Peace Picks, June 10-14

1. Drones and the Future of Counterterrorism in Pakistan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Monday, June 10 / 5:00pm – 6:30pm

Venue: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Speakers: Frederic Grare, Samina Ahmed

The future use of drones in Pakistan is uncertain after President Obama’s recent speech on national security. Washington has now satisfied some of the demands of Pakistan’s incoming prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. But while drone strikes were seen in Islamabad as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, they were also arguably an effective counterterrorism mechanism. Samina Ahmed will discuss the future use of drones in Pakistan. Frederic Grare will moderate.

Register for the event here:
http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/06/10/drones-and-future-of-counterterrorism-in-pakistan/g7f0

2. Tyranny of Consensus: A Reception with Author Janne E. Nolan, Century Foundation, Monday, June 10 / 5:00pm – 6:30pm

Venue: Stimson Center, 1111 19th Street Northwest, 12th Floor, Washington D.C., DC 20036

Speakers: Janne E. Nolan

In “Tyranny of Consensus,” Nolan examines three cases-the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the proxy war with the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, and the 1998 embassy bombings in East Africa-to find the limitations of American policy-makers in understanding some of the important developments around the world. Assisted by a working group of senior practitioners and policy experts, Nolan finds that it is often the impulse to protect the already arrived at policy consensus that is to blame for failure. Without access to informed discourse or a functioning “marketplace of ideas,” policy-makers can find themselves unable or unwilling to seriously consider possible correctives even to obviously flawed strategies.

Register for the event here:
http://tcf.org/news_events/detail/tyranny-of-consensus-a-reception-with-author-janne-e.-nolan

3. TransAfrica and Busboys and Poets Present: Horace Campbell Discussing His Book Global NATO and the Catastrophic Failure in Libya: Lessons for Africa in the Forging of African Unity, Monday, June 10 / 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Venue: Busboys & Poets @ 5th & K
1025 5th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009
Cullen Room

Speaker: Horace Campbell

In this incisive account, scholar Horace Campbell investigates the political and economic crises of the early twenty-first century through the prism of NATO’s intervention in Libya. He traces the origins of the conflict, situates it in the broader context of the Arab Spring uprisings, and explains the expanded role of a post-Cold War NATO. This military organization, he argues, is the instrument through which the capitalist class of North America and Europe seeks to impose its political will on the rest of the world, however warped by the increasingly outmoded neoliberal form of capitalism. The intervention in Libya—characterized by bombing campaigns, military information operations, third party countries, and private contractors—exemplifies this new model.

Campbell points out that while political elites in the West were quick to celebrate the intervention in Libya as a success, the NATO campaign caused many civilian deaths and destroyed the nation’s infrastructure. Furthermore, the instability it unleashed in the forms of militias and terrorist groups have only begun to be reckoned with, as the United States learned when its embassy was attacked and personnel, including the ambassador, were killed. Campbell’s lucid study is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this complex and weighty course of events.

Register for the event here:
http://transafrica.org/events/2013/6/10/transafrica-and-busboys-and-poets-present-horace-campbell-di.html

4. ‘Transatlantic Economic Forum: Building Bridges Across the Mediterranean Day 1,’ Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Monday, June 10 / 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Venue: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Nitze Building, 1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

Mohamed Yousef Almagariaf, former president of the General National Congress of Libya; Jeanne Shaheen (via video), Democratic senator from New Hampshire and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations’ Subcommittee on European Affairs; Robert Aderholt, Republican congressman from Alabama and a member of the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security; M. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey; and Miriam E. Sapiro, acting U.S. trade representative, will give remarks on Day 1 of this three-day conference.

Register for the event here:
http://sais-jhu.edu/events/2013-06-10-190000-2013-06-10-210000/transatlantic-economic-forum-building-bridges-across

5. The Struggle for Independent Media and Freedom of Expression in Bahrain, National Endowment for Democracy, Tuesday, June 11 / 12:00am

Venue: National Endowment for Democracy
1025 F Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20004

Speakers: Nada Alwadi, Delphine Halgand, Adel Iskandar, David E. Lowe

Since the March 2011 Arab Spring revolutions, protests have swept Bahrain, causing a significant decline in freedom of expression. This resulted in an increase of threats against media professionals, mass dismissals of journalists from the country, and rising levels of government control over the media.

