TBA
Afghanistan: Where Do We Go From Here? | His Excellency Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad, Friday, December 4, 2009 Join Robert Guttman, CPFR Director; Beth Mendelsohn, Chief of Voice of America's Afghan Service and Washington Bureau Chief for the Financial Times, Edward Luce hear from the Afghanistan Ambassador to the United States, discussing the current state of affairs of the country as well as the future of Afghanistan. The event was covered in Carried Live on C-SPAN TV. Climate Change Policy Lessons From Europe: Innovative Approaches to Renewable Energy Promotion and the EU Carbon Cap and Trade Program, November 17, 2009 "Copenhagen is not going to produce a final agreement...the world is rather pessimistic...the world is still very far apart..." remarked Environmental Lawyer and Founder and President of Earthpace, LLC, Kenneth Markowitz. This third and final workshop on climate change and energy policy took a less than optimistic tone about the possible outcome of the UNFCC Conference in Copenhagen. On the other hand, Martin Schöpe, division head of international and European affairs of renewable energy at the Federal Environment Ministry, believed that something "positive" could come from the upcoming talks. Schöpe provided insight into the possibilities of renewable energy and spoke about the great progress Germany is making in this field. Ending with a statement about the world leaders who are tackling this issue, Markowitz said that "it's not a lack of effort, but a lack of political will" that will prevent a resolution from being agreed upon this December in Copenhagen. The world can only wait and hope that these world leaders get their act together and face the challenge of climate change head on. Friedo Sielemann, counselor for environment and energy at the Embassy of Germany, moderated the workshop. This event was put on by the JHU SAIS Center on Politics and Foreign Relations, JHU Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Transatlantic Climate Bridge and Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. Johns Hopkins SAIS Center on Politics and Foreign Relations Breakfast Series: The Road to Copenhagen and the UN Climate Change Conference, China's Developing Country Perspective, November 12, 2009 Chen Huan, Deputy Director of the Chinese government Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Fund in the Ministry of Finance as well as a member of the Chinese Delegation to the UNFCC Conference in Copenhagen, feels “the environment is a daunting challenge, but China has made real progress with energy efficiency, even during the recession.” Huan spoke about the Clean Development Mechanism Fund and said it was one of the “top mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol.” He elaborated on the purpose of the CDM as well as what China is already doing to combat climate change. There is a strong sense of Chinese-American collaboration and Huan says that “China wants to try something new” and that “international cooperation is the best way for CDM to do business, the smart way.” Huan ended with the sentiment, “Everyone wants a success in Copenhagen or we will lose momentum” and reminded the crowd of students, diplomats and journalists that “Copenhagen cannot set us backwords.” This breakfast talk was sponsored by CPFR and the National Center for Sustainable Development (NCSD) Johns Hopkins University SAIS Center on Politics & Foreign Relations Post Election Breakfast November 5, 2009  CPFR Director Robert Guttman felt "the wins in Virginia and New Jersey by the Republican candidates in the governors' races were very much a referendum on the Obama administrations' policies, especially their economic policies." Local and state issues were involved in both states but economic issues were the dominant issues on voters' minds in both states. It was also an anti-incumbent vote and historically both states in the past decade have voted against the party in the White House." Election night in Virgina and New Jersey were victories for the Republicans and a wake-up call for the Democratic party that they need to re-think some of their policies especially with record high unemployment at the moment." Guttman ended his talk with a brief preview of the 2010 congressional races and announced that his Center at SAIS will be holding breakfasts thoroughout 2010 looking at the key Senate, House and gubernatorial races. More than 30 diplomats, journalists and students attended the CPFR breakfast analyzing the 2009 off year election results at Johns Hopkins on November 3, 2009
