In The Arena

In recent months, the Biden Administration has sustained and deepened the U.S. relationship with its most important ally in the Hemisphere, the Republic of Colombia. Just last month, Secretary Blinken chose Colombia as his first trip to South America as Secretary of State. To further the conversation on this issue, the McCain Institute seeks to convene experts to discuss related to the United States’ hemispheric security partnerships and how they address some of the most pressing challenges of our time – a rising China, increasing international authoritarianism, the global plague of disinformation, etc. This event is the fourth of a new public conversation series between Dr. Mark T. Esper, the John McCain Distinguished Fellow and former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and experts on various issues related to challenges and threats to U.S. national security.

Head of The Philanthropy Centre, Asia for J.P. Morgan Private Bank and McCain Global Leader Program Advisory Council Member Jean Sung joins McCain Global Leader Program Manager Scott Nemeth for a discussion about fostering future leaders around the world.

This Authors & Insights event features Council on Foreign Relations Distinguished Fellow Martin Indyk and Foreign Policy columnist Elise Labott. They discuss Indyk’s new book “Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy,” a look at how America’s foremost statesman reshaped America’s foreign policy for generations to come.

National Engagement Director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and a member of the McCain Global Leader Program Advisory Council Michelle Bekkering joins McCain Global Leader Program Manager Scott Nemeth for a discussion about the launch of the new McCain Institute program, and her own personal leadership journey.

McCain Institute Next Generation Leader and member of the McCain Global Leader Program Alumni Advisory Council Zaw Tu Hkawng joins McCain Global Leader Program Manager Scott Nemeth for a discussion about the launch of the new McCain Institute program, and his experience fighting for democracy in his home country of Myanmar.

Former Australian Minister of Defense and current Minister of Government Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Linda Reynolds joined former U.S. Secretary of Defense and current John S. McCain Distinguished Fellow Mark Esper for the third installment of Conversations with Secretary Esper. Their discussion centered around the America and Australia’s efforts in the Indo-Pacific and the future of the region. The topics included the recent AUKUS Agreement, President Biden and Prime Minister Morrison’s first meeting, and the legacy of Senator McCain and his family both in Australia and the wider region.

Senior Program Manager at the National Democratic Institute and a member of the McCain Global Leader Program Advisory Council Victoria Welborn joins McCain Global Leader Program Manager Scott Nemeth for a discussion about the launch of the new McCain Institute program, and why it is more important than ever to develop and train the next generation of character-driven leaders.

Join the McCain Institute for International Leadership for its next installment of its book talk virtual series. This event features President George H.W. Bush’s Chief of Staff Jean Becker and White House Correspondent for Gray Television and McCain Institute Media Fellow Jon Decker. . They discuss Becker’s newest book, “The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story George H.W. Bush’s Post-Presidency,” a vibrant behind-the-scenes look into the ups and downs of heading up the office of a former president by one of the people who knew him best.

Deputy Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University Seamus Hughes joined McCain Institute Senior Director of the Preventing Targeted Violence Program Brette Steele for a conversation about his book “Homegrown: ISIS in America.” This was a unique discussion between two experts in violent extremism and targeted violence. The talk hit many topics including the overall problem of homegrown violent extremism, the problems facing prosecutors and law enforcement officials in going after all types of support of terrorist organizations, the differences between levels of support for terrorist organizations, the state and future of deradicalization programs, and the similarities between recruiting tactics of foreign terrorist organizations like ISIS and of hate groups based here in the United States.

Following President Biden’s first overseas trip to Europe in early June, many are hoping that it represents the United States’ returning to a more traditional approach to its transatlantic alliances where Britain plays a key role. To continue the critical work of Senator McCain on this issue, the McCain Institute seeks to convene experts for a series of conversations related to the future of NATO and how it positions itself to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time – a rising China, increasing international authoritarianism, the global plague of disinformation, etc. This event is the second of a public conversation series between Dr. Mark T. Esper, the John McCain distinguished fellow and former U.S. secretary of defense, and experts on various issues related to challenges and threats to U.S. national security.

