Category: Week In DC

December 15, 2014

National Reconciliation and Negotiation: The Path Forward in Iraq and Syria
Date: December 15, 9:00am
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Kenney Herter Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Please join the Middle East Institute’s Initiative for Track II Dialogues, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and New America for a conference examining the prospects for national reconciliations in Iraq and the conditions for reviving political negotiations in Syria.

The event will feature expert panel discussions on past attempts at national reconciliation in Iraq and its future prospects, and the domestic and regional drivers of conflict resolution processes in Syria.

Join the waitlist to attend in person here, or watch live online here.

The Future of Homeland Missile Defense: A Fresh Look at Programs and Policy
Date: December 15, 9:00am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

The Center for Strategic and International Studies welcomes Missile Defense Agency director Vice Admiral James Syring and other experts to discuss both policy and programmatic aspects of the future of homeland defense.

What is the future of homeland missile defense efforts? Recent tests have confirmed the lethality of the Ground Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system and hit-to-kill technology. Focus is now turning to how best to evolve existing homeland defense capabilities, including redesigned kill vehicles and improved discrimination capabilities. Other longer term questions arise as well if capabilities are to continue to outpace developing missile threats.

Register here to attend in person or watch live online here.

The Escalating Shi’a-Sunni Conflict: Assessing the Role of ISIS
Date: December 15, 9:30am
Location: The Stimson Center, 1111 19^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, Washington DC

Today, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) controls and effectively governs large parts of territory based on a sectarian agenda. By implementing an ideology of religious intolerance, ISIS plays a significant role in deepening the already existing sectarian divide in a region deeply embroiled in conflict. Its appeal namely lies in its ability to offer an alternative to many communities that have felt marginalized and threatened in the past, and more so since the Arab uprisings began.

Given its anti-Shi’a agenda, did ISIS capitalize on the conditions in Iraq and the Levant or did it help create them? Does ISIS have the potential to spread to other countries in the region where there is a sectarian problem, such as Lebanon? What is the potential for the US to push back on the ISIS march? Is Washington throwing money at the problem or are US military efforts actually making a difference on the ground? Our discussants will address these issues, with a particular focus on Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

RSVP here.

International Diplomacy and the Ukraine Crisis
Date: December 15, 9:30am
Location: International Institute for Strategic Studies—US, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 801, Washington DC

The Hon. Vladimir Lukin was the special envoy of the Russian president for the February 21st talks in Kiev between then‑President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders. He served as Russia’s ambassador to the US from 1992‑1994, in various positions in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as an MP in the Russian State Duma. From 2004‑2014, he was the Human Rights Commissioner of Russia. He was one of the founders of the Yabloko political party. He received his PhD in History from Moscow State Pedagogical Institute.

The Hon. Richard Burt serves as managing director at McLarty Associates, where he has led the firm’s work in Europe and Eurasia since 2007. He was the chief US negotiator in the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks with the Soviet Union that produced the landmark START agreement. Prior to this, he served as US ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany; assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs; and director of the political‑military affairs bureau. From 1973 to 1977, he worked for the IISS, first as a research associate, then as editor of Survival, and finally as assistant director of the Institute.

Sir Michael Leigh is a Transatlantic Academy Fellow, consultant and senior advisor to the German Marshall Fund. He joined GMF after more than 30 years in EU institutions. In 2006, he became Director‑General for Enlargement at the European Commission. Prior to that, he served for three years as external relations deputy director‑general with responsibility for European Neighborhood Policy, relations with Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East, and the Mediterranean countries; and as chief negotiator for several EU Accession Negotiations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University and a PhD in political science from MIT.

The event will be chaired by Dr Samuel Charap, IISS Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia. Register here.

The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy
Date: December 15, 11:00am
Location: Center for American Progress, 1333 H Street NW, 10^th Floor, Washington DC

Foreign policy crises seem to be multiplying around the world, including the brutal threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, continued Russian support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, violence in the Central African Republic, and civil conflict in Libya and Yemen. In the face of these challenges, deeply divergent views about American foreign policy interests and the appropriate use of American power have divided both Democrats and Republicans across and within party lines.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a public event on the future direction of U.S. foreign policy and the role of America around the world.

RSVP here or watch online here.

December 16, 2014

The Battle of Ideas 2.0: Combatting ISIS Ideology at Home and Abroad
Date: December 16, 12:00pm
Location: Washington Institute for Near East Policy

In a speech before the Security Council last month, UN human rights chief Prince Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein called for a Muslim-led campaign to combat the ideology of the “Islamic State”/ISIS, alongside the coalition’s military campaign against the group in Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, the White House is planning to hold a summit on efforts aimed at countering violent extremism at home. As policymakers debate and shape CVE programs in the United States and abroad, The Washington Institute is pleased to host a Policy Forum featuring a keynote presentation by HRH Prince Zeid (by video conference), followed by remarks from Hedieh Mirahmadi and Matthew Levitt. The webcast will start at 12:30 p.m EST.

Watch live online here.

What Fuels Global Jihadism?
Date: December 16, 12:00pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The recent Senate report about the CIA’s use of torture against suspected terrorists renews important questions about the most effective and ethical means to counter the threat of global jihadism. Maajid Nawaz, a former Islamist extremist turned liberal activist, will offer an assessment of how and why young men around the world are recruited into jihadist groups as well as provide policy prescriptions to reverse these trends. Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour will moderate.

Register here.

Congressional Options and Their Likely Consequences for a Nuclear Deal with Iran
Date: December 16, 1:00pm
Location: RAND Corporation, B-369 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

With nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 now extended beyond the original November 24 deadline, some members of Congress might now attempt to intervene legislatively. Congressional action could either help or hinder the implementation of whatever deal may be reached. What options are available to Congress, and what are the likely consequences of each for the United States?

Join RAND analyst Larry Hanauer as he identifies and assesses eight potential courses of action that Congress could take that might either facilitate, hinder, or block implementation of a nuclear deal.

• To what extent can the president provide Iran with sanctions relief without congressional approval?
• How can Congress influence the Administration’s implementation of an Iran nuclear deal?
• How might new sanctions passed by Congress affect the implementation of a deal?
• What could Congress do if Iran fails to comply with an agreement?

Register here.

A Discussion on National Security with Dr. Harlan Ullman
Date: December 16, 4:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Please join the Atlantic Council for a discussion of the challenges facing the United States and the strategy required to tackle them with Dr. Harlan Ullman, senior adviser at the Atlantic Council and author of a new book, A Handful of Bullets: How the Murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Still Menaces the Peace.

An expert on global security and nontraditional threats, Dr. Ullman advances innovative recommendations for addressing the dangers facing the United States today.  With the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the outbreak of Ebola, and failed governments giving rise to crises ranging from Eurasia to the Middle East and beyond, he argues it is critical for global leaders to respond strategically.  As part of the Atlantic Council’s effort to inject strategic thinking into the dialogue about the challenges the United States and its allies face, Dr. Ullman will outline what the United States should do to address these threats and to remain a global leader.  Drawing lessons from a century of history, he will recommend a new strategic approach to failing governments, economic despair, disparity, and dislocation, ideological extremism, and environmental calamities.

Dr. Ullman is a senior adviser at the Atlantic Council and a member of its Strategic Advisors Group.  He is also a senior advisor at Business Executives for National Security, chairman of the Killowen Group, and director of the Capital Guardian Mutual Fund.  Dr. Ullman sits on the advisory board of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Commander European Command, and IE/SPS.

Register here.

Ebola: The Culture of Preparing for and Recovering from Pandemics
Date: December 16, 5:30pm
Location: Virginia Tech, School of Public and International Affairs, 900 N. Glebe Road, 2^nd Floor, Arlington VA

Dr. Reuben Varghese, director, and Josephine Peters, RN, planning and education chief for Arlington Public Health, will present “Ebola: The Culture of Preparing for and Recovering from Pandemics.”

These two Arlington health officials were on the scene when Arlington endured an Ebola scare on Oct. 17, 2014. They will discuss how the situation unfolded, what important lessons were learned, and how this false alarm may impact policy moving forward.

This is the first lecture in the Living Lab Series sponsored by the School of Public and International Affairs.

Email andrea.morris@vt.edu to register.

December 17, 2014

U.S. Nuclear Arms Control Policy: A Talk with Under Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller
Date: December 17, 10:00am
Location: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Falk Auditorium, Washington DC

The Obama administration took office with high hopes for nuclear arms control and non-proliferation, and can claim definite achievements, such as the New START Treaty and the nuclear security summit process. But progress on arms control has slowed and the Ukraine-Russia crisis has created a political atmosphere far less conducive to further reductions. How is the administration approaching arms control as it prepares for the final two years of the Obama presidency?

On December 17, the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative at Brookings will host Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller, who will discuss the Obama administration’s policy on nuclear arms control and the prospects for further progress. Brookings Senior Fellow Steven Pifer will moderate the discussion. Following her remarks, the Under Secretary will take questions from the audience.

Register here.

The End of South Stream and the Future of Russia’s Pipeline Politics
Date: December 17, 11:00am
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS, Room 500, 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

On a recent visit to Ankara, Putin announced the scrapping of the multibillion dollar South Stream gas pipeline project and signaled that a new link could be built with Turkey. Join us on December 17 for a discussion on the cancellation of South Stream and the resulting geopolitical and economic implications for the region. CGI is honored to welcome Edward Chow, senior fellow in the Energy and National Security Program at CSIS, and Tim Boersma, fellow and acting director of the Energy Security Initiative at Brookings, to consider what the latest development means for Europe, Russia, Turkey and the United States. CGI Program Director Konstantin Avramov will moderate the discussion.

