Middle East Dialogue 2021 Videos
Opening Plenary: Current Developments in Afghanistan
His Royal Highness Prince Nadir Naim of Afghanistan
Digitalisation and the Gulf’s Labour Market in the Post-pandemic Era: Policy Interventions for Bridging the Skills Gap on Technology-skill Supply and Demand
Náder Alyani, Bloomsbert Associates, Aachen
Yussra S. Jamjoom, University of Business and Technology (UBT), Jeddah
Yousuf Hamed Al Balushi, Oman Smart Investment Gateway, Muscat
Kurds in Turkey and Turkish-Russian Relations
Chair: John Dolan, Faculty Director, School of Security and Global Studies, American Military University
Kurds in Turkey: Equal Partners? Discriminated Minority?
Evren Altinkas, University of Guelph
The Kurdish Factor in Turkish-Russian Relations
Ahmet Yavuz Gurler, University of Trakya
Israeli-Palestinian Relations
Chair: Mark Kass, American Public University System
Pinkwashing Disability
Kevin Vollrath, Churches for Middle East Peace
Foreign Policies toward the Israel-Palestine Question Now that the Two-State Solution Has Become Unattainable
Ian S. Lustick, University of Pennsylvania
Iran’s Relations with Palestine; Past, Present, Future
Seyed Ali Alavi, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
Biden's Iran Strategy and America's Use of Targeted Killings
Supporting the People of Iran Should be Part of Biden's Iran Strategy
Shahram Ahmadi Nasab Emran, Saint Louis University
America’s Use of Targeted Killings: Legal and Moral Issues During Armed Conflict
John Jamison, American Military University
Victim Blaming: How a Gendered Practice Expands into International Relations. The Case of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict
Anna Garbar, New Story Leadership
Rawan Odeh, New Story Leadership
Lauren Hess, Georgetown University
Comparing Arab and American Populism: Rhetorical Parallels and Authoritarian Paradoxes
Sahar Khamis, University of Maryland, College Park
Randall Fowler, University of Maryland, College Park
Democracy and Education
Chair: Donna M. HessSchool of Security and Global Studies, American Public University System
Role and Structure of Parliaments in Arab Countries: The Status Quo
Bashar H. Malkawi, University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law
Changes in Haredi Education in Israel: A Comparative Perspective from the United States
Ilan Fuchs, American Public University System
Military Intervention and Political Threats
How Military Intervention Led to the Recreation of the Libyan Terror State
Benjamin Varlese, American Military University
Political Threats and Military Intervention
Matthew Timmerman, American University
Islam, the West, and Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters
Chair: Kate BrannumProgram Director, Global Security & International Relations, School of Security and Global Studies, American Public University System
Islam & the West: A Relationship of Incompatibility or Merely One of Misunderstanding?
Anouar El Younssi, Oxford College of Emory University
Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters: Threats and Challenges to the West
Elena Pokalova, National Defense University
The MENA Region, a Mirror for the New “New World Order”?
Barah Mikaïl, Saint Louis University, Madrid
Russia and the MENA Region
Adlene Mohammedi, UMR PRODIG, Paris
China and the MENA Region
Guy Burton, Vesalius College, Brussels School of Governance
Russia and the MENA Region
Adlene Mohammedi, UMR PRODIG, Paris
China and the MENA Region
Guy Burton, Vesalius College, Brussels School of Governance
Dynamics of Change in the Gulf
Samuel Greene, Shepherd University
Nathan Toronto, Carnegie Middle East Center
Sobhon Khairy, Pilot44 Labs, San Francisco
Understanding Terrorist Recruitment: How Terrorist Ideology Influences Recruitment: An Examination of Islamic Terrorist Groups Ideological Strategies
James Hess, American Military University
Jacek Lubecki, Georgia Southern University
John Dolan, Faculty Director, School of Security and Global Studies, American Military University
Jorge Vazquez, American Military University
Bahrain: New Developments
Chair: Marine Hermes, UN Liaison Officer, Next Century Foundation
Ali Alaswad, former Bahraini MP, Alwefaq opposition party
William Morris, Next Century Foundation
Middle East Dialogue 2018 Videos
Plenary 1
The Middle East in 2018: Some Changing Geopolitical Dynamics
Ambassador Mark Hambley and William Morris, Next Century Foundation
Small States, Insecure States and the Gulf Crisis
Deborah Wheeler and Brannon Wheeler, United States Naval Academy
Religion, Radicalization, and Security in the New Digital Age
Moderator: Mark Silinsky, US Army War College and Haifa University
Challenges and Opportunities in Tackling Propaganda Wars: Using Semantic Analysis in Deconstructing Terrorist Recruitment Models Online
Dilshod Achilov, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
The Syria Coalition and the Triumph of the New Counterterrorism
Avery Plaw, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Security Concerns, Regulation of Religion, and Violence
Renat Shaykhutdinov, Florida Atlantic University
Analysis of Islamist Extremist Narrative on Social Media
Ugur Kursuncu and Budak Arpinar, University of Georgia
Plenary 2
