This week’s peace picks

Not a slow week, but one with a bit longer term focus than some:

1. Persian subversion: Can America withstand an Iranian oil shock? AEI 10-11:30 June 12.

In Conjunction with Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)
AEI, Twelfth Floor
1150 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
(Two blocks from Farragut North Metro)

In recent months, Iranian saber rattling has shaken energy markets. Although sanctions targeting Iran may raise the price at the pump, inaction is also costly: allowing Tehran to pass its nuclear threshold will endanger security in the Persian Gulf and may lead to even greater oil price hikes.

Against the backdrop of the Iranian nuclear crisis, American policymakers are increasingly considering ramping up domestic oil production and alternative energy. How much can shale oil, new pipelines and offshore oil production shield the U.S. economy from instability in the Persian Gulf and Iran’s leverage over world oil prices? How do the recent bankruptcies of U.S. solar energy firms affect American alternate energy strategy? Join a panel of foreign policy, national security, energy and transportation experts for an open discussion.

If you cannot attend, we welcome you to watch the event live on this page. 

Agenda

9:45 AM
Registration

10:00 AM
Panelists:
Elliott Abrams, Council on Foreign Relations
Gen. (ret.) James T. Conway, 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps
Sam Gilliland, Sabre Holdings
Daniel Yergin, IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates

Moderator:
Michael Rubin, AEI

11:30 AM
Adjournment

2. Japan-Korea-China Economic Relations, 9-10:30 June 12

Location:
KEI Conference Room
1800 K ST NW Suite 1010

Washington 20006

Speakers:
Joshua Meltzer, Fellow Global Economy and Development, The Brookings Institution
Mireya Solis, Associate Professor American University
Derek Scissors, Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation
Description:

As Korea strives to be a global leader, the country has concluded several bilateral and multilateral Free Trade Agreements since 2003 and is currently negotiating additional agreements while laying the groundwork for a Korea-Japan-China FTA and considering the resumption of negotiations with Japan. Japan’s trade strategy also continues to evolve as it develops a new growth strategy after the natural disasters of 2011. Both Korea and Japan are carefully watching the developments around TPP. In the meantime, China has become the largest trading partner of Korea and Japan and the three countries recently signed a trilateral investment agreement as a potential first step toward a trilateral trade accord.

The seminar will assess the current status of the Korean and Japanese trade policies in light of the implementation of the KORUS FTA and the continued discussion of the TPP, Korea-China FTA and Korea-Japan-China FTA.

Light refreshments will be served.
Seating is limited, RSVPs are required.
To RSVP, please email events@keia.org

3.   2012 GPI Launch: How Can Global Peace Metrics Inform Foreign Policy? CSIS, 9-10:30 June 12

Please join us for the results of the sixth annual Global Peace Index and inaugural Positive Peace Index:Tuesday, June 12, 2012
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
B1 Conference Center, CSIS
1800 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20006

A Panel Discussion With

Amb. William Garvelink, Senior Adviser, U.S. Leadership in Development, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Moderator)

Anne-Marie Slaughter
, Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University (Opening Remarks)

Lawrence Wilkerson, Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy, William and Mary College

Josh Rogin, Staff Writer, Foreign Policy

Emily Cadei, Foreign Policy Reporter, Congressional Quarterly

Michael Shank
, U.S. Vice President, Institute for Economics and Peace (GPI Results Presentation)

In a world often described by crisis and conflict, which countries are the most peaceful? How do we measure peace and its economic value? How can peace metrics inform U.S. foreign policy?

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

For the first time, this year’s report includes a Positive Peace Index (PPI), highlighting the key institutional factors associated with creating peaceful and resilient societies. The PPI ranks countries by their institutional capacity to move away from violence and towards peace.

The GPI is produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), guided by an international panel of independent experts and supported by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which collates the data and calculates the rankings in conjunction with the IEP.

Please RSVP to achang@csis.org

4.  Culturally-Based Approaches to Peacebuilding in Pakistan, SAIS (Kenney) 9:30-11:30 June 12

Hosted By: Conflict Management Program
Location: Kenney Auditorium, The Nitze Building (main building)
Summary: Ali Gohar, founder and rebar (leader) of Just Peace Initiatives; Samar Minallah, documentary filmmaker and human rights activist for Ethnomedia; and Leena El-Ali (moderator), director of Muslim-Western Relations and Middle East and North Africa Programs for Search for Common Ground, will discuss this topic. For more information and to RSVP, visit http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6060/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=36079.
5.  Libya on the Eve of Elections: Examining the Challenges of Political and Economic Development, Carnegie Endowment, 10-11:30 June 12

With Libya’s first nationwide democratic election quickly approaching, serious progress on political and institutional development is essential as the country proceeds with its transition. While re-establishing security remains vital in the short term, many long-term development challenges also require immediate attention, including building effective, accountable institutions at the national and local levels; developing an independent and diverse civil society; establishing and protecting a free, professional press; and reforming the military, police, and other security forces. Meanwhile, Libyans must engage in a national dialogue on how to ensure adequate representation in government for women, youth, and and various tribal and ethnic groups. By smartly leveraging domestic resources and international assistance, the Libyan people could be well-positioned to build a prosperous and free country.