Countdown to Copenhagen October 20, 2009 On October 20, 2009, in anticipation of the upcoming December 7-18, 2009, “United Nations Climate Change Conference” in Copenhagen,” the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies’(SAIS) Center on Politics & Foreign Relations, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Johns Hopkins University Government Program co-sponsored a workshop on “A Transatlantic Perspective on Climate Change and Energy Policy…Looking Ahead to Copenhagen—and Beyond.” The forum, held on the DC campus of Johns Hopkins University, was the second in a three part series initiated by the German Embassy to showcase their Transatlantic Climate Bridge Initiative. A trio of experts, led by Sascha Mull-Kraenner (Senior Policy Adviser and European Representative, The Nature Conservancy; Co-Founder and Senior Advisor, Ecologic, Berlin) and including Brent Blackwelder (President Emeritus, Friends of the Earth) and William Pederson (Of Counsel, Perkins Coie LLP) were introduced by Anja Kueppers (Communications Officer, Climate Change and Energy Policy, German Embassy). The panel, which was moderated by Edward Gresser (Director of Trade and Global Markets Project for the Progressive Policy Institute), debated the very critical role that Europe and the United States will be playing in Copenhagen to reach the goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Will the Obama White House be willing and able to prioritize this ambitious challenge? Will Germany, the number one world leader in solar electricity, be a key player in Copenhagen? What role will Brazil, India and China play at the UN Conference? We’ll all follow the above questions and more over the months ahead as Copenhagen approaches and happens. The third Transatlantic Climate Bridge workshop on environmental change and proposed energy initiatives will be held on November 17th at Johns Hopkins University. The Vail Symposium and the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Center on Politics and Foreign Relations will be hosting a two day conference interpreting and analyzing what happened in Copenhagen; the dates are March 22 and March 23, 2010 in Vail, Colorado. Johns Hopkins University - SAIS Election Night Reception featuring CPFR Director Robert Guttman
November 4, 2008 
On Election Day November 4, 2008 CPFR Director Robert Guttman hosted an election night reception at Johns Hopkins University SAIS in Washington, D.C. for more than 400 diplomats, journalists and graduate students. Guttman and other SAIS faculty members gave analysis and commentary during the night on the election returns and later in the evening discussed the significance of Obama’s victory. Beer and pizza were served to our guests throughout the evening. Several foreign networks set up at our reception at SAIS to broadcast back to their home countries what was happening in the U.S. election. CPFR/FT Breakfast in Denver, Colorado: “Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership” featuring keynote speaker former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
August 28, 2008 
On August 28, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright spoke to a crowd of about 150 at the Denver Press Club, discussing America’s international image to a crowd that included several ambassadors and foreign ministers as well as the First Lady of Colorado, Jeannie Ritter. Secretary Albright stated that the next president with have to shore up America’s alliances and patch relations with our allies. She then signed copies of her new book, Memo to the President-Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership. CPFR/FT Breakfast in Denver, Colorado: “A View of the Election” featuring keynote speaker Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell
August 26, 2008 
At the Denver Press Club during the Democratic National Convention, Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania talked to a crowd of politicians, delegates, foreign ambassadors and national and international journalists about the 2008 presidential election. He predicted that although Senator Barack Obama needs to work on his support among the union workers of Pennsylvania, the Democratic nominee would be able to take Pennsylvania by several percentage points. Governor Rendell also spoke of the mistreatment of Senator Hillary Clinton by the press during the primary season. He then took questions from the crowd. CPFR/Vail Symposium event in Beaver Creek, Colorado: "Economic Problems of the Next President" featuring keynote speaker Roger Altman, Founder and CEO of Evercore Partners and former Deputy Secretary to the Treasury.
August 23, 2008 
At a pre-Democratic National Convention weekend in Beaver Creek, Colorado sponsored by CPFR and the Vail Symposium, former Deputy Secretary to the Treasury and Wall Street banker Roger Altman warned his diverse audience that the next president of the U.S. will face dire economic issues. Whether the president is Senator Obama or Senator McCain, Altman explained that either will have to solve major problems within the financial and economic structure of the U.S. CPFR/CTR Talk on the “European Future of Serbia and the Balkans” featuring keynote speaker Bozidar Djelic, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia.