The Syrian Dilemmas
Ambassador Fred Hof and Professor Alon Ben-Meir
Moderator: Shannon Maree Torrens, University of Sydney
Countours of an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Settlement
Anthony Oberschall, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ecumenicism Across Divides: Building Consensus on Middle East Policies
Andrew Wickersham, Churches for Middle East Peace
Moderator: Neda Nazemi, University of Virginia
Till the Last Drop: the Multiple Meanings of Water Security in the Gulf
Jihane Benamar and Harry Verhoeven, Georgetown University in Qatar
Desalination and Climate: How the Restructuring of Water is Shaping Oman
Mikaela Bennett and Joshua Kaye, George Washington University
Micro-Social Movements and the Everyday Politics Change in Saharan Algeria
Nejm Benessaiah, Georgetown University
Moderator: Mikaela Bennett, George Washington University
Alternative Governance Scenarios for Water Scarce Regions: A Case Study on Iran
Neda Nazemi, University of Virginia
Systems-Based Methods to Assess Alternative Water Governance Scenarios in Water Scarce River Basins
Richard Rushforth, Northern Arizona University
Will the Civilizations Keep Clashing? Muslims, non-Muslims, and the Future of the West
Mark Silinsky, US Army War College and Haifa University
Lawrence Davidson
Moderator: Iva Sascha Sheehan, University of Baltimore
Assessment of President Donald Trump's Foreign Policy and Diplomacy After One Year in Office
Ahmed Zohny, Coppin State University
Trump's Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's Capital: A Step Forward or Backward for Peace?
Mitchell Bard, American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise
The Arab Transition: Which Future?
Radwan Ziadeh, Middle East Arab Center, Washington DC
Imad Harb, Middle East Arab Center, Washington DC
Mohammed Cherkaoui, George Mason University
Middle East Dialogue 2017 Preliminary Program
Middle East Dialogue 2017:
A New Collective Vision
Friday March 10, 20017 at the historic Whittemore House
1526 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC
Preliminary Program:
*Please note while there are no breakfast or lunch breaks scheduled, food will be available throughout the day at no cost. There will be Kosher and Halal options
8 am Registration
9-9:50 am First Plenary - Auditorium
Moderator: Paul Rich, Policy Studies Organization
Discussant: Steve Shaulis, Central Asia Development Group
Afghanistan 2017: Hopes, Fears, and Probabilities
Paramount Chief Ajmal Khan of Afghanistan
10-10:50 am Second Plenary - Auditorium
Moderator: Paul Rich, Policy Studies Organization
A Strategy for the Implementation of the Reconciliation Process Between Israel and the Palestinians, Alon Ben-Meir - New York University
11-12:10 pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS
1. Library
Moderator: William Morris, Next Century Foundation
An Uncertain Ally: Turkey Under Erdogan's Dictatorship
Alon Ben-Meir, New York University
David Phillips, Columbia University
2. 1870s Room
Moderator: Ambassador Mark Hambley, Next Century Foundation
Przemysław Osiewicz - Georgetown University
Amb. (ret'd) Gerald M. Feierstein - Middle East Institute
Barbara Slavin - Atlantic Council
3. Harriman Room
Moderator: Emily Dufton, The George Washington University
Abir El Shaban - Washington State University
Stefanie Mitchell - American Military University
4. Past Presidents Room
Moderator: Guillermo De Los Reyes, University of Houston
Minna Cowper-Coles - Birkbeck College
Amine Bouhzam - Wake Forest University
12:20-1:30 pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS
5. Library
Moderator, Emily Dufton, The George Washington University
Amman: a 21st Century City
Aseel Sawalha - Fordham University
Victoria Kelberer-McKee - Boston University
6. 1870s Room
Moderator: Christopher C. Hull, Issue Management, Inc
Sahar Khamis, University of Maryland
Emre Celik - Charles Sturt University, Australia
7. Harriman Room
Moderator: Lawrence Davidson, West Chester University
Angela Kahil, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon
Shahram Ahmadi Nasab Emran - Saint Louis University
1:40-2:50 pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS
8. Library
Moderator: Christopher C. Hull, Issue Management, Inc
Amel Mili - University of Pennsylvania
Lawrence Davidson, West Chester University
9. 1870s Room
Moderator: Guillermo De Los Reyes, University of Houston
Michal L. Allon - Tel Aviv University
Josef Olmert - University of South Carolina
10. Harriman Room
Moderator: Emily Dufton, The George Washington University
Emad Mohamed - Indiana University
A. Z. Obiedat - Wake Forest University
8 pm: EVENING SESSION
Part of the Philosphical Society of Washington Lecture Series
11. John Wesley Powell Auditorium*
The Destruction of Antiquities in the Middle East and the Trade in Stolen History
Deborah Lehr, The Antiquities Coalition
*The John Wesley Powell Auditorium is adjacent to the Cosmos Club, 2170 Florida Ave NW, Washington DC, 20008. It's a 10 minute walk from the Whittemore House. Entrance is through the Cosmos Club gate, which is the first right-hand entrance on Florida Avenue, north of the intersection with Massachusetts Avenue. The entrance to the Auditorium itself is to the left of the gate.
