Date: Wednesday 14th May 2008, 9.30-3.30pm

Venue: Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Whitehall, London SW1A 2ET

Confirmed speakers include:

• Boris Nemtsov, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
• Ed Lucas, The Economist and Author of 'The New Cold War: How the Kremlin Menaces Both Russia and the West'
• David Clark, Chair, The Russia Foundation
• Akhmed Zakaev, Prime Minister, Resistance Government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
• Tony Wood, Writer & Author
• Andrei Piontkovsky, Executive Director, Centre for Strategic Studies, Moscow

Taking place only days after Dimitry Medvedev formally takes over as President of the Russia Federation, this Chechnya Peace Forum and Foreign Policy Centre event will focus on what is happening in Russia today. Please see the invitation below for further details of speakers and a draft programme for the day. A confirmed programme will be issued to registrants ahead of the event. A buffet lunch will be provided.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Geoff Duggan on tel: 020 7149 3705 or email your acceptance to: info@chechnyapeaceforum.com. Please include your name and organisation, as well as your contact details.

Download the Invitation (50 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Details of events recently hosted or co-hosted by the Foreign Policy Centre follow below.

For more information on any of these, please email FPC's Events and Research Officer: anna.owen@fpc.org.uk

Date: Wednesday 7th May 2008, 3-5pm

Speakers:

•Salvatore Gabola, Director of Global Stakeholder Relations, The Coca-Cola Company

•Liza Lort-Phillips, Associate Director, Corporate Citizenship

•Graham Baxter, Director,Responsible Business Solutions International Business Leaders Forum(IBLF)

•Sumi Dhanarajan, Co-head,Private Sector Team, Policy Department Oxfam

The Foreign Policy Centre, in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain, presented the third seminar in the 'CSR in Emerging Markets' series on Wed 7 May at Portcullis House. The seminar examined CSR in emerging markets with a focus on marketplace practices, including issues such as consumer relations, ethical trade and responsible investment, and wealth creation. The speakers explored these themes from both business and civil society perspectives.

This event was held in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain

Download Invitation (90 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Liza Lort-Phillips' presentation

Download Download Liza Lort-Phillips' presentation (790 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Sumi Dhanarajan's presentation

Download Download Sumi Dhanarajan's presentation (110 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Date: Thursday 8 May, 4.00-6.00pm

Keynote Speaker: Hon Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Discussant: Femi Longe, Co-founder, Africa++ (a network that helps people in the diaspora connect with Africa's development)

Chair: Hugh Bayley MP, Member of the International Development Select Committee and Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group on Africa

In a public lecture hosted by the Foreign Policy Centre in partnership with the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD), the Hon Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of the House of Representatives, explored the future of governance and democracy promotion in Nigeria.

While Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, it is by far the continent's largest fledgling democracy. The 2007 presidential and legislative elections were widely perceived to be the most flawed in the country's history. Initially, when President Umaru Yar'Adua was nominated by his predecessor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, there was much speculation that Obasanjo intended to retain the reins of power using the somewhat anonymous governor of Katsina State as an instrument to advance his own political agenda. Today however, Yar'Adua is increasingly regarded as an enthusiastic supporter of 'better government' as a vehicle for tackling the structural constraints that are impeding Nigeria's development, such as the chronic power crisis.

Questions that were explored during this event included: Is President Yar'Adua simply seeking to build his own legitimacy? Can the Nigerian National Assembly effectively shape legislation and adequately monitor and challenge the executive on behalf of the Nigerian people? Is the Nigerian government being distracted from the business of pursuing an ambitious reform agenda? Does democracy have a future in the Nigerian political power struggle?

Download Invitation (50 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Date: 18 March 2008, 6pm to 7.30pm

Venue: Committee Room 15, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

Speakers:

Baroness Shirley Williams

Nazenin Ansari, Diplomatic Editor, Kayhan

Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Professorial Fellow, RUSI

Mark Fitzpatrick, Senior Fellow for Non-proliferation, International Institute for Strategic Studies

Chair: Stephen Twigg, Director, Foreign Policy Centre, and Chair, Progress

The discussion at this event considered how progressives can respond to the challenge of Iran. The seminar sought to consider the possibilities of engagement with the government of Iran over the nuclear issue, regional security and trade co-operation. It also examined government human rights abuses and ways in which progressives in Britain could build a 'dialogue of civilisations' with reformers in Iran.

Held in association with Progress www.progressonline.org.uk

Date: Monday 10th March 2008, 3pm to 5pm

Venue: Grimond Room, Portcullis House, Bridge Street, London, SW1A 2LW

Speakers:

• Salvatore Gabola, Director of Worldwide Stakeholder Relations, The Coca-Cola Company
• Daniel Graymore, Team Leader, Business Alliance Team, Department for International Development
• Daniel Litvin, Director, Critical Resource Strategy & Analysis
• Stephen Twigg (Chair), Director, The Foreign Policy Centre

About this event:

At this event, the Foreign Policy Centre launched a major project on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in emerging markets in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain. The project will explore the role of multinational corporations' CSR practices in emerging markets in the areas of labour standards, marketplace practices, and the environment. With an initial background paper, this launch seminar reviewed recent trends in multinationals' CSR practices, defined the latest debate on CSR, and established the context for the following three seminars which will form part of this project.

