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The SUNY/CID International Speakers Forum invites distinguished leaders and opinion makers from academia, government, business and non-governmental organizations to address significant global issues at the SUNY System Administration headquarters in Albany, New York. An initial guest presentation leads to a thought-provoking discussion of important international issues. The State University of New York Center for International Development is dedicated to promoting international development through interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars, teachers, professionals, and technical experts. Our primary objective is sustainability of development – we are committed to empowering people and institutions to develop their own capabilities. The CID Speakers’ Forum seeks to share the insights gained through this work and to promote discussion with the larger university community. Contact cidinfo@cid.suny.edu if you wish to attend the Forum. Please feel free to bring your lunch to the presentations.
Nelson
A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and Taking it on the Road: Internationalization of the NY State Department of Health HIV Quality of Care Program Presented by: Bruce Agins, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director, AIDS Institute, NY State DOH and Director, HIVQUAL Project Place:
Levitt Room, Milne Hall, Rockefeller College, University at Albany
135 Western Avenue, Albany,
NY 1222 Dr. Bruce Agins has served as Medical Director of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute for over a decade, where he oversees the New York State HIV Quality of Care Program, guidelines development, and educational programs. Dr. Agins also serves as the Principal Investigator for the AIDS Institute's National Quality Center, which provides quality improvement technical assistance to Ryan White grantees of all Titles across the country. Since 2002, he has worked as a consultant for PEPFAR [the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief] and the HIV/AIDS Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services in Thailand, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia and Brazil. He has consulted with the University Research Corporation in Rwanda, Russia and South Africa, and has also consulted with the Word Health Organization. Dr. Agins will describe the experience applying the NYS DOH AIDS Institute's quality improvement program in Uganda, Thailand, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, Haiti, Cambodia, Botswana and elsewhere. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Nelson
A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and International Journalism and Democracy in America Presented by: Jonathan Landay, Senior National Security Correspondent, McClatchy Newspapers Place:
Levitt Room, Milne Hall, Rockefeller College, University at Albany
135 Western Avenue, Albany,
NY 1222 Jonathan S. Landay, senior national security and intelligence correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers, has written about foreign affairs and U.S. defense, intelligence and foreign policies for more than 20 years. From 1985-90, he covered South Asia, including the final four years of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the conflicts in Punjab, Kashmir and Sri Lanka and the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing's Tienanmen Square, for United Press International. From 1990-94, he covered the collapse and wars of former Yugoslavia for UPI and then the Christian Science Monitor. Since December 1994, he has worked from Washington on defense and foreign affairs for the Christian Science Monitor and, since October 1999, for Knight Ridder Newspapers (now McClatchy Newspapers). He covered the 2001 U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan, including the Battle of Tora Bora, and in 2003 spent four months in northern Iraq covering preparations for the U.S.-led invasion and then the invasion itself. He returns frequently to Afghanistan and Pakistan on reporting assignments. He has been nominated three times for a Pulitzer Prize for his investigative work on the use of exaggerated and bogus pre-war intelligence on Iraq, and the lack of post-invasion stability operations planning. In 2003, he and Warren Strobel won the top award for Washington journalism, the Raymond Clapper Memorial Award, for a series of reports on pre-war intelligence on Iraq. In 2005, he was part of a team that won a National Headliners Award for ``How the Bush Administration Went to War in Iraq.'' He also won a 2005 Award of Distinction from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University for "Iraqi exiles fed exaggerated tips to news media." Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Nelson
A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and What Went Wrong in Kenya? Post-Election Violence in Context Presented by: Dr. Stephen W. Orvis Professor of Government, Hamilton College Place:
Levitt Room, Milne Hall, Rockefeller College, University at Albany
135 Western Avenue, Albany,
NY 1222 Stephen Orvis, Professor of Government at Hamilton College, has been working and studying in Kenya for well over two decades. His articles on rural development in Kenya and African democratization have appeared in African Studies Review, Studies in Comparative International Development, Journal of Asian and African Studies and Africa Today. He is the author of The Agrarian Question in Kenya (University Presses of Florida. He served as an international election observer in Kenya's transitional elections to democratic rule. This talk continues the innovative 2007-08 program for CID's International Speakers Forum that now is part of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College Tuesday Policy Lunch Series. This year's Forum is exploring obstacles to international development programs in an effort to build bridges between the university and the hard-nosed world of international development practice. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Why is the Arab World Exceptional in the Percentage of Women Members of Parliament? Presented by: Dr. Michele Penner Angrist, Associate Professor of Political Science, Union College Place:
Levitt Room, Milne Hall, Rockefeller College, University at Albany
135 Western Avenue, Albany,
NY 1222 The percentage of women Members of Parliament in the Muslim World appears to be linked to four factors: the existence of parliamentary quotas for women; the extent of genuine parliamentary power; the percentage of women in the non-agricultural labor force; and whether or not the country is Arab. Within the Muslim world, the percentage of women Members of Parliament is lowest in Arab countries. This finding is consistent with emerging thinking, which portrays the Arab world as a sub-region of the Muslim world that "underperforms" both in levels of political freedom and in women's rights. Michele Penner Angrist will present evidence on these trends and discuss a range of explanations of the Arab world's distinctiveness in the composition of parliaments. Michele Penner Angrist is Associate Professor of Political Science at Union College in Schenectady, NY, where she teaches courses in international, comparative, and Middle East politics. The daughter of a Foreign Service officer, she grew up primarily in North Africa and the Middle East. She earned her PhD in Politics from Princeton University. Her research interests in general are democratization, regime change, and Middle East studies. She is author of Party Building in the Modern Middle East (University of Washington Press, 2006) and co-editor of Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Regimes and Resistance (Lynne Rienner Press, 2005). Her articles have appeared in Comparative Politics, the Journal of North African Studies, and Comparative Studies in Society and History. This
