Monday, November 14
Nuclear Policy Talks: Project Azorian Risk vs. Gain: the CIA Attempted Recovery of a Soviet Ballistic Missile Submarine

Monday, November 14
The Kremlin and the Russian Extreme Right in the New Century: Moscow’s Anti-Western Turn under Vladimir Putin

Monday, November 14
Global Gender Forum: Women’s Assets: Why They Are Important and How to Measure Them

Monday, November 14
Why Afghanistan is Worth it: A Conversation with the Ambassador from Afghanistan, H.E. Eklil Hakimi

Tuesday, November 15
CANCELED: The New Global Consensus: Changing Values and their Impact on Approaches to Development in China, Tibet, and Africa

Tuesday, November 15
GW All Alumni Networking Night

Wednesday, November 16
Security Policy Forum: U.S. Military Interventions

Wednesday, November 16
Chinese and Japanese Investment in South and Southeast Asia: Case Studies of the Automobile and Electronics Industries

Wednesday, November 16
The Middle East Policy Forum The U.S. and the Arab Spring: An Arab Perspective

Wednesday, November 16
2011 Elliott School Faculty Book Party

Wednesday, November 16
A Night with Frank Mugisha

Thursday, November 17
Conversations with Scholars: The Emotions of Justice: Gender, Status, and Legal Culture in Choson Korea, 1391-1910

Thursday, November 17
Finding Your Fulbright: An Info Session and Alumni Panel

Thursday, November 17
Asian Film Series: The Beginning of the Great Revial (China)

Thursday, November 17
The Jordanian Ambassador to the United States: A Discussion on U.S.-Jordan

Friday, November 18
Shadow of the Past: Diverging Views on Taiwan’s Future

Friday, November 18
Proxy Warriors: The Rise and Fall of State-Sponsored Militias: A Conversation with Ariel I. Ahram

Monday, November 21
Russia’s Public Chamber: Civil Society Representation and Public Policy Decision-Making

Monday, November 21
Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries

Monday, November 21
China, Russia, and the Existing World Order: Seeking to Overthrow the Status Quo or Merely Pursuing Advantage within It?

Tuesday, November 22
Migrants in Multiethnic Slovakia: Contemporary Problems and Historical Roots
 

Jin-Kyung Park, PhD, University of Toronto

Sheena Nahm, PhD, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, CA

Roy Richard Grinker, PhD, The George Washington University

Elanah Uretsky, PhD, The George Washington University

In this colloquium, top scholars in Korean studies will focus on the history of medicine and mental health in Korea, especially in relation to reproduction and childhood. Speakers will discuss how, in the Japanese colonial period, biomedical research in Korea on reproduction and women’s health was conducted as a political tool for the empire; the role of the media in the 20th and early 21st century in decreasing the stigma of mental illness; and the growth of psychiatry, psychology, counseling, and cutting edge research on human behavior.

* Saturday, November 6, 2010
* 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
* Harry Harding Auditorium, Room 213
* 1957 E Street, NW

* Please send RSVP to: kimrenau@gwu.edu (Please include your name, affiliation, and contact information)
* Sponsored by the Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures and the Sigur Center for Asian Studies

Ambassador John Limbert, a career Foreign Service Officer, shares his extensive experience in Middle Eastern diplomacy and discusses his new book, Negotiating with Iran.

* Wednesday, October 27, 2010
* 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM
* Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
* 1957 E Street, NW

* Please RSVP at: http://tinyurl.com/2cs93lm
* Sponsored by the Middle East Policy Forum, which is presented with the generous support of ExxonMobil.

This event is part of the Trade and Development Workshop Series.

* Tuesday, October 19, 2010
* 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
* Kendrick Conference Room, Room 321
* Monroe Hall, 2115 G Street, NW

* Please send RSVP to: iiep@gwu.edu
* Sponsored by the Department of Economics and the Institute for International Economic Policy

Joe Lockhart, Former White House Spokesman

The speakers will examine politics and media spin from their unique perspectives both behind and in front of the podium.

* Thursday, October 14, 2010
* 6:15 PM – 8:00 PM
* City View Room, 7th Floor
* 1957 E Street, NW

* Reception 6:15 – 6:45 PM; Program 6:45 – 8:00 PM

Sponsored by The Elliott School of International Affairs and the School of Media and Public Affairs

Quote from the whitehouse:

The GreenGov Symposium is focused on the performance goals set by President Obama in his Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance signed on October 5, 2009. The Executive Order commits the Federal Government to leading by example in its operations by requiring Federal agencies to set greenhouse gas reduction targets, increase energy efficiency, reduce fleet petroleum consumption, conserve water, reduce waste, support sustainable communities, and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies. Topics covered at the 2010 GreenGov Symposium will include clean energy, water efficiency, getting to zero waste, greening the supply chain, and sustainable communities.

