Carnegie Endowment Events

Carnegie Moscow Center organized a panel discussion on the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region.

Carnegie's Tong Zhao, Fellow based at the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, discusses the growth of China's nuclear ballistic missile submarine program and its implications for US-China strategic stability.

Drawing on the history of conflict between India and Pakistan, in his new book Brokering Peace in Nuclear Environments, Moeed Yusuf describes and evaluates how the process of third-party intervention affects deterrence strategies and prospects for peace, and applies lessons to other regional nuclear rivalries

Preventing Escalation in the Baltics: A NATO Playbook by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

In his new book, "Navigation by Judgment: Why and When Top-Down Control of Foreign Aid Doesn’t Work," Dan Honig presents an empirically grounded argument for the value of implementation led by the judgment of field staff, particularly when tasks are difficult to measure and country environments are unpredictable. In this roundtable discussion, Honig will present his key findings and their implications for major aid organizations. Nilmini Rubin and Larry Garber, experienced development practitioners, will respond with comments and reflections.

Why did the United States move from a position of nuclear superiority over the Soviet Union at the beginning of the 1960s to one of nuclear parity under conditions of mutual assured destruction in 1972? The story of this transition both sheds new light on the Cold War and offers new insights for today’s nuclear challenges. Drawing on declassified conversations between three presidents and their most trusted advisers, James Cameron offers an original answer to this question in his new book The Double Game: The Demise of America’s First Missile Defense System and the Rise of Strategic Arms Limitation. John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon struggled to reconcile their personal convictions about the nuclear arms race with public demands. In doing so they engaged in a double game, hiding their true beliefs behind a façade of strategic language, while grappling in private with the complex realities of the nuclear age.

One year after U.S. President Donald Trump’s election, Europe is still struggling to make sense of his administration’s disruptive foreign policy. What impact has Trump had on the transatlantic relationship thus far, and what lies ahead? Where and how can Europe engage with the United States going forward? Experts convened at Carnegie on November 28, 2017 for a conversation.

The risk of a nuclear war is rising because of growing non-nuclear threats to nuclear weapons and their command-and-control systems. In a conventional war, such “entanglement” could lead to non-nuclear operations inadvertently threatening the opponent’s nuclear deterrent or being misinterpreted as preparations for nuclear use, potentially sparking catastrophic escalation. Alexey Arbatov, who co-authored a new Carnegie volume, Entanglement: Chinese and Russian Perspectives on Non-nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Risks, gives a Russian view of this problem and presents potential policy options in conversation with James Acton.

Non-nuclear Weapons and the Risk of Nuclear War: A Chinese Perspective by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Access to justice is a key governance concern in developed and developing countries alike. Community legal workers aim to help poor or comparatively powerless people defend themselves against land grabs, obtain public services, and challenge corruption. Can this bottom-up approach counter powerful interests seeking to entrench their control? Can legal empowerment help respond to rising authoritarianism and repression of civil society?

While wars, terrorism , and rapidly changing economic conditions in the Middle East grab headlines, the close links between these issues and governance are increasingly relegated to back pages. Carnegie’s Middle East program and Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law hosted an in-depth discussion with experts from the region and leading American scholars about these issues, including lessons learned from other regions and implications for U.S. policies.

While wars, terrorism , and rapidly changing economic conditions in the Middle East grab headlines, the close links between these issues and governance are increasingly relegated to back pages. Carnegie’s Middle East program and Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law hosted an in-depth discussion with experts from the region and leading American scholars about these issues, including lessons learned from other regions and implications for U.S. policies.

Now entering its third year, the civil war in Yemen has exacted a horrific toll on civilians and enabled the expansion of al-Qaeda. Intervention by both the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led Gulf coalition and Iran has only sharpened the country’s fault lines and worsened its humanitarian crisis. Outside efforts at mediation have fallen short. Where is Yemen’s war heading and what can local, regional, and international actors do to end it?

The oil industry has been entangled in serious corruption controversies. In response, the U.S. government has shown leadership over the past decade in helping bring more transparency to the sector.

