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Peace picks, August 12-16
Just a few events in DC during a quiet mid-August week:
1. Between War & Peace: Do We Need New Tools For Messy Transitions?
| Date | Tuesday, August 13, 2013 |
| Time | 9:30 – 11 a.m. |
| Location | 1111 19th Street NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20036 |
The office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction issued its final lessons learned report earlier this year. Among the recommendations was a call for establishing a new U.S. Office for Contingency Operations, for planning and implementing the diverse activities required in post-conflict deployments, not necessarily of the scale or purpose of the Iraq situation. Our panel will discuss the requirement for such a capability in the U.S. system, consider options to achieve greater planning and execution effectiveness, and also look at what tools and processes reside in the UN system.
Speakers:
Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction
James A. Schear, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Partnership Strategy and Stability Operations
William Durch, Stimson Senior Associate and Co-director of the Future of Peace Operations program
Moderator:
Ellen Laipson, President and CEO, Stimson Center
2. How Perception Dictates Actions in Ambiguous Situations: Game Theory Analysis of the Third North Korean Nuclear Crisis
Jung Joo Kwon, Korea Foundation Junior Scholar, will present the results of her research conducted at the Wilson Center on the third North Korean nuclear crisis. Arguing that the perception of decision-makers plays as an important role in determining policy agenda as factors such as internal, external and systemic settings, Kwon suggests that it is important to analyze how perceptions and images are formed. Game theory provides a valid analytical tool to explore the decision-making process in international relations in general and in the case of North Korea in particular. Through game theory analysis, Kwon identifies the patterns of perception/misperception around the third North Korean nuclear crisis in order to understand the shift of powers and policies at the time.
James Person, Senior Program Associate with the History and Public Policy Program, will chair and comment on Kwon’s discussion.
Jung Joo Kwon is presently a Korea Foundation Junior Scholar in residence at the Wilson Center. Kwon is completing a master’s degree in International Affairs and Governance at the University of St. Gallen St. Gallen, Switzerland, working on a thesis entitled “Escaping Middle Income Trap in Asia through the National Innovative Capacity: Focused on the Case of South Korea.” She previously earned a Master’s of Arts in International Management from the Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Business Administration from Hanyang University.
Location:
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Live better live longer
I’m preparing to fly to the Netherlands tonight, so I’m taking the easy way out and offering you this TED talk, which my wife recommended, in lieu of a proper blog post:
Those of you who know me will understand that this is not easy advice for me to take. I do okay on the physical and mental dimensions, but on the emotional and social I’m a laggard. Here’s hoping that you will find it easier than I do to reach out and touch someone!
PS: Yes, there are connections here to war and peace issues.
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Leahy and democracy in Egypt
Senator Leahy said yesterday:
U.S. aid is cut off when a democratically elected government is deposed by military coup or decree.
This explains why even otherwise reasonable people are bending over backwards to claim that what happened in Egypt yesterday is not a coup, despite the obvious. It also explains President Obama’s deep concern about a coup that removed an unfriendly Muslim Brotherhood and put a friendly army in charge. It may even explain why the Egyptian army chose to turn over governing authority quickly to the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, who was sworn in as President today (despite suspension of the constitution). Read more
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Development boy
We owe this to Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs:
SAISers: can you match that?
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Peace Picks, June 3rd to June 7th
1. Democracy Think Tanks in Action: Translating Research into Policy in Young and Emerging Democracies, National Endowment for Democracy, Monday, June 3 / 12:00am
Venue: National Endowment for Democracy
1025 F Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20004
Speakers: Sami Atallah, Orazio J. Belletini CedeÑO, Maksim Karliuk, Sally Roshdy
Think tanks in democratic societies play a vital role in generating policy research, promoting ideas, and fostering discussion between the public and policymakers. In young and emerging democracies, however, think tanks face a number of obstacles that make the achievement of reform especially challenging.
RSVP here:
http://ned.org/events/democracy-think-tanks-in-action-translating-research-into-policy-in-young-and-emerging-democr
2. YaLa Young Leaders: A Palestinian and Israeli Discuss the Future, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Monday, June 3 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Venue: Woodrow Wilson Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004
Speakers: Ohood Murqaten, Nimrod Benze’Ev, Aaron David Miller
Facebook has revolutionized the world and the Middle East, too. Join us for a presentation by two representatives of YaLa Young Leaders, a Middle East Facebook organization bringing Arabs, Israelis, and Turks together in virtual and direct contact designed to breakdown old stereotypes and promote a new dialogue based on mutual respect and dignity.
Register for the event here:
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/yala-young-leaders-palestinian-and-israeli-discuss-the-future
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Faith in humanity restored
Unfortunately the departure of Bashar al Asad from power is not the reason for the title. It refers to this video:
Of course faith in humanity is not quite the meaning of today’s holiday, but it will have to do for ecumenical reasons. And the Bashar al Assad part, if not true today, I hope will be true tomorrow. I also hope the sequelae will be peaceful.
Wishing you all–Christian or (like me) not–the very best for the holidays and the new year!
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