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Recent Programs
A Ticking Bomb? The Realities of Living in a Nuclear World June 17, 2013 Online registration is closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Dan Law at 412-281-1259 or email dan@worldpittsburgh.org. Join the World Affairs Council and Bricolage Production Company for an evening of film and conversation with Emmy Award-winning producer and director, Robert Frye, that explores the effect of nuclear weapons on an increasingly disconnected and unstable world. It has been nearly 70 years since U.S. atomic bombs detonated over the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The world and the nature of warfare have not been the same since. Following World War II, an uneasy peace between the United States and Soviet Union — featuring nuclear posturing, “flash drills,” and geopolitical events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis — dominated the latter half of the 20th century. Fast forward to today, and the threat of nuclear weapons remains potent and real. The debate still rages over how they should be used, and who should have them. Now outside the exclusive realm of superpowers, nuclear weapons have expanded our security lexicon, with references to “dirty bombs,” “non-state actors,” and “highly enriched uranium” becoming commonplace. Moving forward, how will the global community cope with the proliferation of such destructive weapons? What would it take to abolish them? The documentary In My Lifetime grapples with war and peace. It is intended to spark global dialogue about a range of issues. Filmed in Europe, Japan, and the United States, and drawing on hundreds of hours of archival footage, the film has been produced for an audience of all generations, focusing on the possibility that we could someday move toward the elimination of this invention born out of a bygone era. Robert E. Frye is the director and producer of the documentary film In My Lifetime, and founder of the Nuclear World Project. An Emmy Award-winning producer and director, he has created films, documentaries, and network news programs for over four decades. Prior to becoming an independent filmmaker, Mr. Frye worked as an executive producer at ABC News, the CBS and other networks. He is the founding Executive Producer of ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and was also the Executive Producer of Good Morning America.On April 7, 2013, American Public Television released the broadcast version of In My Lifetime. Registration Seating is limited and registration is required. No-shows and cancellations after June 13, 2013 will be charged. Online registration is closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Dan Law at 412-281-1259 or email dan@worldpittsburgh.org.
Community Series Screening of the Documentary In My Lifetime and Discussion with Producer and Director Robert Frye |
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June 17-21, 2013 June 17, 2013 The Summer Seminar on World Affairs is a one-week, intensive look at some of the major current international issues confronting the United States in its political, economic, and security relations with the rest of the world. Participants will work to refine their understanding of overarching global issues, regional concerns, and policy implications. Confirmed Speakers
Who can Participate? What Topics and Activities will be Included?
How can Students Apply? Questions? School Outreach |
Videoconference May 30, 2013 The May 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan officially ended the decade-long hunt for the al-Qaeda leader. In his speech to the American people announcing bin Laden’s death, U.S. President Barack Obama declared Operation Neptune Spear’s success “the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s efforts to defeat al-Qaeda.” September 11, 2001, and May 2, 2011, are two seminal dates seared in the American national consciousness, but what really happened over ten, long years? Join the Council in this videoconference for high school students as a leading expert on national security and foreign policy examines the fact and fiction behind the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Peter Bergen is the foremost authority on foreign policy, national security, and the new generation of terrorism. He is one of the few Westerners to interview Osama bin Laden. In addition to serving as CNN's terrorism analyst, he is the New York Times best-selling author of Holy War, Inc.Mr. Bergen serves as the Director of the National Security Studies Program at the New America Foundation in Washington D.C., where he leads the Foundation's analysis of terrorism, counterinsurgency, South Asia’s geopolitics, and other national security concerns. His latest book, Manhunt: The Ten Year Search for Bin Laden: From 9/11 to Abbottabad,was first published in 2012 and was the basis for an HBO documentary which aired on May 1, 2013.