The Ukrainian Revolution, One Year Later: A Conversation with US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland
Date: December 17, 11:00am
Location: American Enterprise Institute, 1150 17^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, Washington DC

On November 21, 2013, protests erupted in Kiev’s Independence Square against then–Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to effectively block his country’s path toward European integration. One year later, Yanukovych has fled the country, and the Ukrainian people have replaced him with moderate, pro-Europe parties in the October 26 parliamentary elections. What does the future hold for the Ukrainian revolution?

Please join us at AEI for a conversation with Victoria Nuland, US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, on what the United States should do to help consolidate and defend a Europe-bound, democratic Ukraine in the face of a severe economic crisis and the renewed threat of Russian military aggression.

For more information and to register email joe.gates@aei.org.

A Score Card: The First Three Years of Kim Jong Un’s Rule
Date: December 17, 2:00pm
Location: The Washington Times, 3600 New York Ave NE, Washington DC

Three years have passed since Kim Jong Il died on December 17, 2011, and his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, succeeded him as ruler of North Korea. On this anniversary of his assumption to power, the OPSA invites Asian affairs experts to assess the young Kim’s efforts to bring stability and progress to his regime and grapple with the many challenges left by his father.

December 17, 2014 marks the official end of the mourning period for Kim Jong Il. Could the fourth year of Kim Jong Un’s leadership present the possibility of a start of a new era in North Korea — and U.S.-DPRK relations, considering the unilateral release of three American captives and visit to Pyongyang by the Director of National Intelligence — or is “there enough evidence to hold Kim Jong Un accountable for massive human rights atrocities comparable to Nazi-era atrocities,” as charged by UN human rights investigator Marzuki Darusman?

The forum will examine what Kim Jong Un has accomplished in three years, what he has failed to accomplish, and what he will need to do for the future, including assessments of inter-Korean relations, and bilateral relations with China, Russia, Japan and the U.S.

We will also explore possible innovative solutions to break the logjam in North-South relations, including a proposal for a summit between Kim Jong Un and President Park Geun-hye by the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japan next August.

These points will be considered against the backdrop of what senior North Korean officials have repeatedly told outsiders: that Kim Jong Un will be around for the long term and it is incumbent on the U.S. (as well as Japan and South Korea) to find ways to engage him (and, if the Obama administration won’t engage the DPRK, they will wait for the next president).

Email wselig@upf.org to register.

Political Insults: How Offenses Escalate Conflict
Date: December 17, 3:30pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

In her new book, Karina V. Korostelina offers a novel framework for analyzing the ways in which seemingly minor insults between ethnic groups, nations, and other types of groups escalate to disproportionately violent behavior and political conflict. The book shows that insult can take many forms and has the power to destablize and redefine social and power hierarchies. Korostelina uses her model to explore recent conflicts in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere, and to explain the complicated dynamics associated with them.

RSVP here.

From Empires of Faith to Nationalizations of Islam & the Globalization of Jihad in Central Asia
Date: December 17, 4:00pm
Location: Elliot School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Suite 412, Voesar Conference Room, Washington DC

This seminar will discuss the versatility, uses and abuses of Islam as religion by the faithful and its various deployments by the political elites for establishing empires of faith, resisting colonialism, attempting to build nation-states and waging global jihad in the late 20th and early 21st centuries in Central Asia. More specifically it will focus on the consequences of nationalization and demonization of Islam by the rulers, an inadequate knowledge of Islam by its practitioners and entitlement demands by the jihadists, especially in Afghanistan.

Nazif Shahrani is Professor of Anthropology, Central Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington and has served two terms as Chairman of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and Director of the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Program at IU. Shahrani is an Afghan American anthropologist with extensive field research in Afghanistan, and has studied Afghan refugee communities in Pakistan & Turkey. Since 1992 he has also conducted field research in post-Soviet Muslim republics of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. He is interested in the impact of Islam on social life and political culture of Muslims, problems of state failure the role of nationalism in social fragmentation in multi-ethnic nation states, and the political economy of international assistance to postcolonial failing states and its consequences.

RVSP here.

December 18, 2014

The State and Future of Egypt’s Islamists
Date: December 18, 12:00pm
Location: Hudson Institute, 1015 15^th Street NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

Who are Egypt’s Islamists? What are the internal dynamics among Islamism’s various individual and collective constituents? How have the dramatic political developments in Egypt over the past four years affected the country’s Islamists, and what are their future prospects?

Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Samuel Tadros’s two-year long study of Egyptian Islamism has resulted in two landmark reports. The first,Mapping Egyptian Islamism, profiles 128 currents, groups, and individuals that form the complex Egyptian Islamist scene. The second,Islamist vs. Islamist: The Theologico-Political Questions, examines the internal dynamics of Islamism in terms of the relationships among its leading figures and major tendencies, and their disagreements on key theological and political questions.

On December 18th, Hudson Institute will host a panel discussion on the future of Egypt’s Islamists and Tadros’s two new reports featuring Mokhtar Awad of the Center for American Progress, William McCants of the Brookings Institution, and Eric Trager of the Washington Institute. Samuel Tadros will moderate the discussion.

Register here.

December 19, 2014

Bordering on Terrorism: Turkey’s Syria Policy and the Rise of the Islamic State
Date: December 19, 9:30am
Location: Foundation for Defense of Democracies, 1726 M Street NW, Suite 700, Washington DC

Southeastern Turkey has become a hub for terror finance, arms smuggling, illegal oil sales, and the flow of fighters to extremist groups in Syria including the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra. Ankara has made explicit that it supports the arming of Syrian rebels, although whether Ankara is directly assisting jihadist groups remains unclear.

Nevertheless, Turkey’s reluctance to cooperate with the international coalition acting against the Islamic State has undermined domestic stability, threatened the country’s economy and placed it on a collision course with the United States. Should Washington, therefore, seek to persuade Ankara to confront extremism at home and its neighborhood? And if Turkey refuses, should there be implications for its NATO membership?

Please join FDD for a timely conversation with Tony Badran, Jamie Dettmer, and Jonathan Schanzer.

Register here.

December 8, 2014 

A Strategic Approach to Malaria
Date: December 8, 8:45am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

On December 8, the CSIS Global Health Policy Center will host a major day-long conference on the future of global malaria efforts.  It will open with a high-level deliberation over the strategic long-term goal of elimination, highlighting the political, financial, and institutional requisites.  It will feature expert roundtables on drug and insecticide resistance, future technologies (vaccines, therapies, diagnostics), and financing. There will be a special focus on civilian-military cooperation in the Mekong Subregion.  On that day, CSIS will release five commissioned policy analyses.

RSVP here to attend in person or watch live online here.

Russia’s Global Self: Five Different Faces
Date: December 8, 10:00am
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Room 500, Washington DC

Nina Belyaeva, professor and chair of the Public Policy Department at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, will discuss that although the attention of the international community is preoccupied with the statements and behavior of the official power elites and their representatives, for the West to deal responsibly with Russia it is essential to monitor and understand five different social clusters in Russia, each with a distinct “face”: official power elites, business people, “patriots,” liberals, and the general public.

Register here.

Reflections on Ukraine’s Crisis
Date: December 8, 1:45pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center for a public event featuring United States Ambassador to Ukraine Geoff Pyatt on Monday, December 8, 2014 from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. at the Atlantic Council.

Ambassador Pyatt, the eighth US ambassador to Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv on August 3, 2013. Three months after his arrival, the Ukrainian capital witnessed eruption of massive civil protests against Yanukovych government’s decision not to enact the Association Agreement with the European Union.

A year and a half later, amidst Ukraine’s economic crisis, Russia’s violation of territorial integrity of Ukraine in the East and militarization of Crimea, the ambassador remains firm in supporting Ukrainian people’s pro-European and pro-democratic choice.

Ambassador Pyatt will share his insights into the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and will delineate future prospects for US-Ukraine relations going forward. This event is part of our Ukraine in Europe Initiative, in which we particularly focus on galvanizing the transatlantic community in order to help ensure Ukraine survives as an independent nation.

Register here to attend in person or watch live online here.

Book Release: Eurojihad by Angel Rabasa and Cheryl Benard
Date: December 8, 2:00pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Concourse Level, Room C-115, Washington DC

Throughout history, factors of radicalization have involved social and economic conditions and issues of identity. Patterns of Islamist radicalization in Europe reflect the historical experience of European Muslim communities, particularly their links to their home countries, the prevalence of militant groups there, and the extent to which factors of radicalization in Muslim countries transfer to European Muslim diasporas.

Eurojihad (Cambridge University Press, 2014) examines the sources of radicalization in Muslim communities in Europe and the responses of European governments and societies. In an effort to understand the scope and dynamics of Islamist extremism and terrorism in Europe, this book takes into account recent developments, in particular the emergence of Syria as a major destination of European jihadists. Angel Rabasa and Cheryl Benard describe the history, methods, and evolution of jihadist networks in Europe with particular nuance, providing a useful primer for the layperson and a sophisticated analysis for the expert.

Register here.

Human Rights in North Korea and U.S. Policy
Date: December 8, 6:00pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, 1619 Massachusetts Ave NW, Rome Auditorium, Washington DC

Robert King, special envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues at the US State Department; Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director at the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK); and Daniel Aum, Donald Wilson Fellow at the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights and author of the report, “Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea: The Case for US Leadership and Action,” will discuss the recent UN action on human rights abuses in North Korea and shed light on the United States’ policy options, potential challenges and appropriate response to recent developments.

Register here.

December 9, 2014

The Future of the Middle East: Regional Scenarios Beyond the Obama Years
Date: December 9, 12:30pm
Location: Hudson Institute, 1015 15^th Street NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

The Middle East is undergoing profound transformations. As borders shift, alliances form and dissolve, and Iran pursues its nuclear program, policymakers must look beyond the final two years of the Obama administration.

What happens if the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State fails, and IS continues to spread its tentacles across the Levant? How long will the Syrian civil war last? What if the Jordanian regime, a longtime U.S. and Israeli ally, is toppled? When will Israel again find itself at war against Hezbollah, Hamas, or directly with Iran?

