Smart Power Initiative - Audio: Recent Episodes
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Seeks to engage in a national dialogue on the best way to draw to America's side the support of friends and allies in the pursuit of its national security interests.
America must revitalize its ability to inspire and persuade rather than merely rely on its military might. Despite the predominance of U.S. hard power, there are limits to its effectiveness in addressing the main foreign policy challenges facing America today. Many of the traditional instruments of soft power, such as public engagement and diplomacy, have been neglected and fallen into disrepair.
In addition, there remains a lack of strategic vision for how to integrate soft and hard power into "smart power" to address current and future challenges. The Smart Power Initiative seeks to engage in a national dialogue on the best way to draw to America's side the support of friends and allies in the pursuit of its national security interests.
Smart Power in U.S.-China Relations
The CSIS Commission on China, chaired by William S. Cohen and Maurice R. Greenberg, recently released its report: Smart Power in U.S.-China Relations. The report emphasizes that a U.S.-China partnership is indispensable for addressing many of the global challenges—global financial instability, proliferation and terrorism, climate change, and energy insecurity—that we face in the twenty-first century. To see more on the CSIS Commission on China, click here.
A New Multilateralism: A Smart Power Approach to the United Nations
This report suggests how using both old and new constituencies to support the United Nations in the United States can help sustain that organization as an instrument of smart power in the future. View the report here.
The CSIS Commission on Smart Power
Through the generous support of the Starr Foundation, CSIS has convened a high-level, bipartisan commission chaired by Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye that includes national leaders in government, elective office, the military, NGOs, media, academia and the private sector. The Commission developed a blueprint for revitalizing America's inspirational leadership and, drawing on the research and analysis of regional and functional experts at CSIS, it made recommendations for developing an integrated policy to strengthen U.S. influence, image, and effectiveness in the world.
A Smarter, More Secure America
CSIS released the Commission on Smart Power's final report, A Smarter, More Secure America. You can download and read the report, watch the video of the report launch, or listen to the report launch.
SPEAKER SERIES
The Smart Power Speaker Series draws on national leaders in the military, corporate sector, the government, and the media to address a different set of issues critical to American smart power. You can find more information about upcoming and past Smart Power Speaker Series events.
House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX) joined us for a Smart Women, Smart Power conversation on foreign aid and international affairs spending. Moderated by Nina Easton, the pair also discussed why it’s important to invest in women and girls worldwide.
This panel discussion looked at progress being made toward achieving gender equality in developing countries and the challenges women and girls still face. The conversation features moderator Beverly Kirk and guests Zoe Dean-Smith, Amb. Mathilde Mukantabana, Johanna Nesseth Tuttle, and Astri Kimball Van Dyke.
CSIS non-resident Senior Associate Monica Medina joined Beverly Kirk to discuss progress being made regarding women in military combat roles. She also talked about a court ruling from earlier this year that said excluding women from Selective Service registration is unconstitutional. That court decision is being appealed.
Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins joined host Beverly Kirk to discuss how she navigated her career in the State Department and how her organization, Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security, is helping to increase the number of young women in the field.
Liz Smith, Executive Chairman of the Board and former CEO of Bloomin’ Brands and deputy chair of the Atlanta Fed, joined Beverly Kirk to talk about the importance of embracing your failures in the workplace, learning the lessons, and moving on quickly. They also discussed her mission of creating gender parity on corporate boards.
with
Dr. Wang Jisi
Dean of the School of International Studies, Peking University
Ambassador John D. Negroponte
Vice Chairman, McLarty Associates
Moderated by:
Bonnie Glaser
Senior Associate, CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies
In the wake of Secretary Clinton’s visit to Asia, there is great promise for what she termed a positive and cooperative bilateral relationship between the U.S. and China. There is a rich agenda of issues on which the two countries have shared or overlapping interests, including the global financial crisis, climate change, North Korea, and Pakistan/Afghanistan. Differences persist on many issues as well, of course, and addressing these issues within a constructive framework is critical to advancing a bilateral relationship that works for both countries and the international community. Please join us for an informal conversation between two of the most influential and respected thinkers on the challenges and opportunities in Sino-American relations going forward.
Professor WANG Jisi is dean of the School of International Studies, Peking University. He is concurrently director of the Institute of International Strategic Studies at the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies, Peking University, a member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Council associated with the Foreign Ministry of China, and president of the Chinese Association for American Studies. Professor Wang was previously director of the Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Professor Wang's scholarly interests cover international relations theory, U.S. foreign policy, Chinese foreign policy, and China-U.S. relations. He has published numerous works in these fields.
