Zalmay Khalilzad (L) and Nicholas Burns (R) participate in a discussion on NATO's role in Afghanistan.
Sharon Wilke
Future of Diplomacy Project Experts Discuss Future of NATO, Afghanistan
In a February 2012 lecture sponsored by the FODP, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad outlined the possible repercussions of NATO's agreed-upon withdraw. That same week, US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter discussed Pakistan's role in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Future of Diplomacy Project Director Nicholas Burns, in a recent New York Times op-ed, writes that even as drawdowns continue in Afghanistan, NATO member states will continue to need the alliance as much as at any point in history.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
(Rex Features via AP Images)
May 17, 2012
"NATO: When I'm Sixty-Four"
New York Times
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School and David Manning
Nicholas R. Burns and David Manning, former ambassadors to NATO from their respective countries, respond to the question of whether NATO is still needed. They write: “Will you still need me when I’m sixty-four?” sang the Beatles. NATO is now in its 64th year, and in our view the answer is an unequivocal yes. The alliance still underwrites our security and underpins our prosperity. It gives us a global voice that no member state would enjoy individually. And if “it’s good to talk” in a dangerous world, there is no better trans-Atlantic forum.
AP Photo
May 10, 2012
"The Hollande effect"
Boston Globe
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Professor Burns discusses President-elect Francois Hollande's dramatic electoral victory and the effects it might have on some of the most important international challenges — the euro zone crisis, Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria.
Sharon Wilke
May 2, 2012
Conversations in Diplomacy: Justice Richard Goldstone
By Charles Hobbs and Cathryn Clüver, Executive Director, The Future of Diplomacy Project
In this interview with the Future of Diplomacy Project's Conversations in Diplomacy podcast series, Justice Richard Goldstone discusses the "crucial" role of diplomacy in international criminal justice.
May 2, 2012
Conversations in Diplomacy: David Miliband
In this video podcast, former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband shares views on the Eurozone Crisis, Iran, and Afghanistan.
May 3, 2012
Blame China, Not the U.S., for the Plight of Chen Guancheng
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Future of Diplomacy Project Director R. Nicholas Burns argues that critics are rushing to blame the Obama administration before the facts are clear.
April 27, 2012
"The rise of Turkey as a superpower"
Boston Globe
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Professor Burns believes that Turkey is a rising power in Europe and has an increasingly important role on the global stage. He suggests that the United States may be playing a far smarter game by keeping unpredictable Turkey close as a force multiplier to advance our many interests in the ever challenging Middle East.
April 13, 2012
"Masters in the art of diplomacy"
Boston Globe
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Professor Burns discusses the timeless virtues of diplomacy, negotiations, and statecraft in a complex and troubled world. He spotlights two great statesmen -- former Secretaries of State James A. Baker III and Henry A. Kissinger -- both of whom were honored guests at Harvard University during the past two weeks.
Tom Fitzsimmons
April 6, 2012
Solana and Miliband Debate the Transatlantic Alliance
By James F. Smith, Communications Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Two veteran European political leaders agreed this week that Europe’s relationship with the United States needs to adapt to be able to address fast-changing economic and security problems. They also agreed that Germany must play a more assertive role if Europe is to resolve these challenges.
Javier Solana, the former secretary general of NATO and the former de-facto European foreign minister, joined former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband at a John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard Kennedy School to debate the transatlantic alliance and its handling of issues including Afghanistan and Iran.
Solana and Miliband also took part in a series of events and master classes during Europe Week, organized by the Future of Diplomacy Project in the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. They visited the Kennedy School as Fisher Family Fellows.
April 4, 2012
Wise Negotiator
Harvard Gazette
Honored by the Future of Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center and the Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation, Secretary James Baker III recalls service as Secretary of State.
March 30, 2012
"Europe still matters"
Boston Globe
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Professor Burns discusses the importance of maintaining our close ties with Europe as we confront transnatonal challenges - from climate change to drug and crime cartels, from terrorism to weapons of mass destruction.
March 22, 2012
Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband Appointed Fisher Family Fellow with Future of Diplomacy Project
David Miliband, British MP and former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, to visit from April 2-5, 2012.
March 15, 2012
"Obama delivers a clear message on Iran"
Boston Globe
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Professor Burns illustrates why Obama's diplomatic approach in dealing with a volatile Iran is right for our country and perhaps the finest moment of his presidency. While force is on the table to counter a menacing Iran, Obama is right to consider every opportunity for peace before we act.
March 2, 2012
"Diplomacy returns to US arsenal"
Boston Globe
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Professor Burns commends the Obama administration's new approach to foreign policy: a return to diplomacy. While this shift doesn’t exclude the use of force in dealing with terrorists, it is an adept pivot by an administration searching for a new formula to advance American interests in the world.
March 1, 2012
Jake Sullivan Discusses US Foreign Policy Priorities
Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department emphasizes proactive policy and collective international action as US foreign policy focuses.
