Relatively slim pickings this week, at least in numbers. Not sure why.
1. In the Eye of the Storm: Turkish Foreign Policy in an Age of Domestic Realignment, Brookings, October 25, 2:30-3:30 pm
During the campaign for the 2011 national election, Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) gave little weight to foreign policy issues, focusing its platform instead on a variety of domestic issues. After the party’s victory in June, several regional challenges have thrust foreign policy back to the top of the AKP’s agenda. Turkey currently faces deteriorating relations with Syria, worsening dynamics with Iraq over the Kurdish issue, and new strains in Turkish-Iranian relations following the decision to deploy a European missile defense system in Turkey. In addition, after last month’s United Nations report on the 2010 Israeli commando raid on the Turkish aid ship Mavi Marmara, Turkish-Israeli relations have sunk to new lows.
On October 25, the Center on the United States and Europe (CUSE) at Brookings will host a discussion exploring Turkish foreign policy and assessing the impact of domestic developments and the shifting civilian-military power balance on Turkey’s international relations. Panelists include Ümit Boyner, chair of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD), and Soli Özel of Kadir Has University. Brookings President Strobe Talbott will provide introductory remarks and Senior Fellow and CUSE Director Fiona Hill will moderate the discussion.
Introduction
President, The Brookings Institution
Panelists
Ümit Boyner
Chair
Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD)
Soli Özel
Professor
Kadir Has University, Istanbul
2. A Roadmap for Effective Economic Reconstruction in Conflict-Affected Areas, USIP, October 26, 9 am-1 pm
The event will include two panels which will address structural as well as programmatic aspects of economic reconstruction, including: risk-aversion in donor institutions, inter-agency and international collaboration and cooperation, monitoring and evaluation, and the role of entrepreneurship and public/private partnerships.
Panelists will glean lessons from relevant case-studies and begin to chart the roadmap to peace and prosperity that World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for with the launch of the 2011 World Development Report.
Speakers
- Fred Tipson, Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow
U.S. Institute of Peace
- Basel Saleh, Assistant Professor of Economics
Radford University
- Jomana Amara, Assistant Professor of Economics
Naval Postgraduate School
- Sharon Morris, Director of the Conflict Management Group
Mercy Corps
- Robert Aten, Senior International Economics
Ret. U. S. Agency for International Development
- Gary Milante, World Development Report Core Team Member
World Bank
- Graciana del Castillo, Co-founding Partner
Macroeconomic Advisory Group
- John Simon, Founding Partner
Total Impact Advisors
- Del Fitchett
Independent Economics Consultant
- Raymond Gilpin, Director of the Center for Sustainable Economies
U.S. Institute of Peace
3. Ends and Means: American Security Strategy and Defense Budgets, AEI, October 27, 9-10 am
With congressional super committee deliberations underway and the November 23 deadline for this work fast approaching, defense spending has taken a central place in public debate. Additional defense spending cuts, even if not the equivalent of the sequestration “nuclear option,” would push America’s armed forces closer to what General Martin Dempsey has called a “high-risk” scenario. Amid these pressures, ensuring that budgeting is more than an accounting practice—and, instead, considers our strategic needs—has become more important than ever for leaders on Capitol Hill. In this keynote address, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, will reflect on the state of America’s armed forces, including strategic goals; force posture; and, in this environment of fiscal strain, funding needs.
4. EU Washington Forum, Sofitel, October 27 and 28
I guess this is by invitation, as I don’t find a program on line. That shouldn’t stop the brave hearted. Here is one from more than a month ago:
Draft Program Sept 20PS: Two more I should have caught:
5. Elections in Conflict-Prone Contexts, Carnegie, October 25, 12-2 pm
Supporting elections in contexts of civil conflict entails daunting challenges for the United States and other international actors. While elections are an almost inevitable part of peace building processes, if badly managed they can provoke or intensify violent conflict.
The Carnegie Endowment and the North-South Institute will host a discussion on the complexities of electoral support in conflict contexts and examine two compelling case studies—the recent elections in Afghanistan and Kenya. The event will also mark the launch of a new book by the North-South Institute, Elections in Dangerous Places.
6. Into the Syrian Revolution, SAIS (Bernstein-Offit 500), October 26, 12:30-2 pm
Radwan Ziadeh, director of the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies, and Ammar Abdulhamid, founder of the Tharwa Foundation and a human rights activist, will discuss this topic. For more information and to RSVP, contact katarina@jhu.edu.