Ambassador Negroponte is Vice Chairman of McLarty Associates, the global strategy firm. He joined McLarty Associates after spending four decades as a career member of the Foreign Service and then as a top political appointee. Earlier in his career he served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico, the Philippines and Honduras, Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. In 2001, he was called upon by President George W. Bush to serve as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a post he held until being appointed U.S. Ambassador to Iraq in 2004. He was then asked by the President to become his principal intelligence advisor and the nation’s first Director of National Intelligence, with responsibility for oversights and coordination of the country’s 16 intelligence agencies. And two years ago, Amb. Negroponte took on the role of Deputy Secretary of State, the nation’s second ranking diplomat, serving as the Department’s COO and overseeing U.S. Government activities overseas, a position he held until January 20, 2009. In this capacity he chaired the U.S. participation in the United States’ Senior Dialogue with China.
In the summer of 2008, CSIS president and CEO John J. Hamre asked William Cohen and Maurice (Hank) Greenberg, to chair the U.S.-China Smart Power Commission, designed to apply the successful framework developed by the CSIS Commission on Smart Power to the U.S.-China relationship. The bi-partisan Commission includes national leaders from the government, private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and academia.
The Commission released a concrete set of policy recommendations for both the Obama administration and the 111th Congress on how the United States can work with China to bring to bear their respective soft power to promote the global public good, while simultaneously ensuring the protection of U.S. interests. The Commission has been directed by Carola McGiffert, a Senior Fellow at CSIS.
Commission Co-Chairs:
Maurice Greenberg
CEO, CV Starr & Company William Cohen
Former Secretary of Defense
Commissioners in Attendance:
Charles Freeman, Freeman Chair in China Studies, CSIS
Representative Rick Larsen (D - WA)
Dr. Edward Tsang Lu, Google Inc
Rollout Event Chaired by Dr. John J. Hamre, Presdent & CEO, CSIS
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Ji-won Yang
Vice President, KAIST
Chairman, Daejeon Green Growth Forum
Moderator:
Carola McGiffert
Senior Fellow and Director for Smart Power Initiatives, CSIS
Dr. Ji-Won Yang, a scholar specializing in chemical engineering and environmental biotechnology, serves as vice president for external affairs for KAIST, Korea's premiere research university. Dr. Yang has a wide range of experience both in and outside of the laboratory, and he serves on numerous boards in an advisory capacity and contributes to the debate on science policy in Korea. He recently assumed the position of chairman for the Daejeon Green Growth Forum, Korea’s first effort to integrate efforts of the Ministry of the Environment, the central government, industry and local government to address environmental issues at the local level.
Carola McGiffert is a senior fellow and director of Smart Power Initiatives at CSIS. Previously, she served as vice president and chief of staff to CSIS president and CEO John Hamre, She was also codirector of the CSIS Smart Power Commission, which issued a major report in November 2007. From 2002 to 2006, she was a fellow in the CSIS International Security Program, where she helped manage Asia projects.
This event is by invitation only and is off-the-record for more information please contact Jeffrey Bean at Jbean@csis.org.
Amb. Hills focused her remarks on how the U.S. should approach upcoming free trade agreements, negotiations, and the balance of trade issues in the next administration, given the decline in public confidence in the benefits of free trade. She offered her remarks and took questions from the audience.
The Smart Power Speaker Series is part of the ongoing work of the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, chaired by Joseph Nye and former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage. The Commission released its report, “A Smarter, More Secure America” on November 6, 2007. For more information on the CSIS Commission on Smart Power (including the report), please see www.csis.org/smartpower.
Senator Chuck Hagel discussed his new book, America: Our Next Chapter: Tough Questions, Straight Answers. Senator Hagel, a CSIS Smart Power Commissioner, argues that the key to a sound economic and foreign policy is successful leadership, global engagement, and a retooling of America's global image.
Ambassador Dobbins spoke on the future of America's nation building efforts taking into account lessons learned from Iraq, Afghanistan and earlier U.S. and UN operations.
CSIS hosted Mr. Robert Mallett, President of the Pfizer Foundation and Senior Vice President of Worldwide Alliance Development, Philanthropy, and Corporate Responsibility, for a discussion on the rising force and changing nature of American philanthropy abroad and Pfizer's efforts to deliver better global public health outcomes. Pfizer is the world's largest research-based biomedical and pharmaceutical company. Mr. Mallett, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, supervises Pfizer's worldwide philanthropy and corporate giving. Stephen Morrison, executive director of the HIV/AIDS task force and director of the Africa program at CSIS, chaired the session.
CSIS hosted Dr. Gordon Adams, professor of international relations at American University's School of International Service, distinguished fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center, and director of Stimson's new program on Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense, for a discussion on how to reform the planning and budgeting processes for U.S. national security policy. Dr. Adams served as an advisor to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power and was a member of the CSIS Task Force on Nontraditional Security Assistance. Kathleen Hicks, senior fellow of the international security program at CSIS, chaired the session.
