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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210610T113000
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SUMMARY:Aftermath of the Gaza War: Should the U.S. be Talking Directly to Hamas?
DESCRIPTION:An NIF Zoom event discussing the recent war in Gaza and the United States’ position in the region moving forward. \n  \nSpeakers \nPeter Beinart\, Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York\, Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents\, a CNN Political Commentator\, a frequent contributor to The New York Times\, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace\, Writes the Beinart Notebook newsletter on Substack.Com. \nDiana Buttu\, Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and analyst based in Haifa\, Former legal advisor to PLO and Palestinian negotiators\, Part of the team that assisted in the successful litigation of Israel’s separation wall before the International Court of Justice at the Hague in 2004\, Maintains a law practice in Palestine focusing on international human rights law. \nAmbassador Edward M. Gabriel\, Former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco (1997-2001)\, President and CEO of the American Task Force on Lebanon\, and a member of the boards of AMIDEAST\, the Arab American National Museum\, the Arab American Institute\, and The Keystone Center. \nCongressman Jim Moran\, Former U.S. Representative for VA-08 Congressional District (1991-2015)\, Former Mayor of Alexandria\, Virginia (1985-1991)\, Served on the Appropriations\, Foreign Affairs\, Banking\, Housing and Finance\, and Government Reform and Oversight committees during his 12 terms in U.S. Congress. \n  \nModerator \nKelley Beaucar Vlahos\, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft\, Editorial Director of Responsible Statecraft and Senior Adviser at the Quincy Institute\, formerly Executive Editor of the American Conservative Magazine\, social media director and online editor at WTOP News (2013-2017)\, and worked for 15 years as an online political reporter for Fox News. \n  \nAbout our Speakers:  \nPeter Beinart is Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York. He is also Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents\, a CNN Political Commentator\, a frequent contributor to The New York Times\, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He writes the Beinart Notebook newsletter on Substack.Com. His first book\, The Good Fight\, was published by HarperCollins in 2006. His second book\, The Icarus Syndrome\, was published by HarperCollins in 2010. His third\, The Crisis of Zionism\, was published by Times Books in 2012. Beinart has written for the Wall Street Journal\, the Financial Times\, the Boston Globe\, the Atlantic\, Newsweek\, Slate\, Reader’s Digest\, Die Zeit\, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung\, and Polity: the Journal of the Northeastern Political Science Studies Association. The Week magazine named him columnist of the year for 2004. In 2005\, he gave the Theodore H. White lecture at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He has appeared on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos\,” “Charlie Rose\,” “Meet the Press\,” “The Colbert Report” and many other television programs. Beinart graduated from Yale University\, winning a Rhodes scholarship for graduate study at Oxford University. After graduating from University College\, Oxford\, Beinart became The New Republic’s managing editor in 1995. He became senior editor in 1997\, and from 1999 to 2006 served as the magazine’s Editor. \nDiana Buttu is a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer who previously served as a legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team and was part of the team that assisted in the successful litigation of Israel’s separation wall before the International Court of Justice at the Hague in 2004\, which resulted in the indictment of the wall. She frequently comments on Palestine for international news media outlets such as CNN and BBC; is a political analyst for Al Jazeera International and is a regular contributor to The Middle East magazine. She maintains a law practice in Palestine\, focusing on international human rights law. Earlier in her career\, Buttu worked on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations\, serving as the only female negotiator during her five-year tenure. She was a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and at Harvard Law School. She also held a fellowship at the Stanford Center for Conflict Resolution and Negotiation and is an instructor at Harvard Extension School. Buttu received her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto\, a JD from Queen’s University in Canada\, an LLM from the University of Toronto\, a JSM from Stanford University\, and an executive MBA from Kellogg Northwestern School of Management. \nAmbassador Edward M. Gabriel  is the former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco\, having served from November 1997 to March 2001\, during which time a new U.S.-Morocco strategic relationship was launched on political\, military and economic levels. He has an extensive background in international affairs\, having convened multilateral policy forums involving national security\, environmental\, and trade and energy issues. He has been involved in matters of Russian and European nuclear non-proliferation and has been active in advising the U.S. government on Mideast policy matters. Currently\, Ambassador Gabriel is President and CEO of The Gabriel Company\, LLC\, which advises American corporations and international entities on investment and policy strategies and projects. He is the President and CEO of the American Task Force on Lebanon\, Co-Chairman of the American Schools of Tangier and Marrakech\, Chairman of the Moroccan American Center\, and a member of the boards of AMIDEAST\, the Arab American National Museum\, the Arab American Institute\, and The Keystone Center. \nCongressman Jim Moran represented Virginia’s 8th Congressional District from 1991 to 2015\, where he was known for his bipartisan leadership and ability to resolve complex issues. He served on the Appropriations\, Foreign Affairs\, Banking\, Housing and Finance\, and Government Reform and Oversight committees during his 12 terms in the U.S. Congress. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee\, he was chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment\, a senior member on the Defense and Military Construction subcommittees\, Foreign Operations\, Labor\, Health and Human Services and Ranking Member of the D.C. and Legislative Branch subcommittees. He also served as a member of the Steering and Policy Committee of the House Democratic Leadership. As chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee\, Jim oversaw the budgets for the Environmental Protection Agency\, the Interior Department\, Bureau of Indian Affairs\, Forest Service\, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management\, the Smithsonian\, the Kennedy Center\, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum\, and the National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities. As a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee\, he oversaw all aspects of the defense budget\, including weapons procurement\, cybersecurity\, research and development\, military medical research\, military base closures\, civilian personnel\, and overseas contingency operations. \n  \nAbout our Moderator:  \nKelley Beaucar Vlahos is the Editorial Director of Responsible Statecraft and Senior Advisor at the Quincy Institute. Previously\, she served for three years as Executive Editor of the The American Conservative magazine\, where she had been reporting and publishing regular articles on national security\, civil liberties\, foreign policy\, veterans\, and Washington politics since 2007. From 2013 to 2017\, Vlahos served as director of social media and online editor at WTOP News in Washington\, D.C. She also spent 15 years as an online political reporter for Fox News at the channel’s Washington D.C. bureau\, as well as Washington correspondent for Homeland Security Today magazine. \n  \nDisclaimer: please note that when registering for any of our events\, all required fields must be properly filled out. We reserve the right to deny entry for those who fail to do so\, i.e. inputting NA in the “organization” or “job title” section. NIF events are by email invitation only and are non-transferable. \nNote: additional speakers may be announced later.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/aftermath-of-the-gaza-war-should-the-u-s-be-talking-directly-to-hamas/
LOCATION:Zoom Meeting\, 1800 K Street\, NW\, Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210512T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210512T123000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20210505T182507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210511T161936Z
UID:3353-1620817200-1620822600@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:China's Crimes Against Humanity: The Plight of the Uyghurs
