Past Events
Franco-American Relations - The Current State of Affairs
Luncheon with Pierre Vimont, French ambassador to the U.S.
Monday, April 14
Pierre Vimont has been a member of the French Foreign Service since 1977, Ambassador Vimont was appointed Ambassador to the United States by President Sarkozy in August 2007. Monsieur Vimont has held several prominent posts including ambassador and permanent representative of France to the European Union.
Ambassador Vimont shared his thoughts on Franco-American Relations. At this luncheon, Ambassador Vimont also presented local French Honorary Consul Alain Frécon with the Légion d’Honneur on behalf of the French Government.
Cosponsors: Alliance Française, French American Chamber of Commerce, the Marquette Hotel, Northwest Airlines
Motherland Afghanistan
A film screening and reception with filmmaker Sedika Mojadidi
Friday, April 4, 2008
Sedika Mojadidi is an Afghan-American filmmaker who has
produced both independent and television projects, including two
experimental documentaries shorts on Afghanistan, Kabul, Kabul
(2000) and Zulaikha, (2002). Motherland Afghanistan is her first documentary feature.
Anika Rahman is President of Americans for UNFPA. For more than twelve years, Ms. Rahman has monitored and analyzed United States and international policies that affect the health and rights of women.
Following a screening of Motherland Afghanistan, Ms. Mojadidi and Ms. Rahman shared their perspectives on women's health, particularly in developing and war-torn countries like Afghanistan.
Cosponsors: Americans for UNFPA, American Refugee Committee, Deborah E. Powell Center for Women's Health
Overview and selected clips from Motherland Afghanistan
Norway and the U.S. in the 21st Century
Public forum with Jonas Gahr Støre, Norwegian minister of foreign affairs
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Minister Støre has held several positions in the Norwegian government
and with international organizations including the Norwegian Red Cross,
Econ Analysis, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Norwegian
Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. He discussed the relationship
between Norway and the United States in the 21st Century.
Cosponsors: Royal Norwegian Consulate General, Humphrey Institute for
Public Affairs
Microlending - Promoting Peace through Building Prosperity
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Muhammad Yunus established the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh
in 1983, fueled by the belief that credit is a fundamental human right.
His objective was to help poor people escape from poverty by
providing loans on terms suitable to them and by teaching them
a few sound financial principles so they could help themselves.
Dr. Yunus shared his inspiring experiences with changing
people’s lives a few dollars at a time.
Cosponsors: Nobel Peace Prize Forum, Concordia College Moorhead,
Augustana College, Augsburg College, Luther College, and St. Olaf
College, Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs
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US Foreign Policy Outlook for 2008
A public forum with foreign policy expert Tom Hanson
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tom Hanson is a former Career Foreign Service Officer and frequent speaker for MIC's Great Decisions program. He holds master's degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the Geneva Institute of Advanced International Studies, and the National School of Administration in Paris, and he also currently serves as program secretary of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Committee on Foreign Relations. In this popular annual presentation, Mr. Hanson spoke about the economic and security-related challenges facing the U.S. in 2008, and also shared his insights on how effective and appropriate foreign policy initiatives can be taken as the presidential administration transitions in the next year.
Listen to the program (may take a moment to load):
The Guantanamo Bay Challenge:
Finding the Balance between Our Nation's
Security and Our Nation's Ideals
Monday, November 12, 2007
James Dorsey and Nicole Moen are two attorneys who -- along with several colleagues at Fredrikson & Byron -- currently represent an Algerian detainee held in Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Dorsey and Ms. Moen spoke about their visits to their client in Guantanamo Bay, explaining who the detainees are, their treatment, and the legal recourse available to test the appropriateness of their continued detention. The presentation included photos of the prison and sketches of the interrogation procedures.
Cosponsor: Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
Diplomacy and Peacekeeping
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Minnesota International Center co-hosted an expert panel discussion on United Nations peacekeeping, with a focus on efforts in Africa. Panelists included:
• William Lacy Swing is the chief of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest U.N. Mission in Africa.
• Ambassador Bruce Laingen is a retired diplomat and immediate past president of the American Academy of Diplomacy.
• J. Brian Atwood is the dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute and member of the 2000 Brahimi Commission on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
This presentation was the annual Joseph Sisco Memorial Forum in the Twin Cities.
Cosponsors: United Nations Association-Minnesota, The Hubert H. Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the United Nations Association-USA.
Restoring America’s Standing in the Middle East
A Public Forum with Ambassador Dennis Ross
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Ambassador Ross, a leading U.S. expert on the Middle East, discussed his book, Statecraft: And How to Restore America’s Standing in the World, in which he argues that in the post-Soviet era of globalization it is essential to use the traditional tools of statecraft – diplomacy, economic, and military – to advance American national interests. The New York Times called Statecraft “important and illuminating.”
Cosponsor: The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas
A Public Forum with Ambassador Michael Wilson,
Canadian Ambassador to the United States
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Ambassador Wilson addressed a multitude of issues that define our binational relationship, including the benefits derived from our principle trading agreement - NAFTA - as well as border and economic issues driving the bilateral agenda.
Cosponsors: The Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis and The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Nafis Sadik
U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
One of the highest ranking women in the United Nations system, Dr. Sadik spoke on the impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis on women in Asia, and what steps can be taken to combat this growing issue.
Cosponsors: Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights; Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota; the University of Minnesota Powell Center for Women’s Health; and The United Nations Association of Minnesota
Listen to the program:
