurasia Initiative. The first fruits of this project include a series of reports on Central Asia in a Reconnecting Eurasia. The decision to initiate these activities with Central Asia stemmed from a concern that the drawdown of U.S. and allied troops from Afghanistan would augur declining U.S. interest. For U.S. policymakers, turning away from Central Asia now would be a serious miscalculation. The five states of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) are located at the heart of the Eurasian landmass, in close proximity to four of Washington’s biggest foreign policy challenges: Afghanistan/Pakistan, Iran, Russia, and China. For that reason alone, the United States has a strong interest in developing economic and security ties with the states of Central Asia, and doing so in a way that is no longer driven by the exigencies of the war in Afghanistan, but is responsive to the needs and interests of the region itself, as well as enduring U.S. interests.

Meeting China Halfway: How to Defuse the Emerging U.S.-China Rivalry
Date: May 12, 10:00 am
Location: Brookings Institution, Saul/Zilkha Room, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The prospect of a lasting U.S.-China security rivalry preoccupies policy makers and scholars alike. In a major new volume, “Meeting China Halfway: How to Defuse the Emerging U.S.-China Rivalry” (Georgetown University Press, 2015), Lyle Goldstein of the U.S. Naval War College contends that both countries have failed to pursue creative approaches that could limit the potential for such rivalry and enable a more cooperative global and regional future. Drawing on a wide array of Chinese sources and on the history of Sino-American relations over the past two centuries, Professor Goldstein proposes ten “cooperation spirals” that would enable lasting accommodation between both countries.

By exploring the possibilities of defusing long-standing geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, Professor Goldstein contends that future Sino-American relations can diverge significantly from widely held assessments in international relations theory and in foreign policy circles. His remarks will be followed by commentaries from two prominent U.S. policy practitioners and questions from the audience.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

Clear and Present Danger: Confronting the Cyber Threat from Russia and China
Date: May 12, 10:30 am
Location: Hudson Institute, 1015 15^th Street NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

In early April, Russian cyber hackers penetrated unclassified networks at the White House and seized the Secret Service’s daily schedule for the president. Less than a week later, U.S. cybersecurity firm FireEye revealed that Chinese hackers have waged a decade-long cyber espionage campaign across South East Asia. Current and former FBIdirectors have expressed certainty that all large companies have been hacked by the Chinese and all of the White House networks have been infiltrated by Russian and Chinese hackers.

Every month brings alarming evidence that Russia and China are expanding their cyberattacks in the U.S. and throughout the world, particularly in Asia. On May 12th, former Congressman Mike Rogers, past chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and current Hudson distinguished fellow, will join Senior Fellow Arthur Herman for a conversation on the scope of the threat and how the U.S. should respond.

As member and then chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Mike Rogers has followed America’s cyberwar with China and Russia for more than a decade. Arthur Herman, author of Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, has written several articles on cyberwarfare and cyber strategy.

Economic Interdependence and War
Date: May 12, 12:00 pm
Location: CATO Institute, Hayek Auditorium, 1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Debates over economic interdependence and war are centuries old. Liberals have argued that interdependence creates interests on both sides of dyads that help prevent war. Realists have argued that the “high politics” of war and peace are rarely driven by the “low politics” of commerce. Dale Copeland’s new book offers a more supple, less categorical judgment. According to Copeland, leaders’ expectations of the future trade environment determine how economic interdependence influences the prospects of war and peace. Please join us for a discussion with other leading scholars on the subject—one that carries heavy implications for the future of U.S.-China relations, in particular.

A Step Towards Justice: Current Accountability Options for Crimes Under International Law Committed in Syria
Date: May 12, 2:00 pm
Location: American Bar Association, 1050 Connecticut Ave #400, Washington DC

As the Syrian conflict continues with no end in sight, both Syrians and the international community have called for the establishment of mechanisms tohold perpetrators of atrocities accountable, deter war crimes and human rights abuses, and achieve justice for victims. However, while certain mechanisms may be available in theory, they may not be feasible or desirable options in the current context due to the potentially harmful impacts they may have on long term prospects for Syria’s transitional justice and accountability process.

To examine such options, the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) and the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights have collaborated on a report that explores the current feasibility and potential impacts of international, hybrid, and foreign accountability options for Syria. The report also outlines ethical and practical challenges of pursuing these options prior to the end of the conflict. The analysis is particularly relevant regarding jurisdictions that are seeking to use their domestic law or international legal principles to prosecute alleged perpetrators located in Syria and abroad.

The report, A Step towards Justice: Current Accountability Options for Crimes Under International Law Committed in Syria, provides valuable perspectives for Syrians, justice practitioners, and the policy community. A panel discussion, hosted by the American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights, will delve into practical implications and considerations of pursuing justice options now.

Human Rights and North Korea’s Overseas Laborers: Dilemmas and Policy Changes
Date: May 12, 2:00 pm
Location: Korea Economic Institute, 1800 K Street NW, Washington DC

For more than 70 years, the North Korean state has been exporting its laborers overseas in an effort to secure ample amounts of foreign currency for its nuclear and missile development programs. As a result, thousands of North Korean laborers work excessive hours, in dangerous conditions, and only receive a fraction of their legal salaries. Therefore it is imperative that this issue is brought to the attention of the international community in order to bring more light to the issue by providing new facts and professional analysis.

With this goal in mind, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) and the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) are co-hosting a conference on the human rights conditions of North Korean laborers. NKDB researchers, KEI staff and other prominent North Korean and human rights specialists will gather together for presentation and discussion of the severe labor rights and basic human rights violations faced by North Korean laborers overseas. Additional information will be provided by a North Korean defector, who worked for about 2 years overseas, and will share his witness testimony with the audience.

RSVP here.

Minsk: Between East and West
Date: May 12, 6:00 pm
Location: German Marshall Fund, 1744 R Street NW, Washington DC

Situated to the North of Ukraine and sandwiched between the EU and Russia, Belarus has long felt pressures from Moscow. The survival of Alexander Lukashenko’s dictatorship and questions surrounding Belarus’ relative political independence are central to government actions and civil society efforts over the coming years. After the failure of the first Minsk Protocol in September, Belarus once again hosted a four-way peace summit in which the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany agreed to a package of measures in order to alleviate fighting in the Donbas region of Ukraine. As a result of the Minsk peace summit, Belarus has experienced a modest increase in international recognition. However, Belarus continues to face internal challenges including political suppression and growing economic inequality, as a product of an ever repressive political regime. How will Minsk reconcile its new international attention with continuing social, economic, and political threats? How will Minsk’s relationship with the European Union affect its historical relationship with Moscow? What does the Ukrainian crisis mean for Belarus’ security priorities?

