This week’s peace picks

A relatively light week as fall begins, with development, diplomacy and peacekeeping in the limelight:

1. Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Afghanistan, Monday September 17, 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Venue:  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Speaker:  Ryan Crocker

In his first public event since returning from Kabul, Ambassador Ryan Crocker will deliver an address at Carnegie on the challenges and opportunities ahead in Afghanistan. Ashley J. Tellis will moderate.

Register for this event here.

2. The Role of Democratic Accountability in Development Assistance, Monday September 17, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Open Society Foundations

Venue:  Open Society Foundations, 1730 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20006, 7th Floor

Speakers:  David Kramer, Daniel Yohannes, Brian Atwood

A panel discussion will precede a keynote speech on measuring democratic accountability and the way those measurements can shape effective development assistance. The conversation will be informed by the newly released findings of Freedom House’s “Countries at the Crossroads 2012,” as well as the practical application of such research by the Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID. The panel will be moderated by Morton H. Halperin, Senior Advisor, Open Society Foundations.

Register for this event here.

3. The New Geopolitics of Energy, Monday September 17, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM, Elliott School of International Affairs

Venue:  Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, Lindner Family Commons

Speaker:  Steve Levine

What potential does the discovery of new oil and gas deposits in North America, Israel, and East Africa have in disrupting the current geopolitical landscape? Do advancements in battery technology have the potential to curb the United States oil-guzzling habits? If so, will the United States, China, Germany or Japan lead the way? Looking at geopolitics through the lens of energy, author Steve LeVine will offer insight on the shifts in geopolitical power in the 21^st century as it relates to previously untapped sources of existing fossil fuels, advancements in new energy technology, and the countries and corporations competing to dominate these markets.

Register for this event here.

4. Exploring a Comprehensive Approach to Public Diplomacy, Tuesday September 18, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Heritage Foundation

Venue:  Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, Lehrman Auditorium

Speakers:  Christopher Lamb, Fletcher Schoen

Public Diplomacy is the process of government and individual outreach to citizens of other nations. As such, public diplomacy is an important tool in impacting the perceptions and view that others have of the United States. In a new report by Dr. Christopher Lamb and Fletcher Schoen, the authors describe the importance of a comprehensive public diplomacy effort that utilizes capabilities across the government.

Specifically, their report lays out an effective inter-agency approach to promoting U.S. security and image around the world. The report lays out the success of the Active Measures Working Group in combating the disinformation of the Soviet Union during the 1980s. The report comes to the conclusion: “In an increasingly connected age, America will need to protect its public reputation from those who would malign it to weaken our national security. Safeguarding the country’s reputation overseas is a whole-of-government endeavor requiring interagency coordination and collaboration.”

Join us to hear directly from the authors as they examine not only the importance of public diplomacy, but also how to utilize effectively the abilities of different parts of the U.S. government to further our national security.

Register for this event here.

5. Russian Georgian Dialogue, Tuesday September 18, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, American University

Venue:  American University, SIS Building, Abramson Family Founders Room

Georgian and Russian experts will discuss the future of bilateral relations between the countries

RSVP for this event to tserete@american.edu.

6. Panel on U.S. Personnel in International Peacekeeping, Thursday September 20, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping

Venue:  1777 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20006

Speakers:  Lynn Holland, Deborah Owens, William Stuebner

GlobalSolutions.org  (formerly Citizens for Global Solutions) is continuing our series of events, begun last year, to discuss and determine how the United States could best increase its involvement in international peacekeeping operations.  The September 20, 2012 panel will look at the successes and challenges faced in peacekeeping missions today and use recommendations drawn from our recent peacekeeping report as a framework for the discussion. This reception is made possible thanks to generous support from The Compton Foundation. Lunch will be provided.

Register for this event here.