Peace Picks July 8-12

A computer crash delayed this week’s abundant edition, but here it is:

1. The Failed States Index 2013 Launch Event, The Fund for Peace, Tuesday, July 9 / 9:00am – 11:30am

Venue: University Club of Washington DC

1135 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

Speakers: John Agoglia, David Bosco, Edward T. Cope, Kate Thompson

The Failed States Index (FSI) is a leading index that annually highlights current trends in social, economic and political pressures that affect all states, but can strain some beyond their capacity to cope. Apart from the impact on their people, fragile and failed states present the international community with a variety of challenges. In today’s world, with its globalized economy, information systems and security challenges, pressures on one fragile state can have serious repercussions not only for that state and its people, but also for its neighbors and other states halfway across the globe.

Linking robust social science with modern technology, the FSI is unique in its integration of quantitative data with data produced using content-analysis software to process information from millions of publicly available documents. The result is an empirically-based, comprehensive ranking of the pressures experienced by 178 nations. The FSI is used by policy makers, civil society, academics, journalists and businesses around the world.

Register for the event here:

http://fsi2013.eventbrite.com/

2. Closing Gitmo? A conversation with Rep. Mike Pompeo, American Enterprise Institute, Tuesday, July 9 / 9:00am – 10:00am

Venue: American Enterprise Institute

1150 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Speakers: Mike Pompeo, Marc A. Thiessen

President Obama’s recent speech at the National Defense University marked his most comprehensive public remarks about Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) since an ongoing hunger strike refocused attention on the prison. Some human rights groups have applauded his decision to lift a ban on transferring cleared detainees to Yemen, while others argue the administration lacks an effective plan to manage relocated prisoners. A controversial tool in America’s war on terror, Gitmo’s future remains uncertain.Congressman Mike Pompeo (R-KS), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a West Point graduate, has just returned from visiting Gitmo. He will sit down with AEI’s Marc Thiessen for a conversation on the facility and the implications its closure could have for America’s security. A brief Q&A will follow.

Register for the event here:

http://www.aei.org/events/2013/07/09/closing-gitmo-a-conversation-with-rep-mike-pompeo/

3. ‘Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum: ‘Opting Out of War: Strategies to Prevent Violent Conflict”, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Tuesday, July 9 / 9:30am – 11:30am

Venue: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Nitze Building

1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

Kenney Auditorium

Speakers: Marshall Wallace, Kristin Doughty, Sue Williams, Sandra Melone

Marshall Wallace, director of the Do No Harm Program at the Collaboration for Development Action; Kristin Doughty, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Rochester; Sue Williams, an expert in peace and development; and Sandra Melone, executive vice president at the Search for Common Ground, will discuss.

Register for the event here:

http://salsa.sfcg.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=397142.

4. Subcommittee Hearing: Learning from Iraq: A Final Report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Tuesday, July 9 / 10:00am

Venue: Rayburn House Office Building

45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC

Room 2172

Speakers: The Honorable Stuart W. Bowen- Jr., The Honorable John Herbst

5. 10th Anniversary of the Proliferation Security Initiative, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Tuesday, July 9 / 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Venue: Center for Strategic and International Studies

1800 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 B1C

Conference Room

Speakers: Rebecca K.C. Hersman, Vann H. Van Diepen, Susan J. Koch, Sharon Squassoni

The Bush administration created the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) ten years ago to improve global efforts to interdict shipments of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their dual-use components. This voluntary arrangement has primarily relied on bilateral shipboarding agreements and exercises to help improve responses to suspect shipments. Beginning with 11 ‘core’ states, PSI now has 102 member states. Despite this, there are still gaps in the system.  Recently, the Obama administration has declared its intention to turn PSI into a ‘durable international effort.’ Please join our distinguished panel of speakers as we discuss how PSI has developed, and how it might move forward into the future.

Register for the event through email to:

ppp@csis.org

6. AIPAC Summer Seminar: Congress and the Middle East, Tuesday, July 9 / 7:00pm

Venue: Cannon House Office Building

[200-299] New Jersey Ave SE, Washington D.C.

The Cannon Caucus Room

Speakers: Eric Cantor, Eliot Engel, David Gillette

This event is hosted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and will be featuring House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), as well as AIPAC’s Deputy Director of Policy and Government Affairs David Gillette.

