On October 21, 2014, CSIS and USAID/DCHA's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) hosted a major event, Advances and Challenges in Political Transitions. In honor of USAID/OTI's 20th anniversary, the conference featured more than 40 experts and senior officials focusing on the challenges and opportunities of working in conflicts, crises, and political transitions. Key questions discussed were: What will new conflicts look like, region by region? What role will extremism, organized crime, and chaotic violence play? What contributions will youth, women, the private sector, and technology make to prevention, mitigation, and recovery? And what tools, approaches, resources, and support will be needed to build more resilient societies in the coming years?

 

Agenda

Welcome and Opening Remarks

John Hamre, President, CEO, and Pritzker, CSIS

Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID

Keynote Address

Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt, Deputy Administrator, USAID

Opening Presentation

Robert Lamb, Visiting Research Professor, U.S. Army War College, and Director and Senior Fellow (on leave), Program on Crisis, Conflict, and Cooperation, CSIS

Morning Plenary: Conflict Response and Recovery in Complex Environments

Moderator: Stephen Del Rosso, Program Director, International Peace and Security Program, Carnegie Corporation of New York

Panelists:

Stephen Lennon, Acting Director, OTI, USAID

Ambassador William Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration

David Yang, Deputy Assistant Administrator, DCHA Bureau, USAID

Morning Breakout Panels

 

Track 1: Violent Extremism in MENA

Moderator: Tom Sanderson, Codirector, Transnational Threats Project, CSIS

Panelists

Robbie Harris, Senior Transition Advisor, USAID/OTI

David Hunsicker, Senior Conflict Advisor, USAID/CMM

Hunter Keith, Development Specialist, DAI

Mona Yacoubian, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Middle East Bureau, USAID

 

 

Track 2: Geography, Technology and Data

Moderator: Amy Noreuil, Data Analysis Support, USAID/OTI

Panelists

Noel Dickover, Senior Program Officer, PeaceTech Initiative, USIP

Ian Schuler, CEO and President, Development Seed

Jessica Heinzelman, Manager, ICT Strategic Initiatives, DAI

Ivan Sigal, Executive Director, Global Voices

 

 

Track 3: Urban Violence and Organized Crime

Moderator: Lt. Col. (Retired) Scott Mann, CEO and Founder, Stability Institute

Panelists

Miguel Reabold, Honduras Country Representative, USAID/OTI

Scott Aughenbaugh, Fellow, International Security Program and Deputy Director, Strategic Futures, CSIS

Enrique Roig, Coordinator, Central America Regional Security Initiative, USAID

 

 

Lunchtime Plenary: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Moderator: Jim Kunder, Senior Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Panelists

Robert Jenkins, Deputy Assistant Administrator, DCHA Bureau, USAID

Rick Barton, Former Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Department of State

Johanna Mendelson Forman, Scholar in Residence, American University, and Senior Associate, CSIS

Steve Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center, CSIS

Track 1: Future of Conflict in Africa

Moderator: Jennifer Cooke, Director, Africa Program, CSIS

Panelists

John Langlois, Africa Advisor, USAID/OTI

Pauline Baker, President Emeritus, Fund for Peace

 

 

Track 2: Future of Conflict in Eurasia/Pacific

Moderator: Susan Kosinski Fritz, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Europe and Eurasia Bureau, USAID

Panelists

Oren Murphy, Ukraine Country Representative, USAID/OTI

John R. Deni, Research Professor of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational Security Studies, Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College

 

 

Track 3: Future of Conflict in Latin America

Moderator: Katie Prud'homme, Latin America and Caribbean Team Leader, USAID/OTI

Panelists

Beth Hogan, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator LAC, USAID

Steven Dudley, Codirector, InSight Crime

Douglas Farah, President, IBI Counsultants, and Senior Fellow, International Assessment and Strategy Center

 

 

Afternoon Plenary: Evolution of Agencies and Resources

Moderator: Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President; Henry A. Kissinger Chair; Director, International Security Program, CSIS

Panelists

William Brownfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of State

Tom Perriello, Special Representative for the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, Department of State

Melissa Brown, Director, Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation, USAID

 

OTI in Transition: A Brief Oral History (film)