State of the World 2019 tackles tough foreign policy issues As the federal government shutdown dominated news headlines, attendees of State of the World 2019 were treated to an insider’s view of the chaos in D.C. by some of the top names in political journalism.
ambassadors and advisors to Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Obama and Trump. David J. Kramer, senior fellow in the Green School’s Václav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy and a former assistant secretary of state for human rights, democracy and labor under President George W. Bush, was the lead organizer of the event. He said he viewed State of the World as an opportunity for FIU students to hear directly from top experts, journalists, political leaders and policymakers about the most critical issues of the day. “It also provides a platform for FIU to shine by showing off its own talent to the broader community,’’ he added, noting the addition of former Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis, now interim director of the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, to the roster of panelists this year.
Green School Senior Fellow David Kramer speaks during State of the World 2019.
“We’re in a period of disruption in Washington in terms of our politics, our government and our media,’’ said New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker. “This is a period of great upheaval in our system and it’s a little disconcerting to most people.”
One of the out-of-town visitors attending State of the World for the second year was Elisa Massimino, former president of Human Rights First and a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Massimino took to Twitter to share her impressions of the event – and of FIU’s students.
Added Susan Glasser of The New Yorker: “Regardless of what you think about policy, it’s a system in crisis. The new normal is a kind of rolling crisis. We can’t always figure out where one stops and another one starts.”
“So impressed with the students here at FIU’s #StateoftheWorld2019 conference,’’ she posted. “Smart, well-informed, and challenging questions. This is the next generation of foreign policy leaders.’’
It was a riveting start to the second annual event of the Dorothea Green Lecture Series, hosted by the Green School along with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and The American Interest. The two-day conference featured more than 30 of the nation’s leading experts in foreign policy and global affairs, including several former
State of the World gathered for a dinner featuring an “off the record” conversation with former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Maria Elena Toraño, a groundbreaking Miami executive and entrepreneur who serves on the Green School’s Dean’s Advisory Council, moderated by Sandra Gonzalez-Levy, FIU’s senior vice president for the Division of External Relations, Strategic Communications and Marketing.
“This event has truly become a major highlight of the year for me personally and for so many of us at FIU and at the Green School,’’ said Dean John F. Stack, Jr. “Within the major conference circuit, the State of the World is making its mark by being the first one of the year and a mustattend event.” 6
Florida International University | Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