This event was held in association with Coca-Cola Great Britain.

Download the initial background paper (140 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

'The Empire Strikes Flak: Powerful Companies and Political Backlash' by Daniel Litvin (presented to Harvard Business School colloquium)

Download Daniel Litvin's paper (100 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Date: Thursday, 28th February 2008

Speakers:

Gareth Thomas MP, DfID Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Richard Black, BBC

Graham Wynne, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Chair: Stephen Twigg, FPC

About this event:

At the FPC's recent inaugural Annual Lecture, the Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP announced that the UK Government would increase its climate change research to £100 million over the next five years (a tenfold increase).

Continuing with the theme of exploring the centrality of environmental sustainability and global social justice, the FPC in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds held a seminar on "Sustaining our Environment: Is Climate Change the Only Ill?".

This event was kindly supported by the RSPB.

Download Gareth Thomas's Speech (40 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Richard Black's Presentation

Download Richard Black's presentation (660 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Date: Friday 29 February 2008, 12.30pm to 2pm

Venue: Vault 1, Royal Society of Arts, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ.

Hosted by the Chechnya Peace Forum and the Foreign Policy Centre, this event provided an opportunity for policy-makers, commentators and analysts to discuss political, social and economic developments in Russia and the Caucasus ahead of the Russian Presidential election in March.

Speakers leading the discussion included:

• Stephen Twigg, Director, The Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)
• David Clark, Chair, Russia Foundation
• Ed Lucas, Journalist on the Economist and Author of The New Cold War: How the Kremlin Menaces Both Russia and the West
• Akhmed Zakaev, Prime Minister, Resistance Government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

To find out more about the work of the Chechnya Peace Forum please visit www.chechnyapeaceforum.com.

Date: Tuesday 26th February 2008

Speakers:

• Mark Leonard, Author "What Does China Think?"
• Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister for Africa, Asia & the UN, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Professor Zheng Yongnian, China Policy Institute, Nottingham University
• Gideon Rachman, The Financial Times

About this event:

In his new book "What Does China Think?", which was published by Fourth Estate on 18 February, Mark Leonard introduces us to the thinkers shaping China's future, and opens up a hidden world of intellectual debate that could change our world. We know all about the statistics of China's rise – dizzying growth rates, vast currency reserves, new cities built every week. But have heard very little about China as a powerhouse of ideas about politics, economics and world order.

Leonard reveals a Chinese model of Globalisation that could re-shape the face of Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. He shows how experiments with focus groups and opinion polls are changing China from a traditional authoritarian state to a new 'deliberative dictatorship'. And he reveals how Beijing hopes to use a "China Dream" to challenge America's military power. What does China Think? charts the development of a Chinese worldview and portrays the factions battling for influence.

This event was held in association with The Fabian Society and the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Climate Change and Global Social Justice

6 February 2008

The International Development Secretary, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, in a major speech to the Foreign Policy Centre has argued that the world needs to shift its economic development to a low-carbon model. He also announced a tenfold increase in climate change research funding to £100 million over the next five years.

Giving the inaugural Foreign Policy Centre annual lecture at the LSE, the Development Secretary outlined his proposals for a new post-Kyoto global framework to tackle emissions. Mr Alexander argued that while developed countries must take a lead, developing countries must share the responsibility of change by 'leapfrogging' over polluting technologies toward a cleaner economy as their societies develop.

He said:

"Climate change is a defining global social justice issue for our generation. If we do not take the necessary action, we risk condemning the world's poorest people to generations of poverty."

Read more

Download the full speech (110 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

16 January 2008

The Foreign Policy Centre held its third annual reception on Wednesday 16 January 2008 with guest speaker, David Miliband MP. The Foreign Secretary gave a brief address in which he shared some of the challenges that he sees facing Britain in an interdependent world in 2008.

Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Foreign Secretary said:

"The Foreign Policy Centre has a distinctive approach in bringing diverse people together reinforcing the notion that the UK is a global hub for debate and ideas on how to govern our shared plant in a socially responsible way.

"The new challenge for future FPC work will be how we bring foreign policy back home, 'linking over there with in here.'"

Read more

Download photos from the reception (200 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

An ODI and FPC event

Speakers:

Baroness Margaret Jay, Co-chair, Iraq Commission

Simon Maxwell, Director, ODI (Chair)

Date:

Thurs 22nd November 2007, 1pm-2.15pm

Venue:

Overseas Development Institute, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD

About the Event:

The Foreign Policy Centre (FPC), in partnership with Channel 4, facilitated a UK Iraq Commission – the British equivalent of the US Iraq Study Group. The Iraq Commission was an independent, cross-party Commission that produced a report containing recommendations for the future of Britain's role in Iraq.

At this ODI and Foreign Policy Centre event, Baroness Margaret Jay will outline the process of evidence gathering employed by the Commission and the major findings of the report.

You can register online for the event at http://apps.odi.org.uk/events

October 2007

In October, The Foreign Policy Centre and the All Party Parliamentary China Group presented a seminar on The China Model-the Chinese Way in World Politics. The speaker at this event was Professor Pan Wei from Peking University.

Following the success of this event and the high number of enquires received, a transcript of Professor Wei's speech can now be found on our website by accessing the link below.

About the Event

From the "Beijing Consensus" to the "China Model". Three years ago, the Foreign Policy Centre published one of its most influential pamphlets—The Beijing Consensus by Joshua Ramo. Professor Pan Wei of Peking University presented at the FPC a Chinese view of what a China model in world politics might be in the future. It is based on a research project he has just completed with other Chinese scholars. And it is the first time the research findings are presented outside China. Professor Pan spoke about how a superpower China will likely behave in foreign policy and domestic politics and what that may mean for the world.

About The Speaker

Professor Pan Wei obtained his PhD from UC Berkeley. He is one of China's most original and influential thinkers on Chinese politics and foreign policy. His works on "consultative democracy"—the idea that China can have a distinctive form of democracy different from the Western liberal one—has attracted increased attention at home and abroad. His researches on China's rural reform and social values have also been influential. Most recently he has been collaborating with Hong Kong scholars on the "China model" to examine what a superpower China might look like.

For more details, contact feng.zhang[at]fpc.org.uk

Download The Chinese Model of Development (40 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Speakers:

HE Mr Ivohasina Razafimahefa, Minister of Economy, Government of Madagascar

Stephen Twigg, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Date:

Tuesday 13 November 2007, 2.30pm to 4pm

Venue:

Committee Room 12, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

About the event:

The Foreign Policy Centre is delighted to host the Madagascar Development Forum. The Malagasy Minister of the Economy, Mr Ivohasina Razafimahefa will make a keynote speech at the forum.

The Madagascar Development Forum is being held to raise the profile of Madagascar in the UK as an attractive business hub and to forge co-operation between governments and businesses in the UK and East Africa, and to examine the particular challenges for development in small states. Copies of the Madagascar Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy for encouraging growth and reducing poverty will be available.

This event will be a great opportunity to hear from one of Madagascar's most senior politicians, and to meet like minded business leaders, NGOs, journalists and other policy makers.

Please RSVP with the subject "Madagascar Forum" to events[at]fpc.org.uk by 9 November

Please find attached details of this year's Foreign Policy Centre events at Labour party conference in Bournemouth.

There are events on a wide range of topics including drugs and terrorism, migration, and international development. There is also an interactive Question Time session on the future of Europe. Email your questions in advance of the event to europe.labour@fpc.org.uk.

Download FPC Fringe Guide - Labour (50 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Please find attached details of this year's Foreign Policy Centre events at Conservative party conference in Blackpool.

There are events on a wide range of topics including Russia, migration, and international development. There is also an interactive Question Time session on the future of Europe. Email your questions in advance of the event to europe.conservative@fpc.org.uk.

Download FPC Fringe Guide - Conservatives (30 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Please find attached details of this year's Foreign Policy Centre event at Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton.

There is an interactive Question Time session on the future of Europe. Email your questions in advance of the event to europe.libdems@fpc.org.uk.

Download FPC Fringe Guide - Liberal Democrats (20 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

You are warmly invited to the latest POLIS event, in partnership with Channel 4 and the Foreign Policy Centre:

This is an opportunity to discuss and debate the findings of The Iraq Commission. More details and a copy of the final report can be found here: http://fpc.org.uk/topics/iraqcommission/

Date: Tuesday 24 July, 6.30 - 8.00pm

Venue: Old Theatre, London School of Economics

Speakers: Professor Mary Kaldor (LSE), Baroness Margaret Jay (The Iraq Commission), Patrick Cockburn (Independent), Ghaith Abdul-Ahad (Guardian), Tim Finch (Refugee Council)

Chair: Krishnan Guru-Murthy (Channel 4)

Following a series of hearings, Channel 4 aired the findings of the Channel 4/ Foreign Policy Centre Iraq Commission in a special programme presented by Jon Snow on Saturday 14 July 2007. The Commission, the equivalent of the US Iraq Study Group, is an independent, cross-party Commission which has produced recommendations on the future of Britain's role in Iraq.

The POLIS event will be the first public debate on the findings of the Iraq Commission. Through incorporative panel debate, it will gauge the response of the press and the public, many of whom will have already viewed the Channel 4 programme or read the report.

It will ask what role the public and press have in carrying out the Commission's findings, and what impact implementing the Commission's findings will have on community cohesion, the terror threat and Muslim/ media relations in the UK.

This will be the backdrop for a wider debate about how the conflict in Iraq has been reported and will continue to be reported, whether the media has facilitated sufficient and healthy public debate, whether the government has listened, and, ultimately, what the story of Iraq will be in the long run.

The event will be followed by a drinks reception in the Senior Common Room.

For maps and directions please refer to:

http://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/mapsAndDirections/howToGetToLSE.htm

Please note you do not need to RSVP for this event

For more on POLIS please visit http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/polis/.

Date: Wednesday 20 June

Time: 10am to 11am

Title: "What are the challenges and opportunities for a new Gordon Brown government with regard to Israel, Palestinians and the Near Middle East?"

Venue: Church House, Dean's Yard, Westminster, London SW1P 3NZ

RSVP: khevynl@bicom.org.uk, or +44 (0)207 467 8949.

The Foreign Policy Centre and BICOM are jointly hosting a debate on Weds 20th June 2007 at Church House from 10am - 11am.

The subject of the debate is "What are the challenges and opportunities for a new Gordon Brown government with regard to Israel, Palestinians and the Near Middle East?"