Sharon Wilke
February 22, 2012
South Asia Week Brings Together Experts to Discuss Regional Affairs
From February 16th to 24th, 2012, the India and South Asia Program, in partnership with the Future of Diplomacy Project and the South Asia Initiative, hosted South Asia Week, an extended program of events focusing on international relations and domestic policymaking in South Asia, a region of rapidly expanding global importance.
Erik Kruthoff
February 20, 2012
Ambassador Nirupama Rao hails importance of human capital in Indo-American relationship
Ambassador Rao concludes the Future of Diplomacy's South Asia week, hails bilateral US-Indian cooperation on a host of economic and security concerns.
Sharon Wilke
April 12, 2012
Zalmay Khalilzad, Former Ambassador, Discusses the Future of Afghanistan
Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad stressed the importance of domestic factors and regional cooperation in enabling the United States to arrive at a satisfactory end game in Afghanistan.
Erik Kruthoff
February 19, 2012
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran Discusses Indian Foreign Policy in a Transitional Era
Fisher Family Fellow Shyam Saran spent nearly a week with the Future of Diplomacy Project as part of South Asia Week, an eight day long series of panels, discussions, and lectures about the role of the subcontinent in 21st century international affairs.
Sharon Wilke
February 14, 2012
Less Bluster, More Action
The Harvard Gazette reports on U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter's recent visit to the Harvard Kennedy School. A guest of the Future of Diplomacy Project's South Asia Week, Ambassador Munter delivered a public address detailing the challenges of what Professor Nicholas Burns described as "arguably the most challenging diplomatic mission in the world."
February 10, 2012
Future of Diplomacy Project Announces Spring 2012 Fisher Family Fellows
The Future of Diplomacy Project at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, is pleased to announce the 2012 Fisher Family Fellows. They include the former Foreign Secretary of India, Shyam Saran; the former High Representative for the Common and Security Policy (CFSP) and former Secretary General of NATO, Javier Solana; and Tim Shriver, the President and CEO of Special Olympics.
February 3, 2012
Iran and U.S. Policy: Past, Present, and Future
Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Ambassador to Russia, India, Jordan, Nigeria, El Salvador, and the UN, addressed students at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for International Affairs and Science on February 2nd, 2011 regarding the history of Iran's nuclear program and the possibilities for a negotiated resolution.
November 14, 2011
The Future of Diplomacy
Brown Journal of World Affairs, issue 1, volume XVIII
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Professor R. Nicholas Burns, Director of the Future of Diplomacy Project, discusses the Future of Diplomacy Project, Iran, Wikileaks, and other major issues in international relations in an interview with the Brown Journal of World Affairs.
January 20, 2012
What to do about Iran
Boston Globe
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
In this op-ed piece, Professor Nicholas Burns stresses the importance of keeping negotiations and diplomacy, rather than the threat of force, at the forefront of U.S. strategy in dealing with Iran.
Damon Winter/NYT
January 9, 2012
America Abroad
New York Times
By Roger Cohen
Roger Cohen, columnist for The New York Times and recent Fisher Family Fellow, discusses his views about American power on the global stage in an op-ed published on January 9th, 2012.
December 15, 2011
Persian Puzzles: Iran Politics Analysis with Roger Cohen
Roger Cohen, columnist for the New York Times and Fisher Family Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project, presented his analysis of the Iranian political landscape and nuclear program on December 1, 2011.
November 9, 2011
Nabil Fahmy: “The Future of Democratization Following the Arab Spring”
“What happens in Egypt will affect the rest of the region in one way or another”, said Ambassador Nabil Fahmy in his lecture on ‘The Future of Democratization Following the Arab Spring’ on November 7. Fahmy, founding Dean of the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Cairo, is a 2011 Fisher Family Fellow of the Future of Diplomacy Project.
Sharon Wilke
November 3, 2011
Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter: Why the U.S. Doesn't Need a Grand Strategy
“We knew things were going to change because of the demographics, unemployment, and other factors”, said Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter, 2011 Fisher Family Fellow, about her time as Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. Department at State and the Arab Spring. In an interview on November 2, the Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs described the planning for the transition in Iraq and Afghanistan, the role of new technology in foreign policy, and called for a greater tolerance for risk.
Oct. 12, 2011
Transcript: Chinese ambassador's speech at Harvard Kennedy School
Transcript of policy address on Oct. 12, 2011, by Zhang Yesui, China's Ambassador to the United States, at Harvard Kennedy School to an overflow audience at an event hosted by the Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and moderated by R. Nicholas Burns, director of the Future of Diplomacy Project in the Belfer Center.
October 7, 2011
Alistair Burt: "The Arab Spring, the 2011 UN meetings and the way ahead: British Perspectives"
"There is a new normal", said Alistair Burt, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commenting on the Middle East after the Arab Spring. In a speech on September 26 sponsored by the Future of Diplomacy Project, he guided the audience on a tour of the countries in his ministerial portfolio, which covers North America, North Africa, the Levant, the Gulf and South Asia. He outlined the current situation on the ground and the British Government's response to it.