What will the assembly elections – originally slated for June 19th but now expected to be delayed until July – look like?  What are the major political forces emerging in the country and how are they preparing for the elections?  How will the election of a national assembly affect the role of the National Transitional Council (NTC)? What are the top priorities for the Libyan government, particularly regarding institutional reform? How can Libyans develop a robust civil society and ensure freedom of opinion, press, and assembly?  Which best practices from other state-building efforts would be most appropriate for the Libyan case?  In particular, how might various models of federalism and decentralization be useful? And what is the most constructive role for international actors to play in supporting capacity-building, among other needs?

Please join us for a discussion of these issues with:
Manal Omar
Director of Iraq, Iran, and North Africa Programs, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, U.S. Institute of Peace
Stephen McInerney
Executive Director, POMED
Fadel Lamen
President, American-Libyan Council
Moderator: Sarah Margon
Associate Director, Sustainable Security and Peacebuilding Initiative, Center for American Progress

Click here to RSVP for the event.

We’ll also be live-tweeting from the event, so follow the conversation at #POMEDLib. If you’d like us to ask one of your questions, we’ll try to include a few from our virtual audience.

Please contact Anna Newby at anna.newby@pomed.org with any questions, or call (202) 828-9660, ext 23.

6.  The State of Health in Afghanistan: Implications for Economic Stability, Security and Women, USIP, 3:30-4:30 June 12

Despite the number of negative trends in Afghanistan, tremendous achievements have been gained in the health sector. Most notable is the programming on maternal health, which has contributed to a significant decline in infant and child mortality rates.  The percentage of female healthcare worker has risen dramatically in USAID-funded healthcare facilities.

How has the health sector improved the overall health of a country? What can we learn from the Ministry of Health that might be applied to other sectors? How has the sector supported economic stability and security? What are the country’s health goals as Afghanistan prepares for its security and political transitions in 2014?

Please join USIP’s Center for Gender and Peacebuilding, in collaboration with the Afghan Embassy, the Department of State and USAID, for a panel discussion on the health sector’s contribution to economic stability and security in Afghanistan leading to 2014. The minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, Honorable Dr. Soraya Dalil, will discuss the “state of health” in Afghanistan. She will be joined by U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and Michele Schimpp, deputy director for USAID’s Afghanistan and Pakistan Task Force.

Panelists

  • The Honorable Dr. Soraya Dalil
    Minister of Public Health
  • Ambassador Melanne Verveer
    Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State
  • Michele Schimpp
    Deputy Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan Task Force,  USAID
  • William Byrd, Discussant
    Senior Expert in Residence, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Kathleen Kuehnast, Moderator
    Director, Center for Gender and Peacebuilding, U.S. Institute of Peace

7.   The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR)Complementarity or Cooperation between State, USAID and the NGO Community, USIP, 9-4:30 June 15

After Secretary of State Hillary Clinton introduced the QDDR as a major step in elevating development alongside diplomacy as a key pillar of American foreign policy, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) welcomed the QDDR as the beginning of a better coordinated and more effective approach to global development. USIP and Webster University will host a day of discussion about how the QDDR complements NGO efforts in development, humanitarian relief and conflict management as well as the current challenges and opportunities that result from the QDDR.

This discussion will be built around presentations from senior United States government officials from the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development and from leaders in the NGO community. These will be followed by panel discussions that combine the perspectives of policymakers and NGOs on the topics of economic development, public health, education, human security, and human rights.

USIP was among the organizations that contributed ideas to the development of the QDDR, particularly in the areas of stabilization and conflict prevention. Discussion of the QDDR and its goals will enhance the effectiveness of both NGOs and the U.S. Government in global development and conflict prevention efforts, particularly in building local capacity and promoting innovation.

Conference Themes:
  • What in the QDDR is relevant to the work of NGOs and private voluntary organizations (PVOs)?
  • How will the objectives of the QDDR affect NGOs and PVOs?
  • Where is there complementarity in the following areas?
    • Conflict Prevention
    • Capacity building
    • Development of effective civil society
    • Humanitarian aid
    • Contributions of new technology

Download Conference Agenda

Speakers

  • Nancy Lindborg 
    Assistant Administrator, USAID
  • Melanie Greenberg 
    President and CEO, Alliance for Peacebuilding
  • Lindsay Coates 
    Executive Vice President, Interaction
  • Ambassador Robert Loftis 
    Former Acting Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, the Department of State
  • David Wilson 
    Dean of Humanities, Webster University
  • Jeff Helsing 
    Dean of Curriculum, U.S. Institute of Peace
Daniel Serwer

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Daniel Serwer

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