Democracy's Revenge? Pakistan's Elections and Beyond

Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Location: U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Get Directions

Overview

Pakistan's February 18 elections appear to have upended the establishment and ended eight years of military rule. The peaceful and relatively free national elections capped a year of political turmoil that saw mass protests and emergency rule, as well as suppression of media, political activists, and the judiciary. Pakistan has also experienced a dramatic rise in militant violence that has killed thousands, including former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Against dramatic odds, the Pakistani people overcame these hurdles in an attempt to restore democratic legitimacy to their government. The elections surpassed the expectations of analysts and international observers on many levels, especially given that President Musharraf's party and allies failed to win a significant number of parliamentary seats. This session will provide first-hand accounts of the election process in Pakistan, and analysis of where things will go from here.

With 60 percent of the Arab world under thirty, the age of marriage rising, and a resurgence of social conservatism across the region, recent sociological trends have undeniable relevance to tensions in the Middle East. Beyond policy, however, the conflict also raises deeper questions. How different are we from each other? Is this 'war' driven by demography, culture, or a reaction to American power? To discuss these issues and more, please join Jared Cohen, a member of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff and author of Children of Jihad: A Young American's Travels Among the Youth of the Middle East. He will be speaking in a personal capacity.

Facing the Challenge:  U.S. Foreign Policy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

 
Please join the Congressional Human Rights Caucus for a briefing on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 1:00pm on Thursday, March 6, 2008 in 2255 Rayburn.  The event is open to the public and the media.
 
Two years ago the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006 was signed into law establishing 15 U.S. foreign policy objectives to address the DRC’s humanitarian, development, economic and natural resource, governance and security issues.  As the recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office demonstrates, much has been accomplished, yet much is left to be done. 
 
To discuss these important issues, we welcome the following experts:
David Gootnick, director of International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office
Carina Tertsakian, senior campaigner, Global Witness
Colin Thomas-Jensen, Africa advocacy and research manager, ENOUGH Project
Mvemba Dizolele, vice president for business development, GoodWorks International
 
We look forward to your participation in this important briefing.  If you have any questions, please call Elizabeth Hoffman at (202) 225-5136 or Justin Weiss at (202) 225-3531.  For media inquiries, please contact Lynne Weil at (202) 225-5021.

The current U.S. system for managing foreign aid, composed of 24 different agencies, is based on the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, passed in 1961. Over the past few years, the strategy arising from this law has been challenged to deal with disparate issues such as poverty, failed states, and post-conflict reconstruction - all of which require strong, coordinated action from several components of the system. Yet the needed coordination often does not happen. Is this system broken? What reforms could improve it? To discuss these questions and more, please join Gayle Smith, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Co-Chair of the ENOUGH Project.

Beyond Bricks And Mortar: The "Civilian Surge" In Iraq

Date and Time
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
10:30 AM- 12:00 PM

Location
U.S. Institute of Peace
2nd Floor Conference Room
1200 17th St, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Directions

RSVP Today

The Iraqi economy must overcome painful legacies of a state-run economic system and violent conflict. Critical challenges remain in the areas of government responsiveness, natural resource management, investment, employment and agriculture.

The Center for National Policy

invites you to a policy discussion entitled

The Role of National Security in the 2008 Presidential Election

Featuring

Geoffrey Garin
Peter D. Hart Research Associates

And

Bill McInturff
Public Opinion Strategies

Tuesday, March 11 from 12:30-2:00pm
Lunch will be served

Lord Hurd

Douglas Hurd has had a distinguished career in British politics,  having served as Foreign Secretary in both the Major and the Thatcher Governments. During 23 years in Parliament he also served as Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. 

During his time as Foreign Secretary (1989 -1995),  he oversaw Britain's diplomatic responses to the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR, as well as the first Gulf War.

One of the defining features of Hurd's tenure as Foreign Secretary was the British reaction to the conflict in the Balkans.  During the war in Bosnia, Hurd was seen as a leading voice among European 

Please join the Center for American Progress and and Alliance for Justice for the film screening of "Supreme Injustices" and  for a luncheon discussion about the impact of the federal judiciary on the lives of Americans.

Supreme Injustices

Special introduction:
Nan Aron, President, Alliance for Justice

Featured Panelists:
David Frum, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute and Contributing Editor, National Review
Roger Wilkins, Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History and American Culture, George Mason University

Life at Guantánamo Bay
Stories of the 774 Detainees at Guantánamo Bay

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

New America Foundation
1630 Connecticut Ave, NW, 7th Floor
Washington, DC

During the last six years, the U.S. Administration has held nearly 800 alleged terror suspects without trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. 500 of these men have now been released, but their stories - and the stories of those who remain - are largely unknown. Fragments have emerged in books and interviews, and in declassified accounts from the detainees' lawyers, but until now there has been no comprehensive overview of all their cases.

In The Guantánamo Files, based on a detailed analysis of over 8,000 pages of transcripts released by the Pentagon, Andy Worthington, a London-based historian and journalist, brings to life Guantánamo's largely anonymous detainees.

