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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 book: MONIKA JABLONSKA’S WIND FROM HEAVEN. JOHN PAUL: The Poet Who Became Pope is the story of the future pope Karol Wojtyła as poet and playwright, as true servant of the Word — a student of Polish literature, dramatist, actor, professor, philosopher, and priest, whose religious conviction added a moral dimension to world politics and changed the course of history. Wind from Heaven offers a new perspective on John Paul II and the pontificate that transformed the Church, its people, and the whole world. Drawing on a wealth of Polish sources, the author throws a fresh and numinous light onto the personal and literary life of John Paul II for English-language readers. She portrays the history of Karol Wojtyła’s native Poland, its literature, and faith-suffused used culture as the crucible out of which emerged a boy, then a man of unbreakable spirit, who answered the call to priesthood, and became a pope who in face of immense worldly evils feared no one but God, giving ringing voice to Love and Hope with such moral clarity that the world rose up with courage in response. The reader of this inspiring book comes away in reverent awe of Karol Wojtyła, this “man from a far country” who played a crucial role in some of the most momentous events of our time, who implemented lasting changes in this world, and who left behind springs of inspiration owing stronger with each passing year. About the author: MONIKA JABLONSKA is an entrepreneur, lawyer, consultant, and business executive. She is currently working on her PhD dissertation, on social business. At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, Monika launched her own social business called Nurture the World to feed hungry children around the world. She runs projects in the USA, Brazil, and Europe. In 2015, she received a Special Recognition Award from the American Institute ofPolish Culture in Miami for her Nurture the World project. Monika was also nominated for Businesswoman of the Year in 2016. Wind from Heaven has previously been published in Poland, Brazil, and Colombia.
About the lecture: This presentation will discuss current relations between the Russian Federation and Latin American and Caribbean states. Apart from addressing Moscow’s relations with “the usual suspects” (e.g. Cuba and Venezuela), we will also explore initiatives with other regional states at the diplomatic, defense and economic level. We will conclude by discussing whether the Russian government currently has an overall strategy towards Latin America and the Caribbean and what new initiatives we can expect in the near future. About the speaker: W. Alejandro Sanchez is an international affairs analyst who focuses on geopolitical and defense issues in the Western Hemisphere. A member of the Forum on the Arms Trade, he is a regular contributor to IHS Jane's Defense Weekly, the Center for International Maritime Security, Living in Peru, among others. His analyses have appeared in journals including Small Wars and Insurgencies, Defence Studies, the Journal of Slavic Military Studies, European Security, Studies in Conflict and Terrorismand Perspectivas. He received his B.A. from Ursinus College, his M.A. from American University, his Certificate on Caribbean Defense and Security from the National Defense University (Washington, DC) and his Certificate on International Politics from the Institute of World Politics. The views expressed in this presentation are the sole responsibility of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect those of any institutions with which the presenter is associated.
About the lecture: The period of continental peace in Europe has been shattered. Whereas many assumed that war would never return to Europe after the Cold War, it would seem that conflict with Russia and Islamic extremism (as well as economic instability) now dominates the once-peaceful European continent. With America's commitment to NATO and the EU in question, this lecture will address the question whether key countries--such as Germany and Poland--should develop nuclear arms to better defend themselves absent of a firm American defense commitment. About the speaker: Brandon J. Weichert is a former congressional staffer and is the founder and CEO of The Weichert Report: A World News Website. He is also a Contributing Editor at American Greatness. Brandon received his B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University and his M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics.
About the lecture: This lecture will elaborate the ways in which a constitution is not a mere set of rules-of-the-game but is rather the formulation of a “way of life,” and that requires stable aspects of character in the citizens that are the condition for the success of the constitution. About the speaker: William B. Allen, Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy in the Department of Political Science and Emeritus Dean, James Madison College, at Michigan State University. He served previously on the United States National Council for the Humanities and as Chairman and Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Recently he served as Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church Havre de Grace, Md; and a Veritas Fund Senior Fellow in the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good at Villanova University. He has published extensively. including Re-Thinking Uncle Tom: The Political Philosophy of H. B. Stowe (Lexington Books) and George Washington: America’s First Progressive (Peter Lang, Inc.).