Author, journalist and humanitarian Tara Kangarlou joined Gray Television White House Correspondent and McCain Institute media fellow Jon Decker for a discussion of her book “The Heartbeat of Iran: Real Voices of a Country and Its People” in the in the latest installment of the McCain Institute’s Authors & Insights Book Talk Series.

Join the McCain Institute for International Leadeship as it premieres a new series of one-on-one conversations with Former Secretary of Defense and the Army and John McCain Distinguished Fellow Mark T. Esper. In this first intstallment, Sec. Esper sits down with Former Prime Minister & Foreign Minster of Sweden and Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations Carl Bildt as they discuss President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe.

Episode HighlightsChris Brose on the term “Kill Chain”“The term Kill Chain is a term that everyone in the military who works with and around the United States military is familiar with, but I think many outside of that world have never heard of. Really sort of succinctly, what it means is it is a process of understanding, decision making, and action. At a broader level, what I was trying to do for more of a general audience was unpack this concept that is so familiar and so sort of integral and central to the United States military, and all militaries. Which again is this process of a kind of chain of events that has to happen in order for a military to compete effectively. Whether that’s competing in actual warfare, or in military competitions that don’t involve the use of violence. It is a process that is inherently sequential. A process of understanding what is happening in your environment, in your world, and your area of responsibility making decisions about what to do, how to compete effectively, how to

From the 2021 Sedona Forum, Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Chairman and CEO of the Soufan Group Ali Soufan, CEO of Polaris Catherine Chen joined McCain Institute Senior Director of Combatting Human Trafficking Kristen Abrams to talk about how conspiracy theories like Qanon have harmed anti-trafficking efforts in the United States and around the world. Ernie Allen of the McCain Institute Human Trafficking Advisory Council gives the introduction. Introduction: Ernie Allen - Human Trafficking Advisory Council, McCain Institute for International Leadership Moderator: Kristen Abrams - Senior Director of Combatting Human Trafficking, McCain Institute for International Leadership Panelists: Catherine Chen - CEO, Polaris Rep. Tom Malinowski - United States Congressman, New Jersey - 07 Ali Soufan - Chairman and CEO, The Soufan Group

From the 2021 Sedona Forum, UN Human Rights Council Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, Chobani Founder & CEO Hamdi Ulukaya joined Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) to discuss how the public and private sectors can do more to help refugees and those in need around the world. Human rights activist and Founder of the Women Peace Network Wai Wai Nu gives the introduction.

From the 2021 Sedona Forum, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and former Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Vladimir Milov joined CEO of Hermitage Capital Management Bill Browder to discuss all things Russia and Vladimir Putin. They talked about how the US and the West at large should deal with his authoritarian tendencies and adventurist foreign policy. Former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. (ret.) H.R. McMaster gives the introduction. Introduction: Gen. H.R. McMaster, USA (Ret.) - Former U.S. National Security Advisor, United States Army Moderator: Bill Browder - CEO, Hermitage Capital Management Panelists: Rep. Adam Kinzinger - United States Congressman, Illinois - 16 Sen. Bob Menendez - United States Senator, New Jersey Vladimir Milov - Former Deputy Minister of Energy, Russia

McCain Institute Board of Trustees Chair Cindy McCain joined McCain Institute Executive Chairman Ambassador Josette Sheeran for a discussion of her new book “Stronger: Courage, Hope, & Humor in My Life with John McCain,” in the in the latest installment of the McCain Institute’s Authors & Insights Book Talk Series. 

From the 2021 Sedona Forum, Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper joined Washington Post Global Opinions Columnist Josh Rogin to discuss U.S. – China relations. They also talked about China’s human rights abuses, economic competition, and how the Biden Administration is approaching China and the region as a whole. Author and Head of Strategy for Anduril Industries Chris Brose gives the introduction. Introduction: Chris Brose - