Wednesday, April 11th, 2012...11:30 am

Religion & Security in World Affairs, May 23-25, 2012, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Jump to Comments

The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, The Collaboration and Adaptive Security Initiative, and the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies Proudly present:

 “Religion & Security in World Affairs”

May 23-25, 2012

Georgetown University, Washington, DC

 

Religion and security considerations intersect in multiple, complex ways across the globe and thus are consequential for government policy, strategy, and engagement. Workshop participants will explore the multi-dimensional context of religion on the world stage, including its role in the phases of conflict, terrorism, peace operations, and development. An enhanced perspective on these factors will inform what has largely been a neglected area in U.S.national security policy: how stakeholders can understand and address urgent contemporary security challenges with religious implications. The speakers, largely drawn from the Washington, DC policy community, will include academics, specialists, and individuals with a wide range of government andsecurity expertise. In sum, this workshop is an opportunity to better understand religion as a set of factors that cannot be ignored in international security and to overcome resistance to engaging this sensitive topic in foreign policy conversations. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, the Collaboration and Adaptive Security Initiative, and the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies, both of which are located at the US Naval Postgraduate School.

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore religious factors in conflict-affected societies.

2. Identify patterns of reciprocal influence that religion and security have on one another, and how these patterns may influence development, governance, and peace-building.

3. Develop tools and capacities for designing and implementing effective, religiously sensitive stabilization initiatives.

4. Expand professional networks among the other practitioner communities that operate in highly religious contexts.

 

Faculty:

· Dr. Eric Patterson is Associate Director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Visiting Assistant Professor of Government at Georgetown University. He is the author or editor of 8 books, including in late 2011 Politics in a Religious World (Continuum) and Ending Wars Well: Just War Thinking in Post-Conflict (Yale University Press). His public speaking, research, and teaching focuses on ethics and international affairs, religion and contemporary statecraft, and just war theory.

· Dr. Dayne Nix is an Associate Professor in the Naval War College program at the Naval Postgraduate School, teaching Joint Professional Military Education (JPME). Aretired chaplain, he served 27 years in the Navy and Marine Corps. Herecently published his first book, The Integration of Philosophy, Politics and Conservative Islam in the Thought of Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938): The Restoration of Muslim Dignity Against the Tide of Westernization (2011). His primary areas of interest include civil-military relations and the religious dimensions of peace-building and peace operations.

· Andrew Natsios is Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy and Advisor on International Development in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Previously he served as Administrator of the US Agency for International Development and US Special Envoy to Sudan. Mr. Natsios will present the keynote address.

· Additional presenters for specific sessions include current and former government civilian staff as well as Georgetown and NPS faculty and experts from NGOs.

 

Methodology:

The workshop will be highly participatory, engaging and experiential. A series of panels, presentations, and an in-depth simulation exercise will be used to support the learning objectives. Participants will be asked to play an active role in sharing their experiences, perspectives and questions, to create the practical context necessary for reflective dialogue and creative approaches to the relationship between religion and security.

 

Desired Participants:

Approximately 60-70 participants (from the United States and abroad) from government civilian agencies, the armed forces, non-governmental organizations and inter-governmental organizations will attend. The co-sponsors will attempt to obtain equal number of representatives from each community. Participants should be mid- to senior-level representatives from their communities with policy-making and/or field experience.

 

Specific Dates:

Workshop begins with an opening reception and keynote address at 1800 Wednesday, May 23, and concludes 1500 Friday, May 25. Registration will be from 0830 – 0900 Thursday, May 24.

 

Travel:

Allinternational and domestic participants should plan to arrive in Washington, DC, for the opening session on the evening of Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

 

Accommodations:

All accommodation expenses will be the participants’ responsibility. Event organizers can provide recommendations on local hotels.

 

Cost:

· There is no tuition or conference fee.

· Participants are responsible for their own meals; ample time will be allotted for lunch breaks. Coffee and tea breaks are offered gratis during the course.

· Participants are responsible for their own travel and lodging.

 

CASI/CSRS Contact: Nick Tomb, ntomb@nps.edu; +1.831.656.1829.

Berkley Center Contact: Erin Coleman, erinkcoleman.berkley@gmail.com; +1.202.687.5183

 

Application:

Theapplication period will close on May 1, 2012. We anticipate that demand for this course will exceed the number of participants than can be admitted. Admission decisions will be announced on a rolling basis starting April 16, 2012 until all seats arefilled. Applications are accepted via the CSRS online system:

http://www.csrs-nps.org/logistica/public/conference_register.cfm



Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.