Stephen Twigg, the Director of the Foreign Policy Centre will chair the debate. Lorna Fitzsimons, the Chief Executive of BICOM, Hussein Agha, from St Anthony's College Oxford, and Mike Gapes MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee will all speak.

I do hope that you can attend, please RSVP direct to Khevyn Limbarjee at khevynl@bicom.org.uk or call +44 (0)207 467 8949.

Spaces are limited at this seminar, places will be allocated first come, first served.

Date: Monday 18 June

Time: 6pm

Venue: Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, SW1

RSVP: tim.gore@fabian-society.org.uk or 0207 227 4914

The Foreign Policy Centre, the Fabian Society and the Young Fabians are jointly holding a debate on the prospects for Middle East peace in the House of Commons.

Hilary Benn MP, International Development Secretary, will be among the speakers, alongside expert voices on the conflict and how to end it.

The event will launch the new Fabian freethinking paper How Peace Broke Out in the Middle East: A short history of the future by Tony Klug. The paper is generating an extraordinary and positive response from a wide range of commentators, academics and government and civil society voices:

"A brilliant idea and a dream that is not beyond reach. The conditions are ripe - what is lacking is the political will and leadership" - Professor Shlomo Ben-Ami, Former Israeli Foreign Minister.

"Tony Klug offers us a tantalizing vision of what could be. It may not happen but, if it does, this is how it will unfold" - Dr Ahmad Samih Khalidi, Former Palestinian negotiator and Senior Associate Member, St Antonys College, Oxford.

You can download a copy of the paper from:

http://fabians.org.uk/publications/freethinking/klug-middleeast-07/

The event will be held in the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons on Monday 18th June at 6.00pm.

As space is limited, please RSVP to tim.gore@fabian-society.org.uk or 0207 227 4914.

Date: Wednesday 6 June

Time: 2pm to 4pm

Venue: Committee Room 10, House of Commons, SW1A 0AA (Please use St Stephen's Entrance)

RSVP: events[at]fpc.org.uk

Speakers

Rt Hon John Battle MP, PM's Envoy to the Faith Communities

Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester

HE Anthony Bailey KCSS, Chief Policy Adviser, Foreign Policy Centre

Urmee Khan, The Guardian

Followed by a Question & Answer session

The Foreign Policy Centre is delighted to invite you to attend the launch of the new report, 'Having Faith in Foreign Policy'. This collection of essays brings together faith leaders and intellectuals to discuss, debate and attempt to answer some of the most vexed questions of our age: what is the relationship between religion and the state in a post-modern society; what is the interaction between faith, conflict and development and how can governments and leaders reach out to citizens who may feel disengaged from foreign policy?

Copies of the report will be available at the event. Places are limited at this event, please RSVP to events@fpc.org.uk

This report and event are supported by HE Anthony Bailey, KCSS, Eligo International (www.eligo.net) and the Grand Magistral Delegation for Inter-Religious Relations of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (www.constantinian.com).

Download Having Faith in Foreign Policy (1.09 megabyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

THE COMPASS ROBIN COOK MEMORIAL CONFERENCE 2007

1:30pm – 2:45pm, Saturday, 9 June 2007

Westminster Central Hall, Storeys Gate, London, SW1H 9NH

Location map: http://www.c-h-w.com/location/

Speakers

Chair: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The Independent

Gareth Thomas MP, DfID Minister and Chair of the Co-operative Party

Murad Qureshi AM, London Assembly

Gibril Faal, AFFORD / RemitAid™

To inform public debate about the challenges and opportunities migration presents to reducing global poverty, the Foreign Policy Centre and the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) will jointly host a fringe event at this year's Compass conference.

The impact of migration on poverty reduction can be understood through the transfers of money from migrant workers and diaspora communities to their countries or regions of origin. This process provides an important perspective through which to explore the complexities of globalisation. Remittances are the largest external source of finance for many developing countries – greater than foreign direct investment and official aid inflows. In 2006, the World Bank reported that official remittance flows into developing countries rose to $200 billion. Yet the true size of remittances is much larger due the very high level of unrecorded flows. Given the economic significance of remittances in low income countries, public policy needs to give higher priority to maximising the developmental benefits and reducing the imperfections and risks associated with this important form of international development finance.

Please Contact:

Josephine Osikena at the Foreign Policy Centre josephine.osikena[at]fpc.org.uk or +44 (0) 207 729 7566

Download the invitation (40 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

60 years of Pakistan's Independence

Wednesday 18 April, 2007

You can now watch a recording of this seminar on 18 Doughty Street TV.

http://doughty.gdbtv.com/player.php?h=7059ecdea5577db2f3e186497dceef80

Time: 2.45pm for a 3pm start. The event will finish by 5pm.

Speakers:

Mr. Inam ul Haque, Chairman, Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs)

Sadiq Khan MP

Professor Ian Talbot, University of Southampton

Madeleine Moon MP

Maria Sultan, Director, South Asian Strategic Stability Institute

Chair: Stephen Twigg

Venue:

The Attlee Suite, Portcullis House

House of Parliament

London SW1A 0AA

(Access via Portcullis House reception, Bridge Street)

About this event

This year, Pakistan is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Independence. In its national journey, Pakistan has braved a number of challenges on both internal and external fronts. The last seven years have been of particular importance. Pakistan has experienced an economic turnaround. It is also a frontline state in the ongoing fight against terrorism and extremism. President General Pervez Musharraf has also taken initiatives to have lasting peace with India. But there continue to be apprehensions about Pakistan. This seminar will explore the chasm between the perception and reality of Pakistan. Are perceptions about Pakistan correct? Are these out of touch with reality?

