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**Please note that the views expressed by our guest lecturers do not necessarily reflect the views of The Institute of World Politics.**
About the lecture: During World War I the idea of national self-determination came into its own. There were two principal proponents of this concept. First, Lenin advanced a theory of "proletarian" national self-determination to serve Communism; then, Wilson championed the liberal internationalist idea of national self-determination to support the cause of parliamentary democracy. Both ideas mattered in theory and practice because their advocates were winners; Wilson won World War I; and Lenin staged a successful Putzsch and prevailed in Russia's Civil War. The idea of national self-determination was a great gift to non-historical folk nationalist groups whose activists all clamored for their own states; and it became a bane of historic nations, and not only Great Powers. About the speaker: About the speaker: Dr. Chodakiewicz currently serves as a Professor of History at The Institute of World Politics, where he holds the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies. He also leads IWP’s Center for Intermarium Studies. At IWP, Dr. Chodakiewicz teaches courses on Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy, Geography and Strategy, Mass Murder Prevention in Failed and Failing States, and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy. He was formerly an assistant professor of history of the Kosciuszko Chair in Polish Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at University of Virginia. He also served as a visiting professor of history at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
About the lecture: Mozambique is facing Islamic insurgency partly due to social, political, and economic factors. Instead of addressing these underlying issues of the conflict, the Mozambique government has exacerbated it by the heavy-handed security response. Has the government mishandled or miscalculated the threats posed by these Islamic insurgents groups in northern Mozambique? What role can the US policy play in aiding Mozambique so that this doesn’t spill over to other regions? About the moderator: Professor Hashem Mekki, MA, has taught Arabic Language, Culture & Middle East Media at IWP since 2012. He is the owner of Bridge Language Solutions, providing an array of language translation, interpretation and teaching services to the Washington DC metropolitan area, and the founder of Kele Global, a nonprofit organization that promotes education, health, and economic empowerment in Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. Mr. Mekki volunteers with the IWP Center for Human Rights and International Affairs by providing Arabic translations & strategic cultural perspectives on North Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Mekki previously worked with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and served on the board of Voices of Sudan, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. About the panelist: Martina Perino is the Program Manager for the Great Lakes and Southern Africa at the International Republican Institute. Originally from Mozambique and Italy, she has 10 years of democracy and governance experience in Mozambique, DR Congo, Zambia, and Kosovo. In Zambia, she was the Governance and Social sectors Program Manager at the European Union Delegation. There Ms. Perino designed and managed the electoral support project, an Access to Justice project and worked closely with local CSOs and other donors or human rights issues and local governance. In 2017 she joined USAID/Kosovo as the Democracy and Governance Strategic Planning Specialist where, among other tasks, she designed several projects including a local governance and conflict mitigation project, PVE project, media strengthening project, political party and legislative strengthening. Ms. Perino has been an election observer in Mozambique, DR Congo, Zambia, Kosovo, and Albania. Ms. Perino holds a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and a Master’s in International Development. Dr. Gregory Alonso Pirio possesses extensive experience in conducting research on political, social and religious issues. He earned an M.A. in African Studies and a Ph.D. in African History from the University of California-Los Angeles and has published a number of academic articles dealing with Pan-Africanism and the Communist International. His dissertation focused on the political economy of Angola and Mozambique. As a consultant to The Strategic Trade Advisory Corporation, Dr. Pirio produced studies of the civil wars in West Africa and its impact on the politics and economy of the region. He recently completed a major study of radical Islamic groups in East Africa and the Horn of Africa for the U.S. military and is held in high regard as a Subject Matter Expert on African affairs. Dr. Pirio has occupied senior positions at the International Broadcasting Bureau/Voice of America. He was Chief of both the English-to-Africa and Portuguese-to-Africa Services for the VOA. In this capacity, he managed the coverage of international news and current affairs with a special emphasis on Africa, the Middle East, and South-Central Asia, and has traveled extensively to cover events and plan programming priorities. This experience afforded him the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of events in diverse geographic regions and enabled him to know personally many political actors especially on the African continent. Dr. Pirio has also spearheaded innovative media projects in diverse countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.