DESCRIPTION:An NIF Zoom event regarding the Chinese government’s ongoing persecution of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province\, with a focus on the grave human rights violations being committed in the region. \n  \nSpeakers \nMustafa Aksu\, Uyghur Human Rights Project \nJoanne Lin\, Amnesty International USA \n  \nModerator \nHamdi Rifai\, Council of United Syrians & Americans \n  \nAbout our Speakers:  \nMustafa Aksu is Program Coordinator for Research and Advocacy at the Uyghur Human Rights Project. His research interests focus on language policy and surplus labor transfer in East Turkistan\, Turkic languages\, and the Uyghur diaspora in the Middle East and Central Asia. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Linguistics\, Languages\, and Cultures in China and a master’s degree in Turkey. Mustafa also studied in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies\, Indiana University Bloomington. Mustafa has spoken on the Uyghur crisis at universities\, churches\, mosques and synagogues. He was a key organizer of the 2018 conference on “Mass Incarceration: China’s Radical and Dangerous Policies in Xinjiang” at Indiana University. He taught intensive Uyghur at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Summer Language Program\, served as a Uyghur language developer at the Center for Languages of the Central Asian Region\, and as outreach staff in the Center for the Study of the Middle East at Indiana University Bloomington. Before moving to the U.S.\, he lived and worked in China\, Turkey\, UAE\, UK\, and Singapore. \n  \nJoanne Lin directs Amnesty International USA’s Advocacy and Government Affairs Department. She has over 14 years of experience advocating for the rights of immigrants and refugees before Congress and the U.S. government\, and over seven years of experience representing immigrants in family law and immigration proceedings. At Amnesty International USA\, Lin leads the development and implementation of strategies to advance the organization’s human rights priorities before Congress and the U.S. government. She leads a team of advocacy directors dedicating to protecting the human rights of refugees\, asylum seekers\, displaced peoples\, prisoners of conscience\, and gun violence victims. She has overseen advocacy initiatives aimed at protecting Rohingya refugees fleeing mass burnings and rape at the hands of the Myanmar military\, ending U.S. arms sales to the Saudi-Emirati coalition committing war crimes against Yemeni civilians\, and requiring universal background checks on all gun sales in the U.S. Lin has been recognized by The Hill as one of the top lobbyists for grassroots organizations. She has been a regular commentator on human rights through media outlets including CNN\, MSNBC\, NPR\, Washington Post\, New York Times\, Foreign Policy\, USA Today\, Politico\, Washington Examiner\, The Guardian\, and others. Lin is a graduate of Stanford University\, Stanford School of Education\, and New York University School of Law. She clerked for Shirley Abrahamson\, former Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. \n  \nAbout our Moderator:  \nHamdi Rifai is the Executive Director at the Council of United Syrians & Americans. Mr. Rifai is a government affairs specialist focused on foreign policy between the United States\, Eurasia\, and the Middle East. He has appeared frequently throughout the years as an expert analyst on international affairs\, national security\, and legal issues on Fox News\, Al-Hurra\, Al-Jazeera\, the BBC\, and TRT. \n  \nDisclaimer: please note that when registering for any of our events\, all required fields must be properly filled out. We reserve the right to deny entry for those who fail to do so\, i.e. inputting NA in the “organization” or “job title” section. NIF events are by email invitation only and are non-transferable. \nNote: additional speakers may be announced later.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/chinas-crimes-against-humanity-the-plight-of-the-uyghurs/
LOCATION:Zoom Meeting\, 1800 K Street\, NW\, Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/5.12.21-Uyghur-Zoom-Event-Picture-e1620239079806.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210408T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210408T140000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20210331T190219Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210331T190954Z
UID:3293-1617885000-1617890400@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in the Modern Era and Future Prospects
DESCRIPTION:An NIF Zoom event discussing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during the modern era\, focusing on human rights\, competing narratives\, and future relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. \n  \nSpeakers \nAhmad Obali\, Gunaz TV \nYusuf Erim\, TRT World \nHamdi Rifai\, Council of United Syrians & Americans \n  \nModerator \nKhaled Saffuri\, National Interest Foundation \n  \nAbout our Speakers:  \nAhmad Obali is the founder and Managing Director of Gunaz TV\, a broadcasting station based in Chicago that reaches millions of people in Iran\, promoting human rights\, ethnic rights\, and freedom of information. The TV station operates 24/7 in the Azerbaijani\, Persian\, Arabic\, and Turkmen languages. He escaped from Iran in 1982 and immigrated to the United States in 1985. He worked with the UN special rapporteur on Iran from 1999 to 2003 and various human rights organizations before setting up his broadcasting station in late 2004 that continues to date. \n  \nYusuf Erim is a security analyst and political commentator. He is the editor-at-large at Turkish public broadcaster TRT World. Yusuf lectures at universities\, has written OpEds for several global publications\, and regularly appears on many international news channels. \n  \nHamdi Rifai is the Executive Director at the Council of United Syrians & Americans. Mr. Rifai is a government affairs specialist focused on foreign policy between the United States\, Eurasia\, and the Middle East. He has appeared frequently throughout the years as an expert analyst on international affairs\, national security\, and legal issues on Fox News\, Al-Hurra\, Al-Jazeera\, the BBC\, and TRT. \n  \nDisclaimer: please note that when registering for any of our events\, all required fields must be properly filled out. We reserve the right to deny entry for those who fail to do so\, i.e. inputting NA in the “organization” or “job title” section. NIF events are by email invitation only and are non-transferable. \nNote: additional speakers may be announced later.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/the-nagorno-karabakh-conflict-in-the-modern-era-and-future-prospects/
LOCATION:Zoom Meeting\, 1800 K Street\, NW\, Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/4.8.21-NK-Event-Image-e1617217778694.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210225T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210225T143000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20210219T205014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210223T181136Z
UID:3212-1614258000-1614263400@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Libya's Transitional Government and the Lead-Up to December Elections
DESCRIPTION:An NIF Zoom event discussing Libya’s transitional government and prospects for the national elections in December. \n  \nSpeakers \nFederica Saini Fasanotti\, Brookings Institution \nDr. Esam Omeish\, Libyan American Alliance \nDr. William Lawrence\, American University \n  \nModerator \nDoug Bandow\, Cato Institute \n  \nAbout our Speakers:  \nFederica Saini Fasanotti is a nonresident fellow in the Center for Security\, Strategy\, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She is also a senior associate at ISPI in Milan. She is a historian specialized in counterinsurgency and asymmetric wars. Her fieldwork and research have covered\, among others\, Afghanistan\, Libya\, and the Horn of Africa. Her many books include: “Violated Joy. Crimes against Italians 1940-1946” (Ares Editore\, 2006); “Ethiopia 1936-1940. Colonial Counterinsurgency through the Sources of the Italian Army” (Historical Office of the Italian Army\, 2010)\, which was selected as a finalist for the “Acqui Storia 2011” Award; “Libya 1922-1931. The Italian Counterinsurgency” (Historical Office of the Italian Army\, 2012); “Military History of Afghanistan. From the Durrani’s Empire to Resolute Support Mission” (Mursia Editore\, 2014). Saini Fasanotti’s current book project is “The Counterinsurgency Doctrine from the XVII Century to the present\,” a wide ranging study on the history\, methods\, and pillars of counterinsurgency in the modern era. She has published “VINCERE! The Italian Royal Army’s Counterinsurgency Operations in Africa\, 1922-1940” with the Naval Institute in Annapolis. She has been a consultant on Libya for James Mattis\, the former U.S. secretary of defense and for the Terna Group\, the first grid operator for electricity transmission in Europe. In September 2016\, she testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs about terrorism in Libya. Saini Fasanotti also holds bachelor’s degrees in history of art criticism and contemporary history summa cum laude. She speaks Italian\, English\, and Spanish. \n  \nDr. Esam Omeish is an Arab American Surgeon in private practice in the Washington DC Metropolitan area. He is one of the founders of DAWN along with the late Jamal Khashoggi and a long-time friend & associate of the deceased. He has helped establish and preside over major Libyan American organizations including Libyan Emergency Task Force\, Libyan Council of North America\, American