On December 9th, Hudson Institute will host a panel featuring Shmuel Bar, Michael Doran, Hillel Fradkin, and Lee Smith to explore U.S. policy in the Middle East with respect to regional strategy for the next two, five, ten, and twenty-five years.

Register here.

Corruption: Security’s Invisible Enemy
Date: December 9, 4:00pm
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Corruption undermines such longstanding U.S. foreign policy priorities as the promotion of economic growth and democratic accountability overseas. There is also a powerful nexus between severe, systemic corruption and international security challenges, including violent extremism, mass atrocities, and state failure.

Corruption is often misconstrued as an intractable problem, but there are multiple opportunities for curbing it. This event will provide a platform to discuss how the U.S. government is working together with civil society and the private sector—both within and outside affected countries—to creatively promote accountability and integrity.

Please join us on International Anti-Corruption Day for an address on these issues by U.S. Under Secretary of State Sarah Sewell. Carnegie’s Sarah Chayes will moderate the program, which will be followed by a light reception.

Register here.

At the Center of the Storm: Turkey between Europe & the Middle East
Date: December 9, 6:00pm
Location: German Marshall Fund, 1744 R Street NW, Washington DC

After eleven years under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey finds itself at a major crossroads. With European Union membership negotiations ongoing and a bid for regional influence rejected by large swaths of the Middle East, Turkey is increasingly isolated. Its latest dispute with the United States over a proper response to the war in Syria has strained Turkey’s relations with NATO. In addition to regional concerns, the domestic situation in Turkey has also significantly deteriorated in the last year. What brought Turkish influence in Europe and the Middle East to its current low point? What is at stake for Turkey in the war in Syria and other parts of the Middle East? Where do we stand on potential Turkish membership in the European Union and what is the future of Turkish domestic politics? To help the Washington chapter of the Young Transatlantic Network decipher the answers to these and other questions about Turkey, GMF welcomes Ambassador Marc Grossman for a candid, off-the-record discussion.

December 10, 2014

How to Thwart the Government Insider Threat
Date: December 10, 8:00am
Location: Government Executive, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Rotunda, Washington DC

Today’s organizations and federal agencies have to protect their sensitive data from their own – it’s a simple fact of IT life these days. Thorough cybersecurity plans naturally protect an agency’s secret or sensitive information from outsiders, but it’s become all too obvious in recent years that federal cybersecurity efforts must also safeguard that vital data from trusted insiders.

Through malicious action or negligence, insiders with access to critical assets may wreak as much havoc as any outside adversary with as little as a few keystrokes. Modern cybersecurity plans need to include an insider threat protection strategy, but what does that actually look like for government? Our panelists will discuss how to assess and guard against insider threats and how to formulate a protection strategy that will keep your information where it is supposed to be.

Register here.

Ebola and Other Emerging Infectious Disease Threats: Prevention and Preparedness
Date: December 10, 8:30am
Location: Embassy of Italy, 3000 Whitehaven St NW, Washington DC

Infectious diseases such as Ebola travel rapidly across national borders. One out of four deaths annually worldwide are due to infectious illnesses and more than 40 new ones have emerged since 1972 alone. On December 10, 2014, the Embassy of Italy and New America will convene a conference on “Ebola and Other Emerging Infectious Disease Threats: Prevention and Preparedness.”

The conference will explore what is known about these infectious diseases, what must be done to prevent and contain their spread, and how science and technological innovations can play an innovative role in that regard. The goal of this event is to provide an insightful exchange of perspectives and knowledge about the status of current infectious disease outbreaks (Ebola, Marburg, Chikungunya), focusing on global public health preparedness to address these illnesses for humanitarian, economic, and national security purposes.

RSVP here.

Hearing: Countering ISIS: Are We Making Progress?
Date: December 10, 10:00am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “It has been six months since the fall of Mosul, and ISIS continues to control roughly the same amount of territory in Iraq and Syria.  The countries in this region are being dangerously destabilized as millions of people have been displaced and thousands of others slaughtered by this terrorist army.  Meanwhile, ISIS has recruited thousands of foreign fighters and encourages sympathizers to carry-out attacks across the globe, including against civilians and military personnel here in the U.S. 

“This hearing will provide Committee members an opportunity to question the Obama Administration on the progress of the anti-ISIS effort, including the coalition air campaign, support of U.S. partners on the ground, policies toward hostile regimes, as well as the Administration’s plans to deal with a worsening humanitarian disaster across the region.”

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: After the Withdrawal: The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Part III)
Date: December 10, 2:00pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The next few months are pivotal for the future of Afghanistan’s stability. The United States cannot afford to make the same mistakes we did in Iraq by not leaving behind a sufficient U.S. presence to maintain the gains we’ve achieved over the past few years. As we’re seeing with the rise of ISIL in Iraq, our hasty withdrawal created a power vacuum that allowed the terror group to grow. The stakes are even higher in Afghanistan with the Taliban eager to reclaim lost territory and establish another safe haven for terrorists to thrive. Many challenges still remain, especially since Pakistan continues to host terrorist groups and remains complicit in their ability to operate. The Obama administration must have an honest conversation about its relationship with Pakistan and make the hard choices necessary to ensure Pakistan’s activities aren’t working against US interests.”

Chairman Chabot on the hearing: “Afghanistan has seen many changes this year—both promising and troubling.  While we now have a better sense of what the post-2014 U.S. presence will look like, many challenges remain, including political and economic instability, and an extensive Taliban threat. This is further exacerbated by its neighbor, Pakistan, which continues to play host to Islamist extremism and militancy groups who are given support inside Pakistan’s borders.  Pakistan’s role in combating these groups and stabilizing Afghanistan, however, is incredibly important, but due to its limited capacity, rampant corruption, and divergent interests, there is serious cause for concern. This hearing is a critical opportunity to evaluate ongoing challenges confronting the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, and how the Administration will address these concerns as we look toward a new post-2014 environment.”

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: Russian Arms Control Cheating and the Administration’s Responses
Date: December 10, 2:00pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

This hearing will be held jointly with the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Armed Services Committee.

Chairman Poe on the hearing: “Russia’s clear violation of the INF Treaty and blatant disregard for international norms is the new status quo. Putin cannot be allowed to continue to violate landmark arms control treaties without severe consequences. I hope that we can move past the finger-wagging stage and finally show the Russians that their actions will have serious repercussions. I look forward to hearing what option this Administration has drawn up to punish Putin.”

Russia’s Break with the West: The Outlook for 2015
Date: December 10, 2:00pm
Location: Center on Global Interests, 1619 Massachusetts Ave NW, Rome Auditorium, Washington DC

In 2014, Putin led Russia in a direction that few would have predicted, most recently culminating in a call for the creation of a new international system and an end to the norms governing the world since the end of the Cold War. Looking ahead to 2015, our panel will explore the Russian leadership’s vision for a new global system, the future of the trans-Atlantic alliance, the relationship between Putin and Russian elites, and the role anti-Americanism plays in the Kremlin’s domestic strategy. Following the discussion the panel will take questions from the audience.

The U.S., Israel, and the Regional Dimensions of an Iran Nuclear Deal
Date: December 10, 3:00pm
Location: New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC

Reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program that ensures Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon has been a top priority on President Obama’s foreign policy agenda. Despite deep and regular consultations with the Israeli government on this ongoing diplomatic effort, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has consistently objected to any agreement that leaves any Iranian nuclear program in place.

Join New America as we bring together Shlomo Brom, Suzanne DiMaggio, Matthew Duss, and Ilan Goldenberg for a discussion on regional security dimensions of a nuclear deal, the extent of U.S.-Israel cooperation on the Iran issue, Israel’s concerns with the current negotiations, and whether and how those concerns can be fully addressed in any comprehensive deal between Iran and the U.S. and its partners.

RSVP here.

Forging a Transatlantic Strategy for Europe’s East
Date: December 10, 4:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

The vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace achieved through a strategy of forging new partnerships with Russia, coupled with NATO and European Union (EU) enlargement, has guided the West through the post-Cold War era.  This strategy is no longer viable, underscored by Russian aggression in Ukraine.  As the leader of a NATO ally and EU member state on Europe’s eastern flank, Prime Minister Rõivas will share his assessment of the current situation in Europe’s East and the need for a renewed, sustainable, transatlantic strategy for the region.

Taavi Rõivas has served as the prime minister of the Republic of Estonia since March 2014. Prior to this, he was the minister of social affairs and served as a member of the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament.

Register here.

December 11, 2014

Can We Ultimately Defeat ISIL?
Date: December 11, 10:00am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

General John Allen, recently appointed Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, was selected by President Obama to coordinate the international effort against the Islamic State militant group. Allen, who had been serving as a security adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry, and was the former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, is working with the nearly 60 nations around the world who have agreed to join the fight and respond to the ISIL threat.

Join us for General Allen’s first public discussion of the threat posed by the Islamic State.

RSVP here. 

The Threat of Global Health Emergencies to Food Security
Date: December 11, 3:00pm
Location: Aspen Institute, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington DC

Speakers:

• Dr. Lynn Black, chair, board of directors, Last Mile Health and attending physician, Mass General Hospital
• Christopher Kirchhoff, special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Rick Leach, CEO, World Food Program USA

Moderated by Dan Glickman, executive director, Aspen Congressional Program and former US Secretary of Agriculture

Register here.

December 1, 2014

Adapting Intelligence for New National Security Challenges
Date: December 1, 5:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Intelligence analysis is pivotal to informing and sustaining all of our national security efforts. In the last few decades, the US intelligence community has helped thwart terrorists and chart out the impacts of key global trends but it has also had its shortfalls, such as projecting the rapid spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). As technology evolves and proliferates, as nonstate actors build more sophisticated, complex networks, and entire regions are reshaped, the work of this community must adapt.

