Curated Conversations

The severe humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has had significant impacts on the female population both inside and outside the country. This event will address the impact the humanitarian crisis is having both on women who remain in Venezuela and who have fled, the importance of including women in politics, and the importance of incorporating women into decision-making positions to shape the future of Venezuela.

The CSIS Middle East Program and Humanitarian Agenda are pleased to host David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, to discuss the current crisis in Idlib, the dangerous lessons of war, and how Syria could serve as a model for future conflicts.  Jacob Kurtzer, Interim Director of the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda, will provide welcome remarks to open the discussion. Mr. Miliband's keynote address will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Jon B. Alterman, Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director of the Middle East Program.  

Over the past twenty years, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has proven to be a high-impact and resilient global health partnership. Launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2000, Gavi has mobilized its network of government, private sector, and civil society partners to make vaccines affordable and available to millions of children in the world’s lowest-income countries. Yet after years of improvements, immunization coverage has now stagnated in some countries, and the challenges posed by demographic change, urbanization, and conflict all threaten to slow global progress. Gavi’s new strategy for 2021-2025 lays out a plan to confront these challenges and reach the most vulnerable children with vaccines, and the organization will seek funding to help it reach its goals at a pledging conference to be hosted by the United Kingdom in June of 2020. The United States has supported Gavi since 2000, and the Alliance’s contributions to health security and efforts to enable countries to move towards sustainable, self-financed immunization programs resonate with U.S. global health and development goals.

Disputes over the regional order in post-Soviet Europe and Eurasia are at the core of the breakdown in Russia-West relations, and have created major security and economic challenges for the states caught in between: first and foremost Ukraine, but also Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Current policy approaches toward the regional order—i.e., the set of rules, norms, and institutions that govern the region—have exacerbated today’s disorder and instability. The authors of a new report offer a comprehensive proposal for revising the regional order.

Emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, and synthetic biology—drive security and economic competition and are increasingly shaping national strategies. To develop an effective strategy for synthetic biology, policy makers and the general public need a better understanding of synthetic biology’s underlying capabilities, state of development, and diverse applications. Through a series of four symposia, CSIS will explore synthetic biology’s wide-ranging applications—from advanced microelectronics and materials to nutrition and cosmetics —and opportunities to shape its future development in support of U.S. security and economic interests.

In the United States, there is a sense of "Afghanistan fatigue." While there are certainly valid criticisms that can be levied against U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, a significant amount of social, economic, political, and public health progress has resulted from our engagement and Afghans' own hard work and commitment. But Afghanistan's political progress and social gains are at risk of collapse if the United States chooses to completely disengage from the country. Given the mix of gains and disappointments, how do we establish the correct framework for U.S. engagement with a transitioning Afghanistan in 2020 and beyond?

Australia is being ravaged by the worst bushfires seen in decades. Beginning in 2019, the fires have burnt through 25.5 million acres, the size of Denmark and Belgium combined. At least 27 people are dead, including three volunteer firefighters, and more are missing. Thousands of homes have been destroyed or damaged. Australia’s capital cities are experiencing record air pollution, and smoke has been seen as far away as South America. With the fire summer season extending for another few months, the disaster is expected to continue. The scale of these bushfires is unprecedented anywhere in the world.

In 2020, Europe will be facing a unique set of political, economic, and security challenges, including Brexit. However, the beginning of the new decade also offers an opportunity to lay out an ambitious vision for the future of Europe and for progress in areas of common concern. Please join us for a timely conversation with German Ambassador to the U.S. Emily Haber and French Ambassador to the U.S. Philippe Etienne as they discuss their vision for Europe over the next decade, the foreign policy challenges facing Europe in 2020, and the future of transatlantic relations.