Libyan Chamber of Commerce and Industry\, Center for Libyan American Strategic Studies\, and most recently the Libyan American Alliance\, supporting democracy and the rule of Law in Libya after Feb 17 revolution. He is a graduate of Georgetown University with double degrees in Biology and Government & International Relations\, and a Medical doctorate in 1993. He is a former candidate for the Virginia State Assembly in the House of Delegates and a former member of a statewide commission on Immigration appointed by then Governor of Virginia Tim Kaine. He serves on several boards and national organizations\, and currently is the Chairman of the Waqf Washington Trust of CAIR National ( Council on American Islamic Relations) He has represented American Muslims and Arab Americans on several occasions in the White House\, meeting both Presidents Clinton and Obama\, in National rallies and political events\, and in many media outlets including CNN\, MSNBC\, FOX\, Al-Jazeera\, Libyan TV\, C-Span\, Washington Post\, Chicago Tribune\, National Public Radio\, and others.He continues to serve as frequent speaker\, political leader\, civic advocate\, and a community organizer as well as a provider of health services to the needy and the uninsured. Dr. Omeish was a medical first responder to the tragic events of September 11 where he was the surgeon on call at Alexandria Hospital which received some of the victims of the tragic events in the Pentagon. Dr. Omeish was featured in a book\, “A Nation of Nations” by Tom Gjelten of National Public Radio\, and published by Simon and Schuster in 2015 as well as by Al-Jazeera featured program on Arab Diaspora in 2018 “Mughtariboon.” \n  \nDr. William Lawrence teaches political science and international affairs at American University’s School of International Service. He has served as a senior diplomat\, analyst\, and international programs director. He lived and worked for fifteen years in seven Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries and France. Since 2011\, he served as Crisis Group’s North Africa director\, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy’s MENA Programs Director\, and Control Risks’ MENA Associate Director. Previously\, he served as Senior Advisor for Global Engagement in the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES)\, working closely with the White House on core Obama administration initiatives. He co-created the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Program\, the U.S. Science Envoy Program\, and the Maghreb Digital Library; co-chaired the U.S.-Egypt S&T Development Fund for four years; and served at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli\, helping negotiate the first major U.S.-Libya agreement in decades. He received six merit awards from the U.S. State Department\, two medals from the Egyptian government\, an alumni achievement award from Duke University\, and the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Fenn School. He appears regularly on NPR\, BBC\, VOA\, France 24\, Al Jazeera\, and CGTN. He has taught at Georgetown\, Johns Hopkins\, George Washington\, Tufts/Fletcher School\, Amideast/Mohamed V in Rabat\, and Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech and in the U.S. intelligence community and lectured at over 100 universities worldwide. His research\, writing\, and consulting focuses on youth protest and political culture; comparative political analysis; security challenges and responses; informal economy\, development\, and innovation; international policy towards the Middle East and Africa\, and international and Islamic law and social change. He also co-produced six MENA-related films and fourteen albums of North African music. \n  \nAbout our Moderator:  \nDoug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute\, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties. He worked as special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and editor of the political magazine Inquiry. He writes regularly for leading publications such as Fortune magazine\, National Interest\, the Wall Street Journal\, and the Washington Times. Bandow speaks frequently at academic conferences\, on college campuses\, and to business groups. Bandow has been a regular commentator on ABC\, CBS\, NBC\, CNN\, Fox News Channel\, and MSNBC. He holds a JD from Stanford University. \n  \nDisclaimer: please note that when registering for any of our events\, all required fields must be properly filled out. We reserve the right to deny entry for those who fail to do so\, i.e. inputting NA in the “organization” or “job title” section. NIF events are by email invitation only and are non-transferable. \nNote: additional speakers may be announced later.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/libyas-transitional-government-and-the-lead-up-to-december-elections/
LOCATION:Zoom Meeting\, 1800 K Street\, NW\, Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Libya-Event-1-e1613769737467.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210126T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210126T143000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20210120T152722Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210121T190021Z
UID:3137-1611666000-1611671400@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Foreign Policy Under the New Biden Administration
DESCRIPTION:An NIF Zoom event discussing the foreign policy priorities and prospects under the new Biden-Harris administration. \n  \nSpeakers \nDr. Abdullah Al-Shayji\, Kuwait University \nBob Baer\, Former CIA officer \nDr. Annelle Sheline\, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft \nDr. Shibley Telhami\, University of Maryland and Brookings Institution \n  \nModerator \nKhaled Saffuri\, President\, National Interest Foundation \n  \nAbout our Speakers: \nDr. Abdullah Al-Shayji is a professor as well as the former chairman and director of the graduate program of the political science department at Kuwait University. He is an expert in U.S. politics\, Gulf Cooperation Council security\, and political development\, and has published extensively on these issues. From 2007-09\, Alshayji was the head of the American studies unit at Kuwait University. He later served as a special advisor to the speaker of the Kuwaiti Parliament\, the foreign relations committee\, the committee investigating the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait\, and the committee for Kuwaiti prisoners of war and hostages in Iraq. From 2008-09\, he was a member of the advisory board of the committee in charge of drafting a comprehensive national security strategy at the Kuwaiti government’s Bureau of National Security. From 2001-04\, Alshayji served as counselor and head of the Kuwaiti Information and Media Bureau at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Lebanon. He received his bachelor’s and master’s in political science from Oklahoma State University and his PhD in political science from the University of Texas at Austin. \n  \nBob Baer is one of the most accomplished agents in CIA history. Over several decades he served everywhere from Iraq to New Delhi and was awarded the Career Intelligence Medal for his efforts. Baer is the author of four New York Times bestsellers. His most recent book\, The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins (2014) is a personal history of modern assassination. He also co-authored The Company We Keep (2012)\, which he wrote with his wife\, Dayna\, which tells the story of a real-life “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” saga; Sleeping with the Devil (2004)\, about the Saudi royal family and its relationship with the United States; See No Evil (2003)\, which recounts Baer’s years as a top CIA operative\, and The Devil We Know (2009). See No Evil was the basis for the acclaimed film Syriana\, which earned George Clooney an Academy Award for his portrayal of Baer. He is considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Middle East and frequently appears on all major news outlets. Baer has contributed to TIME\, Vanity Fair\, The Wall Street Journal\, and The Washington Post. \n  \nDr. Annelle Sheline is a Research Fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute and an expert on religious and political authority in the Middle East and North Africa. Sheline is completing a book manuscript on the strategic use of religious authority in the Arab monarchies since 9/11\, focusing on the cases of Saudi Arabia\, Jordan\, Morocco\, and Oman. She has received fellowships from the U.S. government including a Boren Fellowship and a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship\, as well as fellowships from the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS)\, the Loeb Institute for Religious Freedom\, and the Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance. Sheline was previously the Zwan Postdoctoral Fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Prior to beginning her PhD\, she worked as a journalist in Egypt and Yemen. In addition to academic writing\, she was written for The Washington Post\, The Nation\, Foreign Policy\, The National Interest\, and The Globe Post\, and her analysis has been published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace\, The Arab Gulf States Institute of Washington\, Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion\, Peace & World Affairs\, and the Baker Institute. Sheline received her doctorate from George Washington University’s department of political science and is a non-resident fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. She has done field research in Saudi Arabia\, Yemen\, Oman\, Qatar\, the U.A.E.