Places are limited, please RSVP by 13 April:

Alex.bigham[at]fpc.org.uk

+44(0)20 7729 7566

Download the invitation (30 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Thursday 19 April 2007

Time: from 15:00 - 18:00

Speakers:

Sam Gurney, Trade Union Congress (TUC)

Beverley Mirando, Nestlé

Sarojini Ganju Thakur, Commonwealth Secretariat

Chair: Dr Peter Hough, Middlesex University

Venue:

P8, Pascal building, Middlesex University, Queensway, Enfield, Middlesex EN3 4SA

The seminar will be followed by a reception

Due to a limited number of places, please RSVP to Josephine Osikena.

Email: Josephine.osikena[at]fpc.org.uk

Tel: +44 (0)20 7729 7566

This is the second event in the FPC seminar series which aims to explore the role played by business in international development. The forums hope to identify constructive ways in which civil society together with the private sector can forge more effective links to make globalisation work for the poor.

Why trade matters

The event will explore how women can best tackle the challenges and maximise the opportunities trade liberalisation presents. Focusing on agriculture, it will also examine how business and enterprise can support and develop small-scale female producers helping them fully participate in trade at a global, regional and local level. The seminar also hopes to identify ways in which trade can be used as a vehicle to promote gender equality and female empowerment. The event series has been sponsored by Nestlé.

Download the invitation (70 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Foreign Policy Centre and the LSE

Date: Monday 23 April 2007

Time: 6.30-8pm

Venue: Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House, LSE

Speaker: Lord Triesman

Lord David Triesman of Tottenham will discuss the role that public diplomacy plays in the achievement of the government's international objectives in a joint Foreign Policy Centre and LSE event. As chair of the Public Diplomacy Board, he will describe the approach that has been developed as a result of Lord Carter's 2005 Review of Public Diplomacy, with a primary focus on engaging with foreign public audiences.

Lord Triesman is parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Foreign Office with responsibility for public diplomacy.

This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis.

For more information email events@lse.ac.uk or call 020 7955 6043.

If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get to the LSE and what time to arrive, please refer to

http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/conferenceAndEventsOffice/comingToAnEventAtLSE.htm

Wednesday 28 March, 2007

Time: 10.30am to 11.45am

Keynote speech: Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP

Chair: Stephen Twigg

Venue: Committee Room 9, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE(Access via St Stephen's Entrance)

Places are limited, please RSVP to: alex.bigham[at]fpc.org.uk

+44 (0)20 7729 7566

Download Alan Johnson's speech (30 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Time: 4.00-6.00 pm

Venue: Committee Room 19, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

The Foreign Policy Centre and Never Again cordially invite you to a discussion on:

Will China Help Prevent or Provoke Conflict in Africa?

Speakers:

• Stephanie T. Kleine-Ahlbrandt, International Affairs Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York
• Patrick Smith, Editor, Africa Confidential

The Theme

After 50 years of independent rule and Western development practice, people in Africa grapple still with the threats, legacies and realities of violent conflict. Will China's unique approach to development offer new solutions or further complicate local and international tensions? Will China's growing investment in the continent encourage African nations to become independent parties to the world trade regime? Will China's investment strengthen African national economies? How will China's involvement influence good governance, human rights and civil society in African countries? What drives China's Africa policy? This seminar will explore the implications of China's increasing assertiveness in Africa, what this means for African governments and citizens, and for the West which has traditionally played a key role in the region.

The speakers

Stephanie T. Kleine-Ahlbrandt is Programme Manager and Officer-in-Charge, Asia Division, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2006). She is responsible for human rights and technical cooperation on administration of justice with the government of the People's Republic of China. She is currently on sabbatical and is an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, researching the human rights implications of China's deepening engagement with the African continent.

Patrick Smith is editor of Africa Confidential, the world's leading fortnightly bulletin on Africa.

Due to a limited number of places please RSVP to Feng Zhang at:

Feng.Zhang[at]fpc.org.uk or call at +44 (0)20 7729 7566; +44 (0) 78 0976 4855.

Tuesday 6 March, 2007

Rt Hon Peter Hain MP

Chair: Stephen Twigg

Kindly hosted by:

Hill & Knowlton

20 Soho Square

London W1A 1PR

About the event:

Peter Hain spoke and took questions at a packed Foreign Policy Centre discussion on "The End of Foreign Policy?" kindly hosted at the offices of Hill & Knowlton.

Since the events of September 11th, the barriers between the domestic and the international have further broken down. The old definition of "the national interest" is too narrow a guide to foreign policy in a globalised world, but we are still developing the new rules which should replace it. How can we redefine a multilateral foreign policy to encompass this new dynamic? Today's foreign policy needs to be shaped by ideas, not by events.