Please join us for the first public on-the-record discussion by Dr. Gregory F. Treverton in his new role as the chairman of the US National Intelligence Council to speak about the above issues and more.

Register here to attend in person or watch online here.

December 2, 2014

Breakthrough or Extension: Implications for US and European Relations with Iran
Date: December 2, 10:00am
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Expectations are rising that Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany will reach an agreement on key elements of a comprehensive nuclear agreement trading long-term curbs on Iran’s nuclear program for phased relief of economic sanctions. A breakthrough could significantly improve the chances for US and European cooperation with Iran in dealing with other regional challenges, particularly the rise of the group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, and could also motivate Western businesses to sign new deals with Iran. Speakers will discuss the implications of a deal or a possible extension of negotiations for both political and economic relations with Iran. They will also comment on the possible ramifications of the midterm election results for an agreement with Iran and what impact it may have on the easing of sanctions.

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.

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: ISIS and the Threat from Foreign Fighters
Date: December 2, 10:00am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

The Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will testimony from scheduled witnesses Robert Bradtke, Senior Advisor for Partner Engagement on Syria Foreign Fighters at the U.S. Department of State and Mr. Tom Warrick, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Chairman Poe on the hearing: “More foreign fighters have gone to fight with radical Islamists like ISIS in Iraq and Syria in the last 2 years than we saw in the first 10 years of fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. Dozens are Americans and many more hold passports that do not require a visa to get into the United States. This hearing will examine the danger of these foreign fighters and assess the Administration’s efforts to date at countering this threat.”

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “Foreign fighters are joining ISIL by the tens of thousands, some of whom are Westerners, including Americans. These individuals represent an unprecedented threat to U.S. national security and it should not be taken lightly. Foreign fighters are further destabilizing an already fragile Middle East and are using Syria or Iraq as a training ground in order to commit terrorist attacks in their homeland or against U.S. interests. The administration has shown it still lacks a coherent and comprehensive strategy to combat ISIL and this hearing will examine what more needs to be done to address the foreign fighter threat inside and outside our borders and assess what is being done to stop their recruitment into Syria and Iraq.”

U.S. Fleet Cyber Command: Answering the Evolving Threat
Date: December 2, 10:00am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

While much is in the news about the national mission and U.S. Cyber Command, the military services’ roles in supporting CYBERCOM as well as their own forces is often less understood. Please join us for a discussion with VADM Tighe about the evolution of the Navy’s Fleet Cyber Command to support strategic and operational missions to overcome the challenges of increasingly advanced cyber threats. The discussion will cover a range of technical and organizational approaches being advanced, and how they aid in 10th Fleet’s broad mission as the Navy’s operational authority for cyber, networks, cryptologic/signals intelligence, information operations, electronic warfare, and space capabilities.

Register here or watch the event live online here.

@War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex
Date: December 2, 12:15pm
Location: New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC

The future of American warfare is already here.

From the NSA mining the digital data of tech giants such as Facebook and Google to hacker teams playing an integral role in counterinsurgency operations to foreign intelligence agencies launching daily web-based attacks against American corporations and government agencies, cyberspace has, irrefutably, become the “fifth domain” of global warfare.

But just how has the U.S. prepared—and not prepared—for this new global battlefield? And what does this new cybersecurity regime mean for all of us, whose daily lives—from the electric grid to banking to communications—are deeply bound to the Internet?

Join New America in conversation with Shane Harris, author of the new book@War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex, and Peter Bergen for a discussion about America’s military-Internet complex and its implications for our security and our privacy.

Follow the discussion online using #MilIntComplex and following @NewAmerica.

RSVP here to attend in person or watch online.

Hacking and Cyber Warfare: North Korea’s Expanding Threat
Date: December 2, 2:00pm
Location: Korea Economic Institute, 1800 K Street NW, Washington DC

North Korea has come a long way in developing credible cyber warfare capabilities which threaten some of the world’s most advanced nations–including the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States. These new developments have made the country capable of building military organizations tasked with cyber warfare missions and training cyber warriors.

What are the potential outcomes of a fully capable North Korea in the cyber sphere? What does North Korea hope to gain from their newly developed capabilities? How will cyber warfare change the face of security on the Korean peninsula?

Please join KEI as it hosts Dr. Alexandre Mansourov, Adjunct Professor of Korean Studies at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University SAIS, who will present his outline of policy recommendations for the US-ROK alliance on how to deal with the growing threat of North Korea’s cyber warfare capabilities.

Seating is limited, RSVPs are required. To RSVP, please click here.

Countering Violent Extremism Through Social Media
Date: December 2, 3:00pm
Location: American University School of International Service, Beacon Conference Room, SIS 300, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Ambassador Alberto Fernandez from the State Department’s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications will discuss using social media to combat violent extremism, a topic of particular relevance with the rise of ISIS and its use of social media.

The Political and Media Situation in Ukraine: A View from Inside
Date: December 2, 4:00pm
Location: The George Washington University, Elliott School for International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Room 602, Washington DC

Since the beginning of 2014, Ukraine has experienced a popular revolution to overthrow a corrupt leader, held presidential and parliamentary elections, and suffered an invasion by Russia. Yevgeny Kiselev, a leading journalist in Ukraine, will provide an overview of the situation there from his unique perspective. He will also share his observations on the media environment in Ukraine today and explain the challenges that journalists face as the country attempts to break with its Soviet past, while fending off a hostile neighbor.

RSVP here.

December 3, 2014

Russia’s New Course
Date: December 3, 9:30am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 5^th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

The game-changing events in Ukraine have exposed the fundamental disagreement between the West and Russia on the essential principles underpinning the modern international system. One year after the start of the crisis, is there any hope of a productive partnership with Russia? Nikolai Zlobin and Sergey Aleksashenko will discuss the difficulties facing Russia and its on-again, off-again relationship with the West.

Register here.

The Outcome of the Iran Talks and the Next Steps
Date: December 3, 9:30am
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

Negotiators from the P5+1 and Iran are racing toward a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program by the November 24 deadline. Many issues, such as establishing a formula that verifiably limits Iran’s uranium-enrichment capacity, are still to be solved, but both sides of the negotiating table have stressed the need to reach an agreement.

The Arms Control Association and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace invite you to attend a briefing with George Perkovich, Karim Sadjadpour, Daryl Kimball, and Elizabeth Rosenberg on the outcome of the negotiations and next steps. Kelsey Davenport will moderate.

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Iran’s Policy in the South Caucasus: Has Rouhani Changed Anything?
Date: December 3, 12:00pm
Location: Georgetown University, McGhee Library, 37^th and O Streets NW, Washington DC

The purportedly moderate government of Hasan Rouhani has tried to reset the relations with the West and close Iran’s nuclear dossier with maximal advantages for Iran. But Iran is not only a “nuclear dossier“ but also a rising regional power located between the Middle East, Central Asia and the South Caucasus. This talk examines how Iran’s policy in the South Caucasus represents new techniques in pursuit of an old strategy: to maintain and expand its influence among its neighbors.

Dr. Sevak Sarukhanyan is the deputy director for research at the Noravank Foundation – Armenia. His areas of expertise include energy policy in the Caucasus, Armenia’s energy security, and Iran-Armenia relations. He is also an author of three books: Modernity and Political Change in the Middle East (with V.Sergeev; MGIMO University Press, 2012);TheNuclear Factor in Russian-Iranian Relations (Middle East Institute Press, Moscow, 2007);Russia-Iran: Ten Years of Nuclear Cooperation (Noravank Foundation, 2006) and of 20 articles on energy security and regional cooperation in the South Caucasus.

Since October 2014, he has been a Fulbright visiting scholar at the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies (CERES) at Georgetown University

Register here.

Ebola: The Intersection of Cultural, Historical, and Political Dynamics in West Africa
Date: December 3, 12:30pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Bernstein-Offit Building, Room 736, 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

A SAIS African Studies discussion with Michael McGovern of the University of Michigan. This event is open to the public and media.

For information or to RSVP, email saisafrica@jhu.edu.

December 4, 2014

Freedom on the Net 2014
Date: December 4, 9:00am
Location: Google, 25 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 900, Washington DC

Freedom on the Net is Freedom House’s annual assessment of internet access, censorship, and internet user rights in 65 countries around the world. This year’s event will highlight the advances and setbacks in internet freedom over the past year, emerging threats to digital media, and the challenges these trends pose to U.S. foreign policy

RSVP here to attend in person, or Watch the event live.

Jihadism on the Rise in Europe: The Dutch Perspective
Date: December 4, 10:00am
Location: Washington Institute for Near East Policy

As Western countries grow increasingly worried about their citizens becoming radical Islamist militants, the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) recently issued a report titled The Transformation of Jihadism in the Netherlands. Among other findings, the report concluded that Dutch jihadism has undergone a “sudden and explosive renewal” since 2010, spurred in part by the Syrian civil war. To discuss these findings and the wider issue of jihadism in Europe, The Washington Institute is pleased to host an on-the-record Policy Forum with Dutch intelligence chief Rob Bertholee. This event is part of the Institute’s Stein Counterterrorism Lecture Series.

Watch the live webcast here.

Media Matters: How Media, Connectivity, and an Open Internet are Changing the World
Date: December 4, 10:00am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Conference Room 212-C, Washington DC

Join us for a timely discussion on the power of media, connectivity, and the internet in promoting global advancement.  The panel will bring together experts from government, civil society, and international media to discuss the changing nature of mass communication. The conversation will focus on the growing role of media and information in creating platforms for informed civic debate, and will assess the potential for empowered local media to drive social and economic progress.

December 5, 2014

PeaceGame: Peacemaking in an Era of Violent Extremism
Date: December 5, 8:00am
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 December 5, 2014.  This third biannual PeaceGame will examine peace keeping and peace making issues as they relate to the rise in global violent extremism. All attendees are invited to contribute to the conversation throughout the day with live, interactive polling and open mic questioning.

