A Growing Humanitarian Crisis: Refugees and IDPs in Syria, Iraq and Turkey
Daryl Grisgraber, Refugees International

October 28, 2014 | Washington, DC

Join WFPG to hear from Refugees International Senior Advocate Daryl Grisgraber, who has just returned from working with refugees and IDPs in Lebanon and Iraqi Kurdistan. Since the outbreak of civil war in Syria, an estimated 9 million Syrians have fled their homes. According to the UNHCR, 2.5 million refugees have fled to Syria's neighbors, including Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Advances by ISIS have continued to intensify the crisis. Across the border in Iraq, over a million Iraqis have fled ISIS controlled areas. 

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Embassy Series: Italy
Italy and the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
H.E. Claudio Bisogniero, Ambassador of Italy to the US

October 30, 2014 | Washington, DC

WFPG is pleased to announce a special WFPG member event hosted at Villa Firenze, the Residence of the Italian Ambassador. Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero of Italy will join Karen DeYoung of The Washington Post for a discussion on “Italy and the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.” Prior to his current post, Ambassador Bisogniero served as NATO Deputy Secretary General, Director General for the Americas, and Deputy Director General for Political Multilateral Affairs. Registration for this event is open to WFPG Members only.

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Combating the Spread of Ebola: The US Aid Effort in Liberia
Helene Cooper, The New York Times

November 3, 2014 | Washington, DC

New York Times Pentagon Correspondent Helene Cooper has just returned from a two-week assignment covering the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. Join WFPG and NYU Washington, DC‎ for a timely discussion with her on US efforts to combat the spread of Ebola in Liberia. Born in Monrovia, Liberia, Cooper has reported from 64 countries, from Pakistan to the Congo. She is also the author of the New York Times best seller “The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood.” The program will be moderated by WFPG Board Member and New York Times Deputy Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller.

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Turkish Foreign Policy: A Balancing Act
Gönül Tol, Middle East Institute

November 7, 2014 | Washington, DC

Join us to hear from Gönül Tol, the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, on the balancing act of Turkish foreign policy. Dr. Tol is a frequent expert commentator on events unfolding in Turkey, her articles and op-eds have been published on CNN.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post. Her most recent pieces include: Turkey's tough choice: Take on ISIS or the PKK? and Is Turkey Finally Ready to Aid Military Strikes Against ISIS?. Dr. Tol is also an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies.

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The Situation in Syria: Providing Medical Relief during Conflict
Dr. Deane Marchbein, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières

November 13, 2014 | New York, NY

Now into its fourth year, the war in Syria has led to more than 150,000 deaths and driven an estimated 9 million people from their homes. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working on the ground in Syria and in neighboring countries since the onset of the conflict, first supporting medical facilities with supplies, then establishing independent facilities. Join WFPG and the Institute of International Education to hear from Dr. Deane Marchbein about the situation on the ground.

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Embassy Series: Japan
Japan's Foreign Policy: Now and Future
H.E. Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador of Japan to the US

November 20, 2014 | Washington, DC

WFPG is pleased to announce a special Embassy Series event on Japanese foreign policy with Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae. The event will be hosted by Ambassador Sasae at his residence. Ambassador Sasae has served as Ambassador of Japan to the United States since November 2012. Prior to this appointment, he served as Vice Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo (2010-2012), the top civil service job at the ministry, and as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs (2008-2010). His initial foreign assignment was as First Secretary, at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC in 1984. During his posts in Tokyo before the Vice Ministerialship, he served as Deputy Foreign Minister and G8 Political Director (2008-2010).

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Putinism: The World According to Vladimir Putin
Jill Dougherty, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

September 9, 2014 | Washington, DC

Jill Dougherty, a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, spoke to the WFPG on “Putinism: The World According to Vladimir Putin.” Outlining Putin’s personal background, she discussed how growing up in poverty in Leningrad, his background in Judo, and career in the KGB have influenced his leadership style and foreign policy. In her remarks, she also addressed Putin’s ideology and his use of soft power and propaganda. Read More | Photos

Embassy Series: Spain
A Conversation on Trans-Atlantic Relations: Spain, the US, and the EU
H.E. Ramón Gil-Casares, Ambassador of Spain to the United States

September 11, 2014 | Washington, DC

The Spanish Ambassador to the US, Ramón Gil-Casares, addressed WFPG members and guests on transatlantic relations between Spain, the US and the EU. His remarks covered a wide range of topics, including Spanish-American historical and cultural ties, current economic relations, and common US and European foreign policy and security interests. The program was hosted at the Ambassador's residence and moderated by WFPG Board Chair Ann Stock. Read More | Photos  

Looking towards UNGA 69
Peace, Security and Development: New Perspectives and Partnerships
Mahmoud Mohieldin, The World Bank
H.E. Faida Mitifu, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the US

September 18, 2014 | Washington, DC

WFPG and the Embassy of New Zealand hosted a discussion with Mahmoud Mohieldin, the World Bank's Corporate Secretary and President's Special Envoy on the MDGs, and Ambassador Faida Mitifu of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the subject of peace, security, and development. The discussion was moderated by Ambassador Amanda Ellis of New Zealand's Office of the UN in Geneva. Photos  

State Department Briefing
US Priorities at the UN General Assembly
Bathsheba Crocker, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations

September 26, 2014 | Washington, DC

Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations Bathsheba Crocker addressed WFPG members and guests on US Priorities at the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Crocker discussed President Obama’s Speech to the UN General Assembly with a focus on ISIL, Ebola, climate change, peacekeeping, the Israeli-Palestine conflict, and the current conflict between Russia and the Ukraine. Photos 

State Department Briefing
Transitions, Revolutions, Sectarian Strife, and ISIL
An Inside Look into a Volatile Region
H.E. Anne Patterson, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

October 1, 2014 | Washington, DC

Ambassador Anne Patterson, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, spoke to WFPG members and guests on "Transitions, Revolutions, Sectarian Strife and ISIL: An Inside Look into a Volatile Region." She covered the impacts of ISIL on the Middle East, the fallout from the Arab Spring and her predictions about the future of the region. The event was moderated by Karen DeYoung of The Washington Post. Photos

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

October 8, 2014 | Washington, DC

H.E. Anne Anderson, Ambassador of Ireland to the US, joined WFPG members and guests to discuss defining Ireland's identity in the 21st century. In her remarks and the following discussion with WFPG Board Chair Ann Stock, Ambassador Anderson also discussed the Irish economy and immigration. The event was held at Ambassador Anderson's residence. Photos