\, Jordan\, Morocco\, and Egypt\, and has advanced proficiency in Arabic\, French\, and Spanish. \n  \nDr. Shibley Telhami is the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development and Director of the Critical Issues Poll at the University of Maryland. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Before coming to the University of Maryland\, he taught at several universities\, including Cornell University\, the Ohio State University\, the University of Southern California\, Princeton University\, Columbia University\, Swarthmore College\, and the University of California at Berkeley\, where he received his doctorate in political science. Professor Telhami has also been active in the foreign policy arena\, advising every U.S. administration from George H. W. Bush to Barack Obama. He has contributed to The Washington Post\, The New York Times\, and regularly appears on national and international radio and television. Among his publications are his best-selling book\, The Stakes: America and the Middle East (2003); Power and Leadership in International Bargaining: The Path to the Camp David Accords (1990); The Peace Puzzle: America’s Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace\, 1989-2011\, co-authored with Dan Kurtzer\, et al. (2013); and The World Through Arab Eyes: Arab Public Opinion and the Reshaping of the Middle East (2013). He is the winner of a number of awards including being selected by the Carnegie Corporation of New York with The New York Times as one of the “Great Immigrants” for 2013 and being selected as a University of Maryland 2018-2019 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. \n  \nDisclaimer: please note that when registering for any of our events\, all required fields must be properly filled out. We reserve the right to deny entry for those who fail to do so\, i.e. inputting NA in the “organization” or “job title” section. NIF events are by email invitation only and are non-transferable. \nNote: additional speakers may be announced later.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/foreign-policy-under-the-new-biden-administration/
LOCATION:DC\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/1.26.21-Event-Image.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200310T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200310T143000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20200228T221718Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200309T185536Z
UID:2200-1583845200-1583850600@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:A Decade into the Syrian Revolution: Crisis in Idlib
DESCRIPTION:The National Interest Foundation invites you to attend our lunch discussion regarding the latest developments in Idlib as the Syrian revolution nears its decade-long milestone. \n  \nSpeakers\n  \nHassan Hassan\, Center for Global Policy\nCharles Lister\, Middle East Institute\nJennifer Cafarella\, Institute for the Study of War\n  \nModerator\n  \nHamdi Rifai\, Council of United Syrians & Americans\n  \nAbout our Speakers:  \n  \nHassan Hassan is a director of the Non-state Actors and Geopolitics program at the Center for Global Policy. His research focuses on militant movements\, nonviolent extremism\, and geopolitics in the Middle East. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic\, Foreign Policy and The Guardian. He is the author\, with Michael Weiss\, of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror. His internationally acclaimed 2015 book was a New York Times bestseller\, and was selected as one of the Times of London’s best books of 2015 and as one of the Wall Street Journal’s top 10 books on terrorism. The book was translated into more than a dozen foreign languages. He testified before Congress on extremism\, and has frequently advised senior policymakers in the United States\, Europe\, and the Middle East. He frequently conducts training courses for military personnel and diplomats specializing or operating in the Middle East\, on subjects such as tribes and Salafi-jihadism. \nA native of eastern Syria\, Hassan received a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Nottingham. He is also a senior non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in Washington DC. He was previously an associate fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program in London and a research associate at the Delma Institute in the United Arab Emirates. From 2008 to 2014\, he worked on the news and commentary sections at The National\, an English-language daily newspaper in the UAE. Hassan has written extensively on Sunni and Shia movements\, society\, and politics in the Middle East for numerous publications\, including the Guardian\, Foreign Policy\, Foreign Affairs\, the New York Times\, Financial Times\, the Daily Beast\, The National. \n  \nCharles Lister is a senior fellow and Director of the Countering Terrorism and Extremism Program at the Middle East Institute. His work focuses primarily on the conflict in Syria\, including as a member of the MEI-convened Syria Study Group; and on issues of terrorism and insurgency across the Levant. Prior to this\, Lister was a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Qatar and a Senior Consultant to the multinationally-backed Syria Track II Dialogue Initiative\, where he managed nearly three years of intensive face-to-face engagement with the leaderships of over 100 Syrian armed opposition groups. \nLister is a frequent source of briefings on the Syrian insurgency to political\, military and intelligence leaderships in the United States and across Europe and the Middle East. He appears regularly on television media\, including CNN\, BBC and Al-Jazeera\, and his articles have been widely published in the New York Times\, the Washington Post\, BBC\, CNN\, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy\, among others. Lister has previously held positions at the Brookings Institution and as head of MENA at IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Center in London\, UK. Lister’s critically-acclaimed book\, The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda\, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency\, was published in February 2016 by Oxford University Press. He also published The Islamic State: A Brief Introduction (Brookings Press\, 2015) and he is now working on a third book on Syria\, commissioned by Oxford University Press. \n  \nJennifer Cafarella is the Research Director at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). She is responsible for setting the organization’s research priorities and overseeing their execution by ISW’s team of open source intelligence analysts. Ms. Cafarella is also responsible for leading ISW’s simulation exercises as well as its efforts to develop detailed recommendations on how to achieve U.S. objectives abroad. Ms. Cafarella has conducted such exercises for various U.S. military units deploying overseas. In 2015\, she participated in a multi-week assessment mission in the Middle East focused on the conflicts in Iraq and Syria at the invitation of senior U.S. Army commanders. She regularly briefs military units preparing to deploy on a range of subjects including Syria\, ISIS\, and Russia. \nMs. Cafarella led ISW’s Syria team from 2014-2017 before becoming ISW’s Director of Intelligence Planning from 2018-2019. She is a graduate of ISW’s Hertog War Studies Program and was the Institute’s first Evans Hanson Fellow\, which sponsors outstanding alumni of the War Studies Program and seeks to help build the next generation of national security leaders. Ms. Cafarella received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Global Studies with a focus on the Middle East. Ms. Cafarella has written extensively on Syria\, Iraq\, Al Qaeda\, and ISIS. Her essays have been published by Foreign Affairs\, The Hill\, and Fox News\, among other outlets. She has appeared extensively in the media\, including on C-SPAN\, CNN\, Fox News\, and others. Her analysis has been cited widely in print media including by The Wall Street Journal\, The New York Times\, Newsweek\, CNN\, NPR\, Voice of America\, the BBC\, and USA Today. \n  \nAbout our Moderator:  \n  \nHamdi Rifai is the Executive Director at the Council of United Syrians & Americans. He started his work in Government Relations as early as 1991 when he advocated for the easing of sanctions against Iraq. The Arab American Medical Association needed medicines to reach people suffering under Saddam Hussein. His work in government relations advocacy has continued since the early 90’s representing many Middle East interests and governments. His advocacy has both utilized his legal training and certification in legislative advocacy. Mr. Rifai has served as Deputy Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee. He chaired a congressional campaign for the always hotly contested 5th district of Bergen County\, New Jersey. When Bret Schundler ran for Governor Mr. Rifai formed the Lawyer’s Committee that gave Schundler his primary victory. Mr. Rifai has engaged in extensive Rule of Law and institution building work. He has escorted journalists to meet with Kuwait’s parliament on one end of the spectrum to his focus today of working for a free Syria. \nSince 2011\, Mr. Rifai has directed the work of Arab Americans for Democracy in Syria and it’s successor the Council of United Syrians & Americans. He was instrumental in persuading the US to close the Syrian embassy of Washington\, DC and then also to prosecute sanctions violators. He has worked to promote civil society and the Interim Syrian Government. Mr. Rifai has advised on institution building and governance. He has been instrumental in getting real news with real facts into the media stream. As a former trial lawyer he is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola University. He is certified by the Notre Dame University Institute for Trial Advocacy as a trial attorney and by the Public Law Center in legislative advocacy/government relations. He has appeared frequently throughout the years as an expert analyst on foreign affairs\, national security and legal issues on Fox News\, Al-Hurra\, Al-Jazeera\, the BBC and TRT. \n  \nDisclaimer: please note that when registering for any of our events\, all required fields must be properly filled out. We reserve the right to deny entry for those who fail to do so\, i.e. inputting NA in the “organization” or “job title” section. NIF events are by email invitation only and are non-transferable.