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The 2010 midterm election season is upon us. With less than five months before ballots are cast, already several races have made for a lively election season. GW’s Graduate School of Political Management will host prominent political strategists Mark Penn and Karen Hughes for a conversation about and predictions of who will win and who will lose in November.

WHEN:
Tuesday, June 29, 2010; 10 -11 a.m.

WHERE:
The George Washington University
The Jack Morton Auditorium
805 21st St., NW
Washington, D.C.
Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro (Orange and Blue lines)

RSVP:
Tickets are required for this event at no cost to attendees. Members of the media should RSVP to Emily Cain at eecain@gwu.edu or 202-994-3087.

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• political management george washington university

Voesar Conference Room, Suite 412
1957 E Street, NW

Taras Kuzio, Editor, Ukraine Analyst

Dr. Taras Kuzio has analyzed Soviet, post-Soviet and Ukrainian affairs for the last two decades in various positions and edits the monthly Ukraine Analyst. He is a Senior Fellow at the Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Toronto, and an Adjunct Professor at Carleton Universitys Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. He was formerly a Visiting Professor at the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University.

Please send RSVP to: ieresgwu@gwu.edu

Sponsored by the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Elliott School of International Affairs

By Hussain Nadim

Contrary to the common perception of people, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is not the biggest threat to Pakistan; neither is it powerful enough to take over the government. The real threat to Pakistan’s stability and the future comes from the rich aristocratic class of the country. In almost all the political discourses both in Pakistan and abroad, containing TTP is seen as the end to the crisis that the country currently faces. It should be noted that the TTP has not led Pakistan into the crisis that it faces today; rather it is the crisis that the elite class of Pakistan brought about in the past sixty-two years that has unleashed a force like TTP. While this offshoot of the original Taliban is no doubt a threat that needs to be contained, the aristocracy in Pakistan escapes its responsibility for bringing the country to the brink of collapse.

A country’s success is dependant on the nature of its elite class. An elite class is responsible for the well-being of the people from low socioeconomic groups. A country that has an elite class which is responsive to the needs of its people and those living in the community is guaranteed stability and acceptance from its citizens. However, the elite class of Pakistan has operated with extreme short-sightedness by exploiting its own people and ignoring their needs. Elites have not been hit by the suicide attacks and have yet to suffer the devastation of war. People belonging to the elite class are among the first to criticize politicians, the army and the United States for the crisis the country faces, but when it comes to contribution they have not moved an inch to contribute positively towards the country.

It is politically incorrect for the people who have not contributed anything for their country to point fingers or blame the government for the crisis. In the morning they sympathize with the victims of suicide attacks and afterwards line up outside posh café’s and restaurants to spend a couple of thousand rupees on their entertainment. The closure of educational institutions due to security concerns has been a blessing; an early winter break for many of them.

The youth that belong to this class are often more western than people in the West, while  at the same time they hate everything about the West – a sign of sheer ignorance. These are also the same youth that get an opportunity to study at the top universities in Pakistan and abroad. Education in Pakistan, however, teaches them all about the art of making money; little focus is given to the improvement of society and giving back to the community. Most of those who are educated abroad live their four years in a fantasy world, developing foreign accents and styles of living. They return home as modern colonizers.

Revolution is a word at the tip of tongue of all youth, not for the improvement of society but rather to be an important figure of the history. For many the Palestinian struggle is a fashion symbol, and the Kashmir struggle is not! Speaking English is modern; Urdu is not! Alcohol is sign of liberalization, women right’s are not! Sadly, this is the future generation of Pakistan that is equally radical and probably much more ignorant than Taliban. Wrapped in conspiracy theories, following the directions of extremist radicals like Zaid Hamid, this youth has lost its way. There is still no realization by the rich and aristocratic class of their involvement in bringing Pakistan to the current crisis.

The people of Pakistan need to develop long term planning and approach. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is only a seasonal force that will not survive a couple years longer, but as long as the elite class of Pakistan and the future generations do not change their ways and mentality, forces like TTP will continue to re-surface. For past six decades people belonging to the elite class have marginalized people from other provinces and lower socioeconomic classes. They have been ignorant to the needs of their own people. There is no concept of giving back to the community or improvement of the society. There is no activity on the individual level from the elite and pampered class youth to contribute positively towards the society. Their sympathies and dinner table activism has not changed the situation on ground.

