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      News
    The WFPG's Third Annual UN Study Visit
    The UN in the Second Year of
    Ban Ki-Moon's Leadership


    NEW YORK, NY – On May 1, 2008, the Women's Foreign Policy Group held its third UN Study Visit, at UN Headquarters. The conference featured a luncheon with UN Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, as well as in-depth briefings with top UN officials and diplomats, covering current issues such as the world food crisis, the challenges of peacekeeping, violence against women in conflict zones, top priorities of the Secretary-General, and UN-US relations. The briefings were attended by over 80 participants from corporations, non-profits, foundations, international organizations, the diplomatic community, and the media.

     

    The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, gave the keynote luncheon address which focused on UN efforts to resolve major global problems such as the global food crisis, which is having a disproportionate impact on women. She also highlighted the significant impact women can have on addressing these concerns. Dr. Migiro also spoke about the situation of women within the UN system. Click here to read Dr. Migiro's address to the WFPG.

    Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, Deputy Permanent Representative of the US Mission to the UN, spoke about the challenges and opportunities for the UN-US relationship under Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's leadership. He explained that the US "wants this place to work" and that the perception of UN-US enmity stems from the tough questions that the largest single UN funder asks about financial priorities, expenditures, and budgetary discipline. Ambassador Wolff also pointed to the polarization between developed and developing states in the UN, calling it the most difficult element the organization has to overcome.

    Kathleen Cravero, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Director of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery and Chair of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, spoke about sexual violence against women in conflict zones and in post-conflict nations. Ms. Cravero  discussed how the UNDP can put into action Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Ms. Cravero also discussed  myths concerning  gender violence and outlined an eight-part plan for action, calling upon governments and NGOs to address abuses. Click here to read Kathleen Cravero's remarks.


    Dr. Robert Orr, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning, spoke about the three sets of priorities of the Secretary-General: delivering results to those most in need, improving accountability both internally at the UN and among member states, and focusing on "global goods" which are issues that cross state borders such as climate change, health, and terrorism.



    Jane Holl Lute, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Officer-in-charge of the Department of Field Support, addressed the challenges of the UN's peacekeeping missions, pointing out that although the UN is the world's second largest deployed military presence, it has no standing military capability, strategic planning capability, or regularized training. In addition, since people are the most valuable asset in peacekeeping, the UN needs to make a greater investment in them. Ms. Lute also termed the recent allegations of sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers one of the most serious setbacks the UN has faced.

      Mission Statement

    The Women's Foreign Policy Group (WFPG) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, educational membership organization that promotes global engagement and the leadership, visibility and participation of women in international affairs.

     Upcoming Events

     

    June 13, 2008  |  Washington, DC

     

    Author Series Event:

    The Cost of Counterterrorism: Power, Politics, and Liberty

     

    Dr. Laura K. Donohue
    Fellow at CISAC and at the Center for Constitutional Law, Stanford Law School 

     

    Brownbag Lunch and Program

     

    1:00 pm, The Academy for Educational Development

     

    Click here to register

     

    Dr. Laura K. Donohue, focuses her research on national security and counterterrorist law in the US, UK, Ireland, Israel, and Turkey. She has written numerous articles on counterterrorism in liberal, democratic states. 


     

     

    June 26, 2008  |  Washington, DC

     

    Author Series Event:

    Re-Engage!
    America and the World after Bush, An Informed Citizen's Guide

     

    Helena Cobban
    Contributing Editor, Boston Review
     

     

    Program and Reception

     

    6:00 pm, Washington, DC

     

    Click here to register

     

     

    Veteran journalist and author Helena Cobban addresses key foreign policy issues facing the U.S. at the end of the Bush era. She stresses the need to mend relationships with the international community and cooperatively address global challenges including: terrorism and weapons proliferation, inequality, rights abuses, and climate change. 

      Feature Story


    Secretary Rice Delivers Keynote Address at Annual Luncheon

    WASHINGTON, DC – On December 10, 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave the keynote address at the Women's Foreign Policy Group’s Annual Luncheon, which was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC. The event was attended by over 400 WFPG guests, including senior officials from the government, corporations, and NGOs, as well as numerous ambassadors. A lively Q&A session – moderated by NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Andrea Mitchell – followed the Secretary’s remarks.

     

    This year’s luncheon highlighted the Women’s Foreign Policy Group’s commitment to promoting the next generation of women leaders and a special effort was made to include many students and young professionals at each table. The program also included former WFPG intern, Carly Rush, who shared her internship and mentoring experiences with the audience.

     

    In her keynote address, the Secretary highlighted chief areas of concern for the U.S. around the world and called for “American realism” – which joins pragmatism to idealism – in U.S. foreign policy, pointing out the distinct character of the U.S. as a country united by ideals. She then discussed how free trade and foreign assistance
    serve as tools that support stability and foster democratic institutions. Dr. Rice also noted that a prerequisite for a successful country is respect for women and referred to a t-shirt she received from a group of Kuwaiti suffragettes, with the inscription: "Half a democracy is not a democracy".

     

    The Secretary explained how the U.S. is using all elements of its power – from sanctions to full military muscle to diplomacy – in order to help states transform into stable democracies, and noted current efforts in Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.

     

    In opposition to the mood of American decline often heard in media stories about the rise of countries, such as India and China, the Secretary was confident of the United States’ ability to renew itself. She pointed to her personal journey from a childhood in the segregated South to the office she currently holds, ". . . despite all these challenges, I stand before you as America's 66th Secretary of State, something that my first predecessor, Thomas Jefferson, undoubtedly could not have imagined."

