to our weekly Events Alert email.

January 2010

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Kendrick Conference Room, Suite 321
2115 G Street, NW

Designing Cost-Effective Cash Transfer Programs to Boost Schooling among Young Women in Sub-Saharan Africa


Sarah Baird, Assistant Professor of Global Health, GW

Please send RSVP to: iiep@gwu.edu

Sponsored by the Institute for International Economic Policy

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

The Strange Rise of India


Edward Luce, Washington Bureau Chief, Financial Times

Please send RSVP to: gsigur@gwu.edu with your name, organization/GW affiliation, and e-mail by Tuesday, January 12.

Sponsored by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies' India Initiative and the Institute for International Economic Policy

Thursday, January 14, 2010
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Room 505
1957 E Street, NW

"Treason" on Trial: Political Dissidents, the Vietnamese State, and the Blogosphere


Shawn McHale, Director, Sigur Center for Asian Studies; Associate Professor of History and International Affairs, GW

This talk will use the trials of five activists in Vietnam to explore the evolving character of politics in Vietnam over the past few years. These activists have all been accused of conspiring to overthrow the Vietnamese state. It will address the extensive use by Vietnamese inside Vietnam of web sites and blogs outside the country to promote an alternative nationalist politics, and the way that the Vietnamese Communist Party is cracking down on this emerging internal political dissent. Particular attention will be paid to the case of the arrested lawyer Le Cong Dinh.

This event is part of the Sigur Center's lecture series on Subnational Asia, and the Elliott School's Future of Democracy series.

Please send RSVP to: gsigur@gwu.edu with your name, organization/GW affiliation, and email by January 13

Sponsored by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies

Monday, January 18, 2010
7:15 PM - 8:45 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

Treacherous Alliances: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States


Trita Parsi, President, National Iranian American Council; recipient of a 2010 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order

Dr. Parsi will discuss his book, Treacherous Alliances: The Secret Dealings of Isreal, Iran, and the United States, and prospects for engagement with Iran.

No RSVP is needed to attend this event.

Sponsored by the International Affairs Society

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Harry Harding Auditorium, Room 213
1957 E Street, NW

The Surge: the Untold Story


Kimberly Kagen, Founder and President, Institute for the Study of War

Lieutenant General James M. Dubik, U.S. Army (ret.), Senior Fellow, Institute for the Study of War

View a shortened version of The Surge, followed by a discussion with Dr. Kagan and LTG Dubik.

The Surge: the Untold Story offers a look into the real story of the surge in Iraq, as told by top U.S. military commanders. These never-before-seen interviews move beyond Washington politics to tell the ground truth of a failing mission transformed into one of the most successful military operations in a generation of war fighting.

The first 200 guests will receive a complimentary DVD copy of The Surge.

No RSVP is required for this event.

Sponsored by the International Affairs Society

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

An Evening with Ambassador William L. Jacobsen, Jr.


Ambassador William L. Jacobsen, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Guinea Bissau

Ambassador Jacobsen's fascinating Foreign Service career has taken him to Botswana, Brazil, Mozambique, Namibia, Portugal, and South Africa. He served under Colin Powell during the Reagan Administration as an expert on Africa, and served as the Ambassador to Guinea Bissau from 1990-93. Ambassador Jacobsen will focus his discussion on African affairs and his experience in the Foreign Service.

Light refreshments will be served.

No RSVP is needed to attend this event.
If you have questions about this event, please contact iakarmanova@gmail.com.

Sponsored by Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Room 505
1957 E Street, NW

Latin America: a Discussion on Trade Policy and U.S. Relations


Eduardo Zepeda, Senior Associate, Trade Equity and Development Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; former Economist and Social Policy Coordinator, Office of the President of Mexico

No RSVP is necessary to attend this event.

Sponsored by the International Affairs Society

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How Eleven Green Berets Forged a New Afghanistan


Eric Blehm, author of The Only Thing Worth Dying For

The Only Thing Worth Dying For chronicles a mission in the early days of the Global War on Terror, when the men on the ground knew little about the enemy - and their commanders in Washington knew even less. With unprecedented access to surviving members of U.S. Special Forces team ODA 574, key war planners, and Karzai himself, award-winning author Eric Blehm narrates for the first time a story of uncommon bravery and terrible sacrifice, intimately exposing the realities of unconventional warfare and nation-building in Afghanistan that continue to shape the region today.