talk continues the innovative 2007-08 program for CID's International
Speakers Forum that now is part of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College
Tuesday Policy Lunch Series. This year's Forum is exploring obstacles
to international development programs in an effort to build bridges
between the university and the hard-nosed world of international
development practice. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Nelson
A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and
Without stability and viable justice systems, the long-term development initiatives appear bleak. Justice systems that are believed to be fair, effective and function according to the norms and values of the country, as well as develop toward contemporary rule of law structures, are essential in the emergence of stable and democratic systems. The challenge facing policy makers is to ensure short-term service delivery while supporting the long-term goal of developing sustainable and functional state justice and security systems. Eric Scheye will review efforts to promote justice abroad. Eric Scheye is a consultant in justice and security sector development. He is currently working with the British government on an integrated justice sector program in Yemen, the Dutch government on how to design effective justice and security programming, and with the US Navy Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies in California. Most recently, he worked in southern Sudan for USAID and the British government and co-wrote a report on justice and security service delivery in fragile states for OECD/USAID. He has worked with USAID in Guatemala; and for the Brazilian Ministry of Justice; the Argentine Ministry of Justice; the state of Minas Gerias Ministry of Social Defense (Brazil); and the state of La Rioja Ministry of Governance and Human Rights (Argentina). Earlier, Dr. Scheye designed justice programs in Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Serbia, Albania, East Timor, and Kosovo for UNDP. He worked at the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the Civilian Police Division and on police reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His doctorate is from CUNY. He has lectured and published widely in scholarly and professional journals. This talk continues the innovative 2007-08 program for CID’s International Speakers Forum that now is part of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College Tuesday Policy Lunch Series. This year’s Forum is exploring obstacles to international development programs in an effort to build bridges between the university and the hard-nosed world of international development practice.
Nelson
A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy &
A Speech by: His Excellency Mohammad Younous Qanooni,
The Taliban's fall from power during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 opened the door to the establishment of democracy in Afghanistan. One of the two most significant figures in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's democratic transition is the head of the legislative branch of Government. In his speech at the University at Albany, the President of the Parliament will review the progress democratizing Afghanistan. His Excellency Mohammad Yunus Qanooni is the President of Afghanistan's parliament and leader of the Afghanistan e Naween (New Afghanistan) political party. The Honorable Speaker Qanooni worked alongside Afghan national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud to resist the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and establish the Northern Alliance. He served as Afghanistan's Defense Minister and Chairman of the Security Commission in the early 1990s and fought against the Taliban after their occupation of Kabul. Following Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, Speaker Qanooni served as chief negotiator for the Northern Alliance delegation to the Bonn conference on Afghanistan where he played a major role in securing the support and cooperation of the international community. Speaker Qanooni alternately served as Minister of Interior and Education of Afghanistan's interim government. During his tenure as Minster of Interior he reconstituted the national and border police and secured Kabul and other urban cities. Speaker Qanooni ran in Afghanistan's 2004 Presidential election, and placed second to current President Hamid Karzai. He was elected in the subsequent 2005 Afghan Parliamentary elections, and today serves as a representative from Kabul province. After his election to Parliament, Qanooni created the New Afghanistan Party, and later was instrumental in forming an alliance of several parties known as the Jabahai Tafahim Millie (National Understanding Front). On December 21, 2005 Qanooni was chosen to lead the 249-seat lower house of Afghanistan's National Assembly.
Democracy Assistance Abroad: A Review of Success and Failure Presented
by: Gerald Hyman, Senior Adviser and President of Hills Program
on Governance, Place:
Levitt Room, Milne Hall, Rockefeller College, University at Albany
The fall of the Berlin Wall and subsequent implosion of the Soviet Union gave renewed energy to a fledgling attempt to assist in building good, democratic governance globally. How well have these attempts fared? What are the democracy trends? What are the challenges ahead? Gerald (Jerry) Hyman serves as both a Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC and as President of CSIS's Hills Program on Governance. He also serves on the Advisory Council to the Center for International Media Assistance of the National Endowment for Democracy. From 1990 to 2006, Dr. Hyman served with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and was director of the Office of Democracy and Governance from 2002 to 2007. From 1985-1990, he practiced law in Washington, D.C., with Covington & Burling and between 1970 and 1982, he taught anthropology and social theory at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Hyman holds a B.A. in philosophy and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. He is the author of numerous articles and publications. This talk kicks off two innovations for the CID International Speakers Forum. First, the Forum will henceforth become part of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College Tuesday Policy Lunch Series. Second, this year's Forum will specifically explore the obstacles to international development programs that are aimed at reconstructing economies, promoting democracy, strengthening justice and rule of law, building stable and democratic institutions, ending armed conflicts, and strengthening civil societies. These presentations will build bridges between the university and the hard-nosed world of international development practice. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Presented
by: Barney P. Popkin, Environmental Protection Specialist Place:
State University Plaza, S-137 Developing countries face significant challenges to sustainable operations and management of water use. These include inadequate legislative and regulatory frameworks and insufficient local funding, and the belief that water is an unlimited commodity that is not susceptible to measurement, monitoring, and rational pricing strategies. These challenges have led to inefficient water use in agriculture and inadequate energy supply and wastewater collection, and have contributed to health hazards, inefficient urban consumption of water, and barriers to sustainable economic development. Mr. Barney Popkin will call upon his twenty five years of experience in environmental, water and waste management to explore different approaches to overcome these difficulties in developing strategies for sustainable water use – from the use of public-private partnerships, development of rational pricing and budgeting strategies, improved administration and management of water consumption, improvements in collection of data on the different types of water use, and the role of civil society and public participation in monitoring government performance in water policy. Barney Popkin is currently a USAID Foreign Service Limited appointee in environmental management focusing on Asia and the Near East. Over the past forty years he has worked in the US, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America. He has won numerous awards for his work in environmental design, analysis, permitting, mitigation, monitoring and evaluation, remediation, training, management and agency negotiations; water-resources exploration, development and management; sanitation, solid waste, hazardous materials and waste management, waste site investigations and remediation, and emergency response. He received his BA in Geology and Mathematics from New York University, his MS in Hydrology and Water Resources at the University of Arizona and completed all his course work for a Ph D in Soil and Water Science at the University of Arizona. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Presented by: •
Hon. Dr. George Nga Mtafu, Chairperson of the Reforms Committee
and Leader of the Opposition UDF in Parliament Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor The Malawi National Assembly Reform Project is assisting a young democracy in one of Africa’s developing countries. It is being implemented by SUNY CID and is funded by the U.S. government’s Millenium Challenge Corporation. The project works with the ongoing institutional modernization that is being led by the Assembly’s leadership, including the Reforms Committee and the Clerk of Parliament. It acquaints MPs and staff with best practices of parliamentary reform in other nations and assists committees of parliament to oversee the executive branch and contribute to legislative review. A politically well-balanced panel is part of a delegation that is completing a study tour in Washington, Ottawa and Albany. They will discuss the nature and goals of the parliamentary reforms now on the National Assembly’s agenda, the institutional and political challenges facing these efforts at reform, and the likely outcomes of the reforms. •
The Hon. Dr. George Nga Mtafu was first elected into the National
Assembly in 1994 under the United Democratic Front (UDF) Party and
is currently the Leader of the Opposition UDF in Parliament, and
serves as Chairperson of the Reforms Committee. Between 1994 and
1999, Hon. Mtafu served as Minister in the Ministries of Foreign
Affairs, Transport, and Health and Population. Earlier he was the
Chief Neurosurgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and also
Senior Lecturer in Neurosurgery at the Malawi College of Medicine.
Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Acting Locally and Winning Nationally in Turkish Politics: Pathways from the Periphery for the Ruling Islamist Justice and Development Party Presented by: S. Ilgü Özler, Assistant Professor of Political Science, SUNY New Paltz Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY Turkey stands at a cross roads between Europe and the Middle East – as the only majority Islamic country in the region whose government has successfully implemented electoral democracy. Turkish political institutions present an important puzzle: in the past, they have been influenced primarily by the military, the bureaucracy and the secular nationalist centrist parties, who dominated Turkish politics. But this pattern is now undergoing a dramatic transition as the religiously inclined periphery now controls the central government. The AK Party – or Justice and Development Party – is a technocratic Islamist party that has been winning increasing support in urban areas to gain national power. It has taken advantage of its efficient management of municipal government to win popular support for a national electoral victory. S. Ilgü Özler will explore how the decentralization of municipal governance during the transition from the military regime of 1980 gave parties the opportunity to win national elections through local achievements and opened the door for the first time to groups who have historically languished at the periphery of the political system. S. Ilgü Özler is an assistant professor of Political Science at the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is currently working on a comparative project exploring the relationship between mass participation and political parties in Turkey, Mexico and Chile. She earned her Political Science B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (1993), her M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1995) and her Ph.D. from University of California-Los Angeles (2003). Between 2003-05, she served as the Campus Coordinator of the Dual Diploma Degree Programs between SUNY New Paltz and the Higher Education Council of Turkish Universities. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Border Security Technologies, Immigration Reforms and Implications for New York State Presented
by: Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY The use of information technology for border security has become central to immigration reform proposals from both the Democratic Party controlled U.S. Congress and President Bush. Legislation introduced last year would require implementation of new technologies to support border control efforts at and between ports of entry along the US border with Canada and Mexico. An automated biometric entry-exit system called US-VISIT is becoming the main tool for screening travelers. Congress now seeks an acceleration of US-VISIT’s full implementation and enhancement of its security features. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative compels US, Canadian and Mexican citizens to obtain a passport or other acceptable proof of citizenship in order to cross land borders by June 2009, and new Radio Frequency Identification enabled PASS cards are being developed as an alternative to passports at land borders. The newly established Secure Border Initiative will deploy a combination of surveillance technologies, data analysis systems and dispatching systems to help stop illegal migration between ports of entry. The Senate’s legislation calls this a “virtual fence.” Rey Koslowski examines the implications of these policies for New York State by exploring the implementation of border security technologies and limitations and alternatives to these programs. Dr.