With the demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and an unclear future for New START, U.S.-Russian arms control is in dire condition. Some experts in both capitals question the feasibility or necessity of further bilateral arms control. However, any U.S. and Russian administration will face the task of managing its own arsenal and relations with a nuclear armed competitor, which requires some level of arms control—formal or informal. How do Moscow and Washington approach this task? What are most immediate concerns and what could be on the table in the future negotiations? How possible is trilateral arms control with China? What are the arms control mechanisms short of formal treaties? Andrey Baklitskiy, visiting fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Program, will present his analysis of the different options for U.S.-Russian arms control.

Strategic Japan draws on the newest research from Japanese scholars to inform the policy debate in Washington. This year, the CSIS Japan Chair has invited four scholars to examine Japan’s leadership role in international and regional institutions and avenues for U.S.-Japan cooperation in the future.

More than two million electric vehicles (EVs) were sold globally in 2018, a trend expected to grow over the coming decades. The smart deployment of EVs and EV infrastructure will be an important part of broader mobility planning and offers opportunities to connect markets and supply chains. The CSIS Energy & National Security Program is pleased to convene this panel to discuss strategies and policies to develop and deploy EVs.

Digital technologies are creating new challenges for law enforcement agencies around the world. Cybercrime is proliferating due to the growing sophistication of online criminal networks and the difficulties of trans-national enforcement. Investigations of traditional crimes are also becoming more difficult as encryption, ephemerality, and other technical measures create obstacles for accessing digital evidence. This event will examine how global cooperation can help to address these issues in a way that ensures a balance between the protection of civil liberties and the needs of the law enforcement community.

With the fourth industrial revolution set to disrupt labor markets, global stability is contingent on developing countries' ability to transform their economies and create jobs to meet the economic aspirations of their people. Argentina, during its presidency of the G20 in 2018, has made the future of work one of the main priorities throughout the year and created a T20 Task Force to develop recommendations on the future of work and education for the digital age.

The presence of armed groups in Venezuela significantly affects how policymakers consider addressing the Venezuelan political and humanitarian crisis. The Maduro regime seeks to benefit from Venezuela's status as a hub for transnational crime and illicit activities, causing policymakers to doubt what the best approach to address the crisis would be. Illegal armed groups finding haven in Venezuela not only adds new threats to Venezuela’s internal security, but also threatens Colombia’s security and the region writ-large. Illegal armed groups in Venezuela include the National Liberation Army (ELN), remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), colectivos, garimpeiros, and other residual organized armed groups (GAO) and criminal gangs.

Women have made great economic and social strides in the past 15 years. More than 3.6 million girls are in school and women are now allowed to work, both of which are essential to peace and stability in Afghanistan. However, the work is not over. It is vital that the progress continues and that women are not forgotten in the search for peace. We are pleased to host the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani, who has been a champion on these issues. Mrs. Ghani plays an active role as first lady, supporting efforts to fully integrate women and girls into Afghan society and into the workforce. In May 2016, she brought together prominent Afghan women from Kabul and gave them a platform to discuss women’s roles in contributing to peace. She held another symposium in 2017 to discuss the role of Afghan women as messengers of peace.

Technology was once viewed as a liberating tool for individuals living under authoritarian regimes, yet today, illiberal governments around the world are developing, acquiring, and utilizing technologies to strengthen political control over their population. Perhaps more than any other authoritarian country, China is experimenting with new methods of integrating technology into its system of governance, with its near-total surveillance state in the western region of Xinjiang being the most extreme example.

The CSIS Energy & National Security Program is pleased to welcome The Hon. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and The Hon. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for a conversation on energy policy priorities in the United States. This discussion will center on the opportunities and challenges of harnessing U.S. energy resources to foster economic opportunities and innovation for U.S. businesses, workers, and communities. As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senators Murkowski and Manchin are at the forefront of developing future energy policies across a wide range of crucial areas, including innovation, energy efficiency, and worker training.

Welcoming remarks by John J. Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS and remarks by Tadashi Maeda, Governor, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Followed by a discussion moderated by Michael J. Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.

Climate change is upon us. In places like Nepal, where two-thirds of the labor force rely on agriculture to earn a living, the impacts of rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and protracted droughts are becoming especially severe. The U.S. government is expanding its investment in programs that build climate resilience, but how can we ensure these investments are inclusive and beneficial to the most vulnerable populations?

