Ransomware Everywhere: Advancing Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace

Wednesday, July 21 // 3–4:30pm (ET)

While the behavior of state actors (and their proxies) in cyberspace is a pressing national security concern, the recent wave of high-profile ransomware attacks serve as a stark reminder of the importance of addressing a wide diversity of actors and the range of relationships they can have with states around the world.

What role can and/or should international cooperation play in addressing this spectrum of actors? How should the Biden administration respond to the rash of attacks originating in Russia? What form should engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin take? Where have we made the most progress and what gaps remain?

The Political Economy of Democracy and Peacebuilding in Africa in the COVID-19 Era

Monday, July 19–Friday, July 23 // 8:30am–12:30pm (ET)

The Wilson Center Africa Program will host the 2021 Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) Virtual Annual Conference. This conference will assess the impact of COVID-19 on democracy and peacebuilding in Africa, examine the crosscutting roles of gender, youth, technology, non-state actors, and international stakeholders on these issues, identify some of the challenges posed and opportunities created by the pandemic, and explore the way forward for U.S.-Africa relations in the COVID-19 era

Beyond Afghanistan: U.S. Perspectives on the Future of U.S.-Pakistan Relations

Monday, July 19 // 10:30am–12pm (ET)

With American forces withdrawing from Afghanistan, the future of U.S-Pakistan relations is uncertain. This event will draw on the perspectives of those that have focused on Pakistan while serving in the U.S. government.

Fortress Dark and Stern: The Soviet Home Front during World War II

Monday, July 19 // 4–5:30pm (ET)

After Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, German troops seized the heartland of Soviet industry and agriculture and turned the occupied territories into mass killing fields. The Red Army, overpowered by the blitzkrieg, suffered successive defeats. Yet in contrast to the state’s initial military failures, its policies on the home front were far more effective. Fortress Dark and Stern chronicles the impact of total war on ordinary people who withstood starvation and horrific conditions to provision the front and make the Allied victory possible.

Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership

Friday, July 23// 1:30–2:30pm (ET)

The Wilson Center will host Ambassador Chacón and Canada’s Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman for a conversation about the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership agenda and the route ahead for U.S. – Canada relations.

The Selling of a Centennial, 2021: What the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Reveals About the CCP

Friday, July 23 // 3–4:30pm (ET)

Join three of the world’s leading scholars of Chinese propaganda and media—all of whom have recently conducted research as Wilson Fellows—for a detailed analysis of how the CCP sees, and sells, its leadership of China after 100 years.