Peace picks this week
1. What’s Next? Mali in the Aftermath of the March 22 Coup d’Etat, SAIS, 12:30-2 pm April 16
In collaboration with Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) and a coalition of organizations concerned with the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), The Wilson Center’s Africa Program invites you to an event entitled “Military Reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo”. This discussion will center on a report entitled Taking a Stand on Security Sector Reform, which was researched, written and signed by dozens of international groups from the US, EU and the DRC.
The report discusses the symptoms, causes and possible solutions to the lack of security and the violation of human rights in the country. “An effective security sector – organized, resourced, trained and vetted – is essential to solving problems from recruitment of child soldiers, internal displacement, to economic growth or the trade in conflict minerals” says the report. It concludes that the main reason for the failure of army reform in DRC is a lack of political will from parts of the Congolese government coupled with the lack of strong commitment and coordination from the international community.
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Director, Africa Program and Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity
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Eastern Congo Initiative Fellow
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Karl Wycoff //Deputy Assistant Secretary, United States Department of State
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Cindy McCain //Founding Member, Eastern Congo Initiative
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Network for Security Sector Reform and Justice (RRSSJ)
To RSVP for this event kindly send an email to Africa@wilsoncenter.org.
3. Conflict and Stabilization Operations: A Conversation with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Rick Barton, Brookings, 10-11 am April 17
Where
Saul/Zilkha Rooms
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Map
On April 17, Global Economy and Development at Brookings will host Ambassador Rick Barton, the newly confirmed assistant secretary of state for Conflict and Stabilization Operations. Assistant Secretary Barton will discuss his vision for the new bureau and the priorities on his agenda. Brookings Fellow Noam Unger will provide introductory remarks and moderate the discussion.
After the program, Assistant Secretary Barton will take audience questions.
Participants
Featured Speaker
Rick Barton
Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations
U.S. Department of State
4. World Military Spending: Recent Trends, Stimson, 12-1:30 April 17
Place: SIPRI North America, 1111 19th St. NW, 12th floor, Washington DC 20036
RSVP: Please click here.
The following key points and questions will be discussed by a panel of experts:
- Presentation of the newly-released SIPRI figures for world military expenditures in 2011, outlining some of the key figures and trends
- How is the global financial crisis impacting world military spending?
- Do military spending trends suggest a shift in the global balance of power?
- Can military expenditures be cut (or cut further) to redirect spending to other priorities? What are the obstacles to this in different countries and regions?
- As the US seeks to reduce its budget deficit, how far should the military budget be cut?
- What are the reasons for increasing military spending by some regional powers? Does this create a danger of regional arms races?
Speakers
- Dr. Sam Perlo-Freeman, Head of Military Expenditure Project, SIPRI
- Dr. Gordon Adams, Distinguished Fellow – Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense, Stimson Center
- Dr. Nora Bensahel, Deputy Director of Studies and Senior Fellows, Center for a New American Security
Moderator: Dr. Chantal de Jonge Oudraat, Executive Director, SIPRI North America
If you have any questions, please contact Masha Keller at sipri-na@sipri.org.
5. The Arab Awakening: One Year Later, SAIS, 1740 MA, 12-2:30 pm April 18
The Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, along with the French Embassy to the United States and the Alliance française
invite you to
a French Embassy Rendez-vous
The Arab Awakening:
One Year Later
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
12:00 pm–2:30 pm
Kenney Auditorium
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
with
Keynote Speaker
His Excellency François Delattre
Ambassador of France to the United States of America
and
His Excellency Mohamed Salah Tekaya
Ambassador of Tunisia to the United States of America
Remarks about Tunisia: progress, opportunities and challenges since the revolution
The Arab awakening and the rapidity of the events which are irreversibly altering the face of the Middle East have unequivocally called into question the ability of political analyses to provide the necessary tools for understanding the global scenario and its underlying trends, especially when their basic assumptions are openly challenged. Civil society, left to itself after the revolution, has been confronted with several constitutional, institutional and socio-economic issues. One year after the beginning of the revolution, we will question the challenges raised by the democratic aspiration and faced by the new regimes.
Welcoming Remarks: Aude Jehan, French Embassy Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations
Moderator: Ambassador Kurt Volker, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations
Panelists: Suzanne Maloney, Brookings Institute, The implications of the Arab awakening for the regional balance of power
Ömer Taşpınar, SAIS and Brookings Institute, Europe’s Approach to the Arab awakening and Turkey
Julie Taylor, RAND, The Arab Awakening: A Double-edged Sword for Moderate Islamists
Manal Omar, U.S. Institute of Peace, The role of Women in post-revolution societies
A light reception will follow with the kind support of Paul’s Bakery
6. The Islamists Are Coming: Who They Really Are, WWC, 12:30-2 pm April 18
To attend this event, please send an RSVP to maria-stella.gatzoulis@wilsoncenter.org
The Islamists Are Coming is the first book to survey the rise of Islamist groups in the wake of the Arab Spring. Often lumped together, the more than 50 Islamist parties with millions of followers now constitute a whole new spectrum—separate from either militants or secular parties. They will shape the new order in the world’s most volatile region, more than any other political bloc, yet they have diverse goals and different constituencies. Sometimes they are even rivals.
In this book, Robin Wright offers an overview and 10 experts identify Islamists in Algeria, Egypt (two chapters), Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Tunisia. Each chapter is designed to help both a general audience and specialists.
A book website at www.theislamistsarecoming.com, to launch on the day of the event, will provide updates and an ongoing conversation among these and other experts.
The National Conversation at the Woodrow Wilson Center series provides a safe political space for deep dialogue and informed discussion of the most significant problems and challenges facing the nation and the world.
To attend this event, please send an RSVP to maria-stella.gatzoulis@wilsoncenter.org.
Location:
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Robin Wright//USIP-Wilson Center Distinguished ScholarJournalist and Author of seven books, most recently “Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World”
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Nathan J Brown//FellowProfessor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University
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Les Campbell //Senior Associate & Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, National Democratic Institute
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Samer S. Shehata//FellowAssistant Professor of Arab Politics, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
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Jane Harman//Director, President, and CEO
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Steve Inskeep//ModeratorHost, Morning Edition on National Public Radio
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