The US and the World Today: Lessons from the Balkans with Ambassador James W. Pardew
As a leading policymaker in the Balkans following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992, former ambassador to Bulgaria James W. Pardew boasts significant firsthand experience in diffusing the worst European War since the end of World War II. Ambassador Pardew will present major conclusions on the consequences and the current relevance of the US-led intervention in the Balkans during the breakup of Yugoslavia. The conflicts in the Balkans were the most destructive in Europe since WWII and included a level of genocide not seen in Europe since the Holocaust. The talk will highlight the factors that made international diplomacy and the use of NATO military force successful in ending or preventing wars in southeastern Europe. It will also describe major lessons learned from the international engagement and will contrast the success in the Balkans from 1995 to 2008 with the direction of US foreign policy today under the Trump administration.
Peacemakers: American Leadership and the End of Genocide in the Balkans is the first inclusive history of the successful multilateral intervention in the Balkans from 1995–2008 by an official directly involved in the diplomatic and military responses to the crises. A deadly accident near Sarajevo in 1995 thrust James Pardew into the center of efforts to stop the fighting in Bosnia. In a detailed narrative, he shows how Richard Holbrooke and the US envoys who followed him helped to stop or prevent vicious wars in Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, and Macedonia. Pardew describes the human drama of diplomacy and war, illuminating the motives, character, talents, and weaknesses of the national leaders involved.
James W. Pardew was at the heart of US national policymaking throughout the humanitarian crises in the Balkans, from Richard Holbrooke’s negotiations on Bosnia in 1995 until the independence of Kosovo in 2008. Ambassador Pardew was the primary US negotiator of the Ohrid Agreement in Macedonia. He also led Balkan task forces for the Secretaries of Defense and State and served as a policy advisor at NATO. Prior to his diplomatic service, he spent twenty-seven years in the US Army as an intelligence officer.
6:00pm reception, 6:30pm lecture, gratis. Advance reservations required. Attendees are invited to dine at The Club with Ambassador Pardew following the lecture. The cost is $45 per person, inclusive of tax, service charge and one glass of wine with dinner. Dinner reservations are required 48 hours prior to the program.
|
|