Register for the event here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/summerseminarseries13

7. Can International Human Rights Norms Secure Women’s Rights in the MENA Region?, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Wednesday, July 10 / 9:00am – 1:00pm

Venue: Woodrow Wilson Center

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Speakers: Lilia Labidi, Moushira Khattab, Fatima Sbaity Kassem, Fahima Al Fotih, Kahina Bouagache, Eman Hussein

PANEL 1: Human Rights Conventions and Integration

PANEL 2: Transcending Barriers to Human Rights in the Region: The Way Forward

Register for the event here:

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/can-international-human-rights-norms-secure-women%E2%80%99s-rights-the-mena-region

8. Senator Carl Levin on the Conflict in Syria and America’s Role, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Wednesday, July 10 / 9:00am – 10:00am

Venue: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Speakers: Jessica Tuchman Mathews, Carl Levin

The conflict in Syria continues unabated and despite President Obama’s recent decision to send small arms and ammunition to the rebels, there remains significant pressure on the United States to do more. Following his return from a visit to Turkey and Jordan, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin will discuss the impact the situation in Syria is having on the region and the implications for U.S. national security interests. Jessica T. Mathews will moderate.

Register for the event here:

http://carnegieendowment.org/events/forms/?fa=registration&event=4146&lang=en

9. ‘New Story Leadership: Stories Changing the Future for the Middle East’, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Wednesday, July 10 / 9:30am – 12:00pm

Venue: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Nitze Building

1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

Kenney Auditorium

Speakers: Aseel Saied, Gal Raij, Coral Kasirer

Aseel Saied, a recipient of the Hope Fund Scholarship at Bridgewater College from Ramallah, Palestine; Gal Raij, a public activist for the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and Hadera, Israel; Coral Kasirer, a graduate from the University of British Columbia from Zichron Ya’akov, Israel, will discuss their experiences.

Register for the event through email to:

paul@newstoryleadership.org

10. Joint Subcommittee Hearing: The Terrorist Threat in North Africa: Before and After Benghazi, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Wednesday, July 10 / 10:00am

Venue: Rayburn House Office Building

45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC

Room 2172

Speakers: Mr. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Mr. Aaron Zelin, Daniel L. Byman- Ph.D., Mr. Mike Lovelady

11. The Dragon Extends Its Reach: Chinese Military Power Goes Global, Heritage Foundation, Wednesday, July 10 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Venue: Heritage Foundation

214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Lehrman Auditorium

Speaker: Larry M. Wortzel

Advances in technology and the development of indigenous weapons platforms in China, combined with reactions to modern conflicts, have produced a military force very different from that which China has fielded in the past. Wortzel presents a clear and sobering picture of the PLA’s modernization effort as it expands into space and cyberspace, and as it integrates operations in the traditional domains of war.

Larry M. Wortzel spent much of his thirty-two-year military career in the Asia-Pacific region, including two tours of duty as a military attaché in China. He served as Director of the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College and, after retirement, as Director of the Asian Studies Center and Vice President at The Heritage Foundation. For over a decade he has been a commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. He has previously authored or edited ten published books about China.

Register for the event here:

http://www.heritage.org/events/2013/07/dragon-extends-its-reach

12. An Examination of U.S. Policy Toward Egypt, Center for National Policy, Wednesday, July 10 / 12:00pm – 1:15pm

Venue: Center for National Policy

One Massachusetts Avenue, NW Suite 333, Washington, D.C. 20001

Speakers: Gregory Aftandilian, Karim Haggag, Amy Hawthorne

In early 2011 the Egyptian people led a revolution that brought down a thirty-year authoritarian regime. Now, two years later, massive demonstrations have gripped the country once again. As Egypt struggles to definite its future, the Obama administration must decide how it will approach the country’s current crisis and uncertain political future. Given the massive demonstrations that started June 30th, has President Obama changed his approach to the Morsi presidency? How do strategic American interests influence the President’s policies?

Register for the event here:

http://cnponline.org/ht/display/EventDetails/i/42336

13. Who Authorized Preparations for War with China?, Elliott School of International Affairs, Wednesday, July 10 / 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Venue: Marvin Center

800 21st St. NW, Washington, DC

Room 405

Speakers: Edward A. McCord, T.X. Hammes, J. Stapleton Roy, Amitai Etzioni

The Sigur Center for Asian Studies at GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs is hosting a panel discussion on global security and the AirSeaBattle Plan.

AirSeaBattle (ASB) is a new system that will intensify the strategic atmosphere in the Pacific. A US official told The Washington Post that ASB is milestone in treating China with new “Cold War” thinking.    An article in the Yale Journal of International Affairs provides detailed information about ASB.