Rey Koslowski is Associate Professor of Political Science and Public
Policy and at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy,
University at Albany (SUNY). He holds a joint appointment in the
Informatics Department of UAlbany's College of Computing and Information
and is Director of the Center for Policy Research’s program
on Border Control and Homeland Security. He has held fellowships
at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (2003-2004),
Princeton University (1999-2000) and at Georgetown University's
School of Foreign Service (1996-97). His recent research on border
control information technology has been supported by grants from
the National Science Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. He
has written and edited three books and published in a wide range
of academic journals. His B.A. is from Wesleyan University and his
Ph.D is from the University of Pennsylvania. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
Metaphors for Metropolitan Governance: Insights from the E.U., Iroquois Confederacy, NFL, University of California System, GM and the Internet Presented
by: Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY Addressing contemporary challenges of metropolitan regions – countering urban sprawl, narrowing regional disparities and competing in a global economy – involves multiple units of government. Yet it is often quite difficult for a region’s autonomous local units to cede authority and cooperate to pursue common interests. But if metropolitan governance systems are simply one species in a kingdom of governance systems, we can look to other private, public, tribal and academic governance systems for insights on how they achieve efficiencies, address equity and sustain economic growth. Kathryn
Foster mines the experience of six “metaphor” governance
systems—the National Football League, the University of California
system, General Motors, the European Union, the Iroquois Confederacy
and the Internet—to gain insights on how systems of many autonomous
members structure themselves and operate to achieve effective governance.
Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
The View from the Foreign Policy Center: Congress, the National Security Council and the United Nations Presented
by: Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY Within the US Government are several centers of policy making on international affairs. The National Security Council is central to the President’s decision making. Congress conducts oversight of the Executive and holds the purse strings to US foreign policy. And the UN has become increasingly central to US foreign policy in a world of shifting alliances and coalitions since the end of the Cold War. Building on his experience in all three venues, Nicholas Rostow will address current international dilemmas facing the US Government. Nicholas
Rostow is SUNY’s University Counsel and Vice-Chancellor for
Legal Affairs. He served as General Counsel and Senior Policy Adviser
to the US Permanent Mission to the United Nations (2001-205). He
was Special Assistant for National Security Affairs to Presidents
Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and Legal Adviser to National
Security Advisers Colin Powell and Brent Scowcroft. He also served
as Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
(1999-2000) and Deputy Staff Director of the House Select Committee
on Military/Commercial Concerns with the People’s Republic
of China (1998-1999). Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information.
A Holistic Approach to Anticorruption in Developing Countries Presented
by: Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY Over the past two decades donor-funded anti-corruption work in the developing world has evolved from reactive, law enforcement interventions aimed at apprehending corrupt public officials to more proactive, legal system development initiatives that aim to build institutions of good governance through broad-based legislative and regulatory reform programs. Dr. Charles Cutshall will draw upon recent work on public finance in Nigeria (2003-2005) and on-going legislative development and anti-corruption training activities in Afghanistan (2005 to present) to outline an effective approach to mitigate corrupting influences on good governance. Dr. Cutshall is a policy reform specialist and legal system development practitioner who manages SUNY/CID’s legislative strengthening projects in Morocco and Afghanistan. Earlier he served as a USAID Democracy and Governance officer in Zimbabwe (1991-1999), Guyana (2000-2003), and Nigeria (2003-2005). He earned a doctorate in anthropology and JD at Boston University and degrees from Binghamton University in New York and Kutztown State in Pennsylvania. He has written widely on rule of law and development. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Piecing a Democratic Quilt: The Role of Regional Organizations Presented By: His Excellency Mr. Finn Martin Vallersenes, MP, Norwegian Storting and Head Norwegian Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Edward McMahon, Research Associate Professor, University of Vermont Place:
State University Plaza, South Tower, Room S-137, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY A "democratic entitlement" doctrine, in which citizens have a universal right to be governed according to democratic standards, has begun to emerge. Regional international organizations are playing increasingly important roles in patching together this democratic quilt. This panel will enable H.E. Mr. Vallessenes and Professor McMahon to bring their diverse experiences with a variety of regional organizations to bear on this important emerging trend. H.E. Mr. Finn Martin Vallersenes has served in the Norwegian Storting since 2001 and is a Member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. He is also Head of the Norwegian delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and previously was a Member of the Norwegian delegation for Relations with the European Parliament, and alternate member of the delegation to the European Free Trade Association and European Economic Area Parliamentary Committees. He completed Medical Studies in Oslo and Strasbourg and was Chief Medical Officer at Haugesund County Hospital from 1977-1985. Professor McMahon is Research Associate Professor in the University of Vermont’s Community Development and Applied Economics Department, and is also Senior Research Associate at Freedom House. He had earlier served as a US Foreign Service Officer; as Regional Director for East, Central and West Africa at the National Democratic Institute; and as the Dean's Professor of Applied Politics and Director of the Center on Democratic Performance at SUNY’s University at Binghamton. He has consulted on democracy issues with the US State Department and the World Bank and has co-authored a book on this subject entitled Piecing a Democratic Quilt: Regional Organizations and Universal Norms. He completed degrees at Georgetown, Boston University and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Service. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Nepal’s War Beneath the Himalayas Presented
