The Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping invites you to join us on

Thursday, February 2, 2012 for an off-the-record discussion on:

“Obama’s Defense Strategy:

Impact on U.S. Engagement in Peace Operations”

with remarks by:

William. J. Flavin

Division Chief, Doctrine, Concepts, Education, and Training Division

U.S. Army Peacekeeping Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI)

U.S. Army War College

and

A reprentative from the State Department's Bureau of International Affairs (TBD)

moderated by:

Erin Weir 

Senior Advocate, Protection and Security Program

Refugees International 

Background:

Following an extended Pentagon review, on January 5, 2012, President Obama unveiled new “Defense Strategic Guidance” intended to reshape and reorient DoD’s priorities, activities, and budgets for the coming decade. The  document is significant, not least because it reflects bold changes to U.S. military strategy in the context of complex and global 21st century threats and challenges. 

Most notably (for those engaged on multilateral issues), the strategy highlights the need for enhanced U.S. cooperation with existing allies and new partners to successfully tackle these issues. Specifically, it states that: “Building partnership capacity elsewhere in the world also remains important for sharing the costs and responsibilities of global leadership. Across the globe we will seek to be the security partner of choice, pursuing new partnerships with a growing number of nations – including those in Africa and Latin America – whose interests and viewpoints are merging into a common vision of freedom, stability, and prosperity. Whenever possible, we will develop innovative, low-cost, and small-footprint approaches to achieve our security objectives, relying on exercises, rotational presence, and advisory capabilities.

Join us for an informative and timely discussion on the President’s strategy and its implications for U.S. engagement in peace and stability operations. We’ll discuss the potential impacts on U.S. capabilities and capacities to conduct peace and stability operations in complex environments, as well as the impacts on existing initiatives and efforts to leverage U.S. resources in support of international peacekeeping capacity (e.g., State-DoD partnerships like GPOI and ACOTA).

DATE:

Thursday, February 2, 2012

10:30am – 12:00 pm 

LOCATION:

The Stimson Center

1111 19th Street, NW, 12th Floor

Washington, DC, 20036

Directions

AGENDA:

10:30-10:40: Introduction by Erin Weir, Refugees International

10:40-11:30: Remarks by our guest speakers followed by Q&A

11:30-11:40: Summary/debrief of 2011 PEP Report by Citizens for Global Solutions

11:40-11:55: Congressional Update by Jordie Hannum, Better World Campaign

11:55-12:00: Announcements

Please RSVP to Matt Pennington by Tuesday, January 31st.