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Peace picks, November 7 – 11

1. Elections in Hard Times: Building Stronger Democracies in the 21^st Century | Monday, November 7 | 10:00am – 11:00am | Woodrow Wilson Center | Click HERE to Register

   Why are ‘free and fair’ elections so often followed by democratic backsliding?Elections in Hard Times answers this critical question, showing why even clean elections fail to advance democracy when held amidst challenging structural conditions. It develops a new theory of why elections fail in countries with little democratic history or fiscal resources, and a history of violent conflict. Discussing a new report by Thomas Edward Flores, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution and Political Science, George Mason University and Co-Author, Elections in Hard Times and Irfan Nooruddin, Director, Georgetown University’s India Initiative, former Wilson Center Fellow and Co-Author, Elections in Hard Times. Moderated by William J. Pomeranz, Deputy Director, Kennan Institute, Wilson Center

2. Enhancing the US-Georgia Security Partnership: The Way Forward | Monday, November 7 | 10:30am – 11:30am | Heritage Foundation | Click HERE to register

   Located in the South Caucasus, Georgia sits at a crucial geographical and cultural crossroads and has proven to be strategically important for military and economic reasons for centuries. Today, Georgia’s strategic location is also important to the United States. In 2008 Georgia was promised eventual membership at the NATO summit in Bucharest. Since then few countries in the Euro-Atlantic region express as much enthusiasm for NATO as Georgia – even though it is not yet inside NATO. After the Russian invasion in 2008 and the subsequent Russian occupation of 20 percent of Georgia’s territory, Georgia has transformed its military and has contributed thousands of troops to overseas military operations – all in the hopes of speeding up its application to join NATO. What is Georgia’s prospect of joining the Alliance? How will the new Georgian government and the next U.S. president handle the issue of NATO membership? Join us as we address these issues and more. Featuring Brigadier General (Ret.) Peter Zwack, Senior Russia-Eurasia Fellow, Institute of National Security Studies, National Defense University, Richard Weitz, Ph.D., Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Political-Military Analysis, Hudson Institute, Stephen Blank, PhD., Senior Fellow for Russia, American Foreign Policy Council, Luke Coffey, Director, Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation

3. Is Islamic Law Compatible with Human Rights? | Monday, November 7 | 12:30pm | Atlantic Council | Click HERE to Register

   The international media frequently features stories of Arab states and non-state actors committing human rights violations allegedly in the name of Islam. The application and understanding of Islamic jurisprudence is varied and controversial, whether such readings of the faith result in institutionalized state laws or actions committed by non-state actors, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) or al-Qaeda.The Atlantic Council’s Islamic Law and Human Rights initiative, a project of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, explores human rights violations by Arab states and non-state actors committed in the name of Islam. This event will present the initiative and feature a discussion on where gender relations and freedom of speech stand in the context of sharia in the region. Featuring Hauwa Ibrahim, Sharia and Human Rights Scholar, Harvard Divinity School and Dr. Moataz El Fegiery,Protection Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Front Line Defenders and moderated by Ms. Geneive Abdo, Author of The New Sectarianism: The Arab Uprisings and the Shi’a-Sunni Divide, Atlantic Council

4. Stopping North Korea Inc. | Monday, November 7 | 2:30pm – 4:00pm | Brookings Institute | Click HERE to Register

   North Korea’s continuous provocations have raised important questions about the efficacy of international sanctions: Do sanctions intended to reduce or halt weapons of mass destruction procurement work, and if not, why? What, if any, unintended consequences—positive or negative—do sanctions against North Korea (DPRK) generate? What can be done to improve the effectiveness of these and other sanctions? In their recent report, Jim Walsh and John Park address these specific questions with a primary objective to document North Korea’s practices, partners, and pathways in order to better understand how the DPRK has innovated in the face of international sanctions. On November 7, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings will host John Park and Jim Walsh as they present key findings from their three-year MacArthur Foundation-funded study of what they call “North Korea, Inc.,” the system of regime-operated state trading companies that the DPRK employs to procure both licit and illicit goods. Jonathan Pollack, interim SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies, will provide remarks after their presentation, followed by a Q&A moderated by Richard Bush, director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies.

5. Balancing a New Relationship with Iran: Security and Insecurity in the Wake of a Nuclear Deal | Thursday, November 10 | 10:30am – 12:00pm | Stimson Center | Click HERE to Register

   Following the 2015 nuclear deal involving Iran, there was widespread optimism that Iran would develop into a peaceful and constructive member of the international system. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a significant development, as it brings the nuclear issue under international scrutiny and control. At the same time, actions from Iran, both historically and more recently, continue to contribute to instability in the Middle East.While Iran has maintained its commitments under the nuclear deal, leaders in Iran continue to espouse a foreign policy that confronts U.S. friends and allies and supports both governments and militant organizations that challenge U.S. interests and disrupt peace and security in the region. At the same time, the U.S. and Iran have found a common enemy in Iraq, with Secretary of State John Kerry recently conceding that Iran has been “in certain ways helpful” in the fight against ISIL-Daesh, and Iran has begun to forge new relationships in the international economy.Undoubtedly engagement with Iran is necessary for bringing peace and security to the Middle East region.  This engagement needs to involve key states in the region and incorporate their views and perspectives regarding Iran’s potential for both contributing to security and fomenting insecurity in the region.

   Featuring Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, Jr., Chairman, Stimson Center, Richard Burchill (Moderator), Director of Research & Engagement, TRENDS, Laicie Heeley, Fellow, Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense, Stimson Center, David Albright, President and Founder, Institute for Science and International Security, Mark Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, IISS-Americas with opening remarks by Ahmed Al Hamli, President and Founder, TRENDS, Brian Finlay, President and CEO, Stimson Center

6. AEI Election Watch: What Happened and What’s Next | Thursday, November 10 | 12:30pm – 2:00pm | American Enterprise Institute | Click HERE to Register

   On November 10, AEI’s Election Watch team will look at what the voters said on Election Day, how and why they voted the way they did, and what is ahead for the new administration and Congress. In addition, these seasoned analysts will discuss what the election means for the parties, their supporters, and the permanent campaign. They will examine how conservatives and liberals interpret the results and reflect on what Campaign 2016 tells us about the future of presidential politics.Less than 48 hours after the results are in, join Washington’s most experienced team of election experts as they discuss what happened and what’s next. Featuring Michael Barone, AEI, John Fortier, Bipartisan Policy Center, Henry Olsen, Ethics & Public Policy Center, Norman J. Ornstein, AEI and moderated by Karlyn Bowman, AEI