Looking Towards UNGA 69
Peace, Security and Development: New Perspectives and Partnerships
H.E. Faida M. Mitifu, Ambassador of the DRC to the US
Mahmoud Mohieldin, The World Bank
H.E. Amanda Ellis, Ambassador of New Zealand to the UN in Geneva
September 18, 2014 | Washington, DC

WFPG and Ambassador Mike Moore of New Zealand will host a special event to discuss peace, security and development in the lead up to the United Nations General Assembly 69 on September 18th. H.E. Amanda Ellis, New Zealand's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva will moderate the discussion with Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin and Ambassador Faida M. Mitifu. Dr. Mohieldin is the World Bank's Corporate Secretary and President's Special Envoy on the Millennium Development Goals. Ambassador Mitifu has served as the DRC's ambassador to the US since 1999, and has been a strong advocate for increased US trade with African countries as a means to alleviate poverty and a greater focus on entrepreneurship as a means of economic independence.

View invitation and register

State Department Briefing
US Priorities at the UN General Assembly
Dean Pittman, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations
September 26, 2014 | New York, NY

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations Dean Pittman will brief WFPG members and guests on US priorities at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. A career member of the Foreign Service, Pittman was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Organizations in December 2010. He has served as a member of the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff where he was responsible for issues related to Europe and climate change, as Director for the Balkans at the National Security Council, and overseas in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Sarajevo, Mozambique and Guyana.

View invitation and register for NY

State Department Briefing: The Future of US-Egyptian Relations
Ambassador Anne Patterson, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

October 1, 2014 | Washington, DC

Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne W. Patterson will discuss the future of US-Egyptian relations at a luncheon event at the Cosmos Club. Ambassador Patterson served as Ambassador to Egypt from 2011 to 2013 and as Ambassador to Pakistan from 2007 to 2010. Her wide ranging experience also includes serving as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Deputy Permanent Representative at the US mission to the UN, and as Ambassador to Colombia and El Salvador. She has been awarded the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award twice and was named one of Foreign Policy magazine's Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2011.

View invitation and register

Embassy Series: Ireland
Defining our 21st Century Identity
H.E. Anne Anderson, Ambassador of Ireland to the US

October 8, 2014 | Washington, DC

WFPG will host a reception and program with Ambassador Anne Anderson on October 8, 2014. A career diplomat and Ireland’s first woman ambassador to the US, Ambassador Anderson took up her post in Washington, DC in August 2013. While in Washington, Ambassador Anderson is particularly focused on further strengthening Ireland-US economic, trade and investment links; highlighting Ireland’s interests in relation to reform of US immigration legislation; supporting US interest and engagement on key issues still to be fully addressed in Northern Ireland; and further deepening the vibrant cultural connections between the two countries.

View invitation and register

Celebration of Women Diplomats in NY and DC 

May 7, 2014 | New York, NY
July 7, 2014 | Washington, DC

This summer the Women's Foreign Policy Group held its annual Celebrations of Women Diplomats. The New York event honored the achievements of women permanent representatives to the UN and consuls general, including the ambassadors of Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Liberia, and Qatar, as well as numerous deputy permanent representatives. The DC event honored the achievements of women ambassadors and deputy chiefs of mission to the United States, including the ambassadors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, the DRC, Ecuador, Ireland, and Liechtenstein, as well as the Chargé d'Affaires of Costa Rica and a number of deputy chiefs of mission. The events were hosted by Ambassador Claudia Fritsche of Liechtenstein in DC and WFPG Member Geraldine Kunstadter in NY.  Read More: NY Event | DC Event

State Department Briefing
US Foreign Policy: Challenges and Opportunities in Africa
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