Venezuela’s water system is currently facing a number of critical issues and a clear path forward is needed to address the country’s water crisis in the short term and to identify a roadmap for longer term structural reforms addressing all aspects of the national water management system. The purpose of this conference is to analyze the current threats endangering the nation’s watersheds, the capacity of the water management system to protect the nation’s water resources, and the conditions of multiple entities responsible for assuring access to safe and clean water throughout the country.

In the wake of the investigations into the bombings of Saudi Arabian oil facilities last week, tensions have heightened between the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, culminating in Iran threatening an ‘all-out war’ should the U.S. retaliate. CSIS's Seth Jones and Jon Alterman and the New York Times’ David Sanger join Bob Schieffer for a discussion about what happened and what may come next, including potential options for the Trump administration.

Many observers describe the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 80 percent of the country’s 28 million residents require assistance, and more than 7 million people are at risk of famine. Providing humanitarian assistance presents many challenges, as fighting and blockades frequently impede humanitarian access, and combatants divert aid supplies for political and financial gain. This discussion will examine how the dynamics of Yemen’s conflict help shape the country’s humanitarian situation, and participants will explore potential avenues to address issues of aid access.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) invites you to a conversation with Senator Michael Bennet on his new book, Dividing America: How Russia Hacked Social Media and Democracy. In this new book, Senator Bennet highlights the various ways in which the Russian government has used social media to sow discord and chaos among the American public to undermine our democracy. Containing over 100 images of Russian-sponsored propaganda, this book serves as an important reminder of the threat landscape as we approach the 2020 presidential election.

Recognizing the critical, understudied, and often misunderstood nature of this global phenomenon, CSIS produced a research study on irregular migration involving field research in Mexico, Eritrea, and Ghana.

Since its creation in 2004, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has acted as a key U.S. foreign assistance instrument focused on economic growth, country partnerships, and cost-effective projects. Its impact spans nearly 50 countries around the world in the agriculture, education, energy, health, and infrastructure sectors. MCC's three different grant systems—compacts, concurrent compacts for regional investments, and threshold programs—address the underlying causes of poverty and promote economic growth by working with the private sector and supporting regulatory reforms.

Amid escalating U.S.-China tensions, Washington and Beijing are focused on managing their differences on bilateral trade. At the same time, both countries have a major stake in the functioning of the global economic order—the institutions, rules, and norms that shape international economic affairs. Even as they address bilateral issues, it is also important for the two sides to confront strains in the global order.

The CSIS Energy & National Security Program invites you to listen to Are Sanctions Working?, a conference examining the state of U.S. sanctions―what is different, what is and is not working, and implications for U.S. foreign policy, the global economy, and the energy sector. The United States has employed sanctions as a foreign policy mechanism for decades. In recent years, the United States has developed a new generation of more targeted, more agile economic sanctions. This conference will review the efficacy of the new style of U.S. sanctions, understand what is contributing to their success or failure, and gauge their future. Speakers will also explore how sustained use of sanctions is impacting one universally important sector: the energy sector.

Listen as the International Security Program holds a conversation with General Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, where he discusses homeland defense and the role of NORAD and USNORTHCOM.

On June 28-29, government leaders representing 85 percent of the global economy convened in Osaka, Japan, for the 14th Group of Twenty (G20) Summit. While most media attention focused on developments outside the meeting room, including a trade truce between the United States and China, the discussions inside the room produced their share of fireworks—as well as some progress on the global economic agenda. Listen as we debrief on G20 Osaka outcomes and next steps.

Telecom technology is changing again, and it's more than the move to 5G.  How and when it changes will have a  major effect on key issues like Huawei's efforts to dominate the telecom market, supply chain diversity, and how your phone, car or factory connects to the internet.  New technologies will reshape the security debate and markets. Listen for an interactive discussion of  the policy and business implication of the future of 5G. 

