Noon Briefing Series:
Outlook 2006 Panel

January 31, 2006

As a nation, we face critical choices—in addressing pressing security challenges (Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, and the many other theaters in the war on terrorism); in shaping our relations with both traditional great powers and new emerging powers; how we commit to promoting democracy in far-flung continents; whether and how we intervene to manage global conflicts that affect our interests; and how we secure access to energy, resources, and markets in a globalized economy.

Join our panelists as they discuss the outlook for 2006.

Noon Briefings

Moderator:
Dr. Schuyler Foerster, President
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh

Dr. Gustavo Barboza, Assistant Professor of International Business and Economics
Walker School of Business, Mercyhurst College

Dr. Janne Nolan, Deputy Director and Professor of International Affairs
Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies, University of Pittsburgh

Luncheon Discussion Group:
Helping a Palestinian State Succeed

December 8, 2005

In April 2005, RAND released its two-volume study on building a successful Palestinian state, The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State.  The study presumes the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, examining issues of governance, security, public safety, economic development, water, health, education, and physical infrastructure.

The study is unique—focusing not on how one negotiates the creation of a Palestinian state but on actions that Palestinians, Israelis, and the international community could take to increase the chances that a new state would succeed.

Doug Suisman is the lead author of this RAND study, along with Steve Simon, Glenn Robinson, C. Ross Anthony, and Michael Schoenbaum.  Founder and principal of Suisman Urban Design in Los Angeles, Suisman is an architect and urban designer who has gained national recognition for his ideas and designs of urban public space. 

His particular emphasis was on strengthening the physical infrastructure for a Palestinian state, including sustainable regional development, downtown revitalization, public spaces and buildings, street design, and transit system design.

Luncheon Discussion Group

Doug Suisman,
Co-Author, The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State

Noon Briefing:
Building Civil Society in Afghanistan

December 1, 2005

Since the Taliban's removal from power, wide-ranging changes have come quickly in Afghanistan.  The shape of Afghanistan's new and democratic government was set out in the constitution approved in January 2004. 

Yet, transition challenges remain—in the security domain, in political reform, in education, and in reforming Afghanistan’s legal system.  An effective rule of law is a prerequisite for democracy and the strengthening of civil society.

Thomas Berner is well-placed to offer insights into this reform effort.  A lawyer in the New York law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, he returned earlier this year from Afghanistan where he served as the Senior Legal Advisor to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Group.   There, he was a part of a 10-member team in the U.S. Embassy that reviewed existing laws and designed proposals to modernize the legal system. 

He also authored close to 50 electronic “dispatches from Afghanistan as a fascinating journal of his experiences and observations.

Noon Briefings

Thomas Berner, Esquire
Former Senior Legal Advisor, Afghanistan Reconstruction Group

Noon Briefing:
Conflict and the Hopes for Peace in Africa

November 17, 2005

Described by some as Africa's first world war, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) left over 3.3 million people dead—mostly women, children, and elderly—since the outbreak of fighting in August 1998.  Embroiled in a civil war that involved the forces of seven nations, Congo seemed a poster child for the futility of peacekeeping in Africa.

Since multi-party negotiations began in 2001, the fighting has largely ceased and a transitional government is in place.  Four years on, despite some difficulties, there is some hope that this peace might in fact endure.  What challenges remain?  Are there lessons to be learned from this experience, both with respect to conflicts in Africa and to peacekeeping in general?

As the political officer in the American Embassy in Kinshasha, Laura Engelbrecht played a major role on behalf of the U.S. in the 2001 peace negotiations that led to a transition government in the DRC. Her ground-breaking investigation and reporting on human rights abuses earned her the 2002 State Department Award for Exceptional Achievement in Human Rights and Democracy.  She continues to work with the U.S. Department of State as an independent consultant on issues of trade, justice, and security.

For more information about Laura Engelbrecht, please visit this web site.

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Noon Briefings

Laura Engelbrecht
Consultant to the U.S. Dept. of State
Former Political Officer, U.S. Embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo

35th Annual World Affairs Institute:
Iran and the World: What Kind of Future?

November 10, 2005

The Council and Rotary International will present the 35th Annual World Affairs Institute for high school student leaders. This year's topic is Iran and the World:  What Kind of Future? High school students are selected by local Rotary Clubs, in cooperation with schools. Each Rotary Club determines the number of scholarships available.

The Institute will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Two Mellon Center, downtown Pittsburgh. Please download the PDF below for more details.

World Affairs Institute