The Complicated Case of Iraq – An Inside Look into the Challenges of Democracy Building

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What’s it like in Iraq today? How is it to live in the the Republic of Kurdistan and Erbil, thought by some to be the world’s longest continually inhabited city? Is democracy taking hold there as America considers continuing military withdrawal from the country?

Join us for a live discussion from Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq with Steve Driehaus.

Wednesday, April 21 @ 12PM (Noon) EST

Steve DriehausSteve Driehaus is Resident Senior Director in Iraq for the National Democratic Institute (NDI). He manages 16 Iraqi and other nationals who design and implement programs to support Iraqi democracy. NDI focuses on strengthening political parties, professionalizing offices and staff of Parliament Members, empowering women and youth to engage in the political process, and election monitoring.

Before joining NDI, Steve was President of Good Government Group, LLC, a consulting firm in the intersection of public policy, community engagement and economic development.  Steve was Executive Director of Cincinnati Compass, a regional initiative advocating on behalf of immigrants. Previously Steve served as Country Director for the Peace Corps in Morocco, after 4 ½ year service for Peace Corps Swaziland, and 2 years in Senegal after graduation from Miami. Steve is a former U.S. Congressman (2009-11) and an 8-year Ohio Representative.

When not overseas, Steve and his wife, Lucienne, reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Cyber Crime, Cyberwar, Hacking and What We Can Do

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Please join us for an FPLC special event with Professor David Rapien, Information Systems Undergraduate Program Director at Carl H. Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati.

Wednesday, March 24 @ 6:30PM

David RapienSince Leon Panetta’s 2012 warning, we have been in an active global cyberwar. Countries, organized crime, hacktivists, and disgruntled employees have caused trillions of dollars of damage. We will discuss what types of attacks are being waged, who the players are, and what can our governments do to better protect our citizens.

David Rapien is a system architect and information flow analyst. As a founder of D&P Software, Schedule DR LLC, and Panther Productions, David was the mind behind Sports Scheduling Software, a global information systems solution that has been providing a scheduling engine for organizations worldwide since 1991.

David has also developed large scale bank forecasting systems, legal systems, insurance reporting systems, and student information systems, as well as a widely used systematic stock trading software. He has extensive teaching experience at the secondary and collegiate levels.

He has been an expert witness, a panelist and presenter for national conferences. Besides University of Cincinnati he also teaches at the Future University of Egypt in Cairo, and has worked with industry heads in various consultative functions.

Holocaust and Humanity Center to Host Samantha Power, Former US Ambassador to UN

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The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center will host a virtual conversation with Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations. 

In this intimate and thought-provoking dialogue, Samantha Power will discuss her New York Times-bestselling memoir,
The Education of an Idealist

 Thursday, March 18,
at 7 p.m. EST. via Zoom

Samantha Power

Themes discussed in Power’s memoir are aligned with social issues explored in the Humanity Gallery within the Holocaust & Humanity Center’s museum at historic Union Terminal. In “The Education of an Idealist,” Power explains how she coined the term “upstander,” and how we all have the opportunity to be upstanders in unique ways. 

Upstanders are individuals who stand up for others and their rights. They fight against injustice and unfairness, and they use their character strengths to inspire action and become the best of humanity today.

“Every day, almost all of us find ourselves weighing whether we can or should do something to help others,” Power writes in the book. “We decide, on issues large and small, whether we will be bystanders or upstanders.” 

Humorous and deeply honest, “The Education of an Idealist” lays bare the searing battles and defining moments of her life and shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with the challenge of raising two young children. Along the way, she illuminates the intricacies of politics and geopolitics, reminding us how the United States can lead in the world, and why we each have the opportunity to advance the cause of human dignity. Power’s memoir is an unforgettable account of the power of idealism—and of one person’s fierce determination to make a difference.

Hosted in partnership with Joseph-Beth Booksellers, the public can reserve their admission for this exclusive event online. For $30, attendees will receive a copy of “The Education of an Idealist” in addition to admission to the event. Admission, without a copy of the book, is available to reserve for $10. 

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Holocaust & Humanity Center

The Current Economic and Political Challenges of the European Union

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Please join us for an FPLC special event with Mr. Marius Hirte, the Director of Competitiveness for the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) at the European Union.

Thursday, March 4, 2021
@ 6PM EST US

Marius HirteMr. Hirte will be joining us from his office in Belgium for sharing with our members a dynamic and timely presentation on the “The Current Economic and Political Challenges of the European Union”, a very important topic part of today’s global socio-economic and political context, especially following the many changes the past year of 2020 brought to the world landscape and to the European Union in particular.

Mr. Hirte holds an Advanced Degree in Political Studies from “Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)“ in Belgium and from “Université de Nancy” in France with a specialization in European Studies. He also holds a Master of Science Degree in International Relations from the University of Bucharest, Romania.

Prior to his current tenure leading the Office of Competitiveness, Mr. Hirte managed GSC’s Office for Environment, Education, Youth, Culture, Audio-Visuals and Sports (EYCS), as well as GSC’s Office of the Environment. He is the former Deputy Permanent Representative of Romania to the European Union and the former Deputy Head of the Permanent Mission of Romania to the European Union in Brussels.

The event will be will be presented as a LIVE WEBINAR, moderated by the FPLC Board President, Dr. James Buchanan and by FPLC Secretary, Mr. Joe Dehner, Esq.

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