May 13, 2015

Peacebuilding and Democracy in a Turbulent World
Date: May 13, 9:00 am
Location: United States Institute of Peace

iFarm Pakistan: Food Security, Innovation, and Commercialization
Date: May 13, 9:30 am
Location: Atlantic Council

Before and After Dayton: Bosnia’s Past and Its European Future
Date: May 13, 10:00 am
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

May 14, 2015

Putin’s Russia: How it Rose, How it is Maintained, and How it Might End
Date: May 14, 9:15 am
Location: American Enterprise Institute

Workshop on Intersection of Radiological Security and Public Health
Date: May 14, 1:30 pm
Location: James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Stanley Foundation

Wake Up, Pakistan
Date: May 14, 3:00 pm
Location: The Century Foundation

Cybersecurity for Small Businesses II
Date: May 14, 4:00 pm
Location: Washington Network Group

May 15, 2015

Internal Displacement in Ukraine: Assessing the National Response
Date: May 15, 10:00 am
Location: Brookings Institution

Threats to the U.S. Energy Renaissance
Date: May 15, 12:00 pm
Location: Cato Institute

Week in DC: Events

April 27, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

April 27, 2015

Insurgency in the Middle East and Its Threat to the United States
Date: April 27, 9:00 am
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, 1957 E Street NW, Washington DC

Event Schedule:
9:00-9:15: Welcome
9:15-10:30: “Understanding Civil War, Insurgency and Terrorism in Today’s Middle East”

Jon B. Alterman, Senior Vice President, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Kathleen Gallagher Cunningham, Associate Professor, University of Maryland
Dafna H. Rand, Deputy Director of Studies, Center for a New American Security
Joseph K. Young, Associate Professor, American University

10:45-12:00: “Understanding the Threat to the United States and Europe from Returning Jihadists”

Tricia Bacon, Professorial Lecturer, American University
Dorle Hellmuth, Assistant Professor, Catholic University
Christopher A. Kojm, Visiting Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, GWU
Thomas M. Sanderson, Codirector, Transnational Threats Project, CSIS (invited)

RSVP here.

The Future Postponed
Date: April 27, 9:00 am
Location: Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, AAAS Auditorium, 1200 New York Ave NW, Washington DC

MIT, led by VP for Research Maria Zuber and former Science Dean Marc Kastner and four faculty, will come to Washington for an event hosted by AAAS (and cohosted by AAU, APLU, The Science Coalition and ITIF) to present a major new MIT report called “The Future Postponed” on April 27th.

Ebola Outbreak and Response: Assessment of Initial U.S. Actions
Date: April 27, 12:00 pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

The 2013-2014 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa ravaged the countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, shocked the international community and claimed over 10,000 lives. As an aggressive and extremely lethal disease, Ebola spread quickly and demonstrated that there is no such thing as “just in time preparedness,” once again reminding the international community vulnerable regions remain highly susceptible to pandemics and other various public health crises.

The United States is not immune. We were reminded of this reality once cases of Ebola were detected domestically. In the aftermath of the West African outbreak and international spread, The Heritage Foundation established a task force to identify observations and findings and offer recommendations for how the U.S. can better respond to future crises. This report examines the U.S. response to Ebola in West Africa as well as domestically and offers recommendations aimed at improving the quality, speed and efficiency of future American-led responses to natural disasters, pandemics and acts of bioterrorism.

Join our panelists for a discussion on the report’s findings and specifically how to improve the United States’ ability to respond to future public health crises.

Click here to attend in person or watch live online.

Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon
Date: April 27, 6:00 pm
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, Room 602, 1957 E Street NW, Washington DC

The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) and the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs invite you to an event titled “Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon,” with Kim Zetter, an award-winning journalist for Wired, who has been covering cybersecurity for more than a decade.

In January 2010, inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency noticed that centrifuges at an Iranian uranium enrichment plant were failing at an unprecedented rate. The cause was a complete mystery. Six months later, a computer security firm in Belarus stumbled upon a virus infecting computers in Iran. It took four months of analysis, but eventually researchers realized they had discovered the world’s first digital weapon. Stuxnet, the weapon, was unlike any other virus or worm built before. Rather than simply hijacking targeted computers or stealing information from them, it escaped the digital realm to wreak physical destruction on equipment controlled by computers — in this case, centrifuges at a nuclear facility in Iran that were being used to enrich uranium.

At this event, Zetter will tell the story behind the cyber virus that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear efforts and explain how its existence has ushered in a new age of warfare.

RSVP here.

April 28, 2015

U.S. Civil Drone Policy
Date: April 28, 10:00 am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

The development of new technologies for unmanned flight and microelectronics in the last two decades has led to an explosion in civil unmanned aerial systems (UAS, commonly known as drones) activity in the U.S. From a few hobbyists flying small, technically limited model aircraft in the 1990s, the field has grown to thousands of individuals and corporations looking to employ a variety of UAS models for security awareness, disaster response, logistics and delivery, agriculture, communications, spectral and thermal analysis, and aerial photography, among many other functions.

CSIS will hold a public event focusing on practical policy strategies to manage commercial, public and private UAS in U.S. airspace, while supporting innovation, and protecting privacy and personal freedom.

Defeating the Jihadists in Syria: Competition before Confrontation
Date: April 28, 11:00 am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Since August 2014, the US-led coalition air campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has successfully inflicted casualties on ISIS and weakened its oil revenues. In a new Atlantic Council report, “Defeating the Jihadists in Syria: Competition before Confrontation,” Faysal Itani acknowledges these positive yet limited results, but also presents the unintended consequences of this air campaign and US policy options given local Syrian realities.

Itani details how coalition efforts accelerated the rise of the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and the near-collapse of nationalist rebel forces. He proposes a US strategy to assist nationalist insurgents to defeat ISIS and the Nusra Front–by enabling them to compete with and contain jihadist groups, and ultimately confront them. Please join us for a conversation about the author’s findings with expert commentators.

Personal Stories from the Frontlines of War and Peace
Date: April 28, 2:00 pm
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC

From Iraq to Burma, from Peru to Yemen, from Nicaragua to Nepal, the personal stories of widows, children, workers, and soldiers often are lost in the cacophony of war. Please join the U.S. Institute of Peace on Tuesday, April 28, for a discussion and launch of “Speaking Their Peace: Personal Stories from the Frontlines of War and Peace,” a book that tells the extraordinary stories of “ordinary” people from eleven conflict zones. NPR’s Michel Martin moderates a discussion with the book’s author, Colette Rausch, and two members of the team that captured these memorable interviews.

With a foreword by the Dalai Lama, the book collects interviews with 80 ordinary citizens – a taxi driver, a nun, a machinery worker, a mother — from conflict zones all over the world. Their accounts illuminate the intensely personal experience of war, the uncertain transition to peace, and the aspirations that survive despite it all.

National Public Radio’s Michel Martin will moderate a discussion with Rausch, the acting vice president for Governance, Law and Society at USIP, and Najla Elmangoush and Khitam Al-Khaghani, who have lived and worked in conflict zones and were a part of the team that conducted interviews. A photo exhibit will feature images taken during Rausch’s travels and her meetings with interviewees.

