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

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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.

The morning sessions featured briefings by the following UN officials: Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, Deputy Permanent Representative of the US Mission to the UN; 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; Dr. Robert Orr, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning; and Jane Holl Lute, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Officer-in-charge of the Department of Field Support. Click here to read more

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

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.

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 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

June 19, 2008 | New York, NY

Author Series Event

Re-Engage!

American and the World after Bush,

An Informed Citizen's Guide

Helena Cobban
Contributing Editor, Boston Review

New York, NY

June 13, 2008 | Washington, DC

Author Series Event

The Cost of Counterterrorism:
Power, Politics, and Liberty

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

The Academy for Educational Development

Washington, DC

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May 13, 2008 | Washington, DC

Author Series Event

Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East

Robin Wright
Diplomatic Correspondent
The Washington Post

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia

Washington, DC

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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

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United Nations

New York, NY

April 24, 2008 | Washington, DC

Embassy Series Event:

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

The Residence of the Ambassador

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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

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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

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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

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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