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/a-decade-into-the-syrian-revolution-crisis-in-idlib/
LOCATION:National Interest Foundation\, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\, Suite 7000\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Syria-Event-Picture.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200212T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200212T143000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20200205T185851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200210T212525Z
UID:2114-1581512400-1581517800@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Perspective on the Trump Mideast Peace Plan
DESCRIPTION:The National Interest Foundation invites you to attend our lunch discussion regarding the recently proposed Trump Mideast Peace Plan.\n  \nAbout our Speakers: \n  \nDr. Shibley Telhami is the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development and Director of the Critical Issues Poll at the University of Maryland. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Before coming to the University of Maryland\, he taught at several universities\, including Cornell University\, the Ohio State University\, the University of Southern California\, Princeton University\, Columbia University\, Swarthmore College\, and the University of California at Berkeley\, where he received his doctorate in political science. \nProfessor Telhami has also been active in the foreign policy arena\, advising every U.S. administration from George H. W. Bush to Barack Obama. He has contributed to The Washington Post\, The New York Times\, and regularly appears on national and international radio and television. Among his publications are his best-selling book\, The Stakes: America and the Middle East (2003); Power and Leadership in International Bargaining: The Path to the Camp David Accords (1990); The Peace Puzzle: America’s Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace\, 1989-2011\, co-authored with Dan Kurtzer\, et al. (2013); and The World Through Arab Eyes: Arab Public Opinion and the Reshaping of the Middle East (2013). He is the winner of a number of awards including being selected by the Carnegie Corporation of New York with The New York Times as one of the “Great Immigrants” for 2013 and being selected as a University of Maryland 2018-2019 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. \n  \nKhaled Elgindy is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute where he also directs MEI’s Program on Palestine and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs. He is the author of the newly-released book\, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians\, from Balfour to Trump\, published by Brookings Institution Press in April 2019. Elgindy previously served as a fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution from 2010 through 2018. Prior to arriving at Brookings\, he served as an adviser to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009\, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations of 2007-08. Elgindy is also an adjunct instructor in Arab Studies at Georgetown University. \nKhaled’s writings have a appeared in wide range of publications\, including The Christian Science Monitor\, CNN.com\, Foreign Affairs\, Foreign Policy\, The Los Angeles Times\, The National Interest\, The Washington Quarterly\, and others. He is frequently quoted in The New York Times\, The Washington Post\, The Los Angeles Times\, The Hill\, Politico\, and other print media\, and is a regular commentator on TV and radio\, including Aljazeera\, BBC\, CNN\, Fox News\, MSNBC\, NPR\, PBS Newshour and others. \n  \nSaid Arikat is a long time Washington based Palestinian journalist and analyst. He is an accomplished media and public affairs specialist who served for a number of years as the United Nations’ chief spokesman in Iraq. He holds an MS from California State University\, in Long Beach\, CA and is an adjunct professor at the American University in Washington where he teaches a course on role of media in society. He regularly appears on various media outlets both domestically and internationally. \n  \nAbout our Moderator:  \n  \nKelley Beaucar Vlahos is Executive Editor at The American Conservative magazine\, where she has been writing and reporting for the last decade\, focusing on national security\, foreign policy\, civil liberties and domestic politics. She served for 15 years as a Washington bureau reporter for FoxNews.com\, and at WTOP News in Washington from 2013-2017 as a writer\, digital editor and social media strategist. She has also worked as a beat reporter at Bridge News financial wire (now part of Reuters) and Homeland Security Today\, and as a regular contributor at Antiwar.com.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/perspective-on-the-trump-mideast-peace-plan/
LOCATION:National Interest Foundation\, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\, Suite 7000\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Picture-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191121T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191121T143000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20191011T201442Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191115T185006Z
UID:1497-1574334000-1574346600@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:U.S. Policy on Human Rights in the Middle East
DESCRIPTION:Capitol Hill Event \nRayburn House Building – Room 2075 \n45 Independence Ave. SW \nWashington\, D.C. 20515 \n  \nU.S. Policy on Human Rights in the Middle East \n  \nRemarks by Congressman Gerry Connolly (D – Virginia)\, \nHouse Committee on Foreign Affairs \n  \nPanel I: “Human Rights in the Middle East” \n11:00 AM – 12:30 PM \n  \n– Areej Al Sadhan\, Human Rights Activist \n– Matthew Hedges\, Durham University (UK) \n– Amel Ahmed\, Nala Films for HBO \n– Abdullah Alaoudh\, Georgetown University \n– Moderator: Kelley Beaucar Vlahos\, The American Conservative \n  \nPanel II: “U.S. Foreign Policy and Human Rights” \n1:00 PM – 2:30 PM \n  \n– Sarah Leah Whitson\, Human Rights Watch \n– Doug Bandow\, Cato Institute \n– Mohamed Soltan\, The Freedom Initiative \n– Congressman Nick Rahall\, D – West Virginia  \n– Moderator: Bruce Fein\, Fein & DelValle PLLC \n  \nLunch will be served from 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM \n  \nWe invite you to join us on November 21\, 2019 on Capitol Hill for a panel discussion on human rights issues in the Middle East\, and how western powers could spearhead the change for freedom in a region of turmoil and conflict.  \nIssues of the validity of democracy in the region and human rights are at the very center of the challenges facing Middle Eastern society today. The international community’s chilling complacency towards wide-scale human rights violations in the Middle East and North Africa has emboldened governments to commit appalling violations by giving them the sense that they need never fear facing justice.  \n“Too many times western allies of governments in the MENA region have put lucrative business deals\, security co-operation or billions of dollars’ worth of arms sales before human rights\, fueling abuses and creating a climate where MENA governments feel ‘untouchable’ and above the law” says Philip Luther\, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. \nLimited space is available. Registration is required.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/human-rights-democracy-and-us-foreign-policy-in-mena/
LOCATION:Rayburn House Building – Room 2075\, 45 Independence Ave SW\, Washington\, DC\, 20515\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/MG_2497-e1571345674274.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191112T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191112T140000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20191106T162607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200103T181059Z
UID:1723-1573561800-1573567200@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Libya: What Does the Berlin Conference Have in Store?
