Session 458, The United States in the World: New Strategies of Engagement, begins today in Salzburg.
This session will bring together foreign policy experts from inside and outside the United States as well as representatives from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, to discuss and develop creative new strategies for US foreign policy. Participants will struggle with the following questions:
How will the US adjust to the growing importance of China, Russia, India, and the EU as major global players?
What will the transatlantic relationship look like in the coming decade?
What strategy will the new administration in Washington adopt to advance democratic values, freedom, civil society and the rule of law internationally?
Will a new modus operandi emerge in relation to the transnational challenges of climate change, pandemics, and terrorism?
What are the prospects for more effective cooperation in the United Nations and other multilateral institutions—particularly between states which, though located in different regions of the world and being at different stages of economic development, share a broad commitment to human rights and democratic values?
Participants will grapple with these and other issues, with a view to drawing up a series of foreign policy recommendations to be shared with the new powers-that-be in Washington and their foreign counterparts.
The speakers include:
Richard Gardner (Co-Chair) - Professor of law and international organization, Columbia Law School; Counsel, Morgan Lewis; former US Ambassador to Italy and Spain, New York
Eva Nowotny (Co-Chair) - Ambassador of Austria to the US, Washington DC
Giuliano Amato - Professor of Law, European University Institute; former Prime-Minister of Italy, Rome
Hanan Ashrawi - Chair of the Executive Committee, Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, "MIFTAH," and member of the PLC.
Alan Beattie - World Trade Editor, Financial Times, London
William Burke-White - Assistant Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
David Hannay - Member, House of Lords, Parliament of the United Kingdom, London
François Heisbourg - Director, Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, Paris, former Senior Vice President Strategic Development at MATRA-Defense-Espace, Paris
Edward Luce - Bureau Chief, Financial Times Washington Bureau, Washington, DC
Beate Maeder-Metcalf - Head of North America Division, German Foreign Ministry, Berlin
Fumio Matsuo - Journalist and Author, Former Washington Bureau Chief, Kyodo News
Farah Pandith - Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Europe & Asia, United States Department of State, Washington, D.C
Carlos Pascual - Vice President, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC
Gideon Rachman - Chief Foreign Affairs Editor, Financial Times, London
Özdem Sanberk - Director of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation, former Ambassador to the UK and the EU, Istanbul
Stephen Stedman - Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University, Palo Alto
Shashi Tharoor - Chairman, Afras Ventures, Dubai; Former United Nations Under-Secretary General; New York
Wu Jianmin - President, China Foreign Affairs University, Beijing
Attached is a directory and preliminary program.
-- Astrid Koblmüller
2 comments:
I am glad to have the opportunity of participation in this subject, and I believe that my voice might reach the new administration is an opportunity I’ve been seeking for a long time.
Women of Iraq, like other women around the world have strong will for struggle for their rights and freedoms to lead normal life despite of all barriers facing them. We women are very aware of our capabilities to have better lives for our selves and our nations.
To Mr. President Barak Obama :
I am Naba Hamid, an Iraqi woman, scholar, and women rights and peace activist.
On November 4th, 2008, the whole world witnessed and heard the message, a message that showed the desire of the American people to correct the course of true democracy and the return to the true human values, but can this message repair the massive damage and destruction of the previous administration inflicted in particular on us (Iraqis and Americans) and on the rest of the world in general. Can you, Mr. President, change the image of fear and panic experienced by the people of America; can this message send back life for millions killed under the falling bombs and missiles on their homes by the American mighty war machine? Can you Mr. President, show the Iraqis that they can still have faith and hope in the future and that you’ll truly help them regain and rebuild their country? A country that it’s history belongs to all humanity, a history that was left to be burnt and looted instead of being protected. Millions of Iraqis who dream of finding back their country after it was taken from the hands of a dictator and a criminal to be given to a whole group of criminals whom their loyalties were and will never be to the good of Iraq or its people.
You and I and everyone knows that Bush didn’t send your children to die in Iraq for the sake of Iraqis or to make America safer and if that what was true then how come the number of Iraqi civilian casualties has passed the million since 2003 not mentioning the millions of displaced families, the talents and brains of Iraq who fled and left everything behind just so they can save their families from the insane situation created by this war. The Bush administration helped drafting a constitution not based on the promised democracy but on the desires of potential allies whom proven day after day since 2003 that they had their own agendas and plans for destroying and dividing Iraq. A constitution that is defining the new shape of Iraq, an Iraq that is divided according to ethnicity and religion not based on national sense that I’m only Iraqi and this is my sole ID, Trust me Mr. President this was never the Iraq that I was born in or lived in for 61 years, PLEASE open up and start listening to moderate Iraqis, thinkers and true nationalists, people who really believe in true democracy that everyone is equal in front of a strong and just constitution that represents the people, not a constitution that represents the desires of those whom the Bush administration allowed to be the new leaders of Iraq.
Iraq is sinking in chaos since the US troops laid foot on its land; Americans divided Baghdad into 42 cantons when even under a dictator it was living as one, Christians, Muslims, Kurd and Arabs and other minorities
Mr. President, your heritage from the Bush government is very heavy and the task ahead of you is not an easy one, but know that just like you brought hope to your people, the people of Iraq see hope in you too and we are believing in your commitment for change to bring peace and “YES WE CAN” we can work together, you can help us make Iraq a better place for it’s people, YES WE CAN.
There must be a political solution for all Iraqis, without this clause there will be no peace and the current improvement in security will deteriorate, and will not last long! I conclude my letter to you by saying that America must engage in dialogue with all Iraqis, America must bring all parties to the table even those who opposed the US invasion and resisted it and allow a more international involvement in Iraq through the UN and the Arab League. The United States must recognize, support and help those who truly believe in a democratic, peaceful, civilized and modern Iraq.
It’s obvious that the true victor in Iraq is actually IRAN and all those who oppose the idea of a UNITED, modern and secular Iraq .This must not continue this way. America must recognizes and be committed to help so that the only victor must be Iraq and the Iraqi people.
Mr. President, I hope you can feel my searing voice and my bleeding heart for my country. Peace and love to you, my brother in humanity, to the new president of the United States of America. God bless you.
Sincerely,
Naba Hamid
Pres. Obama should invite influential world leaders to a neutral country to attend a World Political Forum designed to establish better consultation and cooperation in addressing global issues.
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