Since its birth seventy years ago, Pakistan has grown to become an important player on the global stage, as a result of its geostrategic position, youthful demographic, and nuclear weapons capability. Yet, fractured relations with India and political polarization between nationalist Islamists and secularists have been continual sources of instability throughout Pakistan’s history. And recently, the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over corruption charges and international pressure to “gray list” Pakistan over financing Jihadist and Taliban operations have plunged the country’s government into uncertainty. How can Pakistan effectively address its complex inter-ethnic, social, and economic challenges? What is the future of the country’s relationship with its neighbors and a United States that is increasingly disengaged from the world? Husain Haqqani’s new book Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State will be available for sale and signing from the Book Cellar following the program.

The United States was the first country to recognize Iceland’s independence in 1944 – and the relationship has remained strong ever since. Iceland shares many of the same objectives as the United States Including a bilateral defense agreement, partnership through NATO, and a 2009 trade and investment framework. Today, Iceland’s internal dynamics are shifting. From electing Europe’s youngest female leader as prime minister to entering the World Cup for the first time ever, the country is making its global presence known. What other changes are on Iceland’s horizon? What will be the future of US-Iceland ties, and how will Brexit impact the future of trade with Iceland and other European countries? Iceland’s minister of foreign affairs shares his insights on what to expect from this progressive and dynamic country. Then, join a trade delegation with leaders from 30 Icelandic companies for a networking reception following the event.

Once a theater of Cold War rivalry, space has today become the venue for a new competition between nations, corporations, and trailblazing billionaires. As the US government’s budget for space exploration has decreased, so has ended its monopoly on access to space, paving the way for commercial operators to launch satellites and supply research missions. In the years ahead these private endeavors are likely to push the envelope further, sending tourists into orbit, mining asteroids, and, perhaps one day, colonizing the cosmos. Will the costs and risks of commercial space initiatives produce astronomical rewards? Or will technical challenges and legal obstacles bring these private space pioneers back down to earth? Copies of Christian Davenport’s new book Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos will be available for sale and signing after the program from the Book Cellar.

During the 2016 US presidential election, American democracy came under an unprecedented attack which continues to this day. This attack aims to undermine democracy and the means by which the attack was carried out was entirely unconventional for the United States – but one with which European countries have become too familiar. Through social media platforms, US citizens received disinformation in an effort to undermine faith and confidence in one of America’s most fundamental rights — the ability of citizens to choose their own leaders. How can future US elections be secured from outside influence? What policies and solutions are being implemented to counter and deter foreign actors from meddling in democracies?

If you build it, do you own it? Tensions over territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea—not limited to the construction of islands capable of supporting military outposts—have been simmering for years. Only a few weeks into 2018, both China and the United States appear to have decided it is time for an escalation. The United States sent a navy destroyer near the Scarborough Shoal—the first such “Freedom of Navigation” mission in this area—and China publicly rebuked the United States for doing so, asserting that its sovereignty was violated. Such missions have long irked China, but the United States continues to have a large presence in the region. Is China ready to enforce its claims in the Pacific? How is the United States planning to deflect and diffuse these efforts, especially in light of the administration’s new National Defense Strategy? Courtesy of the Asia Transparency Initiative at CSIS, this program will feature visual projections detailing the transformation of the South China Sea in recent years.

Populism’s recent surge across the West should not have been a surprise. Storm clouds had been gathering for some time, in the shape of ever more polarized and nostalgic electorates, and widening inequality, argues the Financial Times’ Edward Luce. Nor should we take the eventual resumption of more enlightened politics for granted, with liberal democracy under greater strain than at any time in recent history. What kind of world will emerge if the nations of the democratic West cannot defend their own liberal values and institutions? In this age of rapid change and insecurity, how can forward-looking, centrist leaders regain the initiative? Copies of Edward Luce’s new book The Retreat of Western Liberalism will be available for sale and signing after the program from the Book Cellar

Sitting in the center of Europe, the Czech Republic has long been a crossroads for the region. With a history of over 40 years of communist rule in the country, Václav Havel embraced democracy and changed the trajectory of the country’s politics by aligning it with the West, becoming a staunch US ally and member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Union. Yet in recent years, the country has not been immune from populism and growing influence from Russia in the country. Will the Czech Republic continue its embrace of traditional Euro-Atlantic institutions or will Russia’s power be projected more acutely in the country? Featuring: Michael Žantovský, Vice President, Aspen Institute Central Europe; Executive Director, Václav Havel Library

At least one in three women worldwide will experience some form of violence during their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization. The toll of gender-based violence has long been hidden from society, as victims suffer alone out of stigma. Yet, courageous women across the globe are breaking this code of silence. From self-defense classes in Jordan to using film to educate and change culturally harmful practices in Pakistan, women-led initiatives are empowering victims to stand up, speak out, and fight back. Working outside of the media spotlight, and confronting powerful cultural taboos, their task is monumental, but these activists and entrepreneurs are the vanguard of a global movement to call #timesup on the scourge of gender-based violence. Featuring: Lina Khalifeh, Founder of SheFighter, Vital Voices Fellow; Samar Minallah Khan, Founder and Director, Ethnomedia;Alyse Nelson, President and CEO, Vital Voices. Moderated by Niamh King, Vice President, Programs and Strategic Content, Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Campaign rallies, inaugural addresses, States of the Union, declarations of war: presidential speeches have provided defining moments in the United States’ history. In most cases, addresses to the nation are delicately crafted, behind the scenes, by expert speechwriters. Through the careful selection of words, and by skillfully employing the rhythm and sound of language, these poets of the podium allow the nation’s leaders to reassure and mobilize the public, through the power of the spoken word. What are the ingredients, and what is the process, for developing a major speech? In the age of social media, with constant communications and short attention spans, does political oratory still resonate as it once did? Featuring: David Litt, Author; Writer and Producer, Funny or Die; Former Speechwriter to President Barack Obama; Mary Kate Cary, Former speechwriter to President George H. W. Bush; Robert Pinsky, William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, Boston University; Former United States Poet Laureate. Moderated by Henry Bienen, President, the Poetry Foundation.

On the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in November 2017, officials from the United States, Japan, India, and Australia met to discuss the revival of quadrilateral cooperation among four of the region’s major maritime democracies. Japan chaired the meeting, focusing on the theme of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” This refrain, which also has been adopted by the Trump administration, echoed language from Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s visit to India two months prior. Tokyo has emerged as the biggest cheerleader for the “quad,” asserting its leadership and pressing other partners to embrace the new framework. What are the motivations that drive Japan’s enthusiasm for this “mini-lateral” initiative? Can Tokyo, with its own limitations, remain a driving force behind the concept and operation? Featuring: Emma Chanlett-Avery, Specialist in Asian Affairs, Congressional Research Service; Weston Konishi, Senior Fellow, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. Moderated by Karl Friedhoff, Fellow, Public Opinion and Asia Policy.