DESCRIPTION:In the coming months\, perhaps weeks\, Germany plans to hold a UN-backed international conference on the future of Libya. Despite two previous European conferences on Libya in the last year\, one in Palermo and another in Paris\, warlord Khalifa Haftar and his allies continue to use military means to capture power in Libya. Regional players including France\, Italy\, UAE\, Russia\, and Turkey have exhausted the country’s ability to sustain its political stability. With the absence of a clear US role in Libya and a stagnant UN Mission\, Libya continues to be a troubled backyard for Europe. \nSince April 4th\, the Libyan Arab Forces led by warlord Khalifa Haftar have continued their brutal and unsuccessful offensive on the Libyan capital Tripoli. This military campaign has targeted dozens of civilian establishments\, including migrant detention centers\, leaving thousands of people dead and over 100 thousand others internally displaced. \nHow do European actors interact in post-Gaddafi Libya\, and what is the nature of German engagement in Libya? What can Germany offer the Libyan people and peace process\, and what are the expected deliverables of this significant conference? \nOn November 12th\, the Libyan American Alliance and the National Interest Foundation will hold an expert discussion on these competing dynamics and the upcoming Berlin conference on Libya. Questions from the audience will follow the panelists’ brief statements. Lunch will be served. \n  \nAbout our Speakers:  \nDario Cristiani is the IAI/GMF Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States\, based in Washington\, D.C.\, working on Italian foreign policy\, the Mediterranean\, and global politics. A native of Naples\, Italy\, he has more than fifteen years of experience as a private political risk consultant\, working on Mediterranean and emerging markets. He received his Ph.D. in Middle East and Mediterranean studies from King’s College London in 2015\, and he got a BA and MA (with distinctions) from the University of Naples L’Orientale\, where he also started his academic career as a teaching and e-learning assistant in political science and comparative politics. He has been the director of executive training in global risk analysis and crisis management and an adjunct professor in international affairs and conflict studies at Vesalius College in Brussels. He continues teaching as a guest lecturer in several institutions in Europe and the Maghreb (Koninklijke Militaire School\, Istituto Alti Studi Difesa\, Sit Tunis). He has lived in Tunisia\, Turkey\, Belgium\, and the United Kingdom. \nDr. William Lawrence has thirty-two years experience working on the MENA region and wider Muslim world and lived immersively for thirteen years in seven Muslim majority countries. Since 2011\, he has served successively as International Crisis Group’s North Africa Project Director\, as the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy’s Middle East and North Africa Program Director\, and as Control Risk’s Middle East and North Africa Associate Director. Previously\, he served as Senior Advisor for Global Engagement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES)\, working closely with the White House on core Obama administration Cairo-speech-related initiatives. He co-created the Global Innovation Through Science and Technology (GIST) Program\, the U.S. Science Envoy Program\, and the Maghreb Digital Library; co-chaired of the U.S.-Egypt S&T development fund for four years; and served at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli\, helping negotiate the first U.S.-Libya bilateral agreement in decades. He has taught at Georgetown\, Johns Hopkins\, Tufts/Fletcher School\, Amideast/Mohamed V in Rabat\, and Cadi Ayyad in Marrakesh and lectured at over 100 universities worldwide. He appears regularly on NPR\, BBC\, VOA\, France 24\, Al Jazeera Arabic and English\, and CCTV (China). He received six merit awards from the U.S. State Department\, two medals from the Egyptian government\, and an alumni achievement award from Duke University. He co-produced 6 MENA-related documentary films and 14 albums of North African music. \nAsma Khalifa is a Libyan activist and researcher who has worked on human rights\, women’s rights\, and youth empowerment since 2011. Growing up as a non-Arab\, Amazigh Libyan under the rule of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi\, Khalifa witnessed the negative impact of discrimination and violence against women. She has spent her career contributing to the building of Libya’s civil society and has recently worked on peacebuilding and conflict transformation in the country. For her efforts\, Khalifa received the 2016 Luxembourg Peace Prize during the World Peace Forum in the European Parliament and\, in 2017\, she was named one of the “100 Most Influential Young Africans” by the Africa Youth Awards. Khalifa is also the co-founder of Tamazight Women’s Movement\, a think/do tank that is working on gender equality and research on the indigenous women of Libya and North Africa. \n  \nAbout our Moderator:  \nMosadek Hobrara is the Executive Director of the Libyan American Alliance. He holds a Master of Science degree in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Law from Tripoli University (Libya). Professionally\, Mosadek is the Executive Director of the Libyan American Alliance (LAA). Mosadek was previously engaged in providing mediation work in Libya\, he was a lead member at the Libyan Notables Council for Reconciliation\, a non-governmental organization conducting local mediation efforts in Libya. He facilitated multiple ceasefire agreements between local factions mainly in southern Libya. Mosadek was also a project manager at the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD)\, a Swiss NGO supporting the peacebuilding processes in Libya. During his work with the Center\, he was in charge of organizing and facilitating roundtable talks between regional actors\, political leaders\, tribal actors\, and civil society leaders. During and after the Arab Spring\, he participated intensively as an activist advocating for issues of human rights and transitional justice.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/lunch-discussion-libya-what-does-berlin-have-in-store/
LOCATION:National Interest Foundation\, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\, Suite 7000\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Libya-Event-Picture-e1573057517811.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191024T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191024T140000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20191017T201453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200103T181032Z
UID:1525-1571918400-1571925600@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Egypt\, What's Next? with Dr. Amr Darrag
DESCRIPTION:The National Interest Foundation invites you to attend our lunch discussion on Egypt with Dr. Amr Darrag. \nAbout our Speaker: \nDr. Amr Darrag served as Egypt’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation. In 2014\, he established and is currently Chairman of “The Egyptian Institute for Political and Strategic Studies” a think tank based in Istanbul\, Turkey. He was elected as Secretary General of the Assembly drafting the 2012 Egyptian Constitution. He is a founding member and used to be member of the Executive Board of the Egyptian Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). He served as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the Development and Planning Committee of the FJP. Before that\, he was elected Secretary General of the FJP in Giza Governorate\, 2011. He was originally a Civil Engineering Professor at Cairo University and he got his Ph.D. from Purdue University\, USA in 1987. He was elected as Vice-Chairman of Cairo University Staff Association\, 1999-2008. He has been partner and top executive of several international and Egyptian engineering consultancy firms.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/lunch-discussion-egypt-whats-next-with-dr-amr-darrag/
LOCATION:National Interest Foundation\, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\, Suite 7000\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Egypt-Whats-Next-Event-Picture-e1571343249393.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190612T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190612T133000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20190604T174451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191004T174622Z
UID:1461-1560340800-1560346200@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:The Deal of the Century and Israeli Democracy: How Palestinian Citizens of Israel are the Key to Peace in the Middle East