You can download a copy of Peter Hain's speech below

Download Peter Hain's speech to the Foreign Policy Centre (50 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Speakers:

Gareth Thomas MP, DFID Minister

Emanuele Lobina, University of Greenwich

Norah Odwesso, Diageo Africa

Chair: Malcolm Bruce MP, Chair, International Development Committee

Date: Wednesday 7 March, 2007

Time: 4pm to 6pm

Venue: Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Bridge Street, London SW1A 2LW (PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE)

About this event:

Universal access to water and sanitation represents an urgent global priority. Currently, 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water, 2.4 billion people do not have basic sanitation and 6,000 children die daily because of water-related diseases. Over 300 million of these people live in Africa.

UN member states have committed to halving the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015. At present however, many countries are set to fail. Meeting this goal means getting water to an extra 440,000 people every day, every week, every year for the next 10 years, at an annual cost of US$ 11.3 billion. This requires strong political and financial support for practical solutions.

This seminar will explore how governments, multilateral agencies, civil society, the private sector and local stakeholders can forge better partnerships to improve access to water and sanitation for the most vulnerable in Africa. The event is being sponsored by Diageo.

Download Gareth Thomas's Speech (30 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Wednesday 7 February 2007

Speakers:

Joshua Cooper Ramo

Martin Wolf, FT

Martin Jacques, LSE/The Guardian

Stephen Twigg, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

In this new report, from the author of the widely discussed paper 'The Beijing Consensus', Ramo argues that China's national image, and the misalignment between China's image of itself and how it is viewed by the rest of the world, may be its greatest strategic threat. It argues that alongside its other reforms, China needs a 'fifth transition' if the trust and understanding necessary for the next stage of its development are to be achieved.

This event is by invitation only, for more information, please email alex.bigham[at]fpc.org.uk. For press enquiries, call 020 7729 7566.

This paper has been kindly supported by Hill & Knowlton.

Download Brand China (260 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

An ODI, Foreign Policy Centre and APGOOD Event

Global Challenges: Europe's Role

Keynote Speaker: Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Thursday 1st February, 1.00 – 2.30PM

Committee Room 10, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA (please use St Stephen's entrance) PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE

At this joint ODI, Foreign Policy Centre and All Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development (APGOOD) event, Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, Minister for Europe will speak about the role Europe can play in addressing today's major global challenges.

The Minister would like his speech to focus on the thoughts of the audience in this respect and to this end, you are invited to submit your own thoughts here in response to the following questions:

1. Which three main global challenges are especially suited for a Europe-wide response?

2. What three main strengths and three main weaknesses will determine whether the EU is or is not able to deliver a good response?

3. What does the UK and wider European development/external relations community have to do differently to make sure the weaknesses are overcome?

All feedback received in response to these questions will be passed to the Minister's office in advance of the event and his speech will endeavour to address the major themes which emerge.

If you would like to attend, please click here to register your place and submit your thoughts on the Minister's questions: http://www.odi.org.uk/speeches/apgood/international_development/1stFeb07/form.html

Please note that the deadline for submitting feedback is 12.00NOON on Thursday 18th January. Submissions received after then will not be passed to the Minister's office, although you will still be able to register for the meeting until 48 hours before the event.

Download Geoff Hoon's speech (30 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Monday 4 December 2006, 11.30am to 1pm

Venue: Committee Room 12,(PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE) House of Commons

This event on Balochistan, a volatile region of Pakistan is part of a series of events the Foreign Policy Centre is organising in Parliament on conflicts that receive little attention in the media or elsewhere.

Speakers include:

Ms Asma Jehangir, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Commission on Human Rights (tbc)

Mr Jaromir Kohlicek MEP, Vice-Chair, SAARC Delegation

Mr Selig Harrison, Centre for International Policy, Washington DC

Senator Tariq Azeem, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan

Mr Javed Mengal, Former Senator, Balochistan National Party

Philip Fiske, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Why does Balochistan matter? Balochistan crosses the states of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran and in some ways is the 'Kurdistan of Central Asia'. Balochistan is a crucial element to Britain's relations with Pakistan and the Pakistani community in the UK. Quetta, the capital of Balochistan in Pakistan is a known hideout for Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters.

The Balochi people believe they have been oppressed in many ways by the Pakistani government. Feudal systems of government, corruption and incompetence have lead to socio-economic backwardness and extreme poverty. NGOs have raised concerns of political incarceration and torture of Balochi political activists such as Rasheed Azam.

In addition, Balochistan's gas resources have received much attention from both Iran and China, keen to get a foothold in the province. These facts make a compelling case that Balochistan should be on the radar of the international community.

If you wish to attend, please RSVP to Alex Bigham by emailing alex.bigham[at]fpc.org.uk or calling 020 7729 7566.

Sponsored by Hill & Knowlton

Thursday 30 November, 3.30pm to 7pm

Venue: Hill & Knowlton, 20 Soho Square, London W1A 1PR

The Foreign Policy Centre recently hosted a seminar and reception entitled: "Redefining Multilateralism: The Commonwealth as a Catalyst for Change?" The event was addressed by John Battle MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development and Rt Hon Donald McKinnon, Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

This spring the Prime Minister made a series of landmark speeches on foreign policy, one of which was hosted by the Foreign Policy Centre in March. You may recall that in his third speech held at Georgetown University, Washington DC in May 2006 the Prime Minister suggested that:

"There is a "hopeless mismatch" between the global challenges we face and the global institutions available to confront them,[…] now is the moment for reconciliation in the international community around a unifying agenda for global action."

