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Peace picks June 23-27

1. Iranian Nuclear Deal and the Impact on its Neighbors Monday, June 23 | 9:30 am – 12:00 pm Woodrow Wilson Center, Fifth Floor; 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND Experts Abdullah Baabood, Slah Eddin Elzein, Bijan Khajehpour, David Ottaway, Marina Ottoway, and Afshin Molavi examine the implications that a potential Iranian nuclear deal would have on the region, particularly Persian Gulf states.
2. Energy Insecurity and the Luxury of Sovereignty along Russia’s Pipelines Tuesday, June 24 | 10:00 am – 11:00 am Woodrow Wilson Center; 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND Can a state without energy security be considered fully sovereign? What factors go into state responses to external energy challenges, and what lessons can they draw from past crises? Lucia Seybert, Research Scholar and Lecturer at American University, examines varied approaches by Lithuania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Belarus for reconciling energy needs with state sovereignty. Mapping the underlying dynamics to this tension between energy and security is important for our understanding of energy cooperation and conflict in Europe and beyond.
3. Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani on India-Pakistan Relations Tuesday, June 24 | 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; 1779 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND As Modi’s government takes shape in New Delhi, questions abound about the future of the India-Pakistan relationship. Despite Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif’s promise to normalize ties with India, relations between the two rivals have changed little in the year since he took office. Will Modi’s election lead to a new start between India and Pakistan, or could it instead mark the beginning of a new phase of deterioration? How will domestic politics in Pakistan influence its India policy? Pakistani Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani will discuss the prospects for peace between the two countries.
4. Defining a New Strategy for NATO: NATO in an Era of Global Competition Wednesday, June 25 | 8:30 am – 3:30 pm Atlantic Council of the United States, 12^th Floor; 1030 15^th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND As NATO winds down its long combat operation in Afghanistan, the Alliance is facing the most complex and dynamic global security environment since the end of the Cold War, with significant threats emanating from a newly assertive Russia, a turbulent Middle East, and global competition. This conference will convene leaders and experts, such as Wolfgang Ischinger, Robert Kaplan, Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, James Goldgeier, Julianne Smith, Kori Schake, to discuss the role of NATO and the broader transatlantic community in an era of emerging security challenges, global power shifts, and new disruptive technologies.
5. Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Recovery: Learning from Post-Conflict and Disaster Response Experience Wednesday, June 25 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am Woodrow Wilson Center; 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND Crises, including complex emergencies, war, and natural disasters, create high-stakes environmental and natural resource management choices for communities, governments, and non-governmental organizations. Anita van Breda, Ken Conca, Alice Thomas, and Annica Walleij will identify better practices among the environment, post-conflict and disaster response, and peace building communities.
6. The Corruption Factor in the Endless Destabilization and Violence of African Societies Wednesday, June 25 | 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm Universal Peace Federation, 3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, D.C. While governments commit large sums to addressing the many problems impeding development, corruption remains a major destabilizing force in African societies. Anti-corruption measures are needed as part of Africa’s development agenda to ensure future growth and prosperity. SPEAKERS Dr. Aaron Adade, Dr. John Wulu, Dr. Ignatius O. Okpabi, and Dr. Augustine Blay.
7. Retrospective Illusions? Lessons on Nuclear Security from the French Memory of the Cuban Missile Crisis Wednesday, June 25 | 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Woodrow Wilson Center; 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND In this presentation, Benoît Pelopidas analyzes the contemporary memory of the Cuban missile crisis in France in light of the growing consensus that the absence of use of nuclear weapons during the crisis is due to luck or good fortune. Dr. Pelopidas identifies three types of evidence supporting the case for luck: the lack of or false information given to decision-makers, the limits of safety of the weapons involved, and the limits of presidential control over the weapons during the crisis.
8. Ukraine: Observations of a Foreign Service Officer in Kiev Wednesday, June 25 | 11:30 am – 1:30 pm Woman’s National Democratic Club; 1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND Drew Bury, a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Department of State, will speak about his recent experience serving as a First Tour Officer in Kiev, Ukraine. Drew will recount his initial observations from his first year in Kiev as a Management Officer at the embassy, and explain how Former President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to stray from the November 21 Association Agreement signing precipitated the EuroMaidan protest movement, creating opportunities for Junior Officers to take on non-traditional embassy roles.
9. Russian Gas, European Energy Security, and US Policy Thursday, June 26 | 9:30 am – 12:00 pm American Enterprise Institute; 1150 17^th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND In the wake of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, energy politics are back on the front page. Even more manifest is the fact that Russian pricing and supply policies with respect to the country’s exports of natural gas are heavily influenced by foreign policy and other noneconomic considerations. SPEAKERS Danielle Pletka, Leon Aron, Anders Aslund, Benjamin Zycher, Desmond Lachman, and Marcus Noland will discuss the political and policy dimensions of European energy security in the context of Russian gas exports and US policy alternatives.
10. Building Sustainable Peace and Security—the Lessons of Northern Ireland, Timor Leste, and the Solomon Islands Thursday, June 26 | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Stimson Center; 1111 19^th Street NW, 12^th Floor, Washington, D.C. REGISTER TO ATTEND As we speak, the US is planning its transition out of Afghanistan, bringing an end to 13 years of major combat operations—but not an end to violent conflict there or in other places where sustainable peace and stability are imperatives. Worldwide, the list of transitional countries sliding back towards widespread violence is growing, not shrinking. Yemen, Libya, Egypt, South Sudan, Nigeria—the template for transition out of violent conflict into stable, sustainable peace, from military-provided stabilization to civilian-led safety and community policing initiatives, remains elusive. However, there are examples and lessons to learn from that can help both planners and operators in current and future transitional operations. SPEAKERS Dr. Anna Powles, Massey University, John Loughran, Program Director of Intercomm, and Tim Mairs, Superintendent of Police Services in Northern Ireland.