by: Matthew Hodes, Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY Far from the glare of international attention, Nepal has suffered through more than 10 years of civil war. Nepal's civil war seems to be an anachronistic product of the Cold War, but one in which ethnic, caste and the ‘war on terror’ issues also come into play. And third parties, such as India and the US, have been critical players in the bigger picture. Matthew Hodes will address these issues from his experience in leading Carter Center’s efforts to encourage negotiations between the government and the Maoist insurgents. Matthew Hodes oversees all Carter Center conflict resolution projects around the world, and maintains Conflict Resolution Program readiness for potential negotiation interventions globally. He has previously worked in peacekeeping and post-conflict operations with the United Nations and other agencies, including field service during the wars in the Balkans and Somalia. In the Balkans, Mr. Hodes served as a legal advisor to UNPROFOR, as head of office for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [ICTY} in Sarajevo, and as coordinator for judicial reform for the Office of the High Representative [OHR]. He has consulted with the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development [OECD]. Mr. Hodes began his career in the U.S. Army and subsequently practiced law as a prosecutor and public defender in Florida. His BA is international relations is from the University of Pennsylvania, his law degree from the University of Miami, and his master's of law degree in public international law from the University of London. He teaches at Emory University School of Law. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. "Looking Backward and Forward at Crises in Somalia" PART II Presented
by: Ambassador Robert Gosende Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY The 1993 crisis in the Somalia marked a watershed in international affairs that moved beyond the cold war. “Operation Restore Hope” aimed to avert a growing humanitarian disaster in an increasingly lawless country, which was suffering from famine and chaos following the collapse of a Marxist government. It went tragically awry on October 3, 1993 when 18 U.S. soldiers were killed in a firefight with Somali gunmen. It helped give birth to an era of internal wars. Today, optimism over the formation of a Transitional Federal Government in 2004 has dissipated as US-backed militias and the Union of Islamic Courts took control of the capital city, Mogadishu, leading to a government crisis and international concern that the country could descend again into civil war. Ambassador
Robert R. Gosende will discuss these developments from his experience
as President Clinton's Special Envoy to Somalia during the height
of the security and humanitarian crisis in that country in 1992-93.
Ambassador Gosende is Associate Vice Chancellor for International
Programs at the State University of New York. His 35-year career
in the U.S. Foreign Service and in the U.S. Information Agency took
him on tours of duty to Libya, Somalia and Poland and to senior
posts in South Africa, Russia and Washington, DC. Among many highlights,
he directed US public affairs activities in support of South Africa’s
first multi-racial elections held in South Africa in April 1994.
Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. "Looking Backward and Forward at Crises in Somalia" Presented
by: Ambassador Robert Gosende Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor, 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY The 1993 crisis in the Somalia marked a watershed in international affairs that moved beyond the cold war. “Operation Restore Hope” aimed to avert a growing humanitarian disaster in an increasingly lawless country, which was suffering from famine and chaos following the collapse of a Marxist government. It went tragically awry on October 3, 1993 when 18 U.S. soldiers were killed in a firefight with Somali gunmen. It helped give birth to an era of internal wars. Today, optimism over the formation of a Transitional Federal Government in 2004 has dissipated as US-backed militias and the Union of Islamic Courts took control of the capital city, Mogadishu, leading to a government crisis and international concern that the country could descend again into civil war. Ambassador Robert R. Gosende will discuss these developments from his experience as President Clinton's Special Envoy to Somalia during the height of the security and humanitarian crisis in that country in 1992-93. Ambassador Gosende is Associate Vice Chancellor for International Programs at the State University of New York. His 35-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service and in the U.S. Information Agency took him on tours of duty to Libya, Somalia and Poland and to senior posts in South Africa, Russia and Washington, DC. Among many highlights, he directed US public affairs activities in support of South Africa’s first multi-racial elections held in South Africa in April 1994. Ambassador Gosende has been a Fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs, Diplomat in Residence at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, and the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Public Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from American International College, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1991. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Institute of Polish Culture and Art, as well as Presidential Awards from Presidents Bush and Clinton for his service as USIA's Director for African Affairs and as the President's Special Envoy to Somalia. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. How to Strengthen Justice and Security in Fragile States
Presented by: Dr. Eric Scheye Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY Current justice and security sector development practice calls for international assistance to state-provided justice and security service delivery. It is increasingly evident that programs that focus primarily on strengthening state institutions are not sustainable in fragile and post conflict states for reasons of culture, financing, human resources and infrastructure. Dr. Eric Scheye will explore an emerging approach that recognizes the greater legitimacy, effectiveness, and cost efficiency of non-state service providers vis-à-vis state service delivery, as well as their centrality in the day-to-day provision of justice and security in fragile states and post-conflict environments. He will suggest that a more successful donor strategy will adopt a multi-layered approach in which fragile and post-conflict governments establish the framework for justice and security service delivery and develop varying types of partnerships with non-state actors, but play a minority role in the actual provision of security and justice. Dr. Eric Scheye is a consultant in justice and security sector development, currently working with the British government on an integrated justice sector program in Yemen. He is also co-writing, for OECD/USAID, a report on justice and security service delivery in fragile states. Among other consulting assignments, he has worked with USAID in Guatemala; and for the Brazilian Ministry of Justice; the Argentine Ministry of Justice; the state of Minas Gerias Ministry of Social Defense (Brazil); and the state of La Rioja Ministry of Governance and Human Rights (Argentina). Earlier, Dr. Scheye designed security sector reform programs in Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Serbia, Albania, East Timor, and Kosovo for the United Nations Development Program. He worked at the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the Civilian Police Division and on police reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His doctorate is from CUNY. He has lectured and published widely in scholarly and professional journals. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. The Evolution of the United Nations in International Affairs Presented
