(Santa Fe World Affairs Forum)
(24 February 2018) Today a debate over fundamental values rages within the U.S. and abroad between the pursuit of American interests and the image of American values that transcend day-to-day policies. That debate is the theme of this year’s Santa Fe World Affairs Forum, April 9-10 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And if you’re a member of PDAA, you qualify for a discounted registration rate.
American foreign policy since World War II has relied upon soft power – the ability to influence others based on key human values. Since World War II, the US goal has been to project its image as a nation that is not only strong, but also “good,” drawing on the idea of American exceptionalism to persuade others that the country is the “shining city on the hill” and a democratic “beacon of freedom” in a troubled world.
Yet U.S. foreign policy has also been guided by national self-interest. This pursuit has at times conflicted with our aspirations and led to less than admirable policies implemented through counter-productive means that diminished America’s standing in the world.
The Forum this year features a list of speakers with first-hand experience dealing with these issues:
- Daniel Baer, Ambassador (rtd), Diplomat in Residence, Josef Korbel School of International Affairs, Denver University. US Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (2013-17)
- Michael Battle, US Ambassador (rtd) to the African Union, academic, university provost, military chaplain and most recently Executive Vice President/Provost at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Ralph Begleiter, founding Director of the Center for Political Communication, University of Delaware and former world affairs correspondent at CNN
- Beatrice Camp, Senior Foreign Service Officer (rtd), former US Consul General Shanghai, and PDAA member
- Laura S.H. Holgate, Ambassador (rtd), Senior Nonresident Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- Dr. Elizabeth Manak, South Asia and nonproliferation specialist, 30 year plus CIA officer and Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia in the National Intelligence Council
- Dr. James L West, Professor of History and Humanities. Middlebury College 1995-2011
This year’s Forum takes place at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Monday and Tuesday, April 9-10, 2018. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, April 4. Members of PDAA can register at the discounted partner rates posted on the Santa Fe World Affairs Forum (SFWAF) web site.
More details about the program, speakers, location, and registration can be found on the SFWAF web site.
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