Register for the event here:
http://ned.org/events/the-struggle-for-independent-media-and-freedom-of-expression-in-bahrain

6. Envisioning a ‘Jewish and Democratic State’ That Promotes Peace, New America Foundation, Tuesday, June 11 / 9:00am – 10:30am

Venue: New America Foundation, 1899 L St., N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036

Speaker: Arik Ascherman

The creation of Israel in 1948 and its unresolved conflict with the Palestinians, Israel’s post-1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israeli settlement and control of those territories have raised profound religious and political issues in Israel and Palestine, the Jewish Diaspora, and among Jews and non-Jews throughout the world.

Rabbi Arik Ascherman will discuss the current situation and the religious dimensions of achieving peace, security, human rights and mutual respect between Israelis and Palestinians. He will describe his vision of what a Jewish and democratic state entails and how this should translate into mutually accepted policies of control and governance over land and people, freedom, and human rights on both sides of the Green Line.

Please join the New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, and Americans for Peace Now for this conversation with Rabbi Ascherman on June 11.

Register for the event here:
http://www.newamerica.net/events/2013/jewish_and_democratic_state_peace

7. ‘Transatlantic Economic Forum: Building Bridges Across the Mediterranean Day 2,’ Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Tuesday, June 11 / 10:00am – 3:00pm

Venue: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Bernstein-Offit Building
1717 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.
500

Experts from academia, government, foreign ministries, international organizations and private sector will speak at various sessions on Day 2 of this three-day conference.

Register for the event here:
http://mediterranean-basin-initiative.eventbrite.com/#

8. 2013 Global Peace Index Release, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Tuesday, June 11 / 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Venue: Center for Strategic and International Studies
1800 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

Speakers: Robert Lamb, Sean C. Carroll, Melanie Greenberg, Paul O’Brien, Alejandro Ponce, Daniel Hyslop, Michelle Breslauer

Please join us as we announce the results of the seventh annual Global Peace Index: Peace and Resilience: Assessing State Vulnerability to Conflict

Peace creates resilience and is statistically related to economic development, environmental health, and social cohesion. How can peace metrics inform discussions on resilience and vulnerability? What are the implications of these measures on development assistance?

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.

The report includes the Positive Peace Index (PPI), measuring the strength of the attitudes, institutions, and structures of 126 nations to create and maintain a peaceful society. The PPI provides metrics to assess the resilience of nation-states.

The Global Peace Index 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.

Register for the event here:
http://2013gpi.eventbrite.com/

9. ‘Transatlantic Economic Forum: Building Bridges Across the Mediterranean Day 3,’ Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Wednesday, June 12 / 9:00am – 3:00pm

Venue: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Nitze Building
1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

Hashim Thaci, prime minister of Kosovo, will give the conferences keynote address on Opportunities Beyond Normalization Between Kosovo and Serbia at 11 a.m. Experts from academia, government, foreign ministries, international organizations and private sector will speak at various sessions on Day 3 of this three-day conference hosted by the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations. NOTE: The Panel 4 session at 2 p.m. will take place in Room 500, Bernstein-Offit Building, 1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW.

Register for the event here:
http://sais-jhu.edu/events/2013-06-12-090000-2013-06-12-150000/transatlantic-economic-forum-building-bridges-across

10. Reform, Revolution or Status Quo? Regional Dynamics in a Changing Arab World, US Institute of Peace, Wednesday, June 12 / 10:00am – 11:30am

Venue: US Institute of Peace
2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

Speakers: Adeed Dawisha, Dafna Rand, Daniel Brumberg

This meeting is co-sponsored by the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Some experts predicted that the ‘Arab spring’ rebellions would widen the strategic, political, and even ideological gap between Arab states undergoing dramatic change and those defending the status quo. In fact, no such clear breach has occurred. Instead, Dr. Adeed Dawisha, distinguished professor of political science at Miami University, argues that sectarian tensions and economic constraints have dampened the potentially ‘incendiary’ effect of the Arab political revolts. Please join us at USIP for an engaging discussion on these dynamics in the Middle East with Dr. Dawisha, the State Department’s Dafna Rand, and USIP’s Daniel Brumberg on June 12, from 10:00am to 11:30am.