June 23, 2014 | Washington, DC

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield addressed the challenges and opportunities in US-Africa foreign policy in her remarks to WFPG members and guests. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield discussed key US priorities on the continent including counter-terrorism strategies in Nigeria and the Horn of Africa, development and human rights issues, and opportunities for increased US-Africa economic cooperation through Power Africa and Trade Africa. The Ambassador also spoke about two significant initiatives being held this summer to promote African leadership, the Young African Leaders Initiative and the African Leaders Summit. Read More | Photos

Will President Sisi Bring Stability to Egypt?
Michele Dunne, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

July 1, 2014 | Washington, DC

Michele Dunne talked to WFPG members and guests about whether President Sisi will bring stability to Egypt. Dunne discussed what it would take to achieve stability and prosperity in Egypt, as well as Egyptian relations with other Arab countries and with the United States. In terms of achieving stability, Dunne argued that the Sisi administration's repressive policies, such as restrictions on press and political freedoms, are exacerbating the deep divisions in Egyptian society rather than building consensus. She asserted that as long as this repressive climate persists, stability is unlikely. Read More | Photos

Russia and Ukraine: Past, Present, and Future
Kimberly Marten, Barnard College and Columbia University

May 19, 2014 | New York, NY

At 

Progress or Peril: The Role for Women in Defining Afghanistan's Future
Michelle Barsa, Institute for Inclusive Security

June 5, 2014 | Washington, DC

Michelle Barsa briefed WFPG on the role of women in Afghanistan's future. Barsa spoke about the importance of women in the Afghan presidential election, the prospect of a political settlement with the Taliban, and the impact of the withdrawal of US and other international forces from the country starting in 2014. She also discussed how the stability of Afghanistan is inextricably linked with promoting women's rights and women's participation. Read More | Photos

Where Do You Start? Careers in International Affairs
August 5, 2014 | Washington, DC

The WFPG hosted a panel discussion on careers in international affairs as part of its commitment to mentoring the next generation of women leaders. The panel of experienced professionals included: Ambassador Linda Jewell, a retired US Foreign Service Officer and Executive Vice President of International Student Exchange Programs; Stefania Piffanelli, Deputy Director of the United Nations Information Center in Washington, DC; WFPG Board Secretary and Treasurer Dawn Calabia; and moderator Patricia Ellis, WFPG President. The conversation covered a range of topics including career development and job-seeking strategies, as well as advice for building confidence and maintaining a work-life balance, with the panelists sharing personal stories and words of wisdom with the students and young professionals. Read More | Photos

WFPG Member Networking Reception

September 8, 2014 | Washington, DC

In September, Women's Foreign Policy Group hosted our first networking reception, which was a great success. Members were able to meet, connect, catch up with fellow members, and welcome new members to the WFPG family in a casual networking atmosphere. WFPG seeks to connect women of all ages from across all sectors of the foreign policy community.

Thank You Summer Interns

This summer, WFPG was delighted to host four wonderful future foreign policy leaders as part of our internship program. Many thanks to: Samantha Sherman (Senior, Dartmouth College), Shanna Cole (Senior, George Washington University), Katherine Kirk (Sophomore Yale University), and Jennifer Schrock (Recent Graduate, University of Ottawa). We look forward to welcoming our fall class to the WFPG family! Meet our Interns

WFPG Mourns the Loss of Former Board Member Ruth Ann Stewart

On May 30th, Ruth Ann Stewart, beloved wife of thirty years of historian David Levering Lewis, died of ovarian cancer. She was recognized as a pioneer in the field of public arts policy, during which time she served almost a decade as a clinical professor of Public Policy at NYU's Robert F. Wagner's School of Public Service, where she co-edited Understanding the Creative Sector in the United States (Rutgers 2008), now a benchmark in the field. Her life of Booker T. Washington's daughter, Portia (Doubleday 1977), contributed meaningfully to feminist biography. She also served as a clinical professor at Rutger’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, associate director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, assistant director of publications of the New York Public Library, and senior policy analyst in arts, humanities and social legislation at the Congressional Research Service. Ruth served as board member of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Read the full obituary