The Middle East and North Africa in 2022: Regional Security and America’s Role

Thursday, Jan. 27 // 10–11:30 a.m. (ET)

In 2022, the Biden administration faces several critical challenges in the Middle East. Among the flashpoints: The United States and the world’s five other major powers are currently engaged in last-gasp diplomacy to contain Iran’s steadily advancing nuclear program. Iraq faces political uncertainty as it struggles to form a new government after the October election. Lebanon’s economy and government have virtually imploded. Libya is stuck in a decade-long civil war, with elections delayed. Meanwhile, the civil wars in Syria and Yemen have produced epic destruction and displacement. Each presents obstacles to the U.S. goal of fostering stability in the world’s most volatile region and shifting its long-term focus to Asia.

To assess these challenges, the Middle East Program convenes a panel of Wilson Center and regional experts to discuss what is on the horizon on the geopolitical map of the MENA region and how the administration can productively address conflicts and strengthen regional security.

Challenges Facing Mexico's National Electoral Institute: A Conversation with President Councilor Lorenzo Córdova

Monday, Jan. 24 // 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (ET)

Join us for a virtual discussion with Dr. Lorenzo Córdova Vianello (President Councilor of Mexico's National Electoral Institute, INE), Representative Alan Lowenthal of California's 47th District, Antonio Garrastazu (Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Republican Institute), and Deborah Ullmer (Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the National Democratic Institute).

A “Ministry of Truth” in 2021: Fighting Fake News the Old-Fashioned Way

Monday, Jan. 24 // 1:30–2:30 p.m. (ET)

The Russian government has seen fake news and rumors as an imminent threat to be eliminated by the State for much of its history. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russian authorities started to use two new laws against people who spread fake news about the epidemic. But who was punished, and why does one type of rumor become a matter of investigation and others, like those about anti-vaccination do not? George F. Kennan scholar Alexandra Arkhipova will examine this selective policy against misinformation in her upcoming lecture.

Embattled Europe: A Progressive Alternative

Monday, Jan. 24 // 4–5:30 p.m. (ET)

Is the European Union in decline? Recent history, from the debt and migration crises to Brexit, has led many observers to argue that the EU’s best days are behind it. But in Embattled Europe, renowned historian Konrad Jarausch counters the prevailing narrative of European obsolescence with a rousing yet realistic defense of the continent. He makes a powerful case that Europe—with its peaceful foreign policy, social solidarity, and environmental protection—offers the best progressive alternative to the military adventurism and rampant inequality of rightwing populism.

Antarctic Marine Conservation: Policy Directions and Current Challenges

Tuesday, Jan. 25 // 10–11:30 a.m. (ET)

In light of the recently concluded annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources, a panel of leaders from the Commission will consider current challenges for fisheries management and prospects for establishing new marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean.

Tenth Annual U.S.-Mexico Security Conference Part 1

Tuesday, Jan. 25 // 2–5:00 p.m. (ET)

The Wilson Center's Mexico Institute will be hosting its Tenth Annual US-Mexico Security Conference on January 25th and February 1st. During the conference, experts from Mexico and the U.S. will provide a diagnosis of the security challenges facing Mexico, including those with bilateral implications; share research and analysis on current trends; and present novel policy options to ameliorate the toll on civilian wellbeing and democratic institutions.