More information and the full schedule of events is available here.

RSVP here or watch the live webcast here.

The Project on Advanced Systems for Countering WMD (PASCC) Semi-Annual Workshop
Date: December 5, 8:30am
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC

Please join us for the Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering WMD’s (PASCC) semi-annual workshop on nuclear, chemical, and biological threats. This half-day session will present findings from ongoing and recently completed research projects and workshops in the areas of strategic relations with nuclear-armed states, and countering chemical and biological threats.

Please RSVP here or via email at pascc@nps.edu.

The Russian Far East: A New Arena for Great Power Contests in the Asia Pacific?
Date: December 5, 9:00am
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 5^th Floor, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

Russia’s Far East (RFE), Northeast Asia’s geographic and strategic heartland, is crucial to an understanding of Asia-Pacific power games, and is a potential focal point of geopolitical competition. A region two-thirds the size of the United States, the RFE possesses enormous natural wealth and a vital strategic location on the north Pacific, where the interests of several major powers – China, Japan, the Koreas and the United States – intersect and interact. The RFE also fronts on the Arctic Ocean, another key theater of emerging geopolitical competition. The Ukraine crisis and the West’s economic disengagement from Russia seem likely to increase China’s influence in the RFE and in East Asia generally, with important potential consequences for the regional security balance.

RSVP here.

November 17, 2014

Debate on Law Enforcement vs. Smartphone Encryption: Is FBI “Going Dark” or in a Golden Age of Surveillance?
Date: November 17, 4:00pm
Location: New America Foundation, 1899 L street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC

The recent decision by Apple and Google to enable encryption by default on new iPhones and Android smartphones, so that only the user can unlock his or her phone, has led to strong complaints from law enforcement agencies arguing that the move will deprive them of critical evidence. The Attorney General and the FBI Director have gone so far as to suggest that Congress may need to step in and tell companies to redesign their products, to ensure that government investigators can access encrypted data or wiretap online communications when they have appropriate legal authority like a search warrant. However, technologists and privacy advocates say that such a move would undermine the overall security of our data and devices while also putting US companies at a serious disadvantage in the global technology marketplace, and point to the fact that law enforcement and intelligence agencies already have access to more data about us, our communications, and our movements than at any other time in human history—a veritable “Golden Age” of surveillance. Which side is right?

Join New America for a lively debate on this timely technology policy issue, followed by a question and answer session with the audience. On one side: former FBI General Counsel Andrew Weissmann, arguing for law enforcement’s interests. On the other side: legal scholar and former White House technology policy czar Professor Peter Swire, arguing in favor of strong encryption without backdoors for the government. In between as moderator:Nancy Libin, former Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer at the Justice Department. Hosted by Kevin Bankston, Policy Director of New America’s Open Technology Institute.

Join the conversation online using #cryptodebate and following @OTI. RSVP here.

Israel: A Safe Haven for Christians in the Middle East
Date: November 17, 5:00pm
Location: EMET and The Israel Forever Foundation, Cannon House Office Building, Room 340, Washington DC

The Israel Forever Foundation and EMET are pleased to invite you to a discussion featuring Father Gabriel Naddaf from Israel, and Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO), on the plight of Christians in the Middle East and the freedoms they enjoy in Israel. Thousands of Christians throughout the Middle East are persecuted, slaughtered, and raped on a daily basis, because of their faith. Christians who refuse to convert to Islam are targets of radical Islamists and terrorists, and have been robbed of their basic liberties and freedom of worship. Christian communities that have lived in parts of the Middle East and Central Africa in peace for decades are rapidly decreasing. There is only one country in the Middle East where Christians are safe and have freedom of expression and worship – Israel.

Father Gabriel Naddaf is the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in the town of Yafia, near Nazareth in the North of Israel. He also serves as the spiritual leader of the Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, a growing movement that empowers local Christians to volunteer for Israeli army service and fully integrate into mainstream Israeli society. Father Naddaf is a strong public voice of support for Israel and against the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. Father Naddaf’s activities have made him a controversial figure, drawing criticism from Arab MKs as well as threats against his family and attacks on himself from extreme anti-Israel communities. Last month Father Naddaf appeared before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to discuss the plight of Middle Eastern Christians.

RSVP here.

Project Sapphire 20 Years Later: Cooperative Threat Reduction and Lessons for the Future
Date: November 17, 5:30pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, 2^nd Floor Conference Center, Washington DC

Twenty years ago, in November 1994, the United States and Kazakhstan completed an unprecedented, highly secret, joint operation removing approximately 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from a former Soviet nuclear plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk to permanent storage in the United States. The operation, dubbed “Project Sapphire”, was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Cooperative Threat Reduction (Nunn-Lugar) Program. This program helped secure nuclear warheads and fissile materials in the former Soviet Union and ensured their relocation to Russia from Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus. Kazakhstan’s early decision to become a nuclear weapon-free state made it a global leader in the non-proliferation movement.

To mark the 20th anniversary of these efforts, please join us for a discussion of the history and lessons of U.S.-Kazakhstan joint efforts.

Register here.

November 18, 2014

Subcommittee Hearing: Fighting Ebola: A Ground-Level View
Date: November 18, 10:00am
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “In our third hearing over the past four months on the Ebola virus in West Africa, the subcommittee will examine this fight from the vantage point of people on the ground who have been contracted to provide services, including patient treatment, local medical efforts and community disease education. It is imperative that in Congress’ efforts to work with the Administration we know how successful efforts have been to date and whether adjustments are needed to more effectively achieve disease mitigation goals.”

Scheduled witnesses include, Mr. Rabih Torbay, Senior Vice President for International Operations in the International Medical Corps, Mr. Brett Sedgewick, Technical Advisor for Food Security and Livelihoods for Global Communities, and Darius Mans, Ph.D., President of Africare.

The Global Response to Managing the Humanitarian Crisis: Lessons from Syria
Date: November 18, 10:00am
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Kenney Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036

António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, will be the keynote speaker and various speakers will discuss this topic on two panels during the conference.

Register here.

Post-Conflict State-Building and Public Health Recovery: What Does the Ebola Pandemic in Liberia Teach?
Date: November 18, 12:00pm
Location: GMU School for Conflict Analysis & Resolution, Johnson Center, Room A, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax VA

A native of Liberia, Samuel Wai Johnson, Jr. is a Graduate Lecturer at George Mason University School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution undergraduate program. Last semester, he served as a Visiting Scholar at Eastern Mennonite University Department of Applied Social Sciences and Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. Before leaving Liberia in 2006 for studies in the US, Sam worked with UNICEF as a Policy Communications Officer and a development consultant for local NGOs on issues of poverty reduction and sustainable development. He is a visiting faculty at the University of Liberia Department of Economics. Sam holds MAs in International Development and Economics from Ohio University and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Liberia. He is a PHD candidate at George Mason University School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. His research focuses broadly on conflict-sensitive development and the economic dimensions of conflict and peace building, with a specific focus on the relationship between post-conflict development finance and peace building. He spent last summer in Liberia conducting field research for his dissertation where he saw firsthand the horrific impact of the Ebola pandemic on the country.

Subcommittee Hearing: Iranian Nuclear Talks: Negotiating a Bad Deal?
Date: November 18, 2:00pm
Location: U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2200 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Chairman Poe on the hearing: “According to reports, not much progress has been made since the last extension of nuclear talks in July. If the Iranians are buying for time, they shouldn’t get additional sanctions relief simply to kick the can down the road another 4-5 months. It’s time for Congress to hold the line and ensure that this Administration and the P5+1 don’t make a dangerous deal. This hearing will examine concerns over the current negotiations and also outline what an acceptable deal might look like.”

Scheduled witnesses include, Ray Takeyh, Ph.D., Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr. J. Matthew McInnis, Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Mr. David Albright, President of the Institute for Science and International Security.

National Insecurity: American Leadership in an Age of Fear
Date: November 18, 5:30pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Kenney Auditorium, Nitze Building, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036

A SAIS Foreign Policy Institute discussion of David Rothkopf’s new book, with Rothkopf and Shirin Tahir Kheli of SAIS. David Rothkopf is CEO and editor of the FP Group.

For information or to RSVP, go to http://ow.ly/DDfZO.

Germany’s Russia Policy: Commercial Realism and Geopolitics
Date: November 18, 6:00pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Rome 806, 1619 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036

As the second largest exporter in the world and the pivotal power of Europe, Germany is one of the world’s leading geo-economic power. Like other geo-economic powers, Germany’s foreign policy can be characterized as one of commercial realism which defines the national interest in economic terms and elevates economic interests over more traditional strategic concerns, as we as over non-economic values such as human rights or democracy promotion. This strategic paradim is most evident in Germany’s relationship with Russia. This geo-economic approach toward Russia has been brought into question in the wake of Russian actions in Ukraine and now in northern Europe as well. How will Germany rebalance its economic and strategic concerns in its new relationship with Russia?

In his new book, Germany, Russia, and the Rise of Geo-Economics, Stephen F. Szabo provides a description and analysis of German policy towards Russia, revealing how unified Germany is finding a global role, in which interests do not always coincide with the United States or its European partners. He explores the role of German business and finance in the shaping of foreign policy and investigates how Germany’s Russia policy affects its broader foreign policy in the region and how it is perceived by key outside players such as the United States, Poland, and the European Union. Drawing on interviews with key opinion shapers, business and financial players, and policy makers, as well as a wide variety of public opinion surveys, media reports, and archival sources, this book is a key resource for all those wishing to understand the new geo-economic balance of Europe.

Stephen F. Szabo is a Professorial Lecturer at SAIS and executive director of the Transatlantic Academy, an independent research institute based at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Washington, DC. He is the author of numerous books and articles focusing on transatlantic relations and German foreign policy including Parting Ways: The Crisis in German-American Relations(2004).