The Middle East Dialogue is for policy makers, scholars, business and social leaders, to discuss current issues. Its purpose is to promote multidisciplinary conversation about topics that include, but are not limited to education initiatives, social, economic and political reforms, nuclear proliferation, interfaith dialogue, women's gains and challenges, peace initiatives, and potential areas of conflict. We welcome a spectrum of political and religious persuasions to discuss issues in a spirit of tolerance and free discourse.
The Forum is co-chaired by Prof. Mohammed M. Aman of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Editor-in-Chief of Digest of Middle East Studies(DOMES),and Prof. Paul Rich, President of the Policy Studies Organization. It is sponsored by the Policy Studies Organization, The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, American Public University, DOMES, the Next Century Foundation, and the Capital Communications Group. Other sponsors are invited and will be added.
Registration Information:
The conference registration fee* is $200 for presenters and $250 for attendees. Checks can be mailed to the PSO at:
Policy Studies Organization
1527 New Hampshire Ave., NW,
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 349-9281; Fax (202) 483-2657
1527 New Hampshire Ave., NW,
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 349-9281; Fax (202) 483-2657
* Arrangements can be made to waive the registration fee on a case by case basis. For more information, please contact Development and Programs Associate, Emily Dufton at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
. Continuous refreshments, breakfast, and lunch, will be available for all those in attendance. There is no fee for students and guests of the PSO and its sponsors.
LINKS:
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Previous Programs:
Videos:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
SPONSORS:
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MED 18 - Preliminary List of Speakers
Middle East Dialogue:
A New Collective Vision
Friday, March 23, 2018
The Historic Whittemore House, Washington, DC
Preliminary List of Speakers
8:00 am Registration
8:45-9:45 am Plenary 1
The Middle East in 2018: Some Changing Geopolitical Dynamics
Ambassador Mark Hambley and William Morris, Next Century Foundation
9:55 - 11:10 am - BREAKOUT SESSIONS (5 Rooms)
1870s Room
Moderator: William Morris, Next Century Foundation
Matthew Timmerman, American University
Mohammed M.A. Ahmed, Ahmed Foundation for Kurdish Studies
Library
Moderator: Rahima Schwenkbeck, Policy Studies Organization
Deborah L. Wheeler and Brannon M. Wheeler, United States Naval Academy
Harriman Room
Moderator: Chanel Marshall, Jaali Co.
A Contextual Exploration of Islamophobia and Discriminatory Actions Directed Towards Middle Eastern-American Employees in the U.S. Workplace
Emad Rahim, Bellevue University
Darrell Norman Burrell, Florida Institute of Technology, Walden University, Claremont Lincoln University
Past Presidents Room
Moderator: Samantha Smith, Policy Studies Organization
Abdelmajid Ridouane, Ibn Zohr University, Morocco
Shea Garrison, George Mason University
Pub Room
Moderator: Mark Silinsky, US Army War College and Haifa University
Challenges and Opportunities in Tackling Propaganda Wars: Using Semantic Analysis in Deconstructing Terrorist Recruitment Models Online
Dilshod Achilov, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
The Syria Coalition and the Triumph of the New Counterterrorism
Avery Plaw, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Security Concerns, Regulation of Religion, and Violence
Renat Shaykhutdinov, Florida Atlantic University
Anlaysis of Islamist Extremist Narrative on Social Media
Ugur Kursuncu and Budak Arpinar, University of Georgia
11:20 am - 12:20 pm Plenary 2
The Syrian Dilemmas
Ambassador Fred Hof
A Georgetown graduate and so never a stranger to Washington, Ambassador Hof is Director of the Hariri Center for the Middle East, where he specializes in Syria. His books include Galilee Divided, Line of Battle - Border of Peace, and Beyond the Boundary: Lebanon, Israel, and the Challenge of Change. He was director in the office of the Secretary of Defense for Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestinian Affairs.
