In the past five months, PS21 has held a number of substantial and thought-provoking discussions, published some excellent pieces of writing and analysis on our website, and released our own research on rising conflict trends. And we have even more planned for the second half of 2015.
Our Upcoming Events:
London
July 6, Kidnap and Ransom. From Isis to Somali pirates, the last decade has seen an unprecedented level of interest in kidnap and ransom. PS21 brings together a uniquely qualified panel to look at the elite group of specialists who offer negotiation skills in this sphere and to consider what role governments should take when it comes to paying ransom to kidnappers. The discussion will be moderated by PS21 executive director Peter Apps, and the panel will include Nigel Inkster, former deputy-chief Secret Intelligence (MI6), Brittany Damora, Senior Operations Manager, Kidnap and Ransom, Aegis Response and Nigel Brennan, Photojournalist and author who was kidnapped in Somalia in 2008 and held hostage for 15 months. This event is currently fully booked – please email ps21central@gmail.com if you would like to go on a waiting list.
July 29, Beyond the SDSR. As Britain’s’ Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) gets underway, we have an excellent panel to discuss the defence challenges facing the UK and how they might be addressed. How should the UK handle new challenges such as a resurgent Russia and the prospect of Scottish independence? What do the British people really want? And regardless of the answer, is there any option other than doing less with less? Chair: Peter Apps:Executive Director PS21. Panel includes Patrick Bury, Former Captain British Army Royal Irish Regiment. PhD Candidate at the University of Exeter’s Strategy and Security Institute, Philip Thicknesse, Former head of Futures UK Defence Concepts and Doctrines Centre, Tom Bruxner, British Army officer, Defense Concepts and Doctrine Center, Josh Arnold-Forster Former Special Advisor to John Reid MP, Defence Secretary 2005-2006, now Strategic Advisor at Hanover. RSVP here.
Washington DC
July 14, Making it in DC and beyond. As the intern season in Washington reaches its height, PS21 will host a discussion on what it takes to make it in DC and foreign policy. Moderated by Negar Razavi, social anthropologist and PS21 global fellow, the discussion will include the following panellists: Ali Wyne, member of the adjunct faculty, RAND Corporation and Kathryn Floyd, Professor of International Relations at the College of William & Mary. Additional panellists will be announced shortly. RSVP here.
July 21, Rebuilding Afghanistan: Transparency and Accountability in America’s Longest War. As the longest running and one of the most expensive wars in U.S. history winds down, PS21 asks: just where did the money go? We are delighted to present a discussion with the man looking into that very question, Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John F. Spoko. Also on the panel will be Andy Wright, Founding Editor of Just Security. RSVP here.
July 28, Event with Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer. We are excited to invite you to join us for a conversation with Ian Bremmer, President of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group and leading geopolitical thinker. His latest book, “Superpower”, examines the potential routes forward for the United States in a new and uncertain era. The event will be moderated by Ali Wyne, PS21 Global Fellow and member of the adjunct staff at the RAND Corporation. To book your spot, RSVP here.
This week at PS21:
On Monday, we published this report on countering violent extremismfrom our first event in New York in conjunction with New York University’s Just Security. The discussion featured Richard Barrett, former head UN Al-Qaeda/Taliban monitoring team and member of PS21 international advisory group, and Faiza Patel, founding editor of Just Security and member of the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries. The discussion was moderated by Just Security’s Co-Editor-in-Chief, Ryan Goodman.
moderated by Ryan Hagemann, Civil Liberties Policy Analyst at the Niskanen Center and adjunct fellow at TechFreedom. The panellists for this included Erik Lin-Greenberg, Former US Air Officer, PhD candidate Columbia University and Lisa Ellman, Counsel for McKenna & Aldridge LLP and former senior roles in the White House and Department of Justice
Amitha Rajan, former Reuters journalist as well as contributor and volunteer at PS21, recently completed an MA at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Read her insightful piece on Narendra Modi’s Foreign Policy – The View from the West
Previous PS21 Reports:
17/06/2015 What Would a Hillary Clinton Foreign Policy Look like?
10/06/2015 Former UK Special Forces Chief on 21st Century Defence
31/05/2015 The ISIS War: Where Are We?
17/03/2015 Death Toll in 2014’s Bloodiest Wars Sharply Up on Previous Year
Other Articles:
June 2015
24/06/2015 The Confederate flag is a useful reminder – Donna Bryson
23/06/2015 Chaos and Complexity: megacity management David Rubens
22/06/2015 How will the war against the Islamic State End? – Peter Apps
18/06/2015 PS21 DC Event with Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer
15/06/2015 Not just a click! Online activism not slacktivism – Sandy Schumann
15/06/2015 IS advances in Libya: NATO again? – Patrick Bury
11/06/2015 PS21 Announces Governing Board
09/06/2015 Iraq America’s best hope in the Middle East – Payam Ghalehdar
04/06/2015 Sisi’s foreign policy – David Hartwell
03/06/2015 ‘New’ Terrorism – Dr. Chris Mackmurdo & Dr Alia Brahimi
01/06/2015 A South China Sea Air Defence Zone? – Erik Lin-Greenberg
May 2015
27/05/2015 What next for Britain? – David Murrin
21/05/2015 London event takeaways: The UK election – what we’ve learned
19/05/2015 Italicum: Achieving governability and democracy – Giulia Pastorella
14/05/2015 African strategies key in addressing terrorism – Edward Wanyonyi
14/05/2015 New York May 29 Event: Countering Violent Extremism
14/05/2015 Karachi: low-intensity attacks increase minority risk- Omar Hamid
11/05/2015 SNP victories real seismic change in UK election – Peter Apps
08/05/2015 PS 21: The First 100 Days
06/05/2015 Event Takeaways: The Middle East in Flux
06/05/2015 What now for Libya? – Patrick Bury
04/05/2015 The Rise of Anti-Immigrant Movements – Sandy Schumann
03/05/2015 What does this election tell us about modern Britain? – Peter Apps
April 2015
30/04/2015 DC and London UK Election Discussions: Key Takeaways
29/04/2015 What Russia really thinks on Ukraine – Vassily Kashin
28/04/2015 A Migrant’s Short Story – Emmanuel Akintwu
28/04/2015 Dangerous Crossing: migrants in Mediterranean – Peter Apps
27/04/2015 Nigeria’s next challenge: its constitution – Eric Mwiine-Magaju
24/04/2015 Crime and Counterterrorism in Karachi: DC Event Key Takeaways
23/04/2015 High Spending Russia Closes Naval Gap – Philip Thicknesse
21/04/2015 A hashtag’s unintended consequences – Emmanuel Akinwotu
20/04/2015 Cyber Insurance – An Emerging Market – Tom Allen
13/04/2015 The rise of “National Innovation Foundations”- Frank Spring
10/04/2015 University attack stark lessons for Kenya- Edward Wanyonyi
09/04/2015 Organising in the 21st Century- Linda Tirado
05/04/2015 The Islamic State in Libya- Alia Brahimi
02/04/2015 The 21st Century Clash of Cultures- David Murrin
01/04/2015 Deepnet: is the “bad web” good or evil?- Michael Gillespie
Project for the Study of the 21st Century 