Commentary will be provided by Angela E. Stent, Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies and Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She is also a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the Brookings Institution and co-chairs its Hewitt Forum on Post-Soviet Affairs. From 2004-2006 she served as National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council. From 1999-2001, she served in the Office of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State.

Register here.

November 19, 2014

The Iran Nuclear Talks: Problems and Prospects
Date: November 19, 12:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington DC

As the nuclear talks with Iran approach a November 24 deadline, what are the prospects for an agreement that would prevent an Iranian nuclear breakout or sneak-out? What problems need to be resolved in order to reach a successful outcome in the negotiations?

Join Heritage Foundation panelists as they discuss these and other issues related to Iran’s nuclear program.

Register here.

Understanding the Global Threat of Ebola
Date: November 19, 2:00pm
Location: Universal Peace Foundation, Washington DC

The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has, to date, affected more than 10,000 people, and the numbers continue to rise. In March 2014, the ebola virus was identified as a severe public health threat in three West African countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. By September, Ebola emerged in Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda.

While there are major efforts by the international health community to prevent and control the deadly disease, it is spreading rapidly across Africa and poses a significant threat to nearly all of the developing and industrialized world. Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian who traveled to Texas to visit his family, was confirmed as the first case (and fatality) in the United States. Since his tragic death, The Dallas Health Presbyterian Hospital has identified 114 persons who were also exposed to Mr. Duncan during his treatment.

Scientists believe that the United Kingdom may be the next country to report infected persons followed by France. The World Health Organization
has estimated that ultimately Ebola will affect 1.4 million lives. But the impact of the disease is not just measured in human lives. The Ebola outbreak has grim economic consequences which will be felt beyond the affected countries in West Africa. The World Bank has estimated that the costs associated with the containment of the disease and economic impact in tourism, agriculture, global development could be as high as 3.5 billion dollars by the end of 2015.

A powerful defense strategy is needed against this modern plague. The panel will discuss the medical, social and economic impact of Ebola, the facts about transmission, and best containment practices.

November 20, 2014

The Struggle for Pakistan
Date: November 20, 12:00pm
Location: Hudson Institute, 1015 15^th Street NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

Pakistan’s precarious situation has made its government periodically susceptible to military control and its population vulnerable to extremist ideologies. After the events of 9/11, the terrorists entrenched within Pakistan’s borders became a subject of global concern. Thirteen years later, military missions and foreign aid to Pakistan have been of little lasting benefit to the state itself. As the United States has drawn down its military presence in South Asia, the struggle in, and for, Pakistan rages on.

In The Struggle for Pakistan, Dr. Ayesha Jalal, Mary Richardson Professor of History at Tufts University, traces the international actors and domestic factors that have contributed to the continued militarization and radicalization of Pakistan. Jalal demonstrates how contested borders with India and Afghanistan as well as an inconsistent relationship with the United States have led Pakistan to place a premium on security above all else. The Pakistani military has successfully capitalized on this mentality. Domestically, ethnic and sectarian clashes have fostered extremist tendencies. Jalal illustrates how these factors continue to threaten the development of strong institutions and democratic ideals—and how the dangers for and within Pakistan are from over.

On Thursday, November 20th, Hudson Institute will host a conversation with Dr. Ayesha Jalal about her new book The Struggle for Pakistan: Muslim Homeland and Global Politics. The discussion will be moderated by Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Hudson Institute Director for South and Central Asia and former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States.

Register here.

November 21, 2014

Dialogue on the Crisis with Russia
Date: November 21, 12:00pm
Location: Aspen Institute, 1 Dupont Circle NW #700, Washington DC

A discussion featuring: Stephen J. Hadley, Principal, RiceHadleyGates LLC and Former National Security Advisor; Strobe Talbott, President, The Brookings Institution and Former Deputy Secretary of State; and Angela Stent, Director, Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies, Georgetown University.

Moderated by Nicholas Burns, Director, Aspen Strategy Group; Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School

The Washington Ideas Roundtable Series is made possible with the generous support of Michelle Smith and the Robert H. Smith Family Foundation.

The Good War: Why We Couldn’t Win the War or the Peace in Afghanistan
Date: November 21, 12:15pm
Location: New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC

In its earliest days, the American-led war in Afghanistan appeared to be a triumph—a “good war”—in comparison to the debacle in Iraq. It has since turned into one of the longest and most costly wars in U.S. history and now, many wonder if Afghanistan will fall to Taliban control after the United States and NATO forces withdraw. The story of how this good war went so bad may well turn out to be a defining tragedy of the 21st century—yet as acclaimed war correspondent Jack Fairweather explains, it should also give us reason to hope for an outcome grounded in Afghan reality, rather than our own.

Please join New America as we welcome Jack Fairweather, a former foreign correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and the Washington Post, who won the British Press Award for his reporting on the Iraq invasion, to discuss his book with Peter Bergen, the Director of the International Security Program at New America.

RSVP here or watch the live webcast.

Preparing for the Future: Assessing the Conditions and Capacity for American Engagement with Russia
Date: November 21, 2:30pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor, Washington DC

The continuing diplomatic tensions between the United States and Russia have had a significant impact on programs that promote civic and individual contacts between Americans and Russians. Exchange programs serve as capacity-building initiatives influencing economic growth and jobs and how enterprises and individuals interact with their peers on the other side. A panel of experts and practitioners will discuss how organizations and individuals dedicated to the mission of engagement between Russian and the United States are pursuing their work in the current atmosphere.

RSVP here.

Reimagining ‘Post-Soviet’ Central Asia
Date: November 21, 3:30pm
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Suite 412, Voesar Conference Center, Washington DC

In the newly independent states of Central Asia, geopolitical practices and affinities cannot be understood in isolation from their Soviet heritage. However, after nearly 25 years since the collapse of the USSR, this near-automatic explanation of contemporary politics in terms of Soviet legacies is no longer sufficient for understanding Central Asia’s shifting geopolitics. In this paper, I analyze how geopolitical identities are narrated through urban development schemes in Astana, Baku, and Ashgabat – and in particular how they are increasingly connected to new flows of actors, ideas, and finance from the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Adopting a critical geopolitics approach, I compare and contrast elements of these capital city development schemes in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan with those in Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Through this comparative analysis, I demonstrate how region-making and geopolitical orientations unfold not just at the level of rhetorical positioning, but can also develop through the material practices of cross- regional networks around highly specific political tactics, like capital city development. Also considering divergences, I note that although the urban landscapes these tactics materialize are very similar, there are important differences in the underlying political geographic and political economic factors that make them possible, as well as the political relations they sustain and produce.

RSVP here.

November 10, 2014

The U-2 Incident, Preserving Cold War History, and Honoring Cold War Veterans
Date: November 10, 5:00pm
Location: Institute of World Politics, 1521 16^th Street NW, Washington DC

In this lecture, Francis Gary Powers, Jr., Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Cold War Museum and son of the downed U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, will dispel common myths about the U-2 incident and discuss the importance of preserving Cold War history. This lecture will be in honor of the veterans of the Cold War.

Copies of Operation Overflight, written by pilot Francis Gary Powers, will be available for purchase at the event.

Register here.

Rethinking Seminar: Ambassador Gallucci on Impact and Implications of Iranian Nuclear Weapons on U.S. and Regional Security
Date: November 10, 6:00pm
Location: Marriott Residence Inn, Pentagon City, 550 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA

Ambassador Gallucci is currently the Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where he served as dean for 13 years. He left in 2009, to become president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Previously, he had 21 years of distinguished service in a variety of government positions, focusing on international security. As Ambassador-at-Large and Special Envoy for the U.S. Department of State, he dealt with the threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Among other duties, he was chief U.S. negotiator during the North Korean nuclear crisis of 1994, and served as Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs and as Deputy Executive Chairman of the UN Special Commission overseeing the disarmament of Iraq following the first Gulf War. (Biography)

For the Rethinking Seminar, Ambassador Gallucci will discuss Iran and North Korea, their pursuit of nuclear weapons, as well as the current U.S. strategy to prevent nuclear proliferation. He will also share his thoughts on global zero, challenges to the paradigm, and the evolving thinking concerning the future role of nuclear weapons.

Register here.

Addressing Emerging Cyber Threats: A Discussion with Computer Scientist Dr. Costis Toregas
Date: November 10, 6:30pm
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Room B12, Washington DC

Join Delta Phi Epsilon: Professional Foreign Service Fraternity for a discussion with Dr. Costis Toregas, computer scientist and lead researcher at GW’s Cyber Security and Policy Research Institute.

Dr. Toregas will discuss cyber security issues and concerns, including:

• the new framework for cyber security promulgated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
• the concept of cyber insurance as a policy instrument to address cyber threats; and,
• a recent agreement signed between US and German government officials that will organize a long term, sustained program of academic exchanges, seminars and collaborative research.

This event is part of “International Affairs Week”, a week-long series of events hosted by GW’s various international affairs related student organizations.

Register here.

November 11, 2014

The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and its Geopolitical Meaning
Date: November 11, 4:00pm
Location: GMU School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Metropolitan Building, Conference Room 5183, Arlington, VA

Often presented as being merely trade pacts, the Association Agreements that the EU has recently signed with Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia have a large meaning for the history, politics, and structure or Europe. If duly and fully ratified as well as consistently implemented, they will bring these three countries into the economic and legal sphere of the EU, and prepare them for membership. Given the size, culture, and location of Ukraine, the Ukranian Association Agreement will have large repercussions for the entire post-Soviet region, in that it could become a model for other former states of the USSR. Moscow undoubtedly understood this and reacted accordingly.