Vijay Joshi presents on his new book "India's Long Road: The Search for Prosperity." Subir Gokarn and Milan Vaishnav join to discuss India's economic development.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, one of Pakistan’s leading analysts of political, legislative, and electoral affairs, discusses challenges that affect the prospects for a second peaceful transition to power in Pakistan. He also shares key insights into the current state of democracy and governance in Pakistan. Carnegie’s Milan Vaishnav moderates.

Vinay Sitapati shares key findings on how P.V. Narasimha Rao shaped India's economy, nuclear program, foreign policy, and domestic politics.

One of the most remarkable stories of immigration in the last half century is that of Indians to the United States. Not only do people of Indian origin now make up a little over one percent of the American population, but they have become the most-educated and highest-income group in the world’s most advanced nation. The Other One Percent: Indians in America, co-authored by Sanjoy Chakravorty, Devesh Kapur, and Nirvikar Singh, delivers the first data-driven, comprehensive account of the community.

Sino-Indian relations have hit a rough patch in recent months. China’s opposition to India’s Nuclear Suppliers Group membership, Beijing’s continued support for Pakistan on issues of terrorism, and its continued obstinacy with respect to territorial claims in the South China Sea, have cast a shadow on Sino-Indian relations. These tensions exacerbate the ongoing border dispute and Indian concerns about China’s other activities in the region, such as in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Manoj Joshi will analyze the sharpened discord in the relationship and shed light on India’s and China’s paths forward. Daniel Twining will join the discussion.

In this latest book, Dmitri Trenin, the longtime director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, explains why the Cold War analogy is misleading. Relations between the West and Russia are certainly bad and dangerous but, he argues, they are bad and dangerous in new ways. Trenin outlines the crucial differences, which make the current rivalry between Russia, the EU, and the United States more fluid and unpredictable. By unpacking the dynamics of this increasingly strained relationship, Trenin makes the case for handling Russia with pragmatism and care and cautions against simply giving into fear.

Strengthening the rule of law is essential for anyone interested in advancing peace, equity, and opportunity. Measuring how well countries adhere to the rule of law in practice can be a first step in setting benchmarks, stimulating and guiding reforms, and deepening understanding and appreciation for its fundamental features. Join us for the launch of the 2016 WJP Rule of Law Index.

To take stock of the current state of India’s politics, economics, and foreign policy, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace—in collaboration with the Georgetown University India Initiative and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)—hosted a wide-ranging discussion with three leading members of Parliament from across the political spectrum. Carnegie’s Milan Vaishnav moderated. The delegation’s visit was part of FICCI’s annual India-U.S. Forum of Parliamentarians, which aims to deepen the engagement between lawmakers of both countries.

The Obama administration has made significant progress in securing nuclear materials, eliminating unnecessary nuclear stockpiles, and reaching a comprehensive agreement with Iran. However, much remains to be done globally in order to harness the power of nuclear energy while reducing the risk of nuclear materials and technologies falling into malicious hands.

Corruption hardly topped the threat list when U.S. military forces and civilians first entered Afghanistan in 2001. But recognition of its devastating potential to undermine U.S. national security objectives is far higher today. Despite a myriad of U.S. efforts, however, corruption remains deeply entrenched in Afghanistan. It undermines the government’s legitimacy, enables an emboldened insurgency, and puts at risk the gains from U.S. taxpayers’ nearly $115 billion investment in reconstruction. The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has publicly reported on corruption in Afghanistan since 2008. Now SIGAR is releasing its first lessons learned report, on U.S. efforts to address the Afghan corruption problem: Corruption in Conflict: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan. John F. Sopko explored the U.S. experience fighting corruption in Afghanistan and its broader implications, and detailed recommendations to Congress and policy makers to improve such efforts in current and future contingency operations.

Where are those voices in the Arab world that called so compellingly for change and spurred the 2011 uprisings that swept across the region? Which spaces are they using for expression as governments crack down on street protests, civil society, and media?

One under-recognized factor is fueling many of the world’s most violent crises—not bitter identity rifts or imperial delusions, but the simple drive to amass lucre. Carnegie hosted for a discussion about how this trait can be exploited to reduce mass atrocities and leverage peace and good governance. We introduced a new report by the Enough Project, Bankrupting Kleptocracy: Financial Tools to Counter Atrocities in Africa’s Deadliest War Zones.