April 14, 2008 "Serbia wants to get closer to the EU and the US” said Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, a Harvard graduate who was featured in Forbes 2002 list of 100 top young leaders, during his talk on April 14th. The Deputy Prime Minister who has a rich background as an economist and politician discussed at the CPFR/CTR talk Serbia’s major achievements in 2007 and the European agenda for 2008. He provided information on Serbian macroeconomic stability and growth and discussed the numerous opportunities in strategic sectors, also saying “Stability is taking a deep hold in our country.” Furthermore, he noted that despite the challenges associated with the European Integration process, Serbia needs the clear and unequivocal support of the EU. He stated “We are working hard to meet EU standards and to join the EU. EU membership is a deep hope for our country.” He hopes that the Republic of Serbia will be admitted to the EU by 2012. At the end of his talk he added “We are normal; we want to be a boring country in Europe. By the way, Serbia is fun; Belgrade has the best nightlife in Europe,” inviting participants to visit his country. Serbia’s next parliamentary elections will be taking place on May 11th, 2008. With Serbia’s pro-Western coalition trailing the ultranationalist radical party by a slim margin, the EU has been pushing its members to offer a new pre membership aid and trade pact to Serbia.  CPFR Breakfast Discussion: "The Politics of National Security"
Featuring Keynote Speaker Senator Joseph Lieberman (Independent-Democrat - Connecticut)
November 8, 2007
Senator Joseph Lieberman, Independent-Democrat from Connecticut,spoke at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies on Thursday, November 8, 2007. Senator Lieberman gave the keynote speech for a program titled "The Politics of National Security," co-sponsored by the Center on Politics & Foreign Policy and the Financial Times. Over 200 people were in attendance, including students, members of the media, ambassadors, embassy staff, and members of the public. Senator Lieberman's speech discussed the changes that have taken place within the Republican and Democratic foreign policy platforms throughout history, noting the shifts within the Democratic party from the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt through the present. Senator Lieberman talked about how his identification as an Independent-Democrat reflects the traditional Democratic ideas on foreign policy.  CPFR Breakfast Discussion:“Does Soft Power Apply to All? The Role of Small States in Multilateral Organizations.” Featuring keynote speaker Rita Kieber-Beck, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Principality of Liechtenstein
September 27, 2007
Rita Kieber-Beck, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Principality of Liechtenstein, spoke at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies’ Center for Politics and Foreign Relations on Thursday, September 27, 2007. Ms. Kieber-Beck was the keynote speaker for the program titled, “Does Soft Power Apply to All? The Role of Small States in Multilateral Organizations.” Over 30 people participated in the event, including Ambassador Claudia Fritsche of Liechtenstein, Ambassador Urs Ziswiler of Switzerland, Ambassador Albert Jónsson of Iceland, and Ambassador Mark Miceli of Malta. The event also attracted numerous students, professors, and members of the public. Kieber-Beck’s speech discussed Liechtenstein’s special relationship with Switzerland, its reasons for not joining the European Union, as well as the economic and political landscape of the small principality, which is approximately the size of the District of Columbia. In the question and answer segment that followed her speech, Ms. Kieber-Beck was asked how one becomes a citizen in Liechtenstein. Ms. Kieber Beck said that you must live in Liechtenstein for thirty years before applying for citizenship, but the time can be shortened to five years-if you marry a citizen of Liechtenstein.  CPFR/FT Breakfast Discussion with Rep. Ron Paul
September 11, 2007
The SAIS Center on Politics and Foreign Relations and the Financial Times hosted “A Traditional Non-Intervention Foreign Policy” featuring keynote speaker Congressman Ron Paul on Tuesday, September 11, 2007.
Rep. Paul currently represents the 14th Congressional District of Texas, and is seeking the Republican nomination for the 2008 Presidential Election. In Paul's opinion most terrorism, including the attacks on September 11, 2001, could have been avoided, had the United States not had such a presence in the Middle East. Congressman Paul advocated for a troop pull-out in Iraq and a return to the gold standard. The Congressman spoke to a crowd of nearly 200 energetic supporters, students, faculty, and members of the public, curious to hear what the controversial Congressman had to say. Paul's comments certainly generated interesting discussion and debate, and the event was covered by several media outlets, which are linked below.