This event will be the fifth in a series of five papers and presentations on ‘Reshaping the Strategic Culture of the Middle East.’

Register for the event here:
http://www.usip.org/events/reform-revolution-or-status-quo-regional-dynamics-in-changing-arab-world

11. American NGOs Under Attack in Morsi’s Egypt, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Wednesday, June 12 / 1:00pm

Venue: Rayburn House Office Building
45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC
2172 House Rayburn Office Building

Speakers: Lorne W. Craner, Charles W. Dunne, Joyce Barnathan, Kenneth Wollack

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “Earlier this week an Egyptian court sentenced 43 NGO workers, including 16 Americans, to up to five years in prison and completely shut down, and seized the assets of, 3 American NGOs – Freedom House, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). This ruling against American NGO’s serves as an unfortunate reminder that Egypt under Morsi is going down the wrong path of suppressing civil society and undermining democratic principles. This hearing will examine the trial, its repercussions for civil society in Egypt, and Morsi’s attempts to push a new draft NGO law that would severely restrict the efforts of those working in Egypt to help foster the political reforms that so many had called for in the demonstrations in Tahrir Square. We are almost a year into the Morsi era and Egypt has regressed in so many areas, which underscores the importance for the United States to condition our aid to Egypt so that we can advance rule of law, civil society and democratic reforms.”

More information here:
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-hearing-american-ngos-under-attack-morsi%E2%80%99s-egypt

12. An Uphill Battle: Counter-Narcotics Issues and Policies During Afghanistan’s Transition, US Institute of Peace, Wednesday, June 12 / 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Venue: US Institute of Peace
2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

Speakers: Jim Marshall, Zarar Ahamad Muqbel Osmani, Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, Tooryalai Wesa, Mohammad Naem Baloch, Akram Kupalwak, William Byrd

As Afghanistan continues to navigate its future, the constant challenge of the opium economy and drug industry continues to plague the Afghan people and their leaders.

Please join the U.S. Institute of Peace in coordination with the U.S. Department of State for a public presentation by Afghan Minister of Counternarcotics, Minister Zarar Ahamad Muqbel Osmani, on the outlook for opium in Afghanistan, issues and problems that are expected to arise, and prospects for counternarcotics policies in the coming years. Minister Osmani’s presentation will be followed by a discussion with Governor Tooryalai Wesa of Kandahar Province, Governor Mohammad Naem Baloch of Helmand Province, Governor Akram Kupalwak of Farah Province, and Deputy Minister of the Interior Maz Mohammad Ahmadi on challenges they face in their regions on counternarcotics and law enforcement issues.

Register for the event here:
http://www.usip.org/www.usip.org/events/counternarcotics-afghanistan

13. After the Arab Uprisings, New America Foundation, Thursday, June 13 / 9:00am – 10:30am

Venue: New America Foundation
1899 L St., N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036

Speakers: Adnan Mazarei, Dr. Tarik Yousef (Invited To Participate Via Skype)

Two years after the Arab uprisings began, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa are undergoing complex political, social and economic transformations. Arab countries in transition are trying to articulate economic reform agendas amidst tumultuous internal developments and a challenging external environment. The divergent economic interests of governments and civil society groups further complicate the reform process. Alongside these near-term obstacles to economic stability, the region must contend with the medium-term challenges of diversifying their economies, creating jobs, and generating more inclusive growth.

On June 13, New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force will host Adnan Mazarei, the Deputy Director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, to discuss the region’s economic performance in 2012 and expectations for 2013. The conversation will highlight the IMF’s 2013 Regional Economic Outlook on the Middle East, focusing on the report’s findings and policy recommendations for addressing the region’s economic hardships.

Follow @NewAmerica and use #MideastOutlook to join the conversation online.