Today there are a number of obstacles to promoting international co-operation. From the indefinite suspension of the Doha Development Round, to developing a reformed United Nations system which meets the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. We witness the crisis in the International Monetary Fund and the growing irrelevance of the Work Bank in meeting today's global development concerns. The seminar explored how the world's second largest international association can best position itself to advocate a response commensurate with the global threat to multilateralism.

The Commonwealth holds a unique position in today's global institutional architecture, with a membership of 53 states, comprising over 1.8 billion inhabitants (or 33 per cent of the world's population). Economically, the Commonwealth has annual GDP growth rate of approximately 7%, including thirteen of the fastest growing world economies. Through this seminar we hope to identify how the Commonwealth can best provoke change by redefining multilateralism.

The event was kindly sponsored by Hill and Knowlton and was held at their offices at 20 Soho Square, London W1A 1PR.

Download speeches from the event - John Battle MP and Don McKinnon (80 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Sponsored by Nestle

Friday 17 November, 15:00 - 19:00

Venue: Council Chamber, Ground Floor, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies , Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5DR.

The Foreign Policy Centre and the Institute for the Study of the Americas would like to invite you to the following event:

Trading Out of Poverty in Latin America

Speakers:

Professor Janet Dine, Queen Mary, University of London

Professor Brigitte Granville, Queen Mary, University of London

Claire McGuigan, Christian Aid

Hilary W Parsons, Nestlé

Graham Symons, Department for International Development (DfID)

Chaired by: Diego Sanchez Ancochea, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London

Global fair trade sales have now reached $400 million annually and are projected to rise as the popularity of ethical trading gains increasing mass market appeal. Fair trade enterprise is estimated to return profits of between 25 to 30 percent to producers, improving the lives and livelihoods of those conventionally marginalised from global export markets. However, there are a number of challenges. Does growing competition within the sustainable trade sector compromise the values of alternative trade initiatives? Why do producers continue to channel the bulk of their produce through conventional markets? Why are so few small scale farmers participating in fair trade networks and should participation be extended to include plantation-based production in order to benefit poor farm workers? To explore how to constructively overcome the dilemmas facing fair trade and other ethical trade initiatives, designed to give farmers increased ownership of the goods they produce, the Foreign Policy Centre and the Institute for the Study of the Americas will host a forum to discuss whether fair trade can make a significant impact on poverty in Latin America while promoting ethical trading values.

Please RSVP to Andrew Russell, andrew.russell[at]fpc.org.uk or 0207 729 7566

This event is kindly supported by Nestlé

Download Seminar Report: Trading Out of Poverty in Latin America (150 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

The Labour Party Conference in Manchester is set to run from Sunday 24th until Thursday 28th September. The FPC will be holding a number of events inside the secure zone of Labour Party Conference.

If you would like to know more, please contact us on 020 7729 7566 or email Diane Fisher on diane.fisher[at]fpc.org.uk.

To download the events programme, please click here:

Download FPC Fringe Events at Labour Conference 2006 (110 kilobyte PDF; need help viewing PDFs?)

Liberal Democrat Conference

18th September 2006

Venue: Hilton Brighton Metropole

The Foreign Policy Centre and the EU Russia Centre cordially invite you to a fringe meeting:

Russian Democracy: The Way Forward

A Seminar On Democracy, Civil Liberties and Human Rights in Russia

Speakers:

Michael Moore MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary

Stephen Twigg, Director, The Foreign Policy Centre

Bill Bowring, Barrister, Professor of Law, Birkbeck, University of London and Advisory Board Member, EU-Russia Centre

Monday 18th September

18.15 – 19.30

Lancaster Suite

Hilton Brighton Metropole

Please RSVP to Diane Fisher

diane.fisher[at]fpc.org.uk T: 0207 729 7566

Monday 24 July 2006, 6.00pm to 8.00pm

Venue: Committee Room 16, House of Commons, Westminster, SW1A 0AA (Access via St Stephen's entrance)

The Foreign Policy Centre will host an event to discuss viable prospects for state building and peace in Somalia. The country has witnessed renewed violence surrounding the Union of Islamic Courts' takeover of Mogadishu, confirming that the solution to the world's perennial 'failed state' remains far from clear. Kofi Annan this week called for a "comprehensive, workable and verifiable ceasefire and a programme of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration" of armed groups - but attempts at peacebuilding and state reconstruction have been inchoate and of doubtful success. George Bush at the same time voices concerns that Somalia is becoming an "al-Qaeda safe haven". As 'failed state' meets the 'war on terror', defining and responding to Somalia is now of critical importance.

Host:

Kerry McCarthy MP

Speakers:

Rt Hon Alun Michael MP

Dr Stig Hansen, Bath University

Awale Kullame, Civil Rights Campaigner

Desmond Curran, Department for International Development (TBC)

Amina Ali, Political Researcher, House of Lords

Karin Christiansen, Overseas Development Institute

Chair:

Philip Fiske de Gouveia, Foreign Policy Centre

Please RSVP to Laura Kyrke-Smith: pubdip[at]fpc.org.uk

T +44 20 7388 6662 or F +44 20 7388 8896

Please note that places at the seminar are limited

Please allow additional time for routine security checks upon arrival at the Palace of Westminster

Kindly sponsored by United Utilities

Tuesday 18 July 2006, 11.30am – 1.00pm

Venue: Committee Room 18, House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA (Access via St Stephen's entrance)

The Foreign Policy Centre is delighted to welcome one of Bulgaria's most popular politicians, Boyko Borissov, Mayor of Sofia to speak at a seminar on the next enlargement of the European Union.