Register for the event here:

https://docs.google.com/a/email.gwu.edu/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGRqS1dCYWhmdUZ2NmtwVy1DZ2NwZlE6MA

14. Military Strategy Forum: Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert and General James F. Amos, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Thursday, July 11 / 9:00am – 10:30am

Venue: Center for Strategic and International Studies

1800 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

B1 Conference Room

Speakers: Jonathan W. Greenert, James F. Amos, John J. Hamre, David Berteau, Kim Wincup

Register for the event here:

http://csis.org/event/military-strategy-forum-admiral-jonathan-w-greenert-and-general-james-f-amos

15. Public Opinion on U.S. Foreign Policy–What Is It, and How Does It Matter?, Cato Institute, Thursday, July 11 / 12:00pm

Venue: Cato Institute

1000 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001

Hayek Auditorium

Speakers: Trevor Thrall, Danny Hayes, Richard Wike, Justin Logan

Register for the event here:

http://www.cato.org/events/public-opinion-us-foreign-policy-what-it-how-does-it-matter

16. Institutional Roadblocks to Deterrence Stability in South Asia, Stimson Center, Thursday, July 11 / 12:30pm – 2:00pm

Venue: Stimson Center

1111 19th Street Northwest, 12th Floor, Washington D.C., DC 20036

Speakers: Polly Nayak, Vinay Shankar

Register for the event here:

http://www.stimson.org/events/institutional-roadblocks-to-deterrence-stability-in-south-asia/

17. Congressional Briefing: Mali: The Road Ahead, Institute for Policy Studies, Thursday, July 11 / 12:30pm – 2:00pm

Venue: Rayburn House Office Building

45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC

Room B338

Speakers: Chris Coons, Karen Bass, Tieman Hubert Coulibaly, Agapito Dias, Vivian Lowery Derryck, Sidi Diawara and more

As a part of Mali Watch, IPS’ Foreign Policy In Focus invites you to a briefing on Mali: What lies ahead in the wake of the 2012 coup d’état and the upcoming elections. Mali Watch, a non-partisan coalition concerned about restoring peace, security, and democracy to the people of Mali, will host a Congressional Briefing focused on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Mali in the wake of the 2012 coup d’etat and the upcoming elections. The Briefing will include featured presentations and a panel discussion. The briefing provides a platform for members of Congress who participated in a Congressional Delegation to Mali to debrief on their reflections after the trip. The Briefing is also a forum where the Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs, The U.S. State Department and the World Bank Africa Executive Director can address a gathering of policymakers and the general public at this critical moment in Mali’s development. The Briefing which also includes a panel of experts on the humanitarian, human rights, security, and electoral prospects for Mali will conclude with a vibrant Q&A with panelists and speakers.

Register for the event through email to:

giftinadi@gmail.com

18. Polish Solidarity: A Historical and Contemporary Viewpoint, Institute of World Politics, Friday, July 12 / 4:30pm – 6:00pm

Venue: Institute of World Politics

1521 16th Street NW Washington, DC

Speakers: Andrzej Kolodziej

This event is sponsored by the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies.Andrzej Kolodziej is one of the most recognized people linked to anti-communist activity in Pomeranian region. Currently, he is a student at the Naval Academy in Trojmiastomajoring in national security affairs.In 1977, he graduated from vocational school, and at the age of 18, went to Gdansk where he attended vocational high school specializing in building ships. On August 15, 1980, he was co-organizer of a strike at the Shipyard in Gdynia (his first day of work at the shipyard) and became a chairman of Strike Committee there. Between 1980 and 1981, Mr. Kolodziej was vice-chair of Solidarity Foundation Committee.On October 19, 1981, he was arrested in Czechoslovakia, and in February 1982, he was sentenced to 21 months in prison, first in Prague and later in Litomierzycach. In July 1983, he was released and handed over to communistic authorities in Poland. In 2000, he was rehabilitated by the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic.He has received many honors for his activism, including the Knights Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order by President of Poland Kazimierz Sabbat, Grand Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order, the Fighting Solidarity cross, and the Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski Medal. He currently resides in Gdynia.Important note: Attendance at all IWP events requires an RSVP in advance. In addition, prospective attendees must receive an e-mail confirmation from IWP indicating that seating will be available for them at the event. A government-issued ID that matches your name on the confirmed attendee list must be presented at the door for admission to any event. The use of photographic and/or recording equipment is prohibited except by advanced permission from IWP, the event organizer, and the speaker(s). IWP is a private organization; as such, all attendees are guests of the Institute.

Register for the event here:

http://www.iwp.edu/events/page/registration-for-polish-solidarity-a-historical-and-contemporary-viewpoint