Videoconference Registration Questions? In partnership with AIU3 and Chartiers Valley High School. School Outreach Peter Bergen |
Learning from Abbottabad: Combating Global Terrorism in a Post 9/11 World May 30, 2013 Online registration is closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Melanie Gulasy at 412-281-7055. The May 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan officially ended the decade-long hunt for the al-Qaeda leader. In his speech to the American people announcing bin Laden’s death, U.S. President Barack Obama declared Operation Neptune Spear’s success “the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s efforts to defeat al-Qaeda.” The events of May 2 and their mid- to long-term implications will remain a topic of discussion for years to come. Since bin Laden’s death, the manhunt for the world’s most notorious terrorist has been popularized in print, television, and in Hollywood. The recently-released HBO documentary, Manhunt, is based on Mr. Bergen’s latest bookandfollows the CIA insiders who tracked down bin Laden. From personal accounts of those who were in the Abbottabad compound to the version rendered in the Oscar-nominated film, Zero Dark Thirty, the journey leading to the Abbottabad operation was long and arduous — and fascinating.
Peter Bergen is the foremost authority on foreign policy, national security, and the new generation of terrorism. He is one of the few westerners to interview Osama bin Laden. In addition to serving as CNN's terrorism analyst, he is the New York Timesbest-selling author of Holy War, Inc. Mr. Bergen serves as the Director of the National Security Studies Program at the New America Foundation in Washington D.C., where he leads the Foundation's analysis of terrorism, counterinsurgency, South Asia’s geopolitics, and other national security concerns. His latest book, Manhunt: The Ten Year Search for Bin Laden: From 9/11 to Abbottabad,was first published in 2012 and was the basis for an HBO documentary which aired on May 1, 2013.
At this event, the Council will present the Donald E. Farr and George C. Oehmler Awards to an outstanding high school student and teacher in connection with the Council’s education programs. Registration VIPs receive a signed copy of Manhunt, VIP seating, and an invitation to a reception prior to the luncheon. Participants must register to attend. No-shows and cancellations after May 27, 2013 will be charged. Please advise in advance of any dietary restrictions. Online registration is closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Melanie Gulasy at 412-281-7055.
Community Series Peter Bergen |
September 11, 2001, and May 2, 2011, are two seminal dates seared in the American national consciousness, but what really happened over ten, long years? Join the Council as a leading expert on national security and foreign policy examines the fact and fiction behind the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
Reflections on the Boston Marathon Bombing Defending the Indefensible: The Militarization of the Civilian Realm Since 9/11 May 28, 2013 Online registration is closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Andrea Solomon at 412-281-7970. As the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing continues to unfold, the national discourse around concepts such as “homegrown terrorism” and “self-radicalization” has ratcheted up. The events of April 15 will certainly be a matter of debate for the foreseeable future, but questions about how to defend Americans from such danger while also respecting individual freedoms remains a point of contention. In the midst of a fractured domestic political environment, the attack in Boston is a sobering reminder of the nexus between public safety, national security, and personal liberty. Regardless of one’s political stance, the impact of the Boston bombing has left an significant imprint on American society. The attack left five dead and almost 300 wounded. In the aftermath of 9/11 and in an era of terrorism and counter-terrorism efforts at home and abroad, there is a new array of challenges in protecting the civilian realm. How should Americans respond to tragedies like Boston? To what lengths should we go to be protected? What are the driving forces behind protecting those at their most vulnerable? In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, join the Council and a veteran journalist for a timely discussion on safeguarding our civilians and what it means to be safe in the United States. Guy Martin covers central and eastern Europe and his native South, and has written for numerous magazines, including CondéNast Traveler, Garden & Gun, and The New Yorker. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, he has been exploring the visible and invisible militarization of the civilian realm through in-depth articles that focus on issues such as airport security, protection of critical infrastructure (such as harbors, power plants, refineries and the New York Stock Exchange), counter-terrorism efforts by law enforcement, and data protection. Registration Participants must register to attend. No-shows and cancellations after May 24, 2013 will be charged. Online registration is closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Andrea Solomon at 412-281-7970. Community Series Guy Martin, Senior Correspondent, Condé Nast |
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