Professor Alon Ben-Meir
Professor Ben-Meir obtained his doctorate from Queen's College, Oxford University. He is the author of many books on Middle Eastern topics, including several from Westphalia Press. Professor Ben-Meir is senior fellow at New York University's Center for Global Affairs where he has taught courses on the Middle East and international negotiations for 18 years, and he is the Middle East Project Director at the World Policy Institute. He hosts "Global Leaders: Conversations with Alon Ben-Meir," debates and conversations with top policy-makers around the world at NYU. He conducts briefings at the US State Department for international visitors.
12:30 - 1:45 pm - BREAKOUT SESSIONS (4 Rooms)
1870s Room
Moderator: Dilshod Achilov, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Suha Hassen, George Mason University
ISIS, the ICC and Accountability in Syria and Iraq: Challenges Prosecuting Religious Violence, Extremism and Terrorism at the International Level
Shannon Maree Torrens, University of Sydney
Library
Moderator: Neda Nazemi, University of Virginia
Jihane Benamar and Harry Verhoeven, Georgetown University in Qatar
Mikaela Bennett and Joshua Kaye, George Washington University
Micro-Social Movements and the Everyday Politics of Change in Saharan Algeria
Nejm Benessaiah, Georgetown University
Harriman Room
Moderator: Gabriella Fernandes, Policy Studies Organization
Current Trends in Jihadi/Extremist Movements
Ismail Royer, Center for Islam and Religious Freedom
Ayhan Sari, Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies
Past Presidents Room
Moderator: Samantha Smith, Policy Studies Organization
Giacomo Di Pasquale and Shatha Sbeta, Claremont Graduate University
Pub Room
Moderator: Chanel Marshall, Jaali Co.
Radwan Ziadeh, Middle East Arab Center, Washington DC
Imad Harb, Middle East Arab Center, Washington DC
Mohammed Cherkaoui, George Mason University
1:55 - 3:10 pm - BREAKOUT SESSIONS (4 Rooms)
1870s Room
Moderator: Shannon Maree Torrens, University of Sydney
Anthony Oberschall, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Andrew Wickersham, Churches for Middle East Peace
Library
Moderator: Mikaela Bennett, George Washington University
Neda Nazemi, University of Virginia
Systems-Based Methods to Assess Alternative Water Governance Scenarios in Water Scarce River Basins
Richard Rushforth, Northern Arizona University
Moderator: Rahima Schwenkbeck, Policy Studies Organization
Adina Friedman, George Mason University
Avi Melamed and Jeff Blavatt, The Eisenhower Institute
Past Presidents Room
Moderator: Ahmed Y. Zohny, Coppin State University
Shahram Ahmadi Nasab Emran, Saint Louis University
Seyed Mohammad Houshisadat, University of Toronto and University of Tehran
3:20 - 4:35 pm - BREAKOUT SESSIONS (4 Rooms)
1870s Room
Moderator: Gabriella Fernandes, Policy Studies Organization
Will the Civilizations Keep Clashing? Muslims, non-Muslims, and the Future of the West
Mark Silinsky, US Army War College and Haifa University
Lawrence Davidson
Library
Moderator: Ivan Sascha Sheehan, University of Baltimore
Ahmed Y. Zohny, Coppin State University
Mitchell G. Bard, American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise
Harriman Room
Moderator: Chanel Marshall, Jaali Co.
