Kennan at 50: Honoring Senator Ben Cardin

Wednesday, Jan. 29 // 4:30–5:30 pm (ET)

Please join us at the Wilson Center from 4:30-5:30 pm on Wednesday, January 29 for an event honoring US Senator Ben Cardin who until a few weeks ago was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He was the author of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, and a longtime Commissioner and former Chairman of the Helsinki Commission. Senator Cardin will be honored with the George F. Kennan Leadership Award.

Russia’s unjust brutal invasion of Ukraine nears its third anniversary, yet Ukraine remains steadfast in its commitment to protect its sovereignty and borders while helping its own people to defend themselves against Putin’s aggression.

With this in mind, the Wilson Center is honored to commemorate 50 years of the establishment of our Kennan Institute, named after George F. Kennan who was instrumental as the senior US official in Moscow in 1946 in describing the Kremlin’s motivations and provided recommendations that became the foundation of America’s policies against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In addition to Kennan’s 50th anniversary, we are also entering the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Act in 1975 that enshrined the post-WWII era.

The Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute and Global Europe Program invite you to attend a discussion on what lessons can we draw from these historic events, featuring one of our nation’s principal thinkers and foreign policy leaders on these topics.

STILL TO Come THIS WEEK

US and Japan Collaborating on Energy Security and Infrastructure

Monday, Jan. 27 // 10–10:30 am (ET)

Join Wahba Institute Director Mark Kennedy as he interviews Tatsuya TERAZAWA, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo’s Institute of Energy Economics, to explore these and other questions essential to global energy security. Mr. Terazawa brings experience as the Executive Secretary to Japan’s Prime Minister, as a Vice Minister at METI, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and as a senior advisor to the Cabinet Office.

The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe

Monday, Jan. 27 // 4–5:30 pm (ET)

Henry Christophe (1767–1820), Haiti's only king, was a revolutionary icon and a profoundly complex figure. Born enslaved in Grenada, he fought for freedom in North America and Haiti, later aligning with Napoleon before reclaiming his revolutionary roots. The First and Last King of Haiti unravels Christophe’s enigmatic life; explores his rise, betrayal, rule, and tragic demise; and sheds light on his ideals, flaws, and the turbulent era that defined him.

25 Years of Women, Peace, and Security in the Middle East

Tuesday, Jan. 28 // 10–11:00 am (ET)

This online panel discussion will take stock of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in the Middle East, with a focus on the ongoing conflicts in Israel and Palestine, Yemen, as well as post-conflict settings emerging in Syria.

The North Caucasus and Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Tuesday, Jan. 28 // 11:00 am–12:00 pm (ET)

Join the Kennan Institute as we host a panel discussion featuring three experts on the North Caucasus, Dr. Marat Ilyasov, Christine Le Jeune, and Dr. Jean-Francois Ratelle. They will examine the hidden effects on the North Caucasus of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and elaborate on what they look for to understand the changes happening in the region.

Did the Soviet People Support the Communist Party? The View from Soviet Literature

Wednesday, Jan. 29 // 1–2:00 pm (ET)

Title VIII Research Scholar Anatoly Pinsky’s paper examines the relationship between the Soviet citizen and political authority in the early Stalinist mid- and late 1920s. Based on Pinsky’s book project, “The Origins of the Thaw: Thought and Literature under Stalin and Khrushchev,” the paper explores the people-power nexus by taking the unusual approach of focusing on lyric poetry.

Belarus After Its Presidential Election

Thursday, Jan. 30 // 10–11:00 am (ET)

In the aftermath of Belarus’ January 2025 presidential election, our panelists will discuss the election’s significance for Belarus’ political system and society, the strengths and vulnerabilities of the Lukashenko regime, and the future of Belarus more generally.

US Farm Labor and H-2A Visas: The Road Ahead

Thursday, Jan. 30 // 11:00 am–12:30 pm (ET)

This webinar will outline what changes to the H-2A program might look like under the Trump presidency, and how those changes would affect the agricultural sector and the American labor supply.

Charting a Path Forward: Policy Response to Sudan War and Its Multifaceted Impact

Thursday, Jan. 30 // 1:30–3:00 pm (ET)

Building on its past event, “Sudan at a Crossroads: Addressing the Largest Internal Displacement Crisis in the World”, the Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative (RAFDI) of the Wilson Center, in partnership with the American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans (AFRECS), will convene a hybrid event on January 30, 2025 to examine the dynamics of Sudan war and its interrelated consequences—human displacement, hunger, and famine—with the goal of charting a path forward for the new US administration and Congress. Speakers will discuss the urgency of the situation, the inadequacy of current global response, and actionable recommendations on a path forward to find lasting solutions.