Bulgaria and Romania are due to join the European Union on 1 January 2007. This, the sixth enlargement of the EU, is part of an ongoing transformation of south-eastern Europe. Across the region, the prospect of EU membership is inspiring economic reform and democratic governance.

Yet question marks remain. In Bulgaria and Romania, there are problems of corruption, weak judiciary, organised crime, human trafficking, and mistreatment of minorities. The 2007 enlargement will bring the borders of the EU to new shores of instability in the Black Sea region. How will the EU respond to this new environment? What pressures can the EU exert to push reforms through before 2007?

Keynote Speaker:

Boyko Borissov, Mayor of Sofia

Panellists:

Graham Brady MP, Shadow Europe Minister

Rt Hon Denis MacShane MP, Former Europe Minister

Matthew Shinkman, Economist Intelligence Unit

To reserve a place at the seminar, please contact Edward Young:

edward.young[at]fpc.org.uk

T +44 20 7388 6662 or F +44 20 7388 8896

Tuesday 4 July 2006, 4.00pm to 6.00pm

Venue: Committee Room 20, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA (Access via St Stephen's entrance)

On the first anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, the Foreign Policy Centre will publish "Born in the UK": Young Muslims in Britain, a pamphlet investigating the real lives and opinions of young British Muslims.

To launch the pamphlet, a panel of experts will discuss the changing attitudes of young Muslims towards radical Islam and the "war on terror". Why do Muslims living in the West, and in Britain in particular, feel alienated from society, and what steps can the British government take to re-connect with young Muslims? The seminar will examine the dilemma facing many young people: are they British Muslims or Muslims in Britain? How does this affects their views of a UK foreign policy carried out in their name?

Speakers:

Sadiq Khan MP

Shiv Malik, New Statesman(tbc)

Parvin Ali, Fatima Women's Network

Yasmin Alibhai–Brown, The Independent

Imran Khan, Solicitor and Civil Rights Campaigner (tbc)

Hugh Barnes, The Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Please RSVP to Josephine Osikena, intdev[at]fpc.org.uk

T +44 20 7388 6662 or F +44 20 7388 8896

Copies of "Born in the UK": Young Muslims in Britain" will be available at the seminar.

Tuesday 27 June 2006, 6.00-8.00pm

Venue: Committee Room 16, House of Commons, SW1

The Foreign Policy Centre, in partnership with the Baluchistan Rights Movement is hosting a seminar on the Baluchistan province in Pakistan, entitled 'Baluchistan at the Crossroads'.

This will provide an introduction to this area, for both experts and non-experts alike. For those not familiar with the region, Baluchistan crosses the states of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran and in some ways is the 'Kurdistan of Central Asia'.

This seminar will cover a number of important issues: the tense relationship between the Baluch people and the central government; human rights issues; the use of natural resources; security and terrorism issues; and the activities of the Pakistan army in the region. Baluchistan is a crucial element to Britain's relations with Pakistan and the Pakistani community in the UK. Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan in Pakistan is a known hideout for Al-Qaeda operatives, including the now captured Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Speakers include:

Frederic Grare, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Husain Haqqani, Boston University

Senator Sana Baloch, from Baluchistan

Mr Mehran Baloch, from the Baluchistan Rights Movement

Ryszard Czarnecki MEP

Hugh Barnes, Director of Democracy and Conflict, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Read the full report of the seminar here:

http://fpc.org.uk/articles/369

Places are limited, so please RSVP to alex.bigham[at]fpc.org.uk

Monday 26 June 2006, 6.00-8.00pm

Date: Monday 26 June 2006, 6.00-8.00pm

Venue: Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, Bridge Street, Westminster, London, SW1A 2LW

The Foreign Policy Centre is pleased to announce the launch of 'Russia and the G8; a Summit Scorecard', which updates 'Russia in the Spotlight: G8 Scorecard', published in January.

The original Scorecard raised a political storm in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin responded to its publication by claiming: "These people are still living in the past century – they are all unreconstructed Sovietologists." Yet many questions remain unanswered six months into Russia's controversial G8 presidency.

Russia was originally included in the G8 to help lock in its democratic reforms, but the Scorecard showed that Russia is no longer even semi-democratic. In the run-up to the St Petersburg summit in July, the Foreign Policy Centre has re-appraised Russia's performance, according to the same criteria used in the original Scorecard. The data has now been updated in the light of events - political, economic, and social - over the last six months.

A panel of senior politicians and experts, including Sir Malcolm Rifkind, will discuss the latest findings at what promises to be a fascinating event.

Among those speaking will be:

Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP, former Foreign Secretary

Jonathan Steele, The Guardian

Michael Moore MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary

David Clark, The Russia Foundation

Hugh Barnes, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Please register by email to Paulo Santana - russia[at]fpc.org.uk

For further information or reports of selected events, please e-mail us at josephine.osikena[at]fpc.org.uk