Eva Kahan, Tufts University
Diane L. Maye, Homeland Security & Global Conflict Studies, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Past Presidents Room
Moderator: Samantha Smith, Policy Studies Organization
Kristin Diwan, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
Middle East Dialogue 2016 Preliminary Program
Middle East Dialogue 2016:
New Hopes and Aspirations
Friday February 26, the historic Whittemore House
1526, New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM:
8:00 am Registration with Continental Breakfast
9:00 am Opening Keynote - Auditorium
Moderator: Ambassador Mark Hambley, Next Century Foundation
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representative to the United States
10:10 - 11:25 am: BREAKOUT SESSIONS I (4 rooms)
1. International Relations: Library
Session chair: Cheryl Walker, Policy Studies Organization
Atefeh Baghi, Doshisha University - Kyoto, Japan
Susmit Kumar, Kumar Consultancy
Yiyi Chen, Shanghai Jiao Tong University - Shanghai, China
2. Oil in the Middle East: 1870s Room
Session chair: John G. Ingersoll, ECOCORP
Maha Aziz, Huffington Post / Wikistrat / New York University - New York, New York
Robert Kuchinski, American Association of Petroleum Geologists (Middle East Region) / Weatherford Oil
The Struggle for Political and Economic Development in a Petro-State: Making Strategic Budgetary Choices in Conflict-Ridden Iraq
James D. Savage, University of Virginia - Charlottesville, Virginia
3. Israeli-Arab Conflict 1: Harriman Room
Session chair: Andrew Jung, American University
Barry Shapiro, Allegheny College - Meadville, Pennsylvania
Josef Olmert, University of South Carolina - Columbia, South Carolina
Oded Adomi Leshem, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University - Fairfax, Virginia
4. Democracy: Blair Room
Session chair: William Morris, Next Century Foundation
Abir El Shaban, Washington State University - Pullman, Washington
Sahar Mohamed Khamis, University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland
11:35 - 12:50 pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS II (4 rooms)
5. Israeli-Arab Conflict 2: Library
Session chair: Mohammed M. Aman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Phased Implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative
Ambassadors William Morris and Mark Hambley, Next Century Foundation
6. Iran 1: 1870s Room
Session chair: Ivan S. Sheehan, University of Baltimore
Shahram Ahmadi Nasab Emran, Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics, St. Louis University - St. Louis, Missouri
Arash Reisinezhad, Florida International University - Miami, Florida
7. Extremism: Harriman Room
Session chair: Paul Hayes, Director of Debate, George Washington University
Session opened by The Lafayette Debates (Sponsored by the Embassy of France to the United States). Featuring debate speakers, Bailey Fischer-Columbo & Joseph Nelson, George Washington University Debate & Literary Society
Dorle Hellmuth, The Catholic University of America - Washington, D.C.
Najah Mahmi Sidi, Mohamed Ben Abdellah University - Fez, Morocco and Nice-Sophia Antipolis University - Nice, France
1:00 - 2:20 pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS III (4 rooms)
8. Gender 1: Library
Session chair: Cheryl Walker, Policy Studies Organization
Muddassir Quamar, Jawaharlal Nehru University - New Delhi, India
Seyedehbehnaz Hosseini, University of Vienna - Vienna Austria
Thomas Martin, Pennsylvania State University - State College, Pennsylvania
9. Iran 2: 1870s Room
Session chair: Franklin Hockenbrocht, Policy Studies Organization
Náder Alyani, LLAKES Centre, UCL IOE, University College of London - London, England
Maryam Afzalabadi, Sharif University of Technology and Al Zahra University - Tehran, Iran
Maryam Afzalabadi, Sharif University of Technology and Al Zahra University - Tehran, Iran
10. ISIS: Harriman Room
Session chair: Maha Aziz, Huffington Post, Wikistrat, New York University
Mark Silinsky, United States Army War College - Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Wayel Azmeh, University of Dayton - Dayton, Ohio
Abdelhak Jebbar, Sultan Moulay Slimane University - Beni Mellal, Morocco
11. Culture 1: Blair Room
Session chair: David Sollenberger, Catholic University
Sarah Kincaid, George Mason University - Fairfax, Virginia
Sabith Khan, Founder of MENASA / Visiting Research at Georgetown University
2:30 - 3:45 pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS IV (4 rooms)
12. Yemen: Library
Session chair: Ambassador William Morris, Next Century Foundation
Ambassadors Mark Hambley, Next Century Foundation
13. Crisis in the Middle East: 1870s Room
Session chair: Mohammed M. Aman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Sarah A. Tobin, Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island
Lawrence Davidson, West Chester University - West Chester, Pennsylvania
Radwan Ziadeh, Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies (SCPSS), Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies (DCHRS), Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU)
14. Gender 2: Harriman Room
Session chair: Andrew Jung, American University
Adina Friedman, George Mason University - Fairfax, Virginia
Amel Mili, University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
15. Culture 2: Blair Room
Session chair: David Sollenberger, Catholic University
Eman Bukhari, Cultural Program Developer, King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Caroline Boules, George Mason University - Fairfax, Virginia
3:55 - 5:10 pm: BREAKOUT SESSIONS V (3 rooms)
16. International Relations 2: Library
Session chair: Andrew Jung, American University
Bagher Fardanesh, R.H. Smith School of Businnes, University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland
Robert Mason, British University in Egypt - Cairo, Egypt
17. Democracy in Egypt: 1870s Room
Session chair: Franklin Hockenbrocht, Policy Studies Organization
Mohamed Elgohari and Elissa Miller, Atlantic Council