In the aftermath of Kosovo's declaration of independence, the United States and Europe are faced with handling the transition. Why was the United States so quick to accept Kosovo as an independent state? With Serbia and Russia still refusing to accept Kosovo as a legitimate state, what kind of future tensions are likely? What steps should the U.S. and Europe take to mitigate the consequences? To discuss these questions and more, please join Daniel Serwer, Vice President of the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at the United States Institute of Peace and former U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator to the Bosnian Federation, to discuss the future of the Balkans with Kosovo as an independent state.

To attend, please register by responding events@ypfp.org with your name and affiliation.

Emerging Out of the Violence
Shlomo Ben-Ami on Ceasefire Plans to Final Status Negotiations

Thursday, March 13, 2008
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
New America Foundation
1630 Connecticut Ave, NW, 7th Floor
Washington, DC

Please join us for a conversation with former Israeli Foreign Minister and Minister of Public Security Shlomo Ben-Ami. Ben-Ami led peace negotiations with the PLO under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, culminating in the Camp David Summit. He is visiting the United States to discuss the shortcomings of the Annapolis process, how to address them, and the broader regional picture.

A Seminar with the Formulators of Counterinsurgency Doctrine

Sponsored by the Institute for the Study of War

March 13, 2008, 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

Georgetown University Convention Center

3800 Reservoir Road, NW Washington DC

Registration Required

The dramatic success of Coalition counter-insurgency operations in Iraq in 2007 was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where teams of experienced officers and civilians developed a new conceptual framework for counter-insurgency.  This framework, published as Army Field Manual 3-24, Counterinsurgency, formed the basis for all Coalition efforts in Iraq in 2007, partly because the Commanding General in Iraq, David Petraeus, was also responsible for drafting and publishing the Field Manual.  Once in Iraq, Petraeus and his staff and subordinate commanders like Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, put the doctrine into practice—at the same time further refining and improving the intellectual framework with the feedback of real life.  Almost all of the most successful revolutions in warfare have resulted from such a process.  The American experience in counter-insurgency warfare in Iraq in 2007 provides new opportunities to develop, and perhaps even revolutionize, the practice of counterinsurgency.  Join us as we seek to explore how this doctrine came about, how it has functioned, and how it can be advanced in the future.

America and the World 2008
 
An Annual Panel Discussion with Foreign News Editors and Overseas Correspondents from the Washington Post

Panelists
Leonard Downie, Jr. (Moderator)
Pamela Constable
Amit Paley
Anthony Shadid
Scott Wilson
  
With the upcoming presidential election, the world’s focus is on the U.S. and  the next steps  the new administration will take in foreign policy.  Leonard Downie, Jr. (Executive Editor), Pamela Constable (Deputy Foreign Editor), Amit Paley (Baghdad Correspondent), Anthony Shadid (Islamic Affairs Correspondent), and Scott Wilson (Jerusalem Bureau Chief) will discuss  how the world views America, the US Presidency, and the effects of US foreign policy. Please join us and the Washington Post’s leading foreign correspondents in this exciting event.
 
Thursday, March 13th, 2008
6:30-8:00pm-Followed By a Light Reception
The National Press Club-The Ballroom (13th) Floor
529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20045
 
METRO: Metro Center Red/Blue/Orange Lines
PARKING: Located on G Street, NW, Between 13th and 14th Street; and on the Corner of 15th and F Streets.
 
COST: WACDC Members $20  Non-members:$25
Students: Please contact the Council for more information

Sign Up Now: http://www.worldaffairsdc.org/event-signup.php?evtno=292&eid=46

After the end of the Cold War, some proclaimed the 'end of history' or our 'unipolar moment.' Nearly two decades later, we've discovered that the world is far more complex. Challenges to American power have arisen in unlikely quarters – sometimes among America's closest allies – and globalization has spawned a host of challenges along with the expected opportunity and prosperity. To discuss his recent work on the evolving dynamics of this international system and the consequences of the end of American hegemony, please join Parag Khanna, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Global Governance Initiative at the New America Foundation.

Recent Chinese military modernization appears to be partly driven by a focus on the Taiwan Straits. As Taiwan's third contested presidential election approaches and cross-Strait tensions appear to rise, how far has Chinese military modernization come? How has Beijing's new arsenal affected U.S. policy toward Taiwan and altered the calculus of intervention in the Straits? Please join Lt. Col. Roy Kamphausen (ret), Vice President for Political & Security Affairs at NBR, to discuss these and other issues related to Chinese military modernization and U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

The discussion will be held on Tuesday, March 18th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm on Tuesday, March 18th. To attend, please register by responding to events@ypfp.org with your name and affiliation.

Save the Date!  YPFP, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will be hosting its annual conference and career expo on Saturday, November 22, 2008 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.

Additional details and registration information to follow.  Sponsorship opportunities are available and interested parties should contact Laura Gavinski, Director of Donor Relations, at laura.gavinski@ypfp.org.