Copies of The Only Thing Worth Dying For will be available for purchase.

No RSVP is needed to attend this event.

Sponsored by GW Veterans

Thursday, January 21, 2010
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Room 505
1957 E Street, NW

Venezuela Speaks: Voices from the Grassroots


Carlos Martinez, co-author of Venezuela Speaks; former Venezuelan program director for Global Exchange

Michael Fox, co-author of Venezuela Speaks; journalist and documentary filmmaker based in South America

Yanahir Reyes, interviewee in Venezuela Speaks; activist in the Venezuelan women's movement

A collection of interviews with activists and other contributors, this compelling oral history details Venezuela's social transformation. The stories encompass changes in everything from community media to land reform, cooperatives to communal councils, and the labor movement to the Afro-Venezuelan network. Offering a different perspective than that of the international mainstream media, which has focused predominantly on Venezuela's controversial president, Hugo Chavez, these examples of grassroots participation illustrate the vast cultural, economic, and racial differences within the country.

Copies of Venezuela Speaks will be available for purchase. More information on the book can be found at http://venezuelaspeaks.com/

Please register here to attend this event: RSVP for Venezuela Speaks or https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dG9NcUtxcDNHWUMyVDFFUGhob1gtREE6MA

Sponsored by the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program

Thursday, January 21, 2010
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Voesar Conference Room, Suite 412
1957 E Street, NW

BOLOGNA! Higher Education Reform in Europe: What's Working, What's Not


Paul L. Gaston, Trustees Professor, Kent State University

Concurrent with the publication of his new book, The Challenge of Bologna: What United States Higher Education Has to Learn from Europe and Why It Matters That We Learn It, Paul L. Gaston, Trustees Professor at Kent State University, will outline what has been accomplished in Europe through the first decade of the Bologna Process, assess the likelihood of its continued influence, and invite discussion in the light of recent developments in the European Union.

Please send RSVP to: ieresgwu@gwu.edu

Sponsored by the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies; the International Education Program; and the Graduate School of Education and Human Development

Friday, January 22, 2010
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Voesar Conference Room, Suite 412
1957 E Street, NW

Ukraine's 2010 Presidential Elections: Who Will Be Elected Ukraine's Next President and Why?


Taras Kuzio, Editor, Ukraine Analyst

This event is part of the Elliott School's Future of Democracy series.

Please send RSVP to: ieresgwu@gwu.edu by January 21

Sponsored by the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies

Monday, January 25, 2010
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

Risk, Suffering, and Response: The Haiti Earthquake Crisis of 2010


Moderator:
Barbara D. Miller, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs; Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs, GW

Panelists:

"Assessing Damage and Moving Forward"
Robert Maguire, Randolph Jennings Senior Fellow, United States Institute for Peace; Associate Professor of International Affairs, Trinity University

"Dilemmas of Humanitarian Assistance in Haiti and in the Haitian Diaspora"
Erica James, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Buffering the Emotional Impact of Disasters, How to Avoid Making Things Worse"
Julia Frank, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, GW

"Shaky Ground(s): Will the Earthquake Prompt Haitians and Foreigners to Negotiate a Pact for Sustainable Reconstruction?"
Drexel G. Woodson, Associate Professor of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona
"Haiti: Spirits Unbroken"
Kyrah Daniels, Junior Curator, National Museum of American History

You must be registered to attend this event.
Please register at: RSVP Haitian Earthquake Crisis

Members of the media must RSVP to Nick Massella at massella@gwu.edu or 202-994-8025

Sponsored by the Culture in Global Affairs (CIGA) Research and Policy Program and the International Development Studies Program at the Elliott School of International Affairs; and the Department of Global Health at the School of Public Health and Health Policy

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
7:00 PM - 8:45 PM

Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Congress Room
411 University St, Seattle, WA 98101

Out-of-Town Event: Seattle Alumni Reception with Dean Michael E. Brown


Join your fellow GW alumni for a reception and conversation with Michael E. Brown, Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs. Drawing on GW's unique location in the heart of Washington D.C., Dean Brown will discuss the extraordinary foreign policy and international economic changes facing the United States and the world.

