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BUILDING TRUST | INFLUENCING POLICIES | DELIVERING SOLUTIONS | EastWest Institute’s Quarterly Newsletter | SUMMER 2012 | www.ewi.info
>> In this issue:
President’s > Continuing International Cybersecurity Efforts Message > Strengthening U.S.-Russia Relations > AFFORDABLE WORLD SECURITY CONFERENCE > Change Agent: Bill Ide > EWI Leader: Guenter Overfeld
Uniting Afghan and Pakistani Women Parliamentarians
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hough Afghan women parliamentarians occupy nearly a third of seats in their parliament, they struggle to be heard in a male-dominated environment. Pakistani women parliamentarians, while working in a similar context, have made far more political headway. Afghan women parliamentarians are calling for more support from their colleagues in the region, and the EastWest Institute’s Parliamentarians Network has facilitated a series of dialogues to answer that call. In April 2012, EWI partnered with the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly of Pakistan to arrange for the first official delegation of Pakistani women parliamentarians to visit Afghanistan. > [PAGE 3]
Afghans walk on a bridge on the outskirts of Jalalabad (AP Photo)
Find out more about EWI’s Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention: www.parliamentariansforconflictprevention.net
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Developments Latest News from EWI’s Initiatives Continuing International Cybersecurity Efforts
President’s Message
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hese times of uncertainty and complexity test us all. In the end, needed changes come as a result of relationships being built. Solutions are driven by those who trust and understand each other—EWI learned that when we pioneered the earliest SovietAmerican high level military-military dialogue in the early 1980s. Our cover feature on our work with Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians is a contemporary example. The practical work we are doing is a response to requests from the Afghan women parliamentarians to help them lift their game on broader peace and security issues. It illustrates our concerted efforts to fully employ the force of women in building trust and relationships that matter through working on policy issues. That fact that these recent meetings, held in Kabul, were interrupted by a major Taliban assault on the neighborhood where the Afghan and Pakistani parliamentarians (together with the EWI staff) were meeting serves as a sobering reminder of how tough the road ahead will be. But as a large part of the global community exits Afghanistan, there is much we can do to help those who will provide the leadership ahead. This work is run by a smart, courageous and driven EWI team based in Brussels. The leader of our Regional Security Initiative, Ambassador Guenter Overfeld, leaves us after three years of remarkable service. Guenter is on his way next month to serve as Germany’s new ambassador to Mali, and he will lead the EU’s efforts there. Those of you who have been following Al Qaeda’s explosive rise in Africa on the front pages of our major newspapers know that Mali has become the front line in a new fight against terrorism. Meanwhile, we prepare to welcome a new leader of this program, Ambassador Dr. Beate Maeder-Metcalf, who is being seconded to EWI by the German government to replace Ambassador Overfeld. EWI is fortunate in our ability to attract such individuals from all parts of the globe as staff, fellows, directors and members of our network. This issue features some of our current important work with Russians, Chinese and Americans, including an innovative U.S.-Russia joint initiative on Afghan drugs and the highest level Chinese-American military-to-military dialogue, an off-the-record event which EWI convened at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
The Internet puts people, systems and networks in constant contact worldwide, and it requires a global, coordinated effort to protect digital systems from online threats. Responding to this need, EWI will host its third Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit in New Delhi at the end of October 2012. Carrying on the tradition of successful summits in Dallas in 2010 and London in 2011, prominent thinkers, practitioners, and decision makers from around the world will gather to encourage the exchange of ideas and to facilitate the development and implementation of practical solutions to global cybersecurity challenges. As part of its work in this field, EWI continues to offer thought leadership on cybersecurity. On June 3rd, it released its report The Internet Health Model for
Learn More Read the latest cybersecurity report at www.ewi.info/ internet-health
Our Affordable World Security Conference, held in Washington in partnership with the W. P. Carey Foundation, was successful in focusing a non-polemical, non-partisan discussion on the choices that need to be made by America and the global community on peace and prosperity issues in a time of enormous and prolonged austerity for much of the world. We were pleased with the substantial online interaction and will do much more of that in the months to come. We strongly welcome you to be more active at EWI.