DESCRIPTION:A luncheon discussion with Jafar Farah\nFounder and Director of The Mossawa Center\, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens of Israel\nThe National Interest Foundation is pleased to invite you to attend our luncheon discussion during which Jafar Farah will examine prospects for Middle East peace in light of the recent announcements on Israeli elections and political developments in the United States.\nThe United States has an interest in protecting the security of its long-term ally\, Israel\, and thereby also has an interest in achieving a negotiated settlement in Israel and Palestine\, which would improve regional security. However\, the ongoing tendency to disregard the needs of Palestinians\, both in the occupied Palestinian territories and in Israel\, has precluded the achievement of sustainable and just peace\, undermining regional security and the livelihoods of Palestinians and Israelis alike.\n\nAbout our Speaker: \nJaffar Farah is the Founder and Director of Mossawa\, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel. Jafar is a long-time advocate and activist for civil rights for the Arab community. He was formerly chair of the National Union of Arab Students and President of the Committee for Arab Students at the University of Haifa. After holding these posts\, he founded CEGAS\, the Center for Educational Guidance for Arab Students. As a community organizer and activist\, he was involved in establishing several organizations such as I’lam\, ACAP (Arab Center for Alternative Planning) and the follow-up committee for Arab education. Before establishing Mossawa\, Jafar worked as a journalist for the local network of Ha’aretz and as a TV producer. He continues to write articles that are published regularly in the Hebrew and Arabic press. He is one of the founders of the first Arab-language television station in Israel: Hala TV.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/the-deal-of-the-century-and-israeli-democracy-how-palestinian-citizens-of-israel-are-the-key-to-peace-in-the-middle-east/
LOCATION:NIF\, 1800 K st. Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/e309b79c-143b-4bcc-9c70-a32599d96a89.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190411T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190411T140000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20190404T173709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191004T174049Z
UID:1459-1554984000-1554991200@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:"Yemen: A Brutal War\, US Involvement\, & Options"
DESCRIPTION:Discussion With Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson:\nVIP EVENT \nThe Yemen war has entered its fifth year with no end in sight\, a staggering human toll\, and no convincing results to speak of. Over 100\,000 Yemeni children have been killed by Saudi-led bombings\, hunger and lack of basic medical care. Terrorist groups such as AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS have reemerged stronger in alliance with the Saudi-led coalition. \nWhy is the United States involved in this war\, and what are the long-term repercussions of this war that created the largest humanitarian crisis? What should the U.S. do to avert greater instability in the region and at what cost? Join us for a discussion with colonel Wilkerson\, a seasoned military and political expert who will offer a realistic and balanced explanation of the conflict. \nFeatured Speaker: \nLawrence Wilkerson is a Former Chief of Staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell’s. He also served as Associate Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning staff under the directorship of Ambassador Richard N. Haass\, where he was responsible for East Asia and the Pacific\, political\, military and legislative affairs (2001-02). \nBefore serving at the State Department\, Wilkerson served in the U.S. Army 31 years. During that time\, he was a member of the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College (1987 to 1989)\, Special Assistant to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Powell (1989-93)\, and Director and Deputy Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico\, Virginia (1993-97). Wilkerson retired from active service in 1997 in the rank of a colonel to work as an adviser to General Powell.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/yemen-a-brutal-war-us-involvement-options/
LOCATION:NIF\, 1800 K st. Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/81a9f3aa-f862-4c49-8672-c15f8000d038.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190323
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190324
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20190304T185833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191004T182757Z
UID:1467-1553299200-1553385599@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:The American Middle East Policy Summit - The Forum Intellectual: United States Policy in the Middle East (Visions and Transformations)
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\nTime\nSessions Manager\nPanelists Speaker\nSessions\n\n\n9.30AM – 10.00AM\n\nMr. Mohammad Al-Rashed \nKhaled Saffuri \n \nOpening Remarks \n \n\n\n10.00AM – 11.30AM\nDr.Ali – Alkandari\nKhaled El Gindy\, Brookings Institution \nKaren Attiah\, Global Opinions Editor\, Washington Post \nDr. Amr Darrag\, Egyptian Institute for Studies \nDr. Burhan Aldin Duran\, Director of SETA\nA Case for Dignity: Freedom and Autocracy in the Middle East\n\n\n11.30AM – 11.45AM\n\n\nBreak\n\n\n11.45AM – 1.15PM\nSaul Anuzis\nRep. Nick Rahall\, Former U.S. Congressman \nDoug Bandow\, Cato Institute and the Huffington Post \nDr. Ahmed Ramadan\, \nProf. Ahmet Uysal\, Director of Middle Eastern Studies Center\, Ankara\nThe U.S and Middle East: In Search of Strategy\n\n\n1.15PM – 2.15PM\n\n\nLunch\n\n\n2.15PM – 3.45PM\nDr. Ahmed Attawna\nRep. James Moran\, Former U.S. Congressman \nJohn Fund\, Editor of National Review Online\, Political Commentator on FOX news \nDr. Abdullah Al\, Kuwait University \nDr. Hakki Uygur\, Center for Iranian Studies\, Ankara\nWill there be a US war on Iran?\n\n\n3.45PM – 4.00PM\n\n\nBreak\n\n\n4.00PM – 5.30PM\nDr. Gammal Nassar\nMichael Steele\, Former Chairman of Republican Party\, Political Commentator MSNBC \nTim Constantine\, Capitol Hill Show \nDr. Halil Mutlu\, Turkish American Steering Committee \nDr. Ali Bakir\, Kuwait University \nDr. Talha Kosa\, Ibn Haldun University\nThe United States and Turkey in the Middle East: Managing Conflict and Forging Cooperation\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \nArrive: March 22\, 2019 \nPanel Discussions: March 23\, 2019 \nSocial Day and Istanbul Tour: March 24\, 2019 \nDeparture: March 25\, 2019
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/the-american-middle-east-policy-summit-the-forum-intellectual-united-states-policy-in-the-middle-east-visions-and-transformations/
LOCATION:Dosso Dossi Hotels\, 34080\, Aksemsettin Mahallesi\, Istanbul\, Turkey
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_2073.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190206T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190206T133000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20190204T183459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191211T195152Z
UID:1455-1549454400-1549459800@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Why the U.S. Always Gets It Wrong On the Middle East
DESCRIPTION:A luncheon discussion with \nDavid Hearst\nForeign Policy Writer and Editor\n\nThe National Interest Foundation is pleased to invite you to attend our luncheon discussion where David Hearst tackles the topic of U.S. foreign policy and the Middle East.\nOur estrangement from the Middle East derives from trends that are much deeper than the manifest deficiencies of executive and congressional leadership in Washington. The U.S and our partners in the Middle East have developed contradictory interests and priorities. Where shared values existed at all\, they have increasingly diverged. There have been massive changes in geoeconomics\, energy markets\, power balances\, demographics\, religious ideologies and attitudes toward America. Many of these changes were catalyzed by historic and recent U.S policy errors.\nJoin us as we evaluate these faulty methods and discuss new strategy ideas in approaching the Middle East.\n\nAbout our Speaker: \nDavid Hearst is the Editor in Chief of the Middle East Eye. He left The Guardian as its chief foreign leader writer. In a career spanning 29 years\, he covered the Brighton bomb\, the miner’s strike\, the loyalist backlash in the wake of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in Northern Ireland\, the first conflicts in the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in Slovenia and Croatia\, the end of the Soviet Union \, Chechnya\, and the bushfire wars that accompanied it. He charted Boris Yeltsin’s moral and physical decline and the conditions which created the rise of Putin. After Ireland\, he was appointed Europe correspondent for Guardian Europe\, then joined the Moscow bureau in 1992\, before becoming bureau chief in 1994. He left Russia in 1997 to join the foreign desk\, became European editor and then Associate Foreign Editor. He joined The Guardian from The Scotsman\, where he worked as an education correspondent. @davidahearst
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/why-the-u-s-always-gets-it-wrong-on-the-middle-east/
LOCATION:1800 K Street\, NW\, Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/4389c42f-e559-42bf-9dcb-3a41220b24c7.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190122T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190122T133000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20190122T183110Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191004T173449Z
UID:1449-1548158400-1548163800@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:The Future of Democracy in Tunisia
