(A. Kotok)
(22 December 2017) The role played by cities in countering violent extremism will be examined at the initial First Monday Forum of 2018, on Monday, 8 January at American Foreign Service Association in Washington, D.C. Because cities often combine high population concentrations, recognizable landmarks, sites for large gatherings, and many soft targets, they often become the venue for today’s strikes by terrorists. Yet cities also contain many assets for building strength and resilience in the face of terrorist threats.
Leading the discussion is Michael Duffin, a policy advisor in the Office of Countering Violent Extremism, in State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism. Duffin is a 2013 graduate of University of Southern California’s Master of Public Diplomacy program, and he holds advanced degrees in journalism from Northwestern University and in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University. He previously served as a foreign affairs officer and presidential management fellow in his current and other offices at State Department.
Monday forums are a joint project of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, Public Diplomacy Council, and PDAA – an association of public diplomacy professionals. The event takes place on Monday, 8 January 2018, and begins at 12:00 pm at AFSA headquarters, 2101 E Street NW, Washington DC (Foggy Bottom metro). Sandwiches and refreshments will be served.
The event is free, but advance registrations by e-mail are required: FirstMondayForum.RSVP@gmail.com.
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