7:00 PM - Discussion: U.S. Foreign Policy: The View from Washington
8:00 PM - Reception

Please note that this event takes place in Seattle.

This event is part of the Elliott School's U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities series.

Please send RSVP to: www.alumniconnections.com

Sponsored by the Elliott School of International Affairs and the GW Alumni Association

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

WMD's in America: What Steps is the Government Taking to Protect Your Safety?


Jim Rice, Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy Director, FBI

This event is off-the-record.

A discussion of the threats currently facing America concerning Weapons of Mass Destruction, and what the FBI is doing to combat these threats and prepare for any attacks. Containing an outlook on the international evolution of this threat, the growth of the Iranian and North Korean Nuclear capacities, and a perspective of what the future holds.

Refreshments will be served.

No RSVP is needed to attend this event. Please note that this event is off-the-record.

Sponsored by Delta Phi Epsilon, Professional Foreign Service Fraternity

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Room 505
1957 E Street, NW

Remaking His Role: Alan Garcia in His First and Second Presidencies


Ani de la Quintana, Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science, University of Florida

De la Quintana presents an account of the first and second administration of Peru's President, Alan Garcia. She also explores the intermediate period between the two administrations seeking to explain why and how Garcia changed beliefs, style, policies, and routines.

This event is a brown bag luncheon.

Please RSVP at: RSVP for Remaking His Role or
https://tinyurl.com/elliott-jan26

Sponsored by the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program

Thursday, January 28, 2010
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

Middle East Policy Forum and Distinguished Women in International Affairs: Ambassador of Bahrain


Ambassador Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, Ambassador of Bahrain to the United States

Ambassador Nonoo will present remarks on the relationship between the United States and Bahrain. She will also comment on the role Bahrain plays in the Persian Gulf and its role in regional security.

The Middle East Policy Forum is presented with the generous support of ExxonMobil.

The Distinguished Women in International Affairs series is presented with the generous support of Jack and Pam Cumming.

Please send RSVP to: rsvpimes@gwu.edu

Sponsored by Middle East Policy Forum, the Distinguished Women in International Affairs series, and the Ambassadors Forum

Thursday, January 28, 2010
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Harry Harding Auditorium, Room 213
1957 E Street, NW

Diversity Career Networking Event


Learn about important career opportunities from experienced Foreign Service officers, Foreign Service specialists, and Civil Service professionals, who will discuss the important work you could do to represent and protect our country.

6:00 PM - 6:30 PM - Registration
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM - Panel Discussion
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Reception

RSVPs are required by January 21, 2010. Seating is limited. Pre-screening information will be requested.

Please send RSVP to: careers.state.gov/GWevent

Sponsored by the Elliott School Graduate Student Career Development and The George Washington University

Thursday, January 28, 2010
7:00 PM - 8:45 PM

The Palace Hotel, Presidio Room
2 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA

Out-of-Town Event: San Francisco Alumni Reception with Dean Michael E. Brown


Join your fellow GW alumni for a reception and conversation with Michael E. Brown, Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs. Drawing on GW's unique location in the heart of Washington D.C., Dean Brown will discuss the extraordinary foreign policy and international economic changes facing the United States and the world.

7:00 PM - Discussion: U.S. Foreign Policy: The View from Washington
8:00 PM - Reception

Please note that this event takes place in San Francisco.

This event is part of the Elliott School's U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities series.

Please send RSVP to: www.alumniconnections.com

Sponsored by the Elliott School of International Affairs and the GW Alumni Association

Friday, January 29, 2010
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Room 505
1957 E Street, NW

Modesty and Public Appearance: Islam in Comparative Perspective


Niloofar Haeri, Professor of Anthropology, Johns Hopkins University

In order to understand the various dimensions of the concern with public appearance among Muslims, we need to shift our focus from "the veil" and "hijab" to notions of modesty. Islam is not the only religion that is concerned with modesty, notwithstanding the exclusive attention of recent writing on this religion. Hence, it should be examined in a comparative perspective. She will report on recent fieldwork in Tehran among Iranian Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Please send RSVP to: rsvpimes@gwu.edu

Sponsored by the Institute for Middle East Studies