DESCRIPTION:A luncheon discussion with elected female parliamentarian from Tunisia\,\nMeherzia Labidi Maïza\nThe National Interest Foundation is pleased to invite you to attend our luncheon discussion where Meherzia Labidi tackles the question on Tunisia’s future of a stable democracy.\nTunisia is the sole democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring protests that ripped through the region over the past decade. By 2013\, the democratic process was almost derailed by unfulfilled economic promises\, political and ideological disagreements\, and foreign meddling. Fortunately\, local and international mediation then helped to avert catastrophe and pave the way for elections. But less than a year before the next general election\, scheduled for late 2019\, the country is again in crisis. Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi warned this past Monday that the country’s democratic experience is not in a safe situation. He also warned of the risks of a general strike called by his country’s largest labour union for Thursday. What happens next is a critical test of where Tunisian democracy is headed.\n\nAbout our Speaker: \nKnown as “most senior elected woman in the Middle East”\, Meherzia Labidi Maïza is currently a member of the Tunisian Parliament and Head of the Committee For Women\, Family\, Children and the Elderly Affairs. She was proud of helping to include a clause to protect women’s rights into Tunisia’s post Arab Spring constitution. She is also the honorary president of the organisation Religion for Peace. She has a degree in English literature and writes on topics linked to women and education. She is also a translator\, and specialises in Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic finance. She holds a certificate in theatre studies and a Master’s degree in translation from Sorbonne University. She teaches translation at the European Institute of Social Science in Paris.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/the-future-of-democracy-in-tunisia/
LOCATION:NIF\, 1800 K st. Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/6e87fa8e-21d3-4ab6-9d24-4c7438915914.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181114T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181114T133000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20181105T185820Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191220T152259Z
UID:848-1542196800-1542202200@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:China's Cultural Genocide Against the Uyghurs
DESCRIPTION:Luncheon Discussion on US China Relations and Human Rights\n\nA Luncheon Discussion on\nUS-China Relations and Human Rights\n\nThe National Interest Foundation is pleased to invite you to attend our luncheon discussion where expert Omer Kanat will tackle the issue of Uyghur Muslims and the Xinjang “education” camps. Pervasive ethnic discrimination\, severe religious repression\, and increasing cultural suppression justified by the government in the name of the “fight against separatism\, religious extremism\, and terrorism” continue to fuel rising tensions in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Xinjiang’s mass indoctrination centers are expected to be an area of focus during a major United Nations Human Rights Council review of China this month. \nOccurring this month as well\, in a possible sign of resolving the trade dispute between the US and China\, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo\, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis\, Chinese politburo member Yang Jiechi and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe will take part in diplomatic and security talks. Mattis and Wei discussed that the world’s two largest economies need to deepen high-level ties to reduce the risk of conflict.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout our Speaker:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOmer Kanat is the chairman of the Executive Committee of the World Uyghur Congress. He co-founded the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) in 2003\, as well as the World Uyghur Youth Congress\, where he served as president from 1996-2000. Mr. Kanat was the Senior Editor of Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur Service\, where he covered the War in Afghanistan & Iraq\, edited Uyghur-language news\, and conducted interviews with prominent figures in Inner Asia\, including his holiness the Dalai Lama.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/chinas-uyghurs/
LOCATION:NIF\, 1800 K st. Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/03772c58-0a75-41d1-84c0-19d4e2607bd3.gif
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181015T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181015T013000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20181018T065136Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191009T165824Z
UID:742-1539561600-1539567000@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Discussion with Ambassador Vygaudas Usackas: "The Future of NATO and Transatlantic Relations"
DESCRIPTION:A Luncheon Discussion with Ambassador Vygaudas Ušackas  \nJoin us for a round table discussion with Ambassador Vygaudas Ušackas on the future of NATO and Transatlantic Relations. \nAmbassador Vygaudas Ušackas currently serves as the Director of the European Institute at Kaunas Technological University. From 2013 to 2017 he served as the European Union’s Ambassador to Russia. He previously served as the EU Special Representative for Afghanistan. Prior to heading Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs\, Ušackas was the Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States and Mexico from 2001 through 2006\, then Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Currently\, he is a candidate for President of the Republic of Lithuania.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/discussion-with-ambassador-vygaudas-usackas-the-future-of-nato-and-transatlantic-relations/
LOCATION:NIF\, 1800 K st. Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/07f90fdd-3c0f-4444-837e-0a886096ed17.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180918T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180918T013000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20181018T065608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191009T165753Z
UID:744-1537228800-1537234200@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:UNRWA's Resiliency for Security and Human Development for Palestinian Refugees
DESCRIPTION:A Luncheon Discussion with the Director of UNRWA’S DC Representative Office\, Elizabeth Campbell\nJoin us for a round table discussion with Elizabeth Campbell on UNRWA and the continual and latest efforts to fostering the human development of Palestinian Refugees. \nPrior to joining UNRWA\, Elizabeth was the Senior humanitarian policy advisor in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs in the Department of State. Her role included working on refugee and humanitarian issues in the United Nations system. Campbell has also served as a senior advocate for Refugees International\, where she focused on the humanitarian crises in East Africa and the Middle East. She was director of Refugee Council USA\, an NGO consortium focused on refugee resettlement and protection.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/unrwas-resiliency-for-security-and-human-development-for-palestinian-refugees/
LOCATION:NIF\, 1800 K st. Suite 1124\, Washington\, DC\, 20006\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/b026076f-9fca-4d14-be25-0f029decac4c.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180502T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180502T140000
DTSTAMP:20260430T091423
CREATED:20180504T165417Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191004T172450Z
UID:1426-1525260600-1525269600@nifusa.org
SUMMARY:Yemen: The Forgotten War
DESCRIPTION:The Yemen war has entered its fourth year with no end in sight. Thousands of civilians have been killed\, 130 children die every day from starvation and lack of medical aid due to blockade\, and terrorist groups have flourished amid the chaos.\nWhat are the United States’ options to avoid greater instability in the region and at what cost? Join us for a discussion with seasoned speakers and regional experts who will offer their insights and views on the roots and fallout of the conflict.\n\n\n\n Speakers: \nFlynt Leverett\, Former senior director for Middle East affairs on the George W. Bush’s  National Security Council\, former CIA & State Department official\, professor at the Pennsylvania State University School of International Affairs. \nDoug Bandow\, Former special assistant to President Regan\, senior fellow at the Cato Institute\, author and analyst. \nSama’a Al-Hamdani\, Former political officer at Yemen embassy in Washington\, “Yemeniaty” director & political analyst & consultant. \nJamal Khashoggi\, Saudi journalist\, author\, & Washington Post columnist.
URL:https://nifusa.org/event-2/yemen-the-forgotten-war/
LOCATION:Rayburn House Building – Room 2075\, 45 Independence Ave SW\, Washington\, DC\, 20515\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://nifusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/102003186_mediaitem102003185.jpg
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