India confronts an exceptionally difficult national security problem: how to motivate Pakistan to prevent cross-border terrorism. Last month’s attack on the Indian Army base at Uri and India’s response, highlight the complexity of this challenge. George Perkovich and Toby Dalton discussed their new book, Not War, Not Peace?, which provides a timely assessment of the options available to India to deter and respond to cross-border terrorism.

The election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States could bring about a radical change in U.S. foreign policy in every region of the world. The uncertainties of the Trump presidency call for a probing, long-term strategy for strengthening stability in Asia. As the Western Pacific is experiencing a fundamental and potentially destabilizing military and economic power transition driven primarily by China’s economic and military rise and a corresponding relative decline in American power, efforts by the United States or China to secure future predominance will prove futile and dangerous, given a host of security, economic, and diplomatic factors. Instead, creating a stable de facto balance of power is necessary and feasible for both countries.

A battleground marked by regional intervention and a growing al-Qaeda presence, Yemen's civil war continues unabated. The fighting has exacted a horrific toll on civilians, whether from bombing by the Saudi-led coalition, indiscriminate shelling by Houthi insurgents, food and medical shortages, or the kidnappings of journalists and human rights activists. Meanwhile, international pressure is growing, with calls by the UN for an independent investigation and demands in the U.S. Congress to restrict arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Where is the war heading and what can outside actors do to end the conflict?

Chinese nuclear experts think about nuclear weapons very differently from their U.S. counterparts. They use different terminology and contrasting security paradigms to discuss and make decisions on nuclear policy. How can Washington and Beijing promote an effective dialogue and shared understanding despite their disparate approaches? In their latest report, Li Bin and Tong Zhao present their findings on the topic. Their analysis is followed by a moderated conversation.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Carnegie Mellon University host the first session of their joint Colloquium on Digital Governance and Security. Part one address the "Future of Consumer Privacy: Machine Learning and New International Data Protection", while part two touches on "Autonomy and Counter-autonomy in Military Operations."

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Carnegie Mellon University host the first session of their joint Colloquium on Digital Governance and Security. Part one address the "Future of Consumer Privacy: Machine Learning and New International Data Protection", while part two touches on "Autonomy and Counter-autonomy in Military Operations."

A conversation with UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson on the future of the United Nations and multilateralism in a changing global landscape.

With democracy struggling in many countries, providers of democracy support are looking to tailor assistance strategies to respond to the growing variety of troubled transitional contexts. Aiding women's political empowerment—a crucial area of international aid for democracy as well as for development more generally—shares this challenge. How can aid providers and activists alike think more strategically about women's political empowerment?

After meeting as part of the intergovernmental P5 process, representatives from the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons participated in a public discussion on the future of arms control and strategic stability. They debated questions such as: What is the current relationship between disarmament and strategic stability? How might arms control and disarmament change in the twenty-first century? What relevance does the security environment have in current and future arms control initiatives? The event consisted of two panels—one comprised of nongovernmental experts from each P5 country and the other consisting of senior government officials—and allowed time for audience questions.

Myanmar’s abundant natural resources have served as the country’s main export revenue, but have also been a primary driver of conflict in ethnic areas. What should the newly elected government do to improve the governance of resource wealth in the country, and how can the international community assist?

Charles Clover depicts the intellectual ferment that has brought provocative strands of Russian nationalism at the heart of the Kremlin’s policy-making apparatus under Vladimir Putin.

The oil market has been turned upside down over the past two years. How will future policies, designed to meet the Paris climate agreement, shape the future of oil demand?

Can and should the United States do more to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in its security strategy and the number of weapons in its arsenal? This question is particularly timely given the lively international debate on nuclear disarmament. Brad Roberts will discuss his assessment of this question and the analysis in his new book, The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century. Carnegie's George Perkovich moderates.

The topic of information and communication technologies diplomacy has been a dynamic aspect of U.S.-Japan cooperation since 2010 when U.S. President Barack Obama and then Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan first launched a U.S.-Japan Policy Cooperation Dialogue on the Internet Economy. The two countries have led efforts to promote national interests and ensure a global digital economy based around an open, free, and secure Internet. Yet not all countries agree on priorities, and some governments seek greater state control of this space. Meanwhile, technology and the Internet economy are rapidly evolving. In this podcast, Ambassador Daniel A. Sepulveda, Minister Kanji Yamanouchi, and ITI President Dean Garfield discuss U.S.-Japan cooperation to promote data localization, cross-border data flow, and privacy protection as well as how these issues are managed with broader policies and politics. Commentary by Tim Maurer. Moderated by Jim Schoff.