CSIS hosted Jean-Marie Guéhenno, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, for a discusssion on the future of UN peacekeeping. Johanna Mendelson Forman, CSIS Senior Associate, introduced Mr. Guéhenno. UN peacekeeping is today the flagship enterprise of the United Nations and has become a central element of the international community's response to complex emergencies. During his eight year tenure as chief of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Guéhenno has seen the number of deployed UN troops double to over 100,000 with an annual budget of around $7.5 billion in order to protect vulnerable populations and help local communities transition from a post-conflict to a development environment.
CSIS hosted Jonathan Greenblatt, Founder of Ethos Water and former vice president for Starbucks Coffee Company, for a discussion on social entrepreneurship and the role of the private sector in enhancing U.S. global leadership. Launched in 2003, Ethos Water has raised over $6 million to help children in Central America, Africa, and Asia gain access to clean water. Erik Peterson, Director of the Global Strategy Institute, introduced Mr. Greenblatt. This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released the Smart Power Commission final report, "A Smarter, More Secure America."
CSIS hosted Jeffrey Gedmin, President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, for a discussion on the challenges ahead for international broadcasting in promoting openness and pluralism overseas as part of a smart power strategy. Carola McGiffert, CSIS Vice President and Chief of Staff, introduced Mr. Gedmin.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty provides news, information, and responsible discussion of domestic and international issues to countries where free and independent media are not permitted, or not yet fully established.
This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released its final report, "A Smarter, More Secure America."
CSIS hosted Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey, for a discussion on the future of U.S. foreign assistance and an environmentally sustainable America. Frank Verrastro, CSIS director and senior fellow of the Energy and National Security Program, introduced Governor Whitman. This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level commission tasked with developing "a smarter, more secure America."
With the 2008 elections approaching, Ambassadors Luigi Einaudi and John Maisto reflected on what they believe should be the key elements of future U.S. policy in the Americas. Following their presentations, Carl Meacham, Professional Staff, Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Peter Quilter, Professional Staff, House Committee on Foreign Affairs offered their comments.
The Smart Power Speaker Series features policymakers, practitioners and opinion leaders from around the world and across the political spectrum to engage in a discussion on U.S. Smart Power. The series is a spin-off of the CSIS Commission on Smart Power.
Opening Remarks, Ambassador Einaudi, and Ambassador Maisto.
CSIS hosted Ambassador John Danilovich, head of The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). He discussed how the MCC brought accountability and safeguards to international development aid. John Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS, introduced the speaker. This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released its final report, A Smarter, More Secure America.
CSIS hosted Henry A. Crumpton, the Ambassador-at-Large for counterterrorism at the Department of State. He discussed the importance of ambassadors in the field in winning this new war against asymmetrical threats and the need for diplomatic relations at global, regional, national, and local levels. John Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS, introduced the speakers. This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released its final report, A Smarter, More Secure America.
CSIS hosted Mollyann Brodie, the vice president, director of public opinion and media research of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Andrew Kohut, the president of the Pew Research Center. The speakers presented the results of a new KFF-Pew global survey on health and development, and discussed its implications for Smart Power. John Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS, introduced the speakers and participated in the discussion. This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released its final report, A Smarter, More Secure America.
CSIS hosted Lael Brainard, vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution, for a discussion on the importance of foreign assistance and the need to reform the American foreign aid system. Stephen Morrison, CSIS senior fellow and co-director of the Africa Program, moderated the event. This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released its final report, A Smarter, More Secure America.
CSIS hosted three national leaders from the education field - Carol Bellamy, president and CEO of World Learning, H. Patrick Swygert, president of Howard University, and Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president emeritus of George Washington University - for a discussion of the significance of international education and how we can best ensure that the next generation has the necessary cultural and linguistic expertise to meet our national security interests. Rick Barton, co-director of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at CSIS, moderated the panel. This event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released its final report, "A Smarter, More Secure America."
CSIS hosted a discussion with Ambassador Chester A. Crocker, a former assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Amb. Crocker discussed his vision of "smart statecraft" - the intelligent use of military power alongside agile international diplomacy - and how it can be employed by the United States. The event was one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level bipartisan group that recently released its final report, "A Smarter, More Secure America."
Introduction by
Dr. John Hamre
President and CEO, CSIS
CSIS is proud to announce the publication of the Commission on Smart Power's final report, A Smarter, More Secure America.
Commission co-chairs Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye lead a panel of fellow commissioners who provided a diagnosis of America's declining standing and influence in the world, and offered a set of recommendations for how the next president of the United States can implement a Smart Power approach to America's global engagement.
CSIS hosted a discussion with Farooq Kathwari, chairman, president and chief executive office of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. The event is one of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level commission tasked with developing "a smarter, more secure America."
CSIS hosted a discussion with David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times, and David Ignatius, a columnist for the Washington Post. The event was the first of a series related to the CSIS Commission on Smart Power, a high-level commission tasked with developing "a blueprint for revitalizing America's inspirational leadership." Dr. John Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS, moderated the discussion.