Past Events
Why Did Russia Let the Republics Go? Revisiting the Fall of the USSR
April 29, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Kennan Institute
Few people expected the USSR to fall apart as it did, without a major bloodshed. Serhii Plokhii, Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History, Harvard University, attempts to answer the question of why Russia of Boris Yeltsin did not follow into the footsteps of Serbia of Slobodan Milosevic, by examining the decisions made by Boris Yeltsin and his advisors in the late summer and fall of 1991.
The Media & Iran’s Nuclear Program: An analysis of U.S. and U.K. coverage, 2009-2012
April 29, 2013 // 9:00am — 10:30am
Middle East Program
How does news coverage of Iran’s nuclear program affect public understanding and policy outcomes? News media traditionally play an important role in communicating about foreign policy—is this the case with coverage of Iran’s nuclear program? How specifically are news media framing the relevant issues? To answer these questions, researchers from the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM) undertook a topical analysis of English-language newspaper coverage from 2009 through 2012, a period in which there was considerable public discussion about how the United States and others could and should resolve the dispute.
Opposition Strategies in Egypt
April 26, 2013 // 4:00pm — 5:00pm
Middle East Program
Amr Hamzawy discusses opposition strategies in Egypt and how they can contribute to the democratization process.
A Briefing on the Niger Delta: Where Things Stand
April 26, 2013 // 2:00pm — 3:30pm
Africa Program
Contrary to the deadly and deeply troubling situation in northern Nigeria and parts of the Middle Belt, ongoing insecurity, abductions, and politically-motivated violence in the oil-producing Niger Delta, a hotbed of unrest and instability just a few years ago, seems to be abating.
The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia
April 26, 2013 // 9:30am — 11:00am
North Korea International Documentation Project
Andrei Lankov will discuss his new book, "The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia"
Media Briefing: Obama’s Latin America Trip
April 26, 2013 // 9:30am — 10:30am
Latin American Program
Wilson Center Experts Preview President Obama’s Upcoming Trip to Mexico and Costa Rica and U.S. Policy in the Region
The Gingrich Senators: The Roots of Partisan Warfare in Congress
April 25, 2013 // 5:00pm — 6:00pm
Congress Project
The much venerated Senate of the mid-twentieth century is now a distant memory. Today senators routinely electioneer on the Senate floor, play games with the legislative process, and question each other’s motives. Sean M. Theriault documents how one group of senators has been at the forefront of the transformation—the “Gingrich Senators,” which he defines as those Republicans who previously served in the House after New Gingrich was first elected. He shows how the Gingrich Senators are more conservative and more likely to engage in partisan warfare than the other Republicans.
Drug Policy: A 21st Century Approach to Reform
April 25, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:30pm
The illegal drug problem has posed challenges to the United States and Latin America for many decades. While efforts to disrupt the cultivation, processing, and trafficking of drugs to the United States have shown mixed results, the drug trade continues to pose serious threats to citizen security, economic prosperity, environmental conservation, human rights, and democratic governance throughout the hemisphere. In this National Conversation, panelists will address the question of how the U.S. is reforming its policies to address this problem and show sustainable results.
AGOA Policy Breakfast
April 25, 2013 // 8:00am — 10:00am
Africa Program
On Thursday, April 25, House and Senate Members gathered in the Member’s Room of the Library of Congress for the first in a series of policy breakfasts on Africa-focused issues.
Information Session: First Agreement Between Serbia and Kosovo of Principles Governing Normalization of Relations
April 24, 2013 // 10:00am — 11:30am
European Studies
On 19 April 2013, in Brussels, under the auspices of the European Union and EU foreign policy chief Baroness Catherine Ashton, the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo signed “The First Agreement of Principles governing Normalization of Relations.” While there is opposition in both Serbia and Kosovo to the Agreement, it has since been approved by both the parliaments in Belgrade and Prishtina. This information session explores the background to the Agreement and its political implications.