The Arab uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria over the past five years represent a conundrum. Standard development indicators failed to capture or predict the outburst of popular anger during the so-called Arab Spring of 2011. The World Bank’s Elena Ianchovichina and Shantayanan Devarajan discussed the findings of their recent report Inequality, Uprisings, and Conflict in the Arab World, and reflected on the economic origins of the Arab revolts. While many believe that income inequality was the most significant cause of the uprisings, the report weighs the role of other major drivers, mainly citizen frustrations with a shortage of quality jobs in the formal sector, poor quality public services, and governance issues. Carnegie’s Joseph Bahout moderated.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a review of its first Arab Experts Survey. The results of the survey, conducted in English and Arabic, represent the views of more than one hundred accomplished political thinkers representing almost every Arab country and answer broad questions around terrorism and extremism, civil war and foreign intervention, sectarianism, corruption, and governance. The survey is part of Carnegie’s Arab World Horizons project, an effort to examine the social, political, and economic forces shaping the Arab world. Marwan Muasher, Perry Cammack, and Shibley Telhami discussed the findings of the survey, and Joyce Karam moderated.

In a neighborhood engulfed in turmoil, Iran has enjoyed relative political stability of late. But have the rifts between state and society been reconciled? Has Iranian civil society resigned itself to incremental change within the confines of the Islamic Republic? How has the role of women in Iranian civil society evolved? Who are the most important change agents in Iranian society and what are their ambitions and motivations?

Less than twenty-four months after the hope-filled Arab uprising, the popular movement had morphed into a dystopia of resurgent dictators, failed states, and civil wars. Marc Lynch’s new book, The New Arab Wars, is a profound illumination of the causes of this nightmare. It details the costs of the poor choices made by regional actors, delivers a scathing analysis of Western misreading of the conflict, and questions international interference that has stoked the violence.

Five years after the 2011 uprisings, countries in the region are caught between the competing impulses of fragmentation and two equally unstainable authoritarian visions—that of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or classic autocratic regimes.

Promethean changes are poised to reshape the transport sector, with significant implications for the greenhouse gas emissions of twenty-first century mobility. Will autonomous vehicles prove to be a climate policy tool, or a climate policy challenge?

Tensions in the global nuclear order are rising. The new Carnegie report Perspectives on the Evolving Nuclear Order asks what role ‘middle ground,’ or emerging, nuclear states will play in the global debate on these issues. Debak Das, Mariana Nascimento Plum, and Tong Zhao discuss Indian, Brazilian, and Chinese views on the nuclear order. Carnegie’s Toby Dalton moderates. Immediately following, Adam Scheinman comments on themes presented in the first panel in the context of his experience leading the U.S. delegation to the 2015 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. Carnegie’s Togzhan Kassenova moderates.

A quarter century ago, Indian National Congress dominance in New Delhi began to give way to two distinct political forces—the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and a wide-ranging collection of regional political parties.

On May 9, Filipinos will vote for a new president and vice president in arguably one of the country’s most consequential elections. While outgoing President Aquino has overseen a dramatic turnaround in his country’s economic fortunes, the Philippines still faces a range of important challenges, including an unfinished economic reform agenda, an internal security threat from Islamic militants, and potential confrontation with China over disputed islands in the South China Sea. A panel of Southeast Asia experts discusses how Aquino’s potential successor would handle these challenges and what’s at stake for U.S.-Philippines relations. Carnegie’s Vikram Nehru moderates. This event is co-sponsored by the U.S.-Philippines Society and the Southeast Asian Studies Program of the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

The severe political crisis in Kyiv has raised fundamental questions in recent weeks about the fate of Ukrainian reform.

Seventy years after World War II, Southeast Asia stands at a crossroads amid multilateral trade negotiations, economic integration initiatives, political turmoil, and the establishment of new development institutions and regional governance frameworks. How should the United States and Japan respond and contribute constructively? Are the lessons of the past relevant to the challenges ahead?