The least they can do as the ‘blessed’ ones is to learn from their education, and detach themselves from the older custom, views and beliefs of the society that segregates and creates power disparity amongst the people. TTP consists of only few thousand hardcore militants who have international aspirations. Seventy-five percent of the militants are those who have been marginalized by the elite class and not provided education, food and opportunity by the government of Pakistan. There is little point in blaming the government as power in Pakistan bounces between the different elites.

Containing the Pakistani Taliban is a necessity to clear out the mess created by the elite class in past sixty two year. As the army struggles to weed out the militants, there is an equal need to bring the aristocracy of Pakistan under the rule of law. As long as the people with luxury cars and money continue to ignore and mould the law to their interests, the situation in Pakistan will not change an inch even without the threat of Pakistani Taliban.

The people and government of Pakistan have to understand that the foremost reason Pakistan faces the crisis today is because of the exploitation of the poor people of Pakistan at the hands of a rich aristocratic class that is not tamed by any law. If the poor are deprived of pens, bread and justice they will naturally resort to violence and terrorism for survival. The idea is not to abolish the elite class of Pakistan but to make it realize its responsibilities and make it more responsive to the needs of poor people in the society. That is the only answer to the question asked by people in the elite class, ‘What is wrong with Pakistan?’

Hussain is an international student from Pakistan majoring in International Affairs at the Elliott School. He is concentrating in the Middle East and South Asia regions. He is currently spending a Junior Year Abroad (JYA) at Pembroke College, Oxford. Hussain is also the student liaison to the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. He plans to pursue graduate study at Oxford University after graduation and work in the government of Pakistan.

As a Thomas R. Pickering Fellow, an honor that I received with assistance from the staff of the Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research, I had the privilege of interning at the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs (more commonly referred to as the China Desk) at the State Department this past summer.

Although it is probably every intern’s dream to do more than just copying and shredding papers at their internship, with only a B.A. degree under my belt and no previous government-related internship experience, I started my internship on the China Desk with minimal expectations for my assigned responsibilities. Contrary to my expectations, however, my summer internship was filled with a multitude of challenges that enabled me to apply my knowledge to a real-world setting, as well as endless opportunities for direct engagement in the policy-making process.

During my first month on the China Desk, I was already excited and satisfied when tasked with attending and reporting on meetings both within and outside the State Department and drafting replies to incoming Congressional correspondence. Supporting the China Desk Director, Deputy Director and Desk officers at these meetings helped fulfill my goal of witnessing and engaging in the interagency policy-making process first hand.

As an aspiring diplomat who has always been immensely interested in China affairs, particularly U.S.-China relations, being able to read the latest updates on their bilateral relations and see diplomats negotiating right in front of my own eyes was indeed a major treat. Yet, at the time, I did not know that the highlight of my summer was still awaiting me.

As we hit July, my office was getting busier and busier and before I knew it, I was part of “Erica’s (the State Coordinator for the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, often referred to as the S&ED) Army.” Along with the other interns on the China Desk, I was excited to just have the opportunity to work on a very high profile project. After all, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner, their Chinese counterparts, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Vice Premier Wang Qishan, as well as many other high level American and Chinese officials were participants.

Initially we devoted our efforts to editing and compiling briefing materials for senior State Department officials to use in high-level negotiations, but soon we were entrusted with responsibilities interns could only dream of having! Our 9-hour workdays eventually turned into more than 12 hours ones. From providing logistical support and advanced coordination to meeting high-level officials from the Chinese Embassy in preparation for the S&ED, I was especially overjoyed to have the opportunity to practice being a diplomat in a real life setting.

When the S&ED, which took place in Washington, D.C. from July 27 to July 28, finally occurred, I was privileged to witness first-hand American and Chinese officials discussing a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues that carry strategic and economic implications for U.S.-China relations in both the short and long-term. My optimism for the future of U.S.-China relations was emboldened when I noticed diplomats of both countries cooperating with each other to address shared interests while acknowledging the differences that exist in the relationship.

To sum it up, my summer internship on the China Desk was truly an experience of a lifetime. Although my involvement in the S&ED, especially being able to shake hands with Secretary Clinton and the two top Chinese officials at the Dialogue defined my summer, the unending support and guidance that I received from everyone on the China Desk helped make my experience there truly memorable. This experience also reconfirmed my interest in international affairs, especially U.S.-China relations, and my desire to pursue a career in diplomacy.

Thao Anh is a recent graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs, where she double majored in International Affairs (with concentrations in International Politics and Asia) and Asian Studies. In 2007, she studied abroad in Hangzhou and Beijing, China and is currently on a Fulbright grant in Yanji, China conducting research on the role of the ethnic Korean community in facilitating Sino-North Korean relations. Upon her return to the U.S., Thao Anh will pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

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