​Listen as the Human Rights Initiative at CSIS holds a discussion on the mass detention and surveillance of Muslims in Xinjiang, China and the risks such technologies may pose as they are implemented in other areas of China and globally.   Over one million Uyghurs and Muslims from other ethnic minority groups have been detained by the Chinese government and sent to “re-education” internment camps.  Sources indicate that detainees are psychologically and physically abused. Uyghurs outside the camps in Xinjiang are also not free, as they are kept under constant surveillance, often using advanced technology. The Chinese government is increasingly testing this technology in Xinjiang and exporting it nationally and globally, with concerning implications for democracy and human rights.   This event will focus on how this surveillance technology is being used and disseminated across the globe, which poses a risk of great harm to human rights and democracy, particularly if deployed without adequate safeguards.

The Human Rights Initiative of CSIS invites you to listen in on a public launch event of the 2019 Global Peace Index (GPI). The Global Peace Index is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, ranking 163 countries and territories according to their level of relative peacefulness. Created by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the report presents the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to-date on trends in peace and its economic value. The report findings will be followed by a panel discussion considering the implications of closing civic space and inequality for peace. It will look particularly at the factors that IEP has found to be necessary preconditions for peace in its Positive Peace Report, many of which rely on an active civil society and limits on inequality.

Listen as we discuss with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith U.S. national security challenges in advance of the markup of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act. 

Listen as the CSIS Global Health Policy Center discusses the “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for the United States” campaign, which will aim to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. This discussion features Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Robert R. Redfield, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Fauci and Dr. Redfield will describe how this strategy first came to fruition and share the details of this 10-year plan, including expectations around financing and coordination, outreach to marginalized communities, and addressing a variety of implementation challenges.

Listen as we discuss the public launch of our report, Rethinking Taxes and Development: Incorporating Political Economy Considerations in DRM Strategies. This report offers a fresh perspective for U.S. policymakers and other development agencies on how they can better partner with developing country governments on the shared goal of increased DRM, focusing on addressing the political economy opportunities and constraints to increasing the impact of development efforts. 

Listen as we discuss the public launch of our report "Beyond Technology: The Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Developing World," which looks at how these 4IR technologies might affect us in various ways as we simultaneously plan for the eventual Fifth Industrial Revolution.

The world’s fastest growing emerging market is not a country or a region; it is the world’s women. In April 2019, Ivanka Trump (Advisor to the President) and David Bohigian (Acting President and CEO of OPIC) announced OPIC's 2X Africa Women's Investment Initiative, launched under OPIC's broader 2X Women's Initiative. OPIC aims to unlock the full economic potential of women in Africa by catalyzing $1 billion, directly investing $350 million, to businesses and funds owned or led by women, or providing a good or service that intentionally empowers women on the continent. The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on OPIC's 2X Women's Initiative.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion with Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran, on President Trump's Iran policy, the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, and the future of U.S.-Iran relations.

While millions of people are displaced around the globe and thousands more contemplate dangerous journeys in search of a better life, "We’re in Danger! Who Will Help Us?" draws on lessons from the “refugee decade” to inform responses to today’s crises. Please join us for a conversation with James Purcell, author of "We’re in Danger! Who Will Help Us?" and Chairman of USA for IOM followed by a reception. Mr. Purcell is the Former Director General of the IOM and Former Director of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau for Refugee Programs.

As Americans grapple with the legacies of the post-9/11 conflicts, the relationship between the country and its armed forces is at a critical inflection point. What role do Americans want their military to play in civic life? How much does, and should, the military influence policy? From the reintegration of veterans into civilian society, to the dangers of politicization of the armed forces, to the inevitable - and often, healthy - tensions between civilian and uniformed decision-makers in Washington, this event will examine what makes civil-military relations break down and promote what a healthy civil-military relationship can do to reinvigorate our democracy. 

A Maritime Security Dialogue event featuring a discussion with ADM William Moran, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

Rapid technological advancements offer a wealth of potential opportunities for business and consumers, but also present a set of serious public policy challenges for the United States, China and others.