by: H.R.H Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al Hussein Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recently said that the “U.N. cannot expect to survive into the 21st century unless ordinary people throughout the world feel that it does something for them -- helping to protect them against conflict (both civil and international), but also against poverty, hunger, disease and the erosion of their natural environment. He added that the U.N “is a work in progress…struggling to lessen the gap between reality and the ideals which gave it birth. That such a gap exists is all the more reason why those who value freedom and peace should work to build the U.N. up, not tear it down.” The Permanent Representative to the United Nations from Jordan Prince Zeid will discuss steps to enhance the United Nation’s effectiveness in taking and implementing policy about international criminal justice, reform of peacekeeping, and capacity to meet the significant international challenges of the twenty first century. His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al Hussein has served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations since August 2000. The prince currently chairs the Consultative Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and is also “Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in UN Peacekeeping Operations.” From 2002 through 2005, the prince served as President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; the first person elected to do so. The Assembly is the governing body of the International Criminal Court. Earlier, Prince Zeid was chairman of the informal working group establishing the “Elements” for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court. For several years, he was the coordinator for the Non-aligned Movement on UN peacekeeping. Prince Zeid’s BA is from the Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D. is from Christ’s College, Cambridge University. He has served in the Jordanian military, and was a political affairs officer with UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia from February 1994 to February 1996. He has published widely in academic journals. Contact:
Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Opportunities and Obstacles in Microfinance Programs in Croatia
Presented by: Žaklina Marta Bogdanic, Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY International aid agencies have come to view micro finance programs as a very effective tool in addressing poverty in the developing, transition and developed countries. For micro finance institutions [MFI’s] to succeed in providing opportunity for small entrepreneurs, governments must provide an appropriate legal environment. From her own experience in developing micro-lending programs in Croatia, Ms. Bogdanic will give an overview of current debates on the regulation and supervision of MFI’s and describe efforts to establish a conducive regulatory framework for the operation of MFI’s in Croatia. The Croatian case is very significant because its highly formalized market and financial system is currently undergoing transition as Croatia strives to ascend to the European Union in the near future. Žaklina Marta Bogdanic is currently a Fulbright Fellow at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. From her position as a senior program manager with Catholic Relief Services in Croatia, she has been designing and operating microfinance programs in Croatia over the past six years and established MikroPlus, which has disbursed US $9.2 mil in 9,620 loans to 4,152 clients throughout Croatia. She also initiated an informal working group to develop microfinance legislation in Croatia and has cooperated in these efforts with USAID, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and a variety of transnational NGOs, as well as with local organizations and legislators. She has completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics from the University of Zagreb in Croatia. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 Transformational Diplomacy and the Future of the US Foreign Service Presented
by: Ambassador James B. Foley, Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room, 13th floor 353 Broadway, Albany,
NY Secretary of State Rice recently called for a transformational diplomacy that is "rooted in partnership, not paternalism, in doing things with other people, not for them." This diplomacy works "with our many partners around the world to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that will respond to the needs of their people - and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system." Her vision for the future of the foreign service involves global repositioning and restructuring in order to meet the increasingly transnational challenges facing the US in the 21st century. She has called for US diplomats to reach beyond the capitals and beyond their desks to go out into the field and to use 21st century technology more effectively to reach global publics. From his long and rich experience as a senior Foreign Service Officer, Ambassador Foley will address the transformation of US diplomacy to meet challenges of the 21st century. James B. Foley is currently the Diplomat-in Residence at SUNY Fredonia. He served as the US Ambassador to Haiti from 2003 until 2005. He has served as the US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, as Deputy Spokesman of the Department of State and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. He served as Special Assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger and as Deputy Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General's Private Office. Under a Pearson Fellowship, he was Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Paul D. Coverdell of Georgia and was an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Mr. Foley was born in Buffalo, New York, earned a B.A. in English from SUNY Fredonia. He studied international relations at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris, France, and was awarded an M.A.L.D. degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1984. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 Turkey as a Model for Secular Development Presented
by: Dr. Kemal Guruz, Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room - 13th Floor,
381 Broadway at State Street, Albany, NY
Time: Monday, March 27, 2006, 12:15p.m. – 1:30
p.m.
The relationship between religion and politics is a topic of increasing interest in both the West and Muslim World. Great controversies swirl around the politics of religious symbolism in Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Our attention is riveted by issues like school prayer, female students wearing headscarves, cartoons featuring religious figures, the role of religious schools, and victories by religiously-based political parties. Dr. Guruz will compare the development of the West and the Muslim world with a focus on religion-state issues in Turkey. He contends that Turkey offers a model of development for not only the Muslim world, but for all states seeking to strike a balance between piety and politics. Dr. Kemal Guruz served as the President of Turkey’s Higher Education Council from 1995-2003. In 2004-2005 he was a Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and the John W. Ryan Fellow in International Education at the State University of New York. Dr. Guruz has held academic appointments at Middle East Technical University, Ankara University, Karadeniz University (Rector). He received his B.A. from Middle East Technical University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of New Brunswick. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 Political Knowledge and Declining Political Participation in Canada and the United States Presented
by: Dr. Henry Milner, Professor of Political Science, Vanier College
Place:
Federal Building (3rd Floor) [adjacent to SUNY Plaza] - Large Courtroom,
353 Broadway Albany, NY
Time: Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 12:15p.m. –
1:30 p.m.
