March 2, 2016: Women In International Security hosted a collaborative networking event to kick off 2016, Network the New Year. This was a great opportunity to have candid conversations and form both personal and professional relationships with established practitioners in the security and international affairs field. The event took place at the 18th Street Lounge in the Gold Room from 5:30 – 8:00 pm. Please contact WIIS at [email protected] with any questions, concerns, or requests for additional information.
Participants represented professionals from organizations, which include, but are not limited to:
- Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH)
- Brookings Institution
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI)
- Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS)
- International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
- International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
- The Institute for Inclusive Security (IIS)
- US Agency for International Development (USAID)
- US Department of Defense
- US Department of State
- US Institute of Peace (USIP)
- Women for Women International (WfWI)
- Women in Defense
- Women in International Security (WIIS)
- Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP)
December 16, 2015: WIIS-DC hosted international security professionals from WIIS, Women in Defense, the Women’s Mentoring Network of Brookings Institute, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy met for a networking happy hour. Participants got into the holiday spirit as they met, mingled, and networked across organizations.
October 5, 2015: WIIS-DC hosted an October happy hour, kicking off a series of new events for area professionals. Individuals new to Washington and long time residents alike gathered to meet and mingle with other men and women interested in international security, peace, and development.
April 22, 2015: Anne Witkowsky shared her range of experiences working at the National Security Council, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the State Department, and her current role leading the Defense Department’s Partnership Strategy and Stability Operations office.
March 4, 2015 : WIIS DC hosted their Monthly Mentoring Circle featuring Dr. Craig Zelizer. Dr. Zelizer shared his expertise in conflict resolution. In addition, as Founder of the Peace and Collaborative Development Network (PCDN), he shared insider tips on how to use this amazing global networking and job search tool for peace builders and change agents. The event was held on the GWU campus.
January 22, 2015: WIIS DC held its monthly mentoring circle at 6:30 pm at the GWU Elliott School of International Affairs (1957 E Street, Washington, D..C. – Room 316). The event featured Dr. Nora Bensahel, where she shared her range of experiences and advice working national security issues across the think tank community in D.C.
The WIIS Denver chapter (DWIIS) has been reinvigorated and will soon launch a series of networking forums and academic lectures on security and gender issues. DWIIS may be contacted at [email protected].
May 18, 2015: WIIS Florida hosted a discussion with Gayle Tzemach Lemmon about her new release, Ashley’s War, which details the experiences of a team of women soldiers deployed alongside Special Operations forces. The event concluded with a brief book signing. Read more about Ashley’s Warin the latest article here.
April 6, 2015: WIIS Florida presented Women and Jihad. The United States and other international actors are increasingly attentive to the different roles women play in violent extremism. This roundtable discussion on April 6, 2015 examined why women join violent extremists groups and the roles they play in ISIS and affiliated jihadists groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. In addition, panelists examined the roles of women and women’s organizations in preventative efforts.
Event Report | Women and Jihad
November 4, 2016:Elliott School room 113 at 7:00pm. Exclusive Screening of Before the Flood, Climate change documentary. From Academy Award®-inning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet. The film follows DiCaprio as he travels to five continents and the Arctic speaking to scientists, world leaders, activists and local residents to gain a deeper understanding of this complex issue and investigate concrete solutions to the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.
November 18, 2016: Diplomacy Training, Israeli Embassy. This training will give participants hands-on experience managing diplomatic scenarios and receive feedback from professionals in the field! There will be a discussion and Q & A with an Israeli diplomat, followed by a two-hour interactive exercise—a series of policy and crisis simulations, all based on realistic diplomatic scenarios. The simulation will cover the following:
• Diplomatic ceasefire negotiation
• Strengthening ties with the U.S.
• Humanitarian aid in the Middle East
• Media training
February 11, 2015: Leadership in International Relations: Lessons Learned: WIIS and GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs hosted the Honorable Michèle Flournoy for a discussion about her past experiences as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and at major Washington, DC think tanks.
March 24, 2015: WIIS New England, in collaboration with Fletcher Global Women, hosted a discussion on “Achieving Inclusive Security in Syria.” Carrie O’Neil of the Institute for International Security and Professor Dyan Mazurana discussed the inclusion of women in decision-making about war and peace in Syria. A question and answer session followed this discussion.
March 31, 2015: WIIS New England hosted an event in partnership with the Fletcher Security Review on “The Military at Home and Out Front.” This event will explore the personal experiences of active and prior duty military personnel, and explore current transitions and future challenges of the military.
For more information about WIIS New England, go to http://on.fb.me/1jwZjd1.
November 15, 2016: WIIS-New York will host a panel on the “Perspectives on Columbia’s Peace Process”. Colombia’s civil war is estimated to have claimed nearly a quarter million lives and resulted in 11,700 children kidnapped, 6,800 women raped and more than 6 million people internally displaced. How can we explain such a divided populace, not to mention low voter turnout, on an issue of such national importance? Were the conditions of the peace agreement, which included political representation for the FARC and taxpayer-funded stipends for demobilized combatants, justified? Given the brutality of the conflict, what does it take for a nation and its people to forgive and move on?
WIIS-NY will be joined by Colombians Laura Ulloa and Dr. Gladys Melo-Pinzon who will discuss what it was like to live through the conflict and shed light on the recent plebiscite and the prospects for peace moving forward. Please find more about this event here.
October 21, 2015: WIIS New York hosted “Diversity Beyond Gender”: an off-the-record conversation about diversity in the workplace with Peter Apps, executive director of the PS21 think tank, and Asha Castleberry, a U.S. Army veteran and adjunct fellow with the American Security Project. To learn more about this event, please visit here.
For more information about WIIS New York, go to https://www.facebook.com/WIIS.NYC.