Audience members also will have an opportunity to record their own 30-second messages of what peace means to them for a “Speak Your Peace” video. The event will be followed by a reception and book-signing session. Learn more about “Speaking Their Peace” and read excerpts from the book. Join the conversation on Twitter with #SpeakPeace.

Govern Like Us: U.S. Expectations of Poor Governments
Date: April 28, 4:30 pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Rome Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Thirteen years after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the project to transform the way Afghanistan is governed has largely failed. Some think the U.S. and its partners did not try hard enough. Some blame Afghan elites for their corruption and lack of political will. Some continue to press for reforms to build a government that provides public goods and services to everyone, under the rule of law, and subject to democratic accountability. But is this a possibility for the poorest governments? Dr. Thomas will discuss her new book.

For more information or to RSVP email here.

April 29, 2015

Deterrence Instability and Nuclear Weapons in South Asia
Date: April 29, 12:30 pm
Location: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

Deterrence in South Asia is becoming less stable with the passage of time and an increase in nuclear weapon capabilities. India and Pakistan have not addressed basic issues in dispute, nor have they agreed to set them aside. In 2015, the two countries are no closer to resolving their differences than they were seven years ago, after members of Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out attacks against Mumbai landmarks.

The Stimson Center is publishing a collection of essays, “Deterrence Instability and Nuclear Weapons in South Asia,” edited by Michael Krepon, Joshua T. White, Julia Thompson, and Shane Mason. These essays by Manoj Joshi, Shashank Joshi, Michael Krepon, Jeffrey D. McCausland, Rasul Bakhsh Rais, Sarang Shidore, and Joshua T. White and Kyle Deming clarify how doctrinal, strategic, and technological developments contribute to growing deterrence instability in South Asia. Taken together, these chapters point to serious challenges associated with increased nuclear dangers unless leaders in India and Pakistan work to resolve their grievances, or consider measures to mitigate their costly and risky strategic competition.

RSVP here.

Subcommittee Hearing: ISIS: Defining the Enemy
Date: April 29, 2:00 pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

The Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade will host two panels to discuss ISIS. Panel I will include the Honorable Robert Ford, Senior Fellow at The Middle East Institute and Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria; and Walid Phares, Ph.D., Co-Secretary General of the Transatlantic Parliamentary Group on Counterterrorism.

Panel II will include Ms. Maryam Rajavi, President-Elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (Appearing via teleconference).

Subcommittee Hearing: Progress and Challenges in the Western Balkans
Date: April 29, 2:00 pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2200 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

The Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats will hear two panels of testimony related to the Western Balkans. Panel I will include Mr. Hoyt Brian Yee, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and Ms. Susan Fritz, Acting Assistant Administrator in the Europe and Eurasia Bureau at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Panel II will include Mr. Ivan Vejvoda, Senior Vice President of Programs at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and The Honorable Joseph J. DioGuardi, President of the Albanian American Civic League
(Former Member of Congress).

The U.S.-China Relationship in an Evolving Global Economic Order
Date: April 29, 3:00 pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

Recent developments such as the establishment of new institutions like the AIIB have raised broader questions about the U.S. and China’s roles in global economic governance. What are the problems in the global economy that the U.S. and China agree and disagree on? To what extent are existing institutions addressing those problems and where is there a need for new approaches? Can the U.S. and China find a way to work cooperatively on these issues, which will have a major impact on the prosperity of both countries and the rest of the world? Please join us for a stimulating discussion of these issues with top experts from China and the U.S. The event will finish with a keynote address by Under Secretary Nathan Sheets, the senior official at the U.S. Treasury responsible for the S&ED.

RSVP here.

April 30, 2015

In Search of a Syria Strategy
Date: April 30, 12:00 pm
Location: Cato Institute, Hayek Auditorium, 1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The rise of ISIS and the spread of the Syrian civil war to Iraq have led to renewed discussions of U.S. intervention. Though Washington is regularly bombing ISIS targets, there is little in the way of viable on-the-ground support, and a much-vaunted U.S. training campaign for moderates has had difficulty finding acceptable trainees. Many of America’s allies are complicit in funding extremist groups within Syria, even if they oppose ISIS itself, while the White House continues to equivocate on whether it will negotiate with the Assad regime. America’s goals in Syria are unclear, and there is a broad consensus that the current U.S. approach — loosely defined as ‘degrading and destroying’ ISIS — is murky at best.

What is the United States trying to accomplish in Syria? Are its goals achievable with current strategies? Join our panelists as they discuss how we reached this point, and the extent to which the U.S. should or should not be involved in the ongoing conflict.

Subcommittee Hearing: Regional Impact of U.S. Policy Towards Iraq and Syria
Date: April 30, 2:00 pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

The Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will hear testimony from Seth G. Jones, Ph.D., Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation, General Jack Keane, USA, Retired, Chairman of the Board at the Institute for the Study of War, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings.

May 1, 2015

Strengthening Fragile States: Causes and Solutions
Date: May 1, 2:00 pm
Location: Center for International Private Enterprise, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 700, Washington DC

Fragile states drive a disproportionate share of the world’s instability, violence and poverty. People living in these countries suffer from weak or dysfunctional institutions, social divisions, corruption, poor governance, a lack of protection of rights, and large informal sectors. These problems not only cause instability within a country, but create tensions regionally and sometimes globally.

Join us May 1, 2-4pm, as the Center for International Private Enterprise hosts a discussion on Strengthening Fragile States: Causes and Solutions. Our panel will discuss the roots of fragile states and how to strengthen them. Specifically, they will discuss:

Lessons learned from the Arab Spring.
Root causes of fragile states.
How to foster institutions and improve governance through transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors.
Comparing fragile states with functional ones.
The importance of building democratic institutions.
Spillover effects regionally from fragile states.
Private sector participation in the democratic process to strengthen states.
Corruption and fragile states.

Week in DC: Events

April 19, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

April 20, 2015

Operation United Assistance: The U.S. Military’s Relief Efforts in West Africa
Date: April 20, 8:30am
Location: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

The spread of Ebola through West Africa was a vivid demonstration of the outsized threat global health crises pose to international stability and security. The lessons learned from the earliest days of the outbreak point us toward improving our response to the next crisis. High among those lessons must be a clearer understanding of how — and how quickly — assistance could move to the worst stricken regions. The absence of a deliberate planning process for transportation and logistics proved an enormous barrier to effectively deploy essential equipment and personnel where it was most needed.

The ability of the international community, individual governments, private companies, and civil society to rally and stop the spread of the disease was largely due to the deployment of the US military to West Africa to coordinate response logistics, training, and engineering support, in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Among lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak is that building capacity for a coordinated response to global health emergencies is essential to preventing and combatting these threats.