     

    The Secretary then joined Andrea Mitchell for a lively Q&A session. Ms. Mitchell led off the discussion with pressing issues of the day, such as the intelligence issues surrounding the destruction of CIA tapes and Iran. She then incorporated numerous questions from the audience on topics, ranging from the recent Annapolis Conference on the Middle East to U.S. relations with Russia, Pakistan, and North Korea.

     

    The program concluded with the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Secretary Rice for her leadership in international affairs and her contribution as a role model for future women leaders by Maxine Isaacs (WFPG Board Chair), Ann McLaughlin Korologos (Luncheon Chair and Former Secretary of Labor), and Patricia Ellis (WFPG President).

    Click here for CSPAN's coverage of the Luncheon on Window's Media Player

     

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    Recent Events

     

     Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders

     

    WFPG Mentoring Fairs

     


    WFPG Treasurer Dawn Calabia, speaks to students at Georgetown University about her career with the United Nations

     

    The Women’s Foreign Policy Group hosts Annual Mentoring Fairs in New York and Washington, DC to promote the next generation of leaders. WFPG members and friends share their career experiences and expertise with young women and men interested in international affairs.

     

    The first mentoring fair of 2008 was held at Georgetown University on January 28th. The event drew over 140 students and young professionals from the Washington, DC area. It was co-sponsored by Women in International Security (WIIS) and the School of Foreign Service Career Development Center.

     

    This year’s New York Mentoring Fair was held on February 27th at NYU and was co-sponsored by the International Public Service Association, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development. WFPG Mentoring Fairs give busy professionals the opportunity to give back to the community, and the WFPG would like to thank the mentors who participated this year. Please contact us at programs@wfpg.org if you are interested in participating as a mentor at upcoming fairs!



    On Thursday, January 10th in Washington, DC and on January 17th in New York, Elisabeth Bumiller spoke to the Women's Foreign Policy Group on her new book, CONDOLEEZZA RICE: An American Life.

     

    Elisabeth Bumiller, a Washington reporter for The New York Times, was a Times White House correspondent from September 10, 2001 to 2006. She wrote much of this book as a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center and as a transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

     

    In her new book, Elisabeth Bumiller explores Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s remarkable life as well as many of the great themes of day: national security, the war on terrorism, the values of our foreign policy, presidential politics, and the changing role of race and women. 




    On Monday, January 7th in New York City,  Barbara Slavin spoke to the Women’s Foreign Policy Group on her new book, Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path To Confrontation.

    Ms. Slavin also spoke at a WFPG Author Series Event on Thursday, October 30th in Washington, DC


     

    Ms. Slavin, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent for USA Today, on leave as Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace, spoke on how the complex love-hate relationship between Iran and the United States has evolved in recent years. In her book, she skillfully presents the Islamic Republic's surprisingly multifaceted culture and political establishment. The driving theme, however, is one of decades of missed opportunities, on both sides to achieve rapprochement. 


     
    Recent Events

     

     

    May 13, 2008  |  New York, NY

     

    Author Series Event

     

    Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East

     

    Robin Wright
    Diplomatic Correspondent 
    The Washington Post

     

    Reception and Program

     

    The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia

    Washington, DC

     


     

     

    May 1, 2008  |  New York, NY

     

    The WFPG's 3rd Annual

    UN Study Visit

     

    Keynote luncheon speaker:


    Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro

    Deputy Secretary-General of the UN

     

    United Nations

    New York, NY

     


     

    April 24, 2008  |  Washington, DC

     

    Embassy Series Event:

     

    H. E. Hunaina Sultan Al-Mughairy
    Ambassador of Oman

     

    Reception and Program

     

    The Residence of the Ambassador

     

     


     

    March 28, 2008  |  Washington, DC


     

    Trends in International Non-Governmental Organizations
    Part II: Focus on Rule of Law Activities of Privately Funded NGOs

     

    Cosponsored by the International Law Forum of the Women's Bar Association


     

    March 11, 2008  |  New York, NY

     

    Carnegie Scholar Islam Series:

    Women and Islam Panel

     

    Cosponsored by the Institute of International Education

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

    March 6, 2008  |  Washington, DC


    International Women's Day Luncheon

     

    Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA 9th)

     

    Cosponsored by the UN Information Center and the UN Foundation

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

    February 27, 2008  |  New York, NY

     

    WFPG Mentoring Fair

    New York University

     

    Cosponsored by the International Public Service Association, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

    February 15, 2008  |  Washington, DC

     

    Carnegie Scholar Islam Series Event:
    Researching and Writing about Human Rights in Iran

     

    Dr. Abdulaziz Sachedina

    Professor of Religious Studies, UVA

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

    January 28, 2008  |  Washington, DC

     

    WFPG Mentoring Fair

    Georgetown University

     

    Cosponsored by Women in International Security (WIIS) and the School of Foreign Service Career Development Center

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

    January 17, 2008  |  New York, NY

     

    Author Series Event:
    Condoleezza Rice: An American Life

     

    Elisabeth Bumiller

    National Affairs Correspondent
    The New York Times 

     

    Austrian Consulate General

    New York

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

     

    January 10, 2008  |  Washington, DC

     

    Author Series Event:
    Condoleezza Rice: An American Life

     

    Elisabeth Bumiller

    National Affairs Correspondent
    The New York Times

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

    January 7, 2008  |  New York, NY

     

    Author Series Event:
    Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies:
    Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation

     

    Barbara Slavin
    Senior Diplomatic Correspondent,
    USA Today, on leave as Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace

    View Photos and Highlights

     


     

    November 12, 2007  |  New York, NY

     

    WFPG Embassy Event:
    The Indian Economy: Changes and Challenges

     

    H.E. Ambassador Neelam Deo
    Consul General of India

     

    View Photos and Highlights

     

     

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    The Women's Foreign Policy Group     1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20009     Phone: (202) 884-8597     Fax: (202) 884-8487     programs@wfpg.org
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