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EWI Highlights | SUMMER 2012
John Edwin Mroz www.ewi.info
From the top: President Zardari with the Afghan delegation in Islamabad; President Karzai with the Pakistani delegation in Kabul
To register for the 3rd Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit, visit cybersummit2012.com
Uniting Afghan and Pakistani Women Parliamentarians
Cybersecurity. According to the report, vulnerabilities in cyberspace need to be monitored and analyzed just like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization monitor epidemics and study pathogens. “With this breakthrough report, we have the opportunity to treat the health of the entire Internet as a shared problem needing cooperative solutions,” EWI President John Mroz said. The report was released by a team of experts convened by EWI and sponsored by Microsoft Corporation exactly one year from the day of their first meeting in London. The team examines how the model of international public health can inform efforts to track and block malware and other malicious actors. The study finds that the systemic perspective of public health provides valuable suggestions for how to promote Internet health.
> [CONTINUED] This visit built upon an ongoing twoyear effort of EWI’s Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention to strengthen the role of women in political life, conflict resolution and peace building in Afghanistan.
Shahnaz Wazir Ali, member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, led the parliamentarians in discussion with Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and others about issues related to reconciliation with the Taliban and regional economic cooperation.
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“This initiative is of immense importance to both countries and a great sign of a better future,” said President Karzai. He called for more contacts between women parliamentarians in both countries, saying that such visits are “instrumental in strengthening of trust-building between the two nations.” This delegation is the first step in implementing the Islamabad Action Plan, a set of commitments outlined by Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians during their previous EWI facilitated meeting in Islamabad in June 2011.
The Afghan Parliament’s Commission on Women’s Affairs has made impressive strides in its efforts to combat violence against women. Participants have committed to taking steps towards the creation of an inclusive women’s group in the Afghan parliament, an initiative that has the backing of President Karzai. Participants speaking for Pakistan’s Women’s Parliamentary Caucus pledged their ongoing support to their Afghan colleagues and invited them to Islamabad for an EWI-facilitated follow-up visit later this year.
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Developments Strengthening U.S.-Russia Relations In the face of a cooling relationship, the EastWest Institute continues to build trust between the United States and Russia.
EWI's Joint U.S.-Russia Working Group on Afghan Narcotrafficking meets in Brussels
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n May 23, EWI hosted a discussion on a critical issue in this vital relationship: ballistic missile defense (BMD). Experts and UN diplomats gathered for an off-the-record discussion with Frank Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Policy, Bureau of Arms Control at the U.S. State Department. Central to the issue is a deep divide between the United States and Russia over what a cooperative BMD program should look like. The Russian government has concerns that NATO BMD could be directed against Russian defenses and is insisting on a guarantee that NATO’s system will not be used this way. The United States has repeatedly stated that it understands Russian concerns and that its efforts will not be directed against Russia. Rose urged collaboration, maintaining that the “best assurances for Russia that the U.S. and NATO missile defenses in Europe do not undermine its strategic deterrent would be achieved through close cooperation with the United States and NATO.”
on Afghan Narcotrafficking met at its Brussels center in June to continue its work on producing a Joint Threat Assessment (JTA) on the wide range of challenges posed to both states by the drug trade in Afghanistan. The JTA will include assessments of the following areas: •
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the threats that Afghan narcotrafficking poses specifically to Russia and the U.S. and the shared concerns between these two countries the opium economy in Afghanistan the transnational trade in Afghan opiates and money laundering effects of narcotrafficking on state-building in Afghanistan
The working group plans to finalize the Joint Threat Assessment on the issue in September. This will be followed by a Joint Policy Assessment, which aims to suggest cooperative measures for the two countries to most effectively combat the scourge of narcotrafficking in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, EWI’s Joint U.S.-Russia Working Group
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For full coverage of the Affordable World Security Conference visit: www.affordableworldsecurity.org/live ewinstitute
Clockwise from left: Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and Director of UN Women; Óscar Arias Sánchez, former Presdent of Costa Rica and Nobel Laureate; EWI Co-Chairman Francis Finlay, former Director of the CIA Michael Hayden and EWI President John Mroz; Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz; Nobel Laureate and Chair of the International Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri
New Steps in U.S. - China High Level Dialogues On April 23–27, EWI convened a senior U.S. delegation for meetings with top Chinese officials and experts in Beijing. The confidential meetings, which marked the sixth U.S.–China High-Level Security Dialogue, allowed frank discussion on a wide range of military and geopolitical issues. In June, EWI was involved, for the first time, in coordinating the fourth visit of the Sanya Initiative, an established militaryto-military exchange consisting of retired generals and admirals from the U.S. and China. Led by EWI director Adm. William Owens and former commander of China’s Lanzhou Military Region, General (ret.) Li Qianyuan, the talks in Annapolis, Maryland and Washington allowed for candid, off-therecord discussions between former military leaders from these two powers. Participants discussed key issues in the bilateral relationship, including the future of Afghanistan, Taiwan, the South China Sea, North Korea, and strategic nuclear forces.