AFRICOM: Securing Peace and Advancing Security?

The new United States African Command, AFRICOM, was created on February 6, 2007 to address “the emerging strategic importance of Africa, ...recognizing that peace and stability on the continent impacts not only Africans, but the interests of the US and international community as well.”  Despite these goals, the US Department of Defense has been criticized for overstepping its boundaries by combining its military operations with diplomatic elements. Others hold that the security of many African states may be highly dependent on AFRICOM. Please join the Council and our panelists to discuss AFRICOM's implications for the African continent.
 
Moderator
Sean McFate: Program Director, Bi-Partisan Policy Center
Panelists
Gayle Smith: Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Ambassador (ret)  Mark Bellamy: Senior Fellow, Africa Program and International Security at CSIS
Major General Arnold Fields, USMC (ret): National Defense University
 
 
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
University of California, Washington DC Center Auditorium
1608 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
 
WACDC Members: $10 Non-Members: $15
Student/Interns Please Contact the Council for More Info
 
Read More: http://www.worldaffairsdc.org/upcoming-events-more.php?evtno=294&eid=48
Sign Up Now: https://www.worldaffairsdc.org/event-signup.php?evtno=294&eid=48 

In the past few years, aid effectiveness discussions have reached a new level of intensity. Top scholars in the development field have offered viewpoints across the spectrum, some heralding the potential of aid to help the world’s poorest and others disparaging aid as an inefficient waste. A crucial limitation in this debate has been the dearth of information on the effectiveness of aid-financed programs, caused by inherent measurement difficulties and poor evaluation practices. However, change could be on the horizon. In conjunction with key donors, the Center for Global Development (CGD) has developed the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3IE), a major effort to revolutionize practice in evaluation of the impact of programs intended to improve social outcomes. Can 3IE show how to make aid work? To address this question, we are delighted to welcome Ruth Levine, Center for Global Development Vice President and a key players behind 3IE.

Who: the United Nations Association of the National Capitol Area (UNA-NCA) Young Professionals for International Cooperation-Asia Pacific Committee.

What: UNA-NCA Global Public Health Career Night Panel event (FREE!)

When: Thursday, March 27th from 7:00-8:30pm.

Where: JHU-SAIS,
             The Global Health and Foreign Policy Initiative (GHFPI)
             Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (Main auditorium, 1st floor)
             1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW
             Washington, D.C. 20036-2213
             Metro: Dupont Circle

Ambassador Richard N. Gardner
Professor of Law and International Organization, Columbia University School of Law

Thursday, March 27, 7:00 PM
Morgan Stanley
1585 Broadway at 48th Street, 41st Floor
RSVP to New.York@ypfp.org

Ambassador Richard N. Gardner has enjoyed a long and impressive career as a diplomat, scholar, adviser, and business man. In serving four different administrations, he has been on the frontlines and in the trenches for the historical events that have shaped the last half century of American and global history. Please join YPFP New York to explore Amb. Gardner's most challenging trials, exciting moments, and current reflections on his past experiences.

The discussion will be held from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm at Morgan Stanley Thursday, March 27.  To attend, please register by emailing New.York.@ypfp.org

Making policy within government is a challenging, complex process – competing interests must be weighed and important decisions must be made with sparse information. The process of calculating these tradeoffs can literally mean the difference between life and death. How are these decisions made? How can we design our system to ensure that the choices it makes are accurate and timely? To learn about these questions and more, please join General (Ret.) Ronald Keys for a discussion of policy and politics.

The discussion will be held from 6:30-8:00 pm on Monday, March 31st. To attend, please register by responding to events@ypfp.org with your name and affiliation.

Event Description:

The language of democratization has dominated the discussion of foreign policy during the Bush Administration. The idea of democratization as a foundation for U.S. foreign policy has gained new life in recent years, yet it is certainly not a new idea. What are the roots of this idea? How has it been implemented in the past and did these efforts succeed? How have current efforts changed ideas about the implementation of democratization programs? To discuss these issues and more, please join Gretchen Birkle, Director of the Women's Democracy Network at the International Republican Institute.

The Forum for the Study of Democracy and Autocracy at Georgetown invites you to a free symposium of academics, American political reformers, and democracy promotion practitioners for

Assessing the State of Democracy in America: Is This the Best We Can Be?

Thursday, April 3, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Continental breakfast at 8:30)
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Root Room
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC

rsvp@democraticpiece.com

------------------------------------------
Keynote: Thomas O. Melia, "Assessing American Democracy"

You asked for more opportunities to network and socialize? You got it.

YPFP invites you to "One Night in Russia"

Russia House Restaurant and Lounge
1800 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

Thursday, April 3rd, from 6-9 pm

Enjoy shots of Russia House's 90+ vodkas with fellow YPFP members and guests.
Everyone is welcome to bring friends and colleagues.

Cash bar, free appetizers.

This event is $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

Cash and checks are welcome at the door.
Contributions are 100% tax-deductible.