Please join us at the Stimson Center for a discussion on strengthening global health response with US Army Major General Gary Volesky, the commander of the US military’s efforts to combat Ebola in West Africa.

RSVP here.

Politics of a Nuclear Deal: Former U.S. & Iranian Officials Debate
Date: April 20, 9:30am
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC

Iran and the world’s six majors powers now face a June 30 deadline for converting a blueprint into a final nuclear deal. A unique panel of former U.S. and Iranian officials will assess the status of the talks and the political dynamics that will determine the fate of any agreement in Washington and Tehran. Join us for the discussion on April 20 at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

This event is the fourth in the Iran Forum series hosted by a coalition of eight think tanks, including USIP, the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, RAND, the Arms Control Association, the Center for a New American Security, the Stimson Center, Partnership for a Secure America, and the Ploughshares Fund. Join the conversation on Twitter with #IranDeal.

Implementing Cooperative Threat Reduction: The Private Sector’s Role in CTR
Date: April 20, 12:00pm
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Washington DC

Please join Dr. Ighor Uzhinsky of Orbital ATK for a lunchtime discussion of the private sector’s engagement with the implementation of the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program, also known as the Nunn-Lugar Program. CTR was created for the purpose of securing and dismantling weapons of mass destruction and their associated infrastructure in the former states of the Soviet Union. Founded by Senators Sam Nunn (D-GA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) through the passage of the Soviet Threat Reduction Act in November 1991, the program aimed to address the large nuclear arsenals inherited by former Soviet states Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan after the Soviet Union’s collapse. Dr. Uzhinsky will focus on the experience of the private sector in implementing CTR through examination of several cooperative programs in the areas of defense conversion and dismantlement of strategic missile delivery systems.

This event is part of the Nuclear Policy Talks series. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP here.

Ukrainian Energy Reforms and European Gas Supply
Date: April 20, 2:00pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1^st Floor Conference Room, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

The CSIS Energy and National Security Program is pleased to host Alan Riley, Professor of Law at the City Law School with City University in London, to discuss the status of reforms to the Ukrainian energy sector and to provide an update on the European Union’s antitrust case against Gazprom. Following the ousting of Viktor Yanukovych in early 2014, a pro-reform and pro-Western government emerged. Despite the Russian annexation of Crimea and ensuing conflict in eastern Ukraine, much hope is placed in the new Ukrainian government’s ability to institute wide-ranging domestic reforms, particularly in the energy sector. Nonetheless, concrete, effectual changes have yet to materialize.

Simultaneously, the EU is looking to move ahead with its antitrust case against Russian gas giant Gazprom anti-competitive business practices. A well-known authority on both subjects, Professor Riley will provide an overview of the progress being made and the hurdles undermining energy reform in Ukraine as well as the status of the antitrust proceedings against Gazprom. Following Mr. Riley’s presentation, Ambassador Richard Morningstar, Founding Director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, former Ambassador to the European Union and former Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, will provide comments on the issues addressed.Edward Chow, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, will moderate.

A Special Talks @ Pulitzer: Filmmaker Carl Gierstorfer and ‘The Rise of the Killer Virus’
Date: April 20, 5:00pm
Location: Pulitzer Center, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 615, Washington DC

Ukrainian energy sector and to provide an update on the European Union’s antitrust case against Gazprom. Following the ousting of Viktor Yanukovych in early 2014, a pro-reform and pro-Western government emerged. Despite the Russian annexation of Crimea and ensuing conflict in eastern Ukraine, much hope is placed in the new Ukrainian government’s ability to institute wide-ranging domestic reforms, particularly in the energy sector. Nonetheless, concrete, effectual changes have yet to materialize.

Simultaneously, the EU is looking to move ahead with its antitrust case against Russian gas giant Gazprom anti-competitive business practices. A well-known authority on both subjects, Professor Riley will provide an overview of the progress being made and the hurdles undermining energy reform in Ukraine as well as the status of the antitrust proceedings against Gazprom. Following Mr. Riley’s presentation, Ambassador Richard Morningstar, Founding Director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, former Ambassador to the European Union and former Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, will provide comments on the issues addressed. Edward Chow, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, will moderate.

RSVP here.

April 21, 2015

New Counterterrorism Strategies in Pakistan
Date: April 21, 9:30am
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Following the December 2014 terror attack on an army-run school in Peshawar that killed 150, 132 children among them, the Pakistan government issued a National Action Plan (NAP), its latest counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategy. With extremist violence claiming thousands of lives, cross-border attacks undermining security in neighboring Afghanistan, and the risk of a Pakistan-based terror attack on India simmering discontent, Islamabad’s efforts to combat terrorism are vital for both domestic security and regional stability. Samina Ahmed and Mark Schneider will discuss this latest approach and how NAP’s success or failure could shape Pakistan’s relations with India and Afghanistan, and impact U.S. national security interests in the region. Carnegie’s Frederic Grare will moderate.

The Syrian Humanitarian Crisis: What Is to Be Done?
Date: April 21, 9:30am
Location: Washington Court Hotel, Springwood Room, 525 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington DC

The Middle East Policy Council invites you and your colleagues to our 80^th Capitol Hill Conference. Live streaming of this event will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21^st and conclude at noon. A questions and answers session will be held at the end of the proceedings. Refreshments will be served.

Watch live online here.

Current State of Syrian Refugees in Turkey
Date: April 21, 10:00am
Location: SETA Foundation at Washington DC, 1025 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 1106, Washington DC

The civil war has driven 6.5 million Syrians from their country; nearly 2 million now reside in Turkey. While Turkish refugee camps have garnered much attention due to their quality, the majority of Syrian refugees reside outside the camps. In urban areas, the government, aid agencies and NGOs struggle to meet the needs of an-ever growing number of refugees. Please join us for a panel discussion on the refugee crisis in Turkey and its impact on social, political and economic dynamics in the country.

Is the American Century Over?
Date: April 21, 10:00am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

Join us for a conversation with the author of Is the American Century Over?, Joseph S. Nye, as he argues that America’s superpower status may be tempered, but is definitely not over.

For more than a century, the United States has been the world’s most powerful state. Now some analysts predict that China will soon take its place. Does this mean that we are living in a post-American world? Will China’s rapid rise spark a new Cold War between the two titans?

In this compelling essay, world renowned foreign policy analyst, Joseph Nye, explains why the American century is far from over and what the U.S. must do to retain its lead in an era of increasingly diffuse power politics.

RSVP here.

Book Launch—Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Future
Date: April 21, 11:30am
Location: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC

Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future critically examines the key assumptions and driving forces behind today’s global nuclear nonproliferation activity. Please join author Henry Sokolski, Ambassador Robert Gallucci, and former Undersecretary of Defense Dov Zakheim for a luncheon and panel discussion to review findings from the book and discuss current trends in nuclear security.

RSVP here.