Europe’s Lost Decade and Its Strategic Consequences
Date: November 11, 6:00pm
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, 1619 Massachusetts Ave NW, Rome 806, Washington DC

Thomas Wright is a fellow at the Brookings Institution in the Project on International Order and Strategy. Previously, he was executive director of studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and senior researcher for the Princeton Project on National Security. Wright has a Ph.D. from Georgetown University, an M.Phil from Cambridge University and a B.A. and an M.A. from University College Dublin. He has also held a pre-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a post-doctoral fellowship at Princeton University. Wright’s writings have appeared in the American Political Science Review, Orbis, Survival, The Washington Quarterly, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, and the Washington Post, as well as a number of international newspapers and media outlets. His currents projects include the future of U.S. alliances and strategic partnerships, the geopolitical consequences of the euro crisis, U.S. relations with rising power and multilateral diplomacy.

Register here.

November 12, 2014

Chinese Foreign Policy: The Challenge for Beijing
Date: November 12, 11:00am
Location: Georgetown University, Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Intercultural Center, 302-P, 37^th and O Streets NW, Washington DC

What are some of the most pressing issues in Chinese foreign policy today? In this presentation, Dr. Reardon-Anderson will review Chinese foreign policy decisions in the last few decades and discuss many new challenges faced by the government in Beijing, including the issues of Xinjiang, Tibet, island disputes, and energy.

Register here.

Cyber Warfare and Sino-American Crisis Instability
Date: November 12, 3:00pm
Location: International Institute for Strategic Studies-US, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 801, Washington DC

David Gompert and Martin Libicki will expand on the argument made in their recent piece in Survival: that while both Washington and Beijing recognize that an armed conflict between them will involve cyber warfare, there has been no systematic weighing of the tactical military advantages offered by cyber weapons against the strategic hazards they pose.

Register here.

Prospects for a Nuclear Agreement with Iran: A Discussion in Honor of Michael Adler
Date: November 12, 3:00pm
Location: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 6^th Floor, Conference Room, Washington DC

The world’s major powers (the P5+1) and Iran have been negotiating since last January to convert an interim nuclear accord into a final agreement, and now face a November 24 deadline. As this critical date nears, please join us for this meeting to address the outcome of the negotiations—whether successful in yielding an agreement, extended to allow further negotiations, or at a point of breakdown. What are the implications for U.S. policy toward Iran moving forward, as well as for the broader global effort to forestall the proliferation of nuclear weapons? This event honors the late Michael Adler, distinguished journalist and Public Policy Scholar at the Wilson Center, whose illuminating work improved the quality of public discourse on this vital issue.

RSVP here.

The Ebola Crisis: U.S. Leadership and International Response
Date: November 12, 3:30pm
Location: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

The deadly Ebola epidemic currently unfolding in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone is the most severe outbreak of the disease on record. The World Health Organization reports that more than 13,500 people have been diagnosed with the disease in those three African countries alone. Even as isolated cases emerge in the United States and Western Europe, the Ebola outbreak continues largely unchecked in West Africa, with the number of diagnosed cases increasing daily. The United States has responded to the Ebola crisis with the largest global health response in American history, providing immediate humanitarian assistance while also working to alleviate health, economic and social impacts of the outbreak in West Africa.

On Wednesday, November 12, the Brookings Institution will host a discussion on the current state of the Ebola crisis, featuring a conversation with USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, who will detail his recent trip to West Africa and the U.S. response to the crisis. Brookings President Strobe Talbott will moderate the discussion. Administrator Shah will also discuss USAID’s new effort, “Fighting Ebola: A Grand Challenge for Development,” the agency’s effort to generate new ideas to fight Ebola.

The discussion with the administrator will be followed by a panel discussion with Brookings Senior Fellows Elizabeth Ferris, Amadou Sy, Michael O’Hanlon and Oscar Bloh, who is chairperson of the Civil Society Organization Ebola Response Taskforce in Liberia and the country director of Search for Common Ground Liberia. The panelists will outline the humanitarian, economic, political and security dimensions of the crisis.

Register here.

Perspectives from Pakistan’s Changemakers
Date: November 12, 4:00pm
Location: Atlantic Council, 1030 15^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, West Tower, Washington DC

Youth are considered the asset of a country. With about half of the population under the age of 24, the country possesses an immense resource that will determine the success of Pakistan’s young democracy and future. The Emerging Leaders of Pakistan (ELP) fellowship supports and empowers the next generation of Pakistan’s leaders by creating a sustainable forum of collaboration to strengthen their engagement and impact in their communities. This year’s contingent of fifteen dynamic civil society leaders, who were selected through a highly competitive process, embody Pakistan’s ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity. They are educators, entrepreneurs, journalists, social activists, social innovators, and community organizers who are working to solve some of Pakistan’s most pressing challenges. The fellowship provides the opportunity to collaborate with each other, address misperceptions, and glean best practices from people and organizations they meet to foster creative ideas and lessons to apply in Pakistan.

We invite the DC community to meet the 2014 fellows, hear about their experiences addressing Pakistan’s challenges, and discuss outstanding issues facing their communities and country.

Register here.

November 13, 2014

Supporting Democracy Abroad
Date: November 13, 9:00am
Location: Freedom House, 1301 Connecticut Ave NW, 4^th Floor Conference Room, Washington DC

Please join us for the release of Freedom House’s study on “Supporting Democracy Abroad,” which provides qualitative ratings and in-depth analysis on the democracy assistance policies of 10 countries—Brazil, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, United States—and the European Union.

RSVP here.

Power or Promise: Do Online Health Campaigns Impact Offline Behavior?
Date: November 13, 12:00pm
Location: Carnegie Institution for Science, 1530 P Street NW, Washington DC

Twitter, Facebook and other digital platforms have forged a new frontier for public health campaigns, giving us many tools for promoting health communication initiatives that seek to encourage healthy lifestyles and move people to specific health behaviors. But how can we know if a digital campaign is actually affecting behavior?

The American Institutes for Research invites you to a conversation on how to evaluate digital communication’s impact on offline health behavior. What can such measures as page views, likes and other digital analytics tell us about online behavior, and how does that relate to offline behavior? Once people put their phones down and their laptops away, how can communicators know if Google ads, Twitter campaigns, Facebook memes or YouTube videos actually influence whether people cut down on sugar consumption, get tested for HIV or stop smoking? Our panelists will discuss these questions and share some groundbreaking private-sector work on understanding the relationship between digital communication and offline behavior.

Register here.

Combating the ISIS Threat: A Path Forward
Date: November 13, 12:30pm
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Washington DC

Join GW’s Stephen Biddle and Marc Lynch for an in-depth discussion of the Obama administration’s current strategy toward the ISIS threat, the evolving security situation on the ground in Syria and Iraq, and next steps for regional and global stakeholders

RSVP here.

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: Life in Biomedical Science
Date: November 13, 5:30pm
Location: Embassy of Canada, 501 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC

Fulbright Canada and the Embassy of Canada will host a public lecture by Dr. Shirley M. Tilghman. Dr. Tilghman is President Emeritus, Princeton University and will speak to the challenges facing the field of biomedical science.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to rsvp@fulbright.ca. Please include your name, title and affiliation.

November 14, 2014

Twenty Five Years Later: Memory Culture and Political Controversy over the Legacy of East Germany
Date: November 14, 10:00am
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Washington DC

This symposium brings together two eye witnesses and two professors discussing East Germany, the Berlin Wall, and the East German secret police, the Stasi. In the morning, Mario Röllig (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.) will discuss life in East Germany, his failed escape attempt and subsequent imprisonment by the Stasi, and Ralph Kabisch (11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.) will share his experience of being part of a group of university students in West Berlin who built a tunnel under the Berlin Wall which helped 57 people escape from East Berlin. In the afternoon session, Prof. Mary Beth Stein (12:40 p.m. -1:20 p.m.) will present her research on controversies surrounding the legacy of the Stasi, and the efforts by its victims and by historians to remember and educate the public at one memorial museum in Berlin. Prof. Hope M. Harrison (1:20 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.), who will have just returned from Berlin as a participant in the official celebrations surrounding the 25^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, will discuss the evolution of Germany’s approach to the history and memory of the Berlin Wall since 1989.

RSVP here.

Ukraine’s Pivotal Parliamentary Poll
Date: November 14, 2:00pm
Location: National Democratic Institute, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 608, Washington DC

On October 26, Ukraine held early parliamentary elections that international observers—including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe—assessed as largely positive, with the exception of the disenfranchisement of voters in Russian-occupied Crimea and southeastern Ukraine. The elections, which swept into power Ukraine’s most pro-Western parliament in history, represented a critical milestone in the country’s democratic evolution.

Experts from three major organizations with decades of on-the-ground experience in Ukraine will examine the conduct and results of the elections, as well as the potential for the newly elected parliament to confront the coming challenge of forging a democratic, secure, independent future for their strategically important country.

The following panelists are scheduled to participate:

• Olha Aivazovska, Board Chair, Ukrainian citizen network OPORA
• Katie Fox,  Deputy Director, Eurasia, National Democratic Institute
• Stephen Nix, Director of Eurasia, International Republican Institute

October 27, 2014

Ebola: U.S. Domestic and Foreign Policy Options
Date: October 27, 12:00pm
Location: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave, NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington DC

Months after the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa, the news of two American nurses becoming infected has sparked fear amongst the general U.S. population. With Ebola victims now in the United States, concerns are growing over the ability of the administration, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and hospitals to control the spread of disease.

Join us for a discussion of the very real risks of the Ebola virus, but without the fear brought on by speculation and hype. Through clear communication of the nature of the threat and what policy options are available in the U.S. and in West Africa, the U.S. can make clear, rational decisions as to how to best deal with the current situation.

RSVP here to attend in person or watch online here.

Modern War in Theory and Practice: A Discussion with Dr. John Nagl on his new book Knife Fights
Date: October 27, 1:15pm
Location: New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC

Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice by Dr. John Nagl, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and a former president of the Center for a New American Security, is a profound education in 21st Century warfare – its theory, its practice, and the often-tortured relationship between the two.