This event is part of the China Series sponsored by The Institute of World Politics. About the lecture: The Chinese seek to supplant the US as the world’s top military and economic power. As Tom Reed noted in his book The Nuclear Express, China is a major proliferator of nuclear weapons technology—to Pakistan, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Iraq. Its own nuclear arsenal is projected to double this decade according to DIA intelligence reports. China rejects even discussing arms control nor does it provide any information about its nuclear arsenal, although it does assert it has adopted a no first use nuclear policy. DIA also believes the PRC has recently tested nuclear weapons, contrary to China’s pledges under the NNPT and CBT. The presentation will explore these issues as well as the use of nuclear weapons—particularly the threat of their use—to contest the US and its allies in the Pacific. Especially ROK, ROC, and Japan. About the speaker: Mr. Peter Huessy is President of his own defense consulting firm, GeoStrategic Analysis, founded in 1981, and since 2016, Director of Strategic Deterrent Studies at the Mitchell Institute on Aerospace Studies. He was the senior defense consultant at the National Defense University Foundation for 22 years. He was the National Security Fellow at the AFPC, and Senior Defense Consultant at the Air Force Association from 2011 Mr. Huessy has served as an expert defense and national security analyst for over 45 years, helping his clients cover congressional activities while monitoring budget and policy developments on terrorism, counter-terrorism, immigration, state-sponsored terrorism, missile defense, weapons of mass destruction, especially US-Israeli joint defense efforts, nuclear deterrence, arms control, proliferation, as well as tactical and strategic air, airlift, space and nuclear matters and such state and non-state actors as North Korea, China, Iran, Syria, Venezuela and Hezbollah, Hamas and Al Qaeda. This also includes monitoring activities of think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and other US government departments, as well as projecting future actions of Congress in this area. His specialty is developing and implementing public policy campaigns to secure support for important national security objectives. He is on the Board of the InSeries Theater in Washington; EMPACT, the organization devoted to protecting the US from EMP threats; and MTA, the Maryland Taxpayers Association. He authored legislation calling for the divestment of US pensions from any company doing business with Iran and testified before a number of state legislatures on this subject and on counter-terror policy, including whether or not drivers licenses should be made available to those illegally in the US. He is also a member of Secure American Energy, an organization devoted to breaking the back of OPEC and providing the US with American sources of energy. He has lectured around the world and across the USA on nuclear terrorism, nuclear deterrence, missile defense, homeland security, counter-terrorism policy, and strategic threats to the US and its allies including (1) leading a great power competition and nuclear workshop at the Louisiana Tech Research Institute in cooperation with USAF Global Strike Command, (2) speaking on China’s security threats to the US at the annual strategic conference in Omaha, Nebraska hosted by Strategic Command, (3) speaking annually at the Exchange Monitor Nuclear Summit, (4) lecturing at the Prague Security Institute in the Czech Republic, (5) teaching at Yonsei University in Seoul, ROK, (6) speaking to the Israeli MOD missile defense experts, (7) reviewing terrorist threats to the US for the California Public Policy Foundation, and (8) annually being a guest lecturer at the Naval Academy on the subject of the history of American nuclear deterrent policy.
This event is part of The Global Impact Discussion Series sponsored by The Institute of World Politics. About the lecture: How might the coronavirus pandemic influence U.S.-China relations? Some observers contend that it will accelerate the decoupling of the two countries’ economies; others, that it will compel them to restore a baseline of cooperation to address current and potential transnational threats; and yet others, that it will likely have a number of effects, not all of which will point in the same direction. And how might the pandemic affect global perceptions of each country’s ability to manage domestic crises and its willingness to provide global public goods? Some observers contend that China has “won” on those counts, at least relative to the United States; others, that it has “lost”; and yet others, that it is too early to render such judgments. About the speaker: Mr. Ali Wyne is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a David Rockefeller fellow with the Trilateral Commission, and a security fellow with the Truman National Security Project. He is currently writing a book on great-power competition.
About the lecture: The presentation will explore the history of baseball diplomacy between the United States and Cuba, specifically focusing on the Trump administration’s nullification of the 2018 Major League Baseball-Cuban Baseball Federation player agreement. About the speaker: Nathaniel Bader is an IWP student pursuing a master’s degree in Statecraft and National Security Affairs with a concentration in Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence. Nathaniel graduated summa cum laude from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, with degrees in history and nonprofit administration. While at Dakota Wesleyan, Nathaniel was named the Senator George McGovern Scholar, served as parliamentarian for the Student Senate, led the McGovern Engagement Group for Political Activism, and spent time in Uganda working on long-term economic development projects in two rural villages. Nathaniel has interned with Court Appointed Special Advocates and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Nathaniel currently works at the American Political Science Association. Nathaniel grew up in South Dakota, and, in his free time, he enjoys watching sports, traveling, playing bar trivia, and watching science fiction films.