Military Balance 2015 Launch in Washington DC
Date: April 21, 2:00pm
Location: International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 801, Washington DC

The US launch of The Military Balance 2015 will take place at IISS-US on April 21. The Military Balance 2015 contains region-by-region analysis of the major military and economic developments affecting defense and security policies, and the trade in weapons and other military equipment. Detailed entries describe the military capabilities of 171 countries, displaying key equipment inventories and defense economics. Comprehensive tables detail arms orders and deliveries, major training activities and international comparisons of defense expenditure and military personnel.

Building Peace in Libya: A Conversation with Wafa Bugaighis
Date: April 21, 3:00pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

As the conflict between Libya’s political factions drags on, its humanitarian and economic crisis deepens. Meanwhile, the Islamic State is exploiting the vacuum wrought by the fighting and the absence of coherent, capable institutions. What are the prospects for a ceasefire and the formation of an inclusive, sustainable government? Wafa Bugaighis, the charge d’affaires and highest-ranking diplomat at the Libyan Embassy in Washington, will offer her vision for ending the war and discuss how the international community can help rebuild Libya. Carnegie’s Frederic Wehrey will moderate.

Does Russian Nationalism Have a Future after Ukraine?
Date: April 21, 3:30pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 5^th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

Russian nationalism has been the victim of what is the essential tragedy of the Russian people: the Russian state tried to become an empire before the Russian people became a nation, and as a result, at no point has the country been a nation state. And while pro-Kremlin radical nationalists are increasingly important in Russian politics, their nationalist agendas have been largely co-opted by the state. The speakers will discuss the crisis facing Russian nationalists and what the future may hold for them.

RSVP here.

Is Authoritarianism Staging a Comeback?
Date: April 21, 5:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

The past few years have marked the beginning of a tumultuous period for global governance. Across the world, we have seen threats to international order and a disruption of longstanding political norms and values as authoritarians get smarter and persist undeterred. With authoritarianism on the rise in many of the world’s most strategically important regions, new questions emerge regarding the diffusion of power, the rise of sometimes violent nonstate actors, and the future role of the nation-state. Developing an appropriate strategy for the advancement of human rights and the support of nonviolent civil resistance movements is thus proving to be one of the most challenging policy dilemmas for the United States and other democracies.

On April 21, the Atlantic Council will be hosting a public discussion of these challenges in recognition of the release of its forthcoming publication, Is Authoritarianism Staging a Comeback? This discussion will feature multiple leading experts on nonviolent civil resistance and authoritarian states, and will explore the range of issues and case-studies examined within this book of essays.

Atlantic Council CEO and President Mr. Frederick Kempe will begin by moderating a discussion on countering authoritarianism between Dr. Peter Ackerman, Dr. Paula Dobriansky, and Mr. Damon Wilson. This will be followed by a discussion of the issues raised in the book itself, featuring Adm. Dennis Blair (USN, Ret.), Dr. George A. Lopez, and Dr. Regine Spector, moderated by Dr. Mathew Burrows and Dr. Maria J. Stephan.

April 22, 2015

Examining U.S.-Israel Relations at a Time of Change in the Middle East
Date: April 22, 10:30am
Location: Center for American Progress, 1333 H St NW, 10^th Floor, Washington DC

The U.S.-Israel relationship has been a centerpiece of U.S. Middle East strategy and a main pillar of Israel’s national security strategy for decades. But political relations between the two countries during the past six years have seen some turbulence, even as security cooperation deepens and they continue to share common interests and values at a time of change and uncertainty in the Middle East.

On April 22, please join the Center for American Progress, the Center for a New American Security, and the Israel Institute to take stock of where we are at this crucial stage in U.S.-Israel relations, featuring two expert panels. The first panel will discuss the management of U.S.-Israel relations, and the second will focus on the main issues under discussion between the two states.

RSVP here to attend in person or watch live online.

April 23, 2015

Do Color Revolutions Really Happen?
Date: April 23, 12:00pm
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, Voesar Conference Room, 1957 E Street NW, Suite 412, Washington DC

The current crisis in Ukraine is firmly rooted in the Orange Revolution and in associated Western beliefs that Ukraine could be wrested from no additional costs Russia and included in Western trade and security structures. The tragic outcome reflects more than the West’s shallow understanding of the dangers involved in pushing Russia into a value-based security order. Even more profoundly, it illustrates how poorly social science has grasped the preconditions for implementing profound institutional change via outside agency. Given the uniformly negative experience of a host of different “color revolutions,” it may be time to rethink the Western agenda of fixing things.

RSVP here.

The Authoritarian Resurgence: China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela
Date: April 23, 12:00pm
Location: National Endowment for Democracy, 1025 F Street NW, Suite 800, Washington DC

Russia, Venezuela, China, and Saudi Arabia are among the most influential authoritarian states that are seeking to reshape the international order. These regimes may disagree on many things, but they share the objective of obstructing the advance of democracy and weakening the influence of democratic principles in the world. The established democracies have been slow to recognize the increasingly determined challenge from today’s authoritarians, perhaps because they hope that these regimes will be undone by their flaws. But given the resilience that the authoritarians have displayed so far, it would be imprudent for the democracies to underestimate the seriousness of the dangers that they pose. Based on articles that appear in the January 2015 and April 2015 issues of the Journal of Democracy, Javier Corrales, Andrew J. Nathan, Lilia Shevtsova, and Frederic Wehrey will discuss the multifaceted challenges presented by these regimes.

Week in DC: Events

April 13, 2015July 15, 2016 by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, Week In DC

April 13, 2015

Iraq Under Abadi: Bridging Sectarian Divides in the Face of ISIS
Date: April 13, 9:00am
Location: American Enterprise Institute, 1150 Seventeenth Street NW, Twelfth Floor, Washington DC

At the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, US warplanes began airstrikes against ISIS positions in Tikrit on March 25. But ISIS isn’t the only challenge standing in the way of a stable, unified, democratic Iraq. How should the United States approach Iranian influence in Iraq? Can Iraq ever achieve a true power-sharing democracy in spite of the sectarian divides between Kurds, Sunnis, and Shi’ites?

A day before Abadi meets with President Obama in Washington, please join us for a panel discussion on the future of America’s strategic partnership with Iraq. Experts with extensive regional experience will address the ISIS threat, growing Iranian influence, an economy hamstrung by low oil prices, and looming Kurdish separatism.

RSVP here.

Big Data for Defense and National Security: Maintaining the U.S. Technological Edge
Date: April 13, 11:00am
Location: Government Executive

With posting, tweeting, and streaming, the average American knowledge worker creates 1.8 million megabytes of data a year, enough to fill 9 CD-ROMS a day. But the big data revolution has just begun. There will be 44 times as much digital information in 2020 (35 ZB) as there was in 2009 (.8 ZB) according to IDC.