Choice Points for America The Affordable World Security Conference
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he U.S. defense budget and a new, broader definition of security were main points of discussion at the Affordable World Security Conference, co-hosted by the W. P. Carey Foundation and EWI. The event, held on March 27-28 at the Newseum in Washington, featured two former heads of state, three Nobel laureates, and other prominent leaders from the private sector and government both in the
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United States and abroad. General Michael Hayden, former director of both the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency, argued that institutional structures “relatively preordain” future outcomes. Change, he said, must come at the institutional level. Participants also assessed the U.S. position in international politics, its dependency on fossil fuels,
and the U.S. relationship with China. Closing the conference, former President of Costa Rica and Nobel peace laureate Óscar Arias Sánchez declared: “Our real enemies today are climate change, poverty, inequality, hunger, disease, environmental degradation and illiteracy, which can create dangers anywhere in the world.” He called for the world to practice the “art of peace,” not the “art of war.”
Delegates met with a number of high-level players on Capitol Hill, including the Senate Armed Services Committee chair and ranking member, Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ), as well as the co-chairs of the House U.S.-China Working Group, Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Charles Boustany (RLA). Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and former Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt hosted a farewell dinner for participants. “China’s civilian and military leadership transition later this year, the U.S. election, and increased attention to the bilateral relationship in both countries also underline the need for greater strategic understanding and trust at high levels.” said EWI Vice President David Firestein. “The sixth High-Level Security Dialogue and the Sanya Initiative meeting reflect EWI’s efforts to promote such understanding and trust during this important period.”
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Connect with EWI’s alumni network on Facebook and LinkedIn: search for “EastWest Institute alumni”
Change Agents People from EWI’s Past and Present EWI Leader: William “Bill” Ide III Counsel and Secretary, EWI Board of Directors
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“To have peace, you have to have stability and relationships, and that’s law. ”
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illiam “Bill” Ide has had a great deal of experience working on issues pertaining to global rule of law. Prior to his current job as a partner at the law firm of McKenna Long and Aldridge LLP, he served as general counsel of the Monsanto Company, an agricultural biotechnology corporation. In that capacity he was often involved in efforts to strenthen the legal systems of developing countries.
that brought him to the attention of EWI director Joel Cowan, a professor at Georgia Tech’s college of management.
He also served as president of the American Bar Association from 1993 to 1994 and as a Counselor to the United States Olympic Committee from 1998 to 2001. A frequent lecturer, Ide is an expert on corporate governance and crisis management.
Ide’s experience working on international legal issues has greatly informed his current work with EWI. “Once you get people talking,” Ide says, “the next step is well now what are you going to do about it? How are you going to function together?” Cooperation, Ide explains, is codified in the form of protocols and memoranda, which are the bases of legal relationships.“The intent of the parties is not to set forth a legal document, but to formalize understandings as to how they can jointly work together to
While president of the American Bar Association, Ide was instrumental in setting up independent judiciaries and independent bar associations around the world, focusing on former Soviet bloc countries. It was his work in this field
Cowan invited Ide to join a group of EWI leaders at an area luncheon, which included Senator Sam Nunn, EWI Chairman of the Board George Russell, and President John Mroz. This meeting eventually led to Ide’s current position as counsel and secretary to the institute’s board.
achieve their mutual goals,” he adds. “Ultimately, we want stability,” says Ide. “To have peace, you have to have stability and relationships, and that’s law.” Ide foresees significant change to come, and a wealth of opportunities for the institute to act. He points to EWI’s path-breaking work in economic security, a field which includes resource scarcity and cybersecurity. “The institute has done a fantastic job throughout its history of looking ahead and seeing where the collision courses are coming,” he says, noting how EWI engages different parties so they can “work together instead of colliding and causing a disruption.”