Canada’s precipitous decline in political participation has brought turnout levels below even those in the United States. This is due largely to the fact that the “under 30s” vote far less than earlier generations. To explain this phenomenon, Professor Milner will draw upon experience, not only in North America, but also from that of countries that appear to have stemmed the decline. The analysis will focus on differing approaches to civic education, as well as an appropriate institutional framework in which such education takes place. Such a framework comprises an electoral system and complementary rules and regulations concerning media access, party financing, and information dissemination that ensure that legitimate political positions will be expressed and represented in venues ranging from the classroom to the national legislature at a level approximating their support in the population. Henry Milner is currently Fulbright Chair at SUNY (Plattsburgh), Professor of Political Science at Vanier College and Umea University in Sweden, and Research Fellow at the Institute for Research in Public Policy (IRPP) in Montreal. In 2004-2005 he held the Chair in Canadian Studies at the Sorbonne. He has also worked at universities in Finland, Australia and New Zealand. Recent Books include Civic Literacy: How Informed Citizens Make Democracy Work (2002), Social Democracy and Rational Choice (1994), and Sweden: Social Democracy in Practice (1989). He has edited Making Every Vote Count: Reappraising Canada’s Electoral System (1999) and Steps toward Making Every Vote Count: Electoral System Reform in Canada and its provinces (2004). He is co-publisher of Inroads, the Canadian journal of opinion and policy. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 "Europe and the Developing World: EU Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Response Aid " Presented
by: Ambassador Franz Hoerlberger, Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room - 13th Floor,
381 Broadway at State Street, Albany, NY
Time: Tuesday, November 22, 2005, 12:15p.m. –
1:30 p.m.
The European Union plays an increasingly important role in addressing humanitarian and natural disasters in the developing world, crises that can badly undermine progress in building stable and democratic institutions of government. As the Republic of Austria assumes the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2006, it will play a decisive role in formulating European policy towards to disasters as diverse the Tsunami in Southeast Asia, earthquakes in Pakistan and Iran, and the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. As the Director of Humanitarian Assistance of Austria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hoerlberger will discuss European approaches to this important area of policy, as well as the debate in Brussels over how Europe can become more responsive to disaster relief and how EU institutions can better cooperate with the United Nations, regional organizations and individual governments. Prior to becoming the Director of the Austrian Foreign Ministry’s Department of Humanitarian Assistance, Ambassador Hoerlberger served as its Africa Director, Ambassador to Kenya, and Permanent Representative to UN Environmental Program and UN Center for Human Settlements (Habitat) that is based in Kenya. He addressed numerous humanitarian crises as they were transformed into armed conflicts, such as in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. He has been involved in conflict management, prevention and resolution, as well as post-conflict rehabilitation and development. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 "The United States and China in the 21st Century" Presented
by: Dr. Steven Leibo Place:
State University Plaza, Room N-102,
381 Broadway at State Street, Albany, NY
Time: Thursday, September 15, 2005, 12:15p.m. –
1:30 p.m.
It is often said that China could be the United States’ single most significant partner in the 21st century. Yet Sino-American Relations are currently at a crossroad that could lead either to successful collaboration or years of conflict. Professor Leibo will explore the circumstances surrounding these differing possible future scenarios in Sino-American relations. Recent polls show that American and Chinese publics hold extraordinarily ambivalent feelings about each other, feelings that range from genuine admiration to fear.
Steven A. Leibo is the Sherman David Spector Professor of Modern
International History & Politics at The Sage Colleges and also
serves as a commentator for WAMC North Eastern Public Radio and
for regional television news stations in New York’s capital
region. Professor Leibo is a former Fulbright scholar who specializes
in the relationship between Asia and the West, and has authored
and edited many academic and popular works. These include the annual,
East, and Southeast Asia from1997-2005; a documentary film, "From
Albany to Saigon: Vietnam & the Capital Region;" a monograph
on transferring technology to China; a historical novel about 19th
century China; and a book on the nineteenth century Chinese Civil
War. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 "Update on Recovery from the South Asia Tsunami" Presented by: Dr. Tom Birkland, Director, Center for Policy Research, Rockefeller College, University at Albany Place: State University Plaza, Board Room - 13th Floor, 381 Broadway at State Street, Albany, NY
Time: Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 12:15p.m. – 1:30
p.m.
The December 26, 2004 South Asia tsunami was one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in history. The tsunami devastated coastal communities in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. The disaster led to an unprecedented international aid effort. Still, efforts to recover from this disaster have barely begun, and full recovery will take years. Professor Birkland and a team of researchers from the United States and Thailand visited southern Thailand in April as part of a research project funded by the National Science Foundation. His presentation will discuss the impact of the tsunami in Thailand and in the other nations of the region, progress in developing warning systems in the event of future tsunamis, and efforts to mitigate the effect of future tsunamis and other disasters in the region. He will also discuss how media coverage of the event has distorted Western perceptions of the actual risks posed by tsunamis, and will discuss how differences in each nation will influence local efforts to recover from the disaster.
Tom Birkland is director of the Center for Policy Research at the University at Albany, State University of New York. His Ph.D. is from the University of Washington in Seattle. His research focuses on the agenda setting and policy implications of naturally and humanly caused extreme events. He is the author of After Disaster and the second edition of his textbook, An Introduction to the Policy Process (M.E. Sharpe), will be released this Fall. Professor Birkland was earlier employed by the New Jersey Transportation Department and by the office of Governor Thomas Kean. He holds a master’s degree from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 "International Lessons for New York State Legislative Reform" Presented by: John Sheffer, Director Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth at the University of Buffalo and Former NYS Senator Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room - 13th Floor,
381 Broadway at State Street, Albany, NY
Time: Thursday, June 16, 2005, 12:15p.m. –
1:30 p.m.