The Dallas Morning News
The Huffington Post  CPFR/FT Democratic Debate on Iraq
The SAIS Center on Politics and Foreign Relations and the Financial Times hosted “Democratic Debate on Iraq: Presidential Candidates Present Their Views” on Wednesday, June 6, 2007. The 2008 Democratic presidential candidates Senator Joe Biden, former Senator Mike Gravel and Congressman Dennis Kucinich participated in the debate, presenting their strategies for Iraq to an audience of more than 450 diplomats, journalists and graduate students. Both the House and the Senate were casting votes that evening, but the candidates hurried from Capitol Hill to present their views on this dominant issue “without sound bites”. Links to media coverage of the event are listed below. The Hill Gannett News Service- Delaware Online
The News & Observer The Huffington Post
The Democratic Party- Community Blogs On the Trail - '08
COX Newspapers Washington Bureau transAtlantic Magazine Online  CPFR Breakfast Discussion with General Wesley Clark
On May 16, 2007 four-star Army General Wesley Clark spoke at our CPFR/Financial Times breakfast. General Clark stressed the necessity of restoring the legitimacy of America as the “first task for American security”. The distinguished military officer said regaining “legitimacy of purpose and method [would] provide the bedrock for our successful foreign policy and successful strategy for winning the war on terror” which can only be accomplished by understanding “what’s gone wrong.” General Clark went on to chronicle how we have lost legitimacy and how we can regain it by changing what we’re doing aboard, changing some of our laws and polices at home and by “making some inquires … about past conduct.” Clark captivated an audience of over 250 guests, including ambassadors, journalists, veterans and graduate students. The General’s speech received a positive response with many attendees hoping he will soon join the race for the White House in 2008 as a presidential candidate. CPFR Breakfast Discussion with Congressman Dennis Kucinich
 Congressman Dennis Kucinich, a 2008 Democratic presidential candidate, spoke at our CPFR/Financial Times breakfast on April 26th on “The Imperative of Human Unity.” The congressman from Ohio presented his reasons for calling for the impeachment of Vice-President Dick Cheney and strongly expressed his ideas of unity and peace.
The former mayor of Cleveland stated that Vice-President Cheney has “violated his duties by deceiving people over WMDs in Iraq” among other reasons that inspired Kucinich’s articles of impeachment, which he released the evening before our conference. The congressman sees himself as the main anti-Iraq war candidate and hopes this will lead to his success in the New Hampshire primary. Citing his imperatives for “peace, unity, equality and protecting the health of our planet”, Kucinich believes his program is the best for the future of America both domestically and abroad. Kucinich drew a diverse crowd ranging from journalists to graduate students to representatives from peace organizations. CPFR Breakfast Discussion with Governor Bill Richardson
 On March 28th at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson spoke at our CPFR/Financial Times breakfast and unveiled his strategy to prevent nuclear terrorism. The former United States Congressman and Ambassador to the United Nations discussed the need for what he calls “New Realism”, a policy for dealing with the new realities of the 21st century.
The former Secretary of Energy spoke about the new dangers facing America, saying our ideas about national security need to be adapted to an age in which the nuclear threat come not from a missile, but “from a suitcase or a cargo hull.” Richardson outlined a comprehensive strategy for preventing nuclear terrorism, including halting nuclear weapons proliferation, halting nuclear weapons production and reducing the size of nuclear arsenals, and consolidating and securing all existing fissile materials and all future production associated with nuclear energy and research worldwide. Richardson entertained his audience of over 250 guests, including ambassadors, journalists and graduate students with his topical sense of humor and foreign policy knowledge. CPFR Breakfast Discussion with Peter G. Peterson, co-founder and chairman of the Blackstone Group and chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations
 Peter G. Peterson, who spoke at our CPFR/Financial Times breakfast on February 6th at SAIS on the Quad Deficits stated, "In all my years of observing developments in our political economy, I have never seen so many challenges that I would describe as undeniable, unsustainable and untouchable, politically speaking."