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The Fate of the Species is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/160819258X
EWI Book Selection The Fate of the Species by Fred Guterl
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red Guterl, executive editor of Scientific American and former deputy editor of Newsweek, eschews sensationalism and takes a sober approach to assessing the “worst case scenarios” that could be brought about by humanity in the coming years. Among these perils are
climate change, increasingly autonomous technology, and highly adaptable viruses. Guterl, who spoke at EWI’s Affordable World Security Conference, notes: “We’ve built a world of 7 billion people, but to get to this point we’ve had to take risks. We’ve changed the geo-chemistry
of our planet, we’ve toyed with the fundamental building blocks of life itself, we’ve built a global economy on machines that didn’t exist a few decades ago.” He points to technological advancement, the root cause for these potential crises, as also providing the only pos-
sible means for overcoming them. “So far humans have managed to beat the odds and make the doomsayers look foolish,” says Guterl, “but how long can we continue? That’s the question.”
Guenter Overfeld Guenter Overfeld, outgoing Vice President for Regional Security, leaves EWI at the end of July to serve as Germany’s Ambassador to Mali.
How has your work at an independent organization like EWI differed from your past experiences as an ambassador?
Muslim world and how it fits into this globalized world and how it can be reconciled with values we have in the West—and vice versa, of course.
What distinguishes an organization like EWI from the more bureaucratic environment of a classical foreign service is the space it gives to initiative, self reliance, and the expectation to work and think “outside the box” on creative approaches to things. That’s sometimes a bit of a challenge and can be somewhat exhausting but it is at the same time a very rewarding and refreshing experience.
Lastly: how to build constructively on the inherent tension that exists between multilateral and “classical” foreign policy, that is, a foreign policy essentially based on what is perceived as “national interest.” I consider it extremely important to work towards new multilateral structures and ways to cooperate under the conditions of the 21st century.
What international policy issues are you most passionate about?
What lessons learned at EWI will be most valuable in your new post as German Ambassador to Mali?
I am certainly passionate about the regional side, i.e. issues relating to South Asia, especially Afghanistan. I equally relate strongly to issues concerning the modernization and democratization of the
First, how important and enriching it is to work with a dedicated multinational team and how rewarding it is to allow team members to develop their own ideas. Second, a certain “American business culture,”
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in other words the belief in initiatives and the success of good ideas. On a more practical level: the tremendous opportunities modern information technology creates and the tremendous relevance of good communication in the computer age. Any parting words of wisdom for your staff members at EWI? They are, at least compared to myself, relatively young, which means they are full of enthusiasm and energy which I enjoyed extremely, and I would hope that in the course of their careers they will keep this spirit of initiative and openness and their readiness to have a “fresh” look at things, a perspective without cynicism and the feeling of “déjà vu.” Most importantly, I would say that they should keep their freshness and openness to others, other issues and other cultures and try to stay as dynamic as they are now.
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Coming Up
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Change Agents EWI welcomes two board members and a Vice President for Regional Security
Incoming board member Bob Campbell brings a vast wealth of leadership and advisory experience to his new role with the EWI. During his tenure with Deloitte LLP, Campbell was instrumental in guiding the firm’s growth in the areas of service to federal, state, and local governments as well as to educational, public healthcare, and nonprofit clients.
General (ret.) T. Michael “Buzz” Moseley, former Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, joins EWI as a director. General Moseley's commands have been a mix of regional, operational, joint and personnel duties which have provided him with a high level of strategic, tactical and logistical experience.
Dr. Beate Maeder-Metcalf joins EWI as incoming vice president for regional security. Her career with the German Foreign Service, one that has taken her around the globe including Europe, East Asia, Africa and North America, has covered political transition to democracy, economic cooperation, human rights issues, global energy matters and counter-terrorism issues.
The Changing Middle East July 11 | New York, NY
EWI and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) New York will host a half-day workshop on the regional and global effects of recent turmoil in the Middle East. The event will bring together experts from the region, UN diplomats and members of the academic and policy-making communities.
EastWest Institute New York Center 11 East 26th Street, 20th Floor New York, NY 10010 United States of America
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EWI Highlights | SUMMER 2012
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