Energy Security: New Market Realities by The Institute of World Politics
About the lecture: This lecture will elaborate the ways in which a constitution is not a mere set of rules-of-the-game but is rather the formulation of a “way of life,” and that requires stable aspects of character in the citizens that are the condition for the success of the constitution. About the speaker: William B. Allen, Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy in the Department of Political Science and Emeritus Dean, James Madison College, at Michigan State University. He served previously on the United States National Council for the Humanities and as Chairman and Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Recently he served as Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church Havre de Grace, Md; and a Veritas Fund Senior Fellow in the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good at Villanova University. He has published extensively. including Re-Thinking Uncle Tom: The Political Philosophy of H. B. Stowe (Lexington Books) and George Washington: America’s First Progressive (Peter Lang, Inc.).
About the lecture Social engineering (also called "Human Hacking") is an essential tool in every computer hacker's toolkit. Yet its origins extend long before the digital age. This talk explores the evolution of this concept from its origins in public policy to its current application to cybersecurity. Dr. Hatfield's research includes interviews with famous hackers and offers a framework within which social engineering attacks can best be understood. About the speaker Lieutenant Commander Joseph M. Hatfield currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cyber Science at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he teaches courses on the technical fundamentals of cybersecurity, the ethics and policy of cyber operations, and intelligence and national security. He is an active-duty naval intelligence officer with over a decade of overseas operational experience, including combat tours aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as well as overseas assignments in both England and Sicily. He earned his Ph.D. at Cambridge University and has published scholarly work in journals and book chapters.
This lecture was presented on August 8, 2017 by Brandon Weichert at the Institute of World Politics. This event is sponsored by the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies and the Center for Intermarium Studies. About the lecture Russian foreign policy objectives are poorly understood today. This is because most analysts look at Russia through Western eyes. But, Russia is not only Moscow. Russia is Siberia and the Far East also. This lecture will provide a three-dimensional view of Russia, it will contextualize Russian actions over the past decade beyond the headlines, and it will illustrate why U.S. foreign policy toward Russia is misguided (and how to correct the strategic misperceptions). About the speaker Brandon J. Weichert is a former congressional staffer and is the founder and CEO of The Weichert Report: A World News Website. He is also a Contributing Editor at American Greatness. Brandon received his B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University and his M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics.
This lecture was presented on August 3, 2017 by Rachel Baumant at the Institute of World Politics. About the lecture: World War II, or the "Great Patriotic War," had physically and psychologically devastating effects on Soviet society and thus remains vital to Russian national identity. However, the particular symbols and narratives used to teach the history of the war and commemorate the victory have become emblematic of the power and desire of the state to shape collective memory and thus influence perceptions of current events in the post-Soviet sphere. About the speaker: Rachel Bauman is a student at The Institute of World Politics, where she is pursuing an MA in Statecraft and International Affairs. After graduating from Messiah College with a BA in English and minor in politics, she taught English at a summer camp in Kostroma Oblast, Russia and later was a Resident Junior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest. She recently returned from a summer program of intensive Russian language study in Vladimir, Russia, and her particular interests are Russian/Soviet history, U.S.-Russia relations, and Russian politics and culture.
This lecture was presented on July 20, 2017 by Jack Thomas Tomarchio at the Institute of World Politics. About the lecture In the past year, the news media has been focused on the Russian hacking of the 2016 Presidential elections. A story that started with the hack of the Democratic National Committee in July 2016 has reached to the pinnacle of US power and politics. But what is the real story behind the great hack of 2016? Now a former senior US intelligence officer addresses the real story behind the story. From his unique optic as an intelligence officer, Jack Thomas Tomarchio will address what happened, how the US intelligence community found the Russian connection, and most importantly WHY the Russians would want to influence a US Presidential election. The reasons might surprise you. He will also examine what the future holds for US-Russian relations and Russia's future relations with NATO, the EU and the world. About the speaker Jack Thomas Tomarchio is a principal with the Agoge Group, LLC, an international strategic advisory firm. He advises companies, law firms, financial services firms, federal government contractors and government organizations on trends and changes in geopolitical markets and issues effecting international security. In 2005, he was appointed to be the first Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis; in 2007, he was promoted to Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Operations. He began his career as a judge advocate and paratrooper in the United States Army's 82d Airborne Division and retired from the Army in 2010 with the permanent rank of colonel. In 2008, he served as a member of Mitt Romney's national security team, where he developed and co-authored the candidate's position on counter terrorism and homeland security. Prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Tomarchio was a partner at the national law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, P.C. where he was co-chair of the firm's government relations department and national security law group. He returned to Buchanan in 2013 where he served as co-chair of the firm's Cyber Security Practice Group. Mr. Tomarchio holds a Bachelor of Arts in History cum laude from the Pennsylvania State University, a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, a Master's of Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's of Strategic Studies from the USArmy War College.
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