As an army tank commander in the first Gulf War, fresh out of West Point and Oxford, Dr. Nagl could already see that America’s military superiority meant that the age of conventional combat was nearing an end. He was an early convert to the view that America’s greatest future threats would come from asymmetric warfare – guerrillas, terrorists, and insurgents – and wrote Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, a book that eventually became the bible of the counterinsurgency movement. Nagl argued it was necessary for the U.S. Army to understand the nature of the insurgency, but also to be more flexible in its response, adjusting its strategy to properly deal with the threat.

While Dr. Nagl worked with Gen. David Petraeus on rewriting core army doctrine in the middle of two wars, helping their new ideas win acceptance in one of the planet’s most conservative bureaucracies, he has not been blind to the cost or consequences of counterinsurgency, noting that in war, there are only bad choices; the question is really which ones are better and which ones are worse.

The New America Foundation is pleased to welcome Dr. Nagl for a discussion about his book, his work on the United States’ counterinsurgency efforts, and the revolution in modern warfare that he helped lead.

RSVP here to attend in person or watch online.

U.S.-Civil Military Relations After 9/11
Date: October 27, 1:30pm
Location: Alexander Hamilton Society-George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, East 201, Fairfax VA

The George Mason University chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society will host Mackubin Thomas Owens for a discussion on U.S.-Civil Military Relations After 9/11. No registration is required. Refreshments will be served.

Mackubin Thomas Owens recently retired as professor of national-security affairs at the Naval War College. He is the editor of Orbis and a contributing editor to the National Review Online.

Previously, Dr. Owens served as the National Security Adviser to Senator Bob Kasten (R-WI) and Director of Legislative Affairs for the Nuclear Weapons Programs of the Department of Energy during the Reagan administration.

He is the author of US Civil-Military Relations After 9/11: Renegotiating the Civil-Military Bargain.

The New Threat in Town: Iraq, ISIS, and Managing the Crisis
Date: October 27, 6:30pm
Location: AU School of International Service, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Mary Gordon Center, Butler Board Room, Washington DC

A panel discussion on the current security situation in Iraq regarding ISIS, the implications it has on the regional security of the Middle East, and how the United States can engage with the region in order to mitigate the situation from spiraling out of control. Panel speakers will include Dr. Tricia Bacon, Ambassador James F. Jeffrey from the Washington Institute, and Dr. Paul Salem from the Middle East Institute.

October 28, 2014               

Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror: A Discussion with Arun Kundani on his new book The Muslims are Coming!
Date: October 28, 12:15pm
Location: New America Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Suite 400, Washington DC

In The Muslims Are Coming!: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror, Arun Kundnani notes that the new front in the War on Terror is the homegrown enemy, domestic terrorists who have become the focus of sprawling counterterrorism structures in the United States and across Europe. Domestic surveillance by police forces and government agencies has mushroomed— at least 100,000 Muslims in America have been secretly under scrutiny. In Britain, police officers compiled a secret suspect list of more than 8,000 al-Qaeda “sympathizers,” and almost 300 children aged fifteen and younger were among the potential extremists investigated.

While the revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have caused some to question the rise, even the legality, of these national surveillance states, Western governments continue to focus on the threats posed by homegrown extremists, particularly as the Islamic State attracts foreign fighters from around the world

Based on several years of research and reportage, in locations as disparate as Texas, New York, and Yorkshire, and written in engrossing, precise prose, Kundnani’s The Muslims Are Coming! is the first comprehensive critique of Western counter-radicalization strategies. He notes that the new policies and policing campaigns have been backed by an industry of freshly-minted experts and liberal commentators, and looks at the way these debates have been transformed by the embrace of a narrowly-configured and ill-conceived anti-extremism stance.

The New America Foundation is pleased to welcome Mr. Kundnani for a discussion about his book, his findings, and the impact the War on Terror has had on its targets.

Register here to attend in person or watch live online.

The Future Army: Win in a Complex World
Date: October 28, 6:30pm
Location: World Affairs Council, 1900 K Street NW, 2^nd Floor, Washington DC

Today, the importance of national security rests heavily on the minds of many Americans. With multiple mounting crises around the world, it is often difficult to understand America’s role in foreign disputes and the necessary action our military must take to remain a mediating force in foreign lands.

General David G. Perkins is the Commanding General in the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, who has experience in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East that affords him a distinct and experienced voice when speaking about the Army and the future of American security.

Join the World Affairs Council – Washington, DC in our Distinguished Speaker Series, as we host General David G. Perkins, as he speaks about ”The Future Army: Win in a Complex World.”

Register here.

October 29, 2014

Impressions from Putin’s 2014 Valdai Conference
Date: October 29, 12:00pm
Location: Georgetown University, McGhee Library, Room 301, 3700 O Street NW, Washington DC

Impressions From Putin’s 2014 Valdai Conference
CERES Director Dr. Angela Stent and IISS Senior Fellow Samuel Charap will report on their experience at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting. The Valdai Discussion Club is a global forum for the world’s leading experts on Russia to engage in a sustained dialogue about the country’s political, economic, social and cultural development. Since 2004, the Club has gathered annually in Russia and has regularly met with the leadership of the Russian Federation (including Vladimir Putin), as well as Russian business leaders, media, academics, and political groups.

Register here.

Ukraine Update: Elections, Conflict, and the Future of the EU’s Eastern Partnership
Date: October 29, 2:00pm
Location: The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC

In 2009, the European Union established its Eastern Partnership to advance political association and economic integration with six neighboring nations to its east. However, in November 2013, Ukrainian President Yanukovych refused to sign an association agreement with the EU, triggering mass protests in Ukraine that ultimately led to his departure and accusations that the EU “sleepwalked” into a conflict in Ukraine. Although the EU long asserted that the framework was never directed against Russia, the agreement with Ukraine was perceived in Moscow as a step too far. In the wake of the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia, some are questioning whether the EU’s Eastern Partnership should be fundamentally altered—and, if so, how?

Against the backdrop of simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian people will go to the polls on October 26 to elect a new parliament. The new parliament members will then have to form a majority coalition and begin to tackle the pressing challenges facing the country. The herculean tasks include not just the violent conflict in the east and the troubled relationship with Russia, but needed economic and political reforms as well as measures to curb corruption. Questions remain about Ukrainian public expectations and potential tensions in the immediate aftermath of the vote.

On October 29, the Center on the U.S. and Europe at Brookings and the Heinrich Böll Foundation will host a panel discussion assessing next steps for Ukraine and the EU’s Eastern Partnership. The first panel will explore the Ukrainian election and what it means for politics within Ukraine, the Ukrainian economy, and Ukraine’s relations with Russia and the West. The second panel will focus on international perspectives on the EU’s Eastern Partnership and the EU’s role in supporting Ukraine in this time of turmoil.

RSVP here.

October 30, 2014

Is Democracy Possible in Russia?
Date: October 30, 9:30am
Location: National Endowment for Democracy, 1025 F Street NW, Suite 800, Washington DC

Vladimir Putin returned to the Russian presidency in 2012, facing mass opposition protests and weak economic growth. His response was a sharp turn toward authoritarianism, a trend that began with criminal charges against dozens of protesters on Bolotnaya Square and has accelerated with Russia’s armed intervention in Ukraine. Political repression and anti-Western propaganda have reached levels previously unseen in post-Soviet Russia, with political opposition and participation and most independent media eliminated. At the same time, economic sanctions have pushed an already stagnant economy toward recession.

These developments have created the need to reconfigure the sources of the Putin regime’s legitimacy. Whereas the implicit accord of Putin’s first two terms was to offer Russia’s citizens stable economic growth in exchange for their political disengagement; in his third term Putin seeks to compensate for declining standards of living with an artificial vision of Russia reborn as a great power.

In the short term, this strategy appears successful. Putin’s approval ratings have been at record highs for several months. However, an in-depth examination of Russia’s social, political, and economic trends suggests that the current political strategy may not be sustainable. Panelists Lilia Shevtsova, Leon Aron and Denis Volkov will discuss the factors that will shape political developments in Russia and the opportunities those developments might provide for reform. Leonid Gozman will provide comments.

RSVP here.

Brown Bag—Liberia: Challenges to Managing the Ebola Outbreak
Date: October 30, 12:30pm
Location: GMU School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, 4400 University Drive, Metropolitan Building, Conference Room 5183, Fairfax, VA

Join Professor Agnieszka Paczynska and S-CAR PhD student Samuel Wai Johnson for a brown bag on Liberia and the challenges faced on both a state and local level in managing the Ebola outbreak.

Rules of Engagement—Pathogen Response to the Environment of Invasive Infection
Date: October 30, 12:30pm
Location: Georgetown University, Regents Hall 239, 3700 O Street NW, Washington DC

This open to the public seminar given by Dr. Aaron Mitchell of Carnegie Mellon University, will discuss pathogen response to the environment of invasive infection.

A Nuclear Deal with Iran? Weighing the Possibilities
Date: October 30, 2:00pm
Location: American Enterprise Institute, 1150 17^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, Washington DC

As global crises unfold, President Barack Obama appears to see one silver lining in the clouds on the foreign policy horizon: a nuclear deal with Iran. However, it appears increasingly likely that the November 24 deadline will come and go without a comprehensive agreement, and the stakes could not be higher. A bad deal that leaves too much of Tehran’s nuclear capabilities intact or enables Iran to develop nuclear weapons in the months or years to come could set off a nuclear arms race across the Middle East. Alternatively, a good deal could solve a problem at the heart of much of the turmoil in the region.

Are the United States and European powers prepared to renew sanctions if Iran refuses to comply with demands from the international community and International Atomic Energy Agency? Will the Iranians refuse to concede on any of their own red lines? Will the Obama administration sidestep Congress to achieve a nuclear deal? Please join us at AEI for a timely discussion just a few weeks ahead of the November deadline.

RSVP here.