Legislative and parliamentary bodies throughout the world are undergoing reform initiatives of many and diverse kinds. Professor Sheffer will employ that international context to discuss current efforts to reform the legislative process in the State of New York. He will also comment on the extent to which positive and negative dimensions of New York’s legislative process have been used to inform assessment and reform initiatives abroad. John B. Sheffer, II is Director of the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. He has served as a Village Mayor, New York State Assemblyman and Senator. In 1986, he authored the groundbreaking report on Legislative Reform: Project 1990: The Challenge of Effective Legislative Management in the State of New York. In Buffalo, Sheffer has spearheaded award-winning work on a series of major projects focusing on effective governance, economic development, performance measurement, and regional cooperation. Among his numerous awards, are SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service (2003) and the American Society for Public Administration’s Public Administrator of the Year (1999). Sheffer has participated in international development projects in Lebanon, Zambia, Bulgaria, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Sheffer’s Juris Doctor degree is from the Syracuse University, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and his B.A. in History is from Wheaton College. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 "Reflections on Bringing Democracy to the World (& Vice Versa)" Presented by: Dr. Arthur Sist, Former Chief of Party, SUNY Bolivia Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room - 13th Floor, 381 Broadway at State
Street, Albany, NY
Time:
Friday, May 13, 2005, 12:15p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Recent polls in developing countries, particularly in Latin America, show a growing lack of faith in the democratic form of government. Democracy seems not to have improved, much less solved, the problems of entrenched poverty, social unrest, inequitable distribution of resources, inefficiency, injustice and corruption that has traditionally characterized these countries. Despite the fact that the US and other international donors have poured billions of dollars into efforts to reform the judicial and legislative systems in these regions, these two pillars of democratic governance – the legislative and judicial branches – continue to receive among the lowest levels of public confidence. Dr. Arthur Sist will give a balanced appraisal of both the successes and failures of efforts to: change entire judicial systems from inquisitory to adversarial; redo criminal procedural systems; introduce greater representation in congresses and parliaments; update and streamline legislative bylaws; and train staff in new techniques. Why do such programs yield meager results? Have they helped to improve the lives of ordinary citizens? As the US plunges ahead with multi billion dollar programs to bring countries to democracy, answers to these questions can shed light on what resources will be required, what failures are likely, and finally what successes can be reasonably hoped for. Arthur Sist’s distinguished career in developing countries for the last 35 years began with a doctorate in political science from Yale university and ended with 15 years promoting the consolidation of democracy through teaching democratic theory in the State University in Bolivia and through directing programs for strengthening legislative and judicial systems in Latin America and Africa. A question and answer period will follow the presentation. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 "A Walk on the Wild Side of Strategic Thought" Presented by: Montgomery C. Meigs, General US Army Retired and Louis Bantle Chair, Maxwell School, Syracuse University Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room - 13th Floor, 381 Broadway at
State Street, Albany, NY
Time:
Thursday, March 3, 2005, 12:15p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The near and mid term strategic challenge facing US policy makers has changed from peer competitors to a more uncertain set of opponents. Asymmetric warfare has frequently occurred in the post-Westphalian era as so-called conventional forces conducted campaigns in national wars. However, our current strategic challenge sees a much more dangerous set of enemies in the idiosyncratic warfare conducted by non-state adversaries. In terms of general national strategy, marshalling of our economic power, and preparing domestic and international constituencies for the long haul, are we heading in the right direction? Monty Meigs retired from the Army in January 2003 with over thirty five years of service. He is the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Government and Business Policy at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. A member of the Board of Trustees of the MITRE Corporation and of the Council on Foreign Relations, he is also a military consultant for NBC News. Meigs commanded units in Viet Nam, Southwest Asia, and Bosnia. He commanded NATO's Stabilization Force [SFOR] in Bosnia from October 1998 - October 1999, and commanded all of US Army in Europe until December 2002. Earlier, Meigs specialized in leader development, education, war planning, support and execution of contingency operations, and finding and implementing new technological solutions for intelligence and command and control capability. General Meigs served as Commandant of the Army's Command and General Staff College and has published a book, Slide Rules and Submarines, and articles in professional journals. His doctorate in History is from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. A question and answer period will follow the presentation. Contact: Mark Baskin at SUNY/CID for additional information. Phone:
518-443-5261 "The Role of Peace Activists in Preventing Nuclear War " A presentation by: Professor Lawrence Wittner, SUNY/Albany Place:
State University Plaza, Board Room - 13th Floor, 381 Broadway at State
Street, Albany, NY
Time:
Thursday, February 17, 2005, 12:15p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
One of the great questions of the modern era is how nuclear war has been avoided since nuclear weapons were used to annihilate Japanese cities in August 1945. It has conventionally been argued that the existence of nuclear weapons has deterred nuclear attacks in “peace through strength” security polices. But this neither explains why nuclear nations have accepted nuclear arms control and disarmament policies, nor why nuclear nations have not used nuclear weapons during their wars against non-nuclear nations. An alternative explanation for nuclear restraint is that peace groups’ efforts to mobilize resistance to nuclear weapons have limited the nuclear options of government officials. Professor Wittner will draw on the experience of the past sixty years to show how popular protest and citizen activism have succeeded in curbing the nuclear arms race and preventing nuclear war. He will outline current challenges facing peace groups: in a renewed arms race among governments and the possible achievement of |
