Next-Generation Dialogues
The Hollings Center’s Next-Generation Dialogue series connects a rising generation of experts and professionals across Muslim-majority countries with their American counterparts. The goal is to cultivate cooperative, innovative thinking on crucial issues. The Hollings Center has organized Next-Generation dialogues on Turkey, Egypt, and Afghanistan that bring together academics, journalists, civil society leaders, businesspeople, and government officials.
The Future of Afghan-U.S. Relations: Development, Investment, and Cultural Exchange (May 2011)
Afghan-U.S. relations are entering and new and uncertain period. The sole certainty is that the United States is anticipating a less intensive, less costly involvement. What can the United States hope to achieve in partnership with Afghanistan in the coming years? Can development, investment, and cultural initiatives be sustained under continued insecurity? How can Afghanistan’s private sector be harnessed to promote economic and cultural development? A select group of American and Afghan development practitioners, international organization and NGO officials, private sector executives, think-tank representatives, and government advisors met to debate answers the above questions.
Iran and the Future of Turkey-U.S. Relations (October 2010)
The U.S. and Turkey seem to have adopted incompatible positions on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its greater role in the Middle East. Participants sought to explore whether Iran will act as an obstacle or opportunity when it comes to closer Turkey-U.S. cooperation in the region. Participants probed each country’s foreign policy toward Iran, Iran’s domestic political dynamics, Iran’s regional role, Turkey’s economic relations with Iran, the objectives and efficacy of sanctions, and possible political fallout from a nuclear-armed Iran. The Hollings Center partnered with the Istanbul Policy Center at Sabancı University and convened this Next-Generation Dialogue on Heybeliada, Istanbul.
The Future of Turkey-U.S. Relations: Prospects for Cooperation in the Middle East (May 2010)
Turkey and the United States areincreasingly engaged in the Middle East but with policies that seemingly diverge. This dialogue sought to understand the U.S. and Turkish foreign policies and proposed ways to enhance Turkish-American cooperation across fraught regional issues. Participants discussed a number of Middle East issues that affect US-Turkish relations: the Iranian nuclear crisis; Turkey’s engagement with Syria; divergent outlooks on Israel and the Palestinian Territories; challenges in Iraq; and the impact of Turkey’s “soft power” in the region. The dialogue conference was held in cooperation with the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) on Heybeliada, Istanbul.
The Future of U.S.–Egypt Relations: A Next-Generation Dialogue, Part II (July 2009)
As a follow-up to the May 2009 dialogue, participants discussed changes in Egypt and how to reshape U.S. aid to Egypt, broaden economic ties, support effective political reform and increase educational and cultural exchange. As in the previous dialogue, a group of Egyptian and American NGO and business leaders, diplomats, foreign policy experts, scholars, journalists and activists engaged in a vibrant debate and generated recommendations to strengthen U.S.-Egypt ties over the next decade.
The Future of U.S.–Egypt Relations: A Next-Generation Dialogue, Part I (May 2009)
In order to assess the history, current state, and future course of Egypt-U.S. relations, dialogue participants debated the 30-year history of the strategic relationship between Egypt and the United States. Participants discussed the role of the United States in promoting democracy and human rights in Egypt, the impact of economic aid and the influence of public opinion on relations in both countries. Both Egypt Next-Generation Dialogues were held in cooperation with Egypt’s International Economic Forum.