Peterson discussed the long term, current account, savings and our political leadership deficits, which he claims are “inter-related and should be resolved together.” The former Secretary of Commerce and former New York Federal Reserve Chairman criticized America’s current politicians who do not ask citizens to make sacrifices, “If Americans understood the truth and if they felt the required sacrifices were fairly shared, I have faith they would respond.”
The former CEO of Lehman Brothers stated that much of the solution may be found in emphasizing a bipartisan process, using the 9/11 Commission Report as a mark of hope and progress.
Speaking to an audience of one hundred journalists, economists, diplomats and students at SAIS, Peterson captivated his audience with a dash of humor and intelligent insight into the deficit problems facing our nation.
CPFR Breakfast Discussion with Bob Schieffer CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent and Moderator, “Face the Nation”
 CBS News Washington Chief Correspondent and Moderator of "Face the Nation" speaking at our CPFR/Financial Times breakfast on November 14th at SAIS stated, "One thing is for sure, neither side (Democrats or Republicans) wants this war in Iraq to be an issue in 2008."
Schieffer analyzed the recent midterm elections and looked ahead to the 2008 presidential election campaign. The CBS news veteran spoke about the role of the media in the midterm campaign, negative advertising and how the role of the press has dramatically changed since he started covering politics in Texas in the days of Lyndon Johnson.
Speaking of the war in Iraq, Schieffer commented, "We have reached a point on this war where there are no good answers, there are no magic solutions and we're going to be penalized no matter what we do."
Schieffer proved to be a wonderful storyteller recounting the many elections he has covered in the past several decades. Talking to an audience of over one hundred journalists, diplomats and students at SAIS Schieffer was impressive with his wide ranging anecdotes on presidents, presidential aspirants and his many guests on “Face the Nation.”
CPFR Breakfast Forum with Dr. Ivo Sanader, Prime Minister of Croatia
 While in Washington D.C. for an official visit with President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Rice, Prime Minister of Croatia Dr. Ivo Sanader made a detour by our Center on Politics & Foreign Relations on October 18 to give a speech on how Croatia has become an “engine for change.”
Dr. Ivo Sanader focused his remarks on how joining the EU and NATO would be a “huge step forward” for his country as they are equally important. “They share the same values that are freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights, free market economy and war on terrorism,” Sanader said.
While speaking at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, the Prime Minister pointed out that October 18, 2006 was a “very special day” as Croatia was finishing the first session of the negotiations with the EU which they hope to join by 2009.
NATO is another goal for Croatia. Dr. Sanader was very grateful to President Bush who stated during their discussions that he “will make the case that Croatia should be admitted. It seems like a reasonable date would be 2008.” The Prime Minister believes that this great news is not only very encouraging for Croatia but also for its neighbors and confirms that Croatia “really is a success story.”
Click here to download or listen to audio of the event.
CPFR Inaugural Event with Senator John Kerry
 Senator John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, gave a blistering speech attacking the Bush Administration’s foreign policy at the inaugural Politics and Foreign Policy breakfast at the new Center on Politics and Foreign Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. on September 28th.
Kerry, denouncing the administration’s policies from Iraq to Afghanistan, vigorously stated, “ . . .We have a Katrina foreign policy - a succession of blunders and failures that have betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it.” The Massachusetts senator spoke of the 5 R’s that he recommends to have a more effective foreign policy which include “redeploy from Iraq; re-commit to Afghanistan; reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reinforce our homeland defense and restore America’s moral leadership in the world.” Kerry, calling for a date certain for bringing American troops home from Iraq, proclaimed, “So we must set another deadline to extricate our troops and get Iraq up on its own two feet - a clear deadline of July, 2007 to redeploy our combat troops. Make Iraqis stand up for Iraq - and bring our heroes home.”Speaking before a large audience of nearly 400 journalists, diplomats and students the senator received a standing ovation at the end of his speech. Robert Guttman, the director of CPFR and Guy Dinmore, the U.S. diplomatic correspondent for the Financial Times were the co-moderators for the event. Click here to read the prepared remarks.
Click here to download or listen to audio of the event.
Click here to watch video of the remarks.
Click here to watch video of the Q&A. Click here for Conference Archives
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