The national security community is a pioneer in the use of big data to achieve mission objectives but the analytics space is growing as quickly as the volume of digital data, itself. This session will focus on using big data analytics to maintain the U.S. technological edge and gaining advantage over adversaries. Join the discussion to learn:

What is the future of big data analysis biometrics relating to defense and national security?
How do we translate the insights into operational relevance?
What can be done to mitigate the risks of false positives?
Can we balance data collection for the purpose of national security with privacy concerns?

Share your questions during the live viewcast using: #NatSecData

The Iran Nuclear Deal
Date: April 13, 11:00am
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

What are the short and long-term obstacles to finalizing and sustaining a nuclear deal with Iran, and how would a U.S.-Iran nuclear détente impact ongoing conflicts and long-standing alliances in the Middle East? Join the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for two panels discussing the nuclear deal and its regional implications.

The Newburgh Sting and the FBI’s Production of the Domestic Terrorism Threat
Date: April 13, 12:00pm
Location: Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Since 2001 the Federal Bureau of Investigation has led a vigorous hunt for domestic terrorists. The results have been mixed. Several attacks have occurred, though not with the apocalyptic results officials predicted. Authorities have stopped other domestic terrorists and, arguably, manufactured more. Through informants and undercover agents, the FBI has essentially organized fake terrorist plots, some ensnaring individuals so inept that they seemed incapable of succeeding in terrorism without government assistance.

One such case is featured in The Newburgh Sting, a 2014 documentary that aired on HBO. The film uses the FBI’s own secret recordings to show how an undercover informant induced four men to join a plot to blow up a Bronx synagogue and attack a nearby U.S. military base. The presiding judge said the government “came up with the crime, provided the means, and removed all relevant obstacles,” thus making a terrorist out of a man “whose buffoonery is positively Shakespearean in scope.”

Please join us for a discussion with The Newburgh Sting’s creator, featuring segments of the film, along with experts from Cato and Amnesty. They will discuss why these sorts of investigations occur and what harm they might cause.

Lunch Panel on Iran Deal: Some Answers, More Questions
Date: April 13, 12:00pm
Location: JINSA, 1307 New York Ave NW, Washington DC

The recently announced Iran-P5+1 framework agreement raises as many questions as it answers – both political and technical – when it comes to securing an acceptable final deal that prevents a nuclear-capable Iran. The Iran Task Force at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy will hold a lunch panel event on April 13, 2015, to discuss its report assessing the outcome of negotiations thus far and next steps for the Administration and Congress.

Cracking Down on Militancy in Pakistan
Date: April 13, 3:30pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Pakistan experienced a ‘Pearl Harbor’ moment last December, when militants attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar. Some say the attack caused a key shift in media and government attitude toward militant factions. However, real directional change had already occurred within the Pakistani Army in June 2014, after it reoriented its objectives and dropped the notion of “good” and “bad” Taliban. The internal dynamics of Islamist militant factions have been in flux for some time amid the changing landscape. What paths are militant groups – such as Jammat-al-Ahraar, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and even core Al Qaeda and the resurgent Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham – pondering, given the current climate? Hamid will discuss the militancy challenges facing Pakistan.

April 14, 2015

A Different Route to Countering Violent Extremism: What Works?
Date: April 14, 9:30am
Location: United States Institute of Peace, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC

From Paris to northeastern Nigeria to Burma, violent extremism has emerged as a critical threat to peace and stability. Military and police responses make headlines, but many governments, civil society organizations and individuals also are doing painstaking work to build resilience, support alternative narratives, reduce underlying divisions and ultimately counter the allure of militant groups. State Department Counselor on Counterterrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism, Eric Rosand, joins the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum on Tuesday, April 14, at the U.S. Institute of Peace for a discussion of the results of these efforts, and how to build on effective approaches.

RSVP here.

A Discussion on the FBI 9/11 Review Commission Report
Date: April 14, 10:00am
Location: Elliott School of International Relations, 1957 E Street NW, City View Room, Washington DC

In 2013 Congress directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation to establish a commission to carry out a “comprehensive external review of the implementation of the recommendations related to the FBI” that were proposed by the 9/11 Commission in 2004. That new review commission was convened in late 2013 and released its final report last month, available at this link.

The report examines a range of issues related to the FBI’s counterterrorism and intelligence roles, including such issues as how the FBI addresses emerging threats; the FBI’s relationships with key federal, state, and local partners; and the role of intelligence analysts at the Bureau.

The GW Center for Cyber & Homeland Security (CCHS) is convening a roundtable discussion to assess the findings and recommendations of the report, with participation by Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University, and Ambassador Tim Roemer, two of the three Commissioners who led the Review; John Gannon, the Executive Director of the Review; and Mark Giuliano, the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The discussion will be moderated by Christian Beckner, Deputy Director of CCHS, and the event will include time for participant Q&A.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About U.S. Sanctions on Russia * (*but were afraid to ask)
Date: April 14, 12:00pm
Location: Georgetown University, 37^th and O Street NW, Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Intercultural Center, Washington DC

The BMW Center invites you to “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About U.S. Sanctions on Russia* (*but were afraid to ask)” with Adam Smith from the United States Treasury.

U.S. sanctions on Russia are among the most complicated and most consequential economic measures the United States has ever imposed – Russia is by far the largest, most connected economy ever targeted, and the sanctions bring with them unique challenges to the U.S., our closest allies, and the global economy. The result has been a sanctions regime unlike any other, requiring the development of innovative economic tools and intensive US-EU and US-G7 diplomacy.

Adam’s lecture will provide an overview of the mechanics of U.S. sanctions, how new sanctions tools have been developed to address Russian aggression, the ways in which these measures have been deployed in coordination with sanctions imposed by other states and the EU, and the impacts we have been seen.

Setting the Stage for Peace in Syria
Date: April 14, 12:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th St NW, 12^th Floor, Washington DC

After four years of conflict, the prospect of a stable Syria continues to be bleak, with a diplomatic solution nowhere in sight and military steps lacking in international support. In their report titled, Setting the Stage for Peace in Syria: The Case for a Syrian National Stabilization Force, authors Hof, Kodmani, and White present a new way forward – one that takes President Obama’s train and equip program to the next level forging a Syrian ground force which could constitute the core of the future Syrian Army. The force would have the military mission of defeating any combination of enemies obstructing the stabilization of the country and the establishment of legitimate, inclusive governance in all of Syria. How can this force change the dynamics of the conflict on the ground and how can the international community help build it? What other elements need to be in place to make this force an effective part of a broader resolution of the conflict? Please join us for a discussion of these and other questions focusing on this new report.

At the Hariri Center, Ambassador Frederic Hof specializes in the conflict in Syria. Bassma Kodmani is Cofounder and Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative, a consortium of policy analysis institutes that mobilize research capacity to advance democratic change in Arab countries. Jeffrey White is a Defense Fellow at the Washington Institute specializing in the military and security affairs of the Levant.