Register for the event here:
http://www.newamerica.net/events/2013/after_the_arab_uprisings

14. Innovating at the Speed of News, The Broadcasting Board of Governors, Thursday, June 13 / 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Venue: Capitol Visitor Center
East Capitol St, NE and 1st St, NE Washington, DC 20004
HVC 215

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is pleased to invite you to our digital innovation expo: Innovating at the Speed of News

Come learn how this U.S. government-funded international news and information agency is using cutting-edge technologies to shape the future of news delivery, social discourse and crisis response around the clock and around the globe.

Participate in hands-on demonstrations and learn more about:
– Internet anti-censorship tools in China and Iran
– How people in Mali can listen to Voice of America with a local phone call
– A collaborative blog with personalized accounts of the plight of Syrians
– Next-generation storytelling tools that transcend platforms

… and a dozen more exciting projects that our technologists, journalists, and innovators have developed during the past year to serve audiences in more than 100 countries in which the media are not entirely free.

Register for the event here:
http://www.bbg.gov/blog/2013/05/29/innovating-at-the-speed-of-news/

15. Turkey and the Arab Spring, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Thursday, June 13 / 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Venue: Woodrow Wilson Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Speakers: Bulent Aras, Mesut Ozcan, Saban Kardas, Fatih Tedik

Members of the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s Strategic Research Center will discuss Turkish Foreign Policy in the Middle East in the context of the Arab Spring.  The Strategic Research Center works as a consultative body to provide foreign policy decision makers with scholarly assessments of relevant issues and reviews Turkish foreign policy with a futuristic perspective.

Register for the event here:
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/turkey-and-the-arab-spring

16. Dynamic Gulf: Forces of Change in a Strategic Region, Project on Middle East Democracy, Friday, June 14 / 8:00am – 2:45pm

Venue: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
Root Room

Speakers: Frederic Wehrey, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Bernard Haykel, Steve Simon, Marc Lynch, Andrew Hammond and more

What are the drivers of the political, societal, and economic change reshaping the Arab Gulf states? Do old paradigms about the region’s perennial stability still hold true? Scholars, analysts, and activists from across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States will tackle these questions to examine the oft-neglected forces at work in this dynamic and strategically important region.

Register for the event here:
http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/06/14/dynamic-gulf-forces-of-change-in-strategic-region/g75f

17. Fourth Annual Conference on Turkey, Middle East Institute, Friday, June 14 / 9:00am – 5:00pm

Venue: National Press Club
529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20045

Speakers: Volkan Bozkir, Steve Heydemann, Anne Richard, Robert Worth, Bülent Aras, Ibrahim Kalin and more

Join us for the Fourth Annual Conference on Turkey.  Featuring keynote addresses by Ibrahim Kalin, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Turkey, and Congressman Ed Whitfield, the conference will address  Turkey’s domestic and foreign policy.  Panels will highlight topics including the PKK peace deal, the conflict in Syria, and the relationship between Iraq, Iran, and Turkey.  Speakers will also be addressing the recent protest movement and ongoing tensions in the country.

Register for the event here:
http://www.mei.edu/events/register-meis-fourth-annual-conference-turkey-june-14th

18. Current Challenges to Christian-Muslim Relations in Egypt, US Institute of Peace, Friday, June 14 / 10:00am – 12:00pm

Venue: US Institute of Peace
2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

Speakers: Mohamed Ali Goma’a, Mouneer Hanna Anis, Qamar-ul Huda

After decades of authoritarian rule, Egypt’s transition to democracy is tackling incredible challenges including political, social and economic reform, infrastructural development, and the ongoing religious sectarianism. During Hosni Mubarak’s rule, Christian-Muslim relationships could be described as passively tolerant for the sake of maintaining national unity and harmony.However, since the revolution and the election of the President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood party, extremist narratives have surfaced causing conflicts between Muslims and Christians.What challenges do religious leaders and their communities face in the current democratic transition? What steps have religious leaders taken to curtail extremist narratives?

Join us on Friday, June 14 from 10am-12pm for an exciting discussion with two contemporary religious leaders from Egypt.

Register for the event here:
http://www.usip.org/events/current-challenges-christian-muslim-relations-in-egypt