(AP Photo)
July 12, 2011
"NATO on the brink"
The Hill
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School, William Cohen and George Robertson
Then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates traveled to Brussels in June, where he warned European allies of the “dwindling … patience in the U.S. Congress” with NATO and declared that if allies did not get serious about meeting their NATO responsibilities they could soon find that American leaders “may not consider the return on America’s investment in NATO worth the cost.”
July 8, 2011
Celso Amorim discusses Brazil's role in the world and US-Brazil ties
By Sarah Kneezle, Coordinator, The Future of Diplomacy Project
Diplomatic power is more important than military power for Brazil, according to Celso Amorim, the country’s longest serving Foreign Minister and former Fisher Family Fellow at the Future of Diplomacy Project.
June 22, 2011
Shyam Saran: In wake of Bin Laden Death, India-Pakistan relationship could change
By Sarah Kneezle, Coordinator, The Future of Diplomacy Project
The death of Osama Bin Laden could change the relationship between India and Pakistan, according to Shyam Saran, the former Foreign Minister of India, who called the incident a huge “embarrassment and humiliation” for Pakistan.
June 13, 2011
Diplomacy and Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Navigating the Non-Aligned Movement
By Yvonne Yew, Research Fellow, Project on Managing the Atom/International Security Program
The Obama administration has sought a global cooperative approach to stem the spread of nuclear weapons and push for a stronger global engagement on the non-proliferation front. In the context of these efforts, this paper looks at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), established 50 years ago and representing 120 "global South" countries on issues related to nuclear rights and proliferation.
June 7, 2011
Ignatius: US must re-prioritize foreign policy objectives to assure ‘Arab Spring’ transforms the region
By Sarah Kneezle, Coordinator, The Future of Diplomacy Project
“If the transition in Egypt is successful, it will change the face of the Arab world,” Washington Post columnist David Ignatius said in a Future of Diplomacy interview, in which he reflected on the impact of the ‘Arab Spring’ on American Foreign Policy. Ignatius was a Fisher Family Fellow with the project from April 11 - 15, 2011.
Sharon Wilke
May 10, 2011
Brazil sees new role for G20 in Foreign Policy
By James F. Smith, Communications Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Brazil’s longest-serving foreign minister, Celso Amorim, says a change in attitude allowed Brazil to join the ranks of the world’s emerging powers.
In the early 1990s, he recalled, an article described Brazil as a country that punched below its weight. “Now I read in the Brazilian media that Brazil punches above its weight,” Amorim told a seminar at Harvard Kennedy School on April 28.
Sharon Wilke
April 27, 2011
Ambassador Meera Shankar: India-US Relations in an Asian-Pacific Century
In a public address for the Belfer Center and the Future of Diplomacy Project entitled “India-US relations in a Pacific Century,” Meera Shankar, the Indian Ambassador to the United States explained that the current Indian foreign policy priority is “peace, progress, and prosperity.” As the Asia Pacific region becomes the new locus of power, Ambassador Shankar stated that India has become more aware of its “Asian Pacific identity.”
April 20, 2011
Said Jawad: The US must focus on long-term objectives, stabilization in Afghanistan
In order to stabilize governance in Afghanistan, the United States and Afghan governments must formulate a shared vision for Afghanistan’s future. During a recent visit to the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), Said Tayeb Jawad, former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States, spoke with Meghan O’Sullivan, the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School.
Sharon Wilke
April 15, 2011
David Ignatius: America and the Global Political Awakening
Transcript of the speech "America and the Global Political Awakening" as delivered by David Ignatius, Columnist, The Washington Post.
April 20, 2011
Said T. Jawad: Ending Terror without Embracing Tyranny Reconciliation with Taliban
By Nura Sedique
Ambassador Said Jawad returned to Harvard Kennedy School to provide a candid public address on April 7, 2011 for the Future of Diplomacy Project, in a talk titled as “Ending Terror without Embracing Tyranny Reconciliation with Taliban.”
May 23, 2011
Kai Eide: Problems in Afghanistan will not be solved through War
By Sarah Kneezle, Coordinator, The Future of Diplomacy Project
The only way to succeed in Afghanistan is to use diplomacy, according to Kai Eide, who served as the United Nations’ Special Representative to Afghanistan from 2008-2010.
During his trip to the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) in April 2011, Eide emphasized that continuing to fight a war in the country would ultimately result in a stalemate for both the international community and the Taliban. Eide served as a Fisher Family Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project during his time at Harvard.
AP
March 22, 2011
The Gamble in Libya
By R. Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics, Harvard Kennedy School
Nicholas Burns, faculty director of the Future of Diplomacy Project, questions President Obama's strategy in Libya in this op-ed written for the Boston Globe on March 22.
"We have to recognize this situation for what it really is — the first time in American history when we have used our military power to prop up and possibly put in power a group of people we literally do not know," Professor Burns writes.