About the lecture: The Intermarium's Nationalisms: Old and New discusses historic nationalism, which was predicated on civic and local identity, and non-historic nationalisms, which stressed their ethnic and folk character. The former concerned mostly the legacy of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; the latter reflected newly emergent nations, including the Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. About the speaker: Dr. Chodakiewicz currently serves as a Professor of History at The Institute of World Politics, where he holds the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies. He also leads IWP’s Center for Intermarium Studies. At IWP, Dr. Chodakiewicz teaches courses on Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy, Geography and Strategy, Mass Murder Prevention in Failed and Failing States, and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy. He was formerly an assistant professor of history of the Kosciuszko Chair in Polish Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at University of Virginia. He also served as a visiting professor of history at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
About the lecture: This is Dr. Chodakiewicz's first lecture in his series on the First World War and its Aftermath in the Intermarium, the lands between the Baltic and Black Seas, 1914-1921. About the speaker: Dr. Chodakiewicz currently serves as a Professor of History at The Institute of World Politics, where he holds the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies. He also leads IWP’s Center for Intermarium Studies. At IWP, Dr. Chodakiewicz teaches courses on Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy, Geography and Strategy, Mass Murder Prevention in Failed and Failing States, and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy. He was formerly an assistant professor of history of the Kosciuszko Chair in Polish Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at University of Virginia. He also served as a visiting professor of history at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
About the book review: Dr. Christopher C. Harmon, the Bren Chair of Great Power Competition at Marine Corps University and IWP professor, reviewed Erik Larson's new book The Splendid and the Vile, which accounts the leadership of Winston Churchill during his first days as prime minister. Dr. Christopher Harmon gives an in-depth review of the book. He discusses its strengths and weaknesses, his own IWP course (IWP 628), which examines military strategy, and the best reasons to continue to study Winston Churchill, half a century after his death. About the speaker: Dr. Christopher C. Harmon wrote his political science dissertation on terrorism in the early 1980s and continued that work as Legislative Aide for Foreign Policy to a member of Congress and, much later, director of counterterrorism studies programs in Asia and Europe for the U.S. government. A professor at civilian and military graduate schools including the Naval War College, Dr. Harmon began teaching courses at The Institute of World Politics after 9/11 — on terrorism, and later on counterterrorism. Lead author or editor of six books, he holds the Bren Chair of Great Power Competition at Marine Corps University, Quantico VA.
About the interview: Dr. Joshua Muravchik, Distinguished Fellow at the World Affairs Institute, spoke with IWP about the rise of socialism in American politics. He discussed the history of the socialist movement in America, what the term "democratic socialism" really means, why socialism is popular with millennials, and what we can do to fight the rise of socialism in America. About the speaker: Dr. Joshua Muravchik is a distinguished fellow at the World Affairs Institute. He is a former resident scholar at American Enterprise Institute and a former fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute. Additionally, he is a professor at IWP where he teaches a course on Ideas and Values in American Politics. Dr. Muravchik is the author of eleven books, including Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism, The Imperative of American Leadership, and Exporting Democracy: Fulfilling America’s Destiny; and also more than 400 articles in newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals.
About the discussion: Dr. John Lenczowski will discuss how the coronavirus pandemic has raised America’s consciousness of the reality of communist rule in China and its implications for the security and prosperity of our country. “For years, our leaders have hoped and dreamed of a benevolent, democratic China. We gave away the store on this fantasy, and now we are paying the price. Ironically, this plague is a wake-up call to the gravity of the threat from communist China.” This event will be moderated by IWP Chairman John Lovewell. About the speaker: Dr. John Lenczowski served in the State Department in the Bureau of European Affairs and as Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs Lawrence Eagleburger from 1981 to 1983. From 1983 to 1987, he was Director of European and Soviet Affairs at the National Security Council. In that capacity, he was principal Soviet affairs adviser to President Reagan and one of the architects of the national strategy to bring down the Soviet empire. After teaching at Georgetown University, Dr. Lenczowski founded The Institute of World Politics, a non-profit graduate school of national security, intelligence, and international affairs in 1990 and currently serves as its President. He is the author of Full Spectrum Diplomacy and Grand Strategy. He has been consulting with the National Security Council, the State Department and the Defense Department on the China threat, U.S. strategy towards China, human rights, public diplomacy, and a general national security strategy of “winning without war.”
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