RSVP here.

Subcommittee Hearing: Yemen Under Attack by Iranian-Backed Houthis
Date: April 14, 2:00pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

The Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa hosts the following witness: The Honorable Gerald M. Feierstein, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

April 15, 2015

Hearing: Confronting Russia’s Weaponization of Information
Date: April 15, 10:00am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “For years, Putin has used the Russian media to consolidate power at home and divide societies abroad. The strategies employed today by the Kremlin are highly sophisticated and well-funded with an estimated annual budget of more than $600 million. Russia’s media machine has polluted the media environment, the truth is lost, listeners don’t know whom to believe, and fear divides society. Unfortunately, the U.S. has been slow to respond to this challenge and the agency charged with leading the effort – the Broadcasting Board of Governors – has a well-documented history of dysfunction. We need to reform the BBG if we are to have a chance against this ‘weaponization’ of information.”

Moving Cybersecurity Innovations from the Research Lab to the Marketplace
Date: April 15, 12:00pm
Location: Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, 1307 New York Ave NW, Washington DC

The Cyber Security Division (CSD) within the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate has successfully transitioned over 30 of its research efforts since 2004 into commercial and government use. These results include a number of start-up firms, new products, and open source projects. Established in 2012 with White House support, the Transition to Practice (TTP) Program is tasked with spreading the CSD methodology for tech transition to other federal organizations conducting cybersecurity research. TTP provides a structured process for taking research results, validating them through testing and pilots with partners, and working with an appropriate private sector entity on development and commercialization. The program currently has over 20 technologies in the pipeline for transition. Mr. Michael Pozmantier, manager of the TTP, will speak about the program’s methodology, success stories and lessons learned, and his perspective on technology transfer based on the TTP’s notable track record.

Subcommittee Hearing: The Continuing Threat of Neglected Tropical Diseases
Date: April 15, 2:30pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

The subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations host the following witnesses: Ariel Pablos-Méndez, M.D., Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development; Peter J. Hotez, M.D., President, Sabin Vaccine Institute; and Mr. Nicholas Kourgialis, Vice President, Eye Health, Helen Keller International.

Crime and Counterterrorism in Karachi
Date: April 15, 3:00pm
Location: Project for Study of the 21^st Century, 1333 H Street NW, Washington DC

Drawing on his time as a police officer and counterterrorism official in Karachi, Omar Hamid discusses the nexus of crime, militancy and corruption in Pakistan’s most populous city. With ever more people living in ever more crowded metropolises, will it ever be possible to maintain the rule of law? And from half a world away, what hope does Washington ever have of influencing events on the ground?

Russia and the West: A New Cold War
Date: April 15, 3:00pm
Location: International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2121 K Street NW, Washington DC

Are Russia and the NATO embarking on a new Cold War? Since the Ukraine crisis intensified with Russia’s annexation last year of Crimea, this question has been covered intensively in the IISS journal Survival: Global Politics and Strategy. In the February-March 2015 issue, Georgetown associate professor Matthew Kroenig argued that NATO needed to face reality by preparing for such a struggle, including planning ‘for the development and deployment of a new generation of sub-strategic nuclear weapons to Europe.’ In the April-May issue Brookings Fellow Jeremy Shapiro, in a commentary co-authored with IISS Senior Fellow Samuel Charap, argued on the contrary that a new Cold War ‘would be hugely dangerous and costly,’ and to avoid it the US should be prepared for ‘negotiations on a revised regional order in Europe.’

Please join both authors as they present their arguments in a session chaired by Survival Editor Dana Allin.

Russian Media and Ukraine’s Domestic Politics
Date: April 15, 3:30pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

The Russian state increasingly uses state-controlled television as a means of propaganda both within its own borders and abroad. Using precinct-level electoral returns and survey data, Leonid Peisakhin will discuss how exposure to Russian television impacted Ukrainian voters in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary elections.

April 16, 2015

Next Generation Nuclear Energy: Cooperation Between Korea and the United States
Date: April 16, 8:30am
Location: Capitol Visitor Center, East Capitol Street and 1^st Street NE, Washington DC

On Thursday, April 16 the Global America Business Institute (GABI) in collaboration with the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) will host a hill briefting on the ‘Next Generation Nuclear Energy: Cooperation Between Korea and the U.S.’

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Mark Olson here. The venue is subject to change.

RSVP here.

Assessing U.S. Sanctions: Impact, Effectiveness, Consequences
Date: April 16, 8:45am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

The unfolding crisis in Ukraine has the United States and its European allies struggling to find a way to respond to Russia’s actions and continuing violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. To date, that response is centered on calibrated but escalating sanctions against Russia. Once again, American reliance on sanctions as an essential foreign policy tool is on display.

The deployment of sanctions as the primary response directed at a foreign government has ample precedent in modern American foreign policy. Given the importance and likely duration of the conflict in Ukraine, this is an important moment to examine the impact, effectiveness, and consequences of U.S. and U.S.-led sanctions as a policy tool. Past and current examples of sanctions, including Iran, South Africa, Cuba and others will provide important context for understanding the role that sanctions play in American statecraft.

RSVP here.

The Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Critical Issue
Date: April 16, 12:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5 plus 1 have entered a crucial phase ahead of the March 30 deadline for a framework agreement. A distinguished panel of experts will examine some of the key issues involved in the negotiations and assess some of the pitfalls that must be avoided if an acceptable agreement is to be reached by the June 30th deadline for a final agreement.

U.S.-Japan-Australia Security Cooperation: Prospects and Challenges
Date: April 16, 12:00pm
Location: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

In the last several years, the trilateral security relationship among the United States, Japan, and Australia has quickly emerged as one of the most robust “minilateral” cooperative relationships that the United States has with its allies. Much of this is due to the degree to which security relations between the non-US participants – Japan and Australia in this case – have deepened. Today, Japan and Australia are growing to be each nation’s most important security partner following the United States. The US-Japan-Australia trilateral security relationship is also unique in its strong inclination to engage in preserving and buttressing the existing international order in the region. The trilateral relationship has the potential to become a foundation for engagement with other countries in activities that build regional peace and stability. For these reasons, Stimson Center’s latest publication US-Japan-Australia Trilateral Cooperation: Prospects and Challenges dedicates its attention to the US-Japan-Australia trilateral security relationship and seeks to serve as an introduction to the evolving and dynamic trilateral security relations among Washington, Canberra, and Tokyo.

RSVP here.

Reform in Ukraine and What Kyiv Can Learn from the Baltic Experience
Date: April 16, 1:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Please join the Atlantic Council for a conversation with the former Prime Minister of Lithuania, Mr. Andrius Kubilius, and Dr. Anders Aslund, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, on how the Lithuanian experience can inform Ukraine’s economic reform process.

Continued Kremlin aggression in Ukraine’s east has forced Ukraine into war on two fronts: a military war to secure its borders, and an economic war to secure its future stability. Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved $17.5 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine. The IMF package aims to stabilize Ukraine’s finances, restore growth, and support modernization. The new Ukrainian government, under President Petro Poroshenko, is determined to implement IMF reforms, but reformers face challenges left behind by the Soviet legacy and years of mismanagement of the country’s finances. The Baltic States faced similar, seemingly insurmountable, economic challenges in the early 1990s. Today, the Baltics are the emblematic example of successful post-Soviet transformation. Can Ukraine repeat the Baltic economic miracle?

Mr. Kubilius was Prime Minister of Lithuania from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. This year, he will join Ukraine’s International Advisory Council for Reforms. Dr. Aslund, Swedish economist, is a leading thinker on economic transformation in Eastern Europe. In a conversation moderated by Ambassador John Herbst, Director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and former Ambassador to Ukraine, Mr. Kubilius and Dr. Aslund will discuss the Ukrainian economy and how the transatlantic alliance can support Ukraine’s reform process. Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President of the Atlantic Council, will deliver welcoming remarks.

This event is open to press and on the record.

Options for Dealing with North Korea: More Patience or Engagement?
Date: April 16, 2:00pm
Location: Korea Economic Institute, 1800 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington DC

The United States and South Korea find themselves at a crossroads in managing policy towards North Korea. With the Six Party Talks dormant and a growing concern that North Korea is advancing its nuclear program unchecked, there is much distrust on the peninsula. At the same time, economic engagement has faced challenges with North Korea continuing to make unilateral changes at the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Please join KEI for a discussion with the Honorable Stephen Bosworth and Dr. Marcus Noland on economic and diplomatic options for the United States and South Korea in dealing with North Korea.

RSVP here.

The State of Healthcare and Women’s Rights in Libya
Date: April 16, 4:00pm
Location: O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, 550 First Street NW, Washington DC

Working as CEO and Deputy Director General of the Benghazi Medical Center, one of Libya’s two biggest tertiary healthcare centers, for the last four years, Dr. Laila Bugaighis is one of a few women executive leaders working in the public healthcare sector in Libya. Her achievements have led to her official nomination to minister of health more than once.

She grew up between Libya and Austria, spent a gap year studying political economics in the USA before pursing her medical education in Libya. In 2001 Dr. Bugaighis went on to train and finish her postgraduate studies in the UK to become a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of London. She returned to Libya in 2006 and started working as consultant and Senior Lecturer at the University of Benghazi Medical School. She started her advocacy for reform, ending corruption, and saving women from violence and death. In 2010 she presented results of a four-year Audit, which looked into the failure of reducing maternal deaths in Libya, at an International British Conference, and pushed for the recommendations for reducing maternal mortality in Libya.

Dr. Bugaighis is a member of the Scientific Committee for Reproductive Health of Libya, and a member of the Libyan-EU initiative for healthcare systems reform. In 2012 she reached out to the Global Health arm of Harvard and MGH to link healthcare centers and improve standards and quality in her country. In March 2011 she founded the National Protection Against Violence Committee, which aimed to implement a comprehensive program for gender-based violence in Libya. The Committee, which she chaired, was later incorporated into the Ministry of Health. She also chaired the violence cluster of the United Nations Mission in Libya in 2011, and was invited by the University of Toronto Law School in February 2013 to join a panel of experts on Gender Based Violence in Libya and Syria.

She is co-founder of Al Tawafuk Al Watani, a political NGO working to raise awareness.

Unconventional Methods for Assessing Unconventional Threats
Date: April 16, 6:00pm
Location: George Mason University, 1202 Merten Hall, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA

Dr. Gary Ackerman is the Director of the Unconventional Weapons and Technology Division at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). Prior to taking up his current position, he was Research Director and Special Projects Director at START and before that the Director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Research Program at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California.

His research encompasses various areas relating to terrorism and counterterrorism, including terrorist threat assessment, radicalization, terrorist technologies and motivations for using chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons, and the modeling and simulation of terrorist behavior. He is the co-editor of Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction (CRC Press, 2009), author of several articles on CBRN terrorism and has testified on terrorist motivations for using nuclear weapons before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security.

Dr. Ackerman received an M.A. in International Relations from Yale University and a Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College London.

The Future of Global Health
Date: April 16, 6:30pm
Location: The Hamilton, 600 14^th Street NW, Washington DC

Hosted by Global Health Council and the Global Health Fellows Program II, The Future of Global Health 2015 is an event for global health unlike any other. It is a unique opportunity to step outside the usual panel discussion format and engage in meaningful conversation with peers and potential mentors.

The goal of TFGH15 is to foster connections and increase knowledge through conversations among new and established members of the global health community. This year’s event will focus on the global health workplace – the challenges, solutions and skills needed to advance progress on the global health issues of our time. The breadth of sectors – private, non-profit, government, academic and donor – will be represented among the event’s discussion group leaders, mentors and attendees.

This unconference features small group discussions and one-on-one conversation opportunities with senior global health professionals.

Tickets are available here for $30.

April 17, 2015

Honeypots and Sticky Fingers: The Electronic Trap to Reveal Iran’s Illicit Cyber Network
Date: April 17, 2:00pm
Location: American Enterprise Institute, 1150 17^th Street NW, Washington DC

The West has severely underestimated Iran’s cyberwarfare capabilities. Despite sanctions, the Islamic Republic has managed to build a sophisticated information technology (IT) infrastructure, and new intelligence indicates that the Iranian regime may be maintaining front companies in the West to obtain cyber technology. How can the United States and its allies enhance their security and combat Iran in cyberspace?

We invite you to join AEI and the Norse Corporation for a groundbreaking discussion on the Iranian cyber threat and the key findings from their joint report analyzing Iran’s IT infrastructure and malware activity. General Keith Alexander, former commander of US Cyber Command and former director of the National Security Agency, will deliver a keynote address. At the end of the event, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the report’s data firsthand at interactive workstations.

Lessons Learned from the Ebola Response Enhancing Global Health Security
Date: April 17, 3:00pm
Location: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, 8^th Floor, Washington DC

In 2011 the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) review committee warned that, “the world is ill-prepared to respond to a severe influenza pandemic or to any similarly global, sustained and threatening public-health emergency.” Three years later the spread of Ebola in West Africa was a vivid demonstration of shortcomings in global health security.

Stimson and the Government of Finland invite you to join us to discuss the lessons learned from the 2014 Ebola outbreak. We will highlight the activities of Global Health Security Agenda partner countries in the affected West African countries, their efforts to rebuild health systems, and their lessons from the crisis. We will also discuss the role of civil society and private industry to the Ebola response. We will draw lessons learned from international organizations as we consider how the Global Health Security Agenda can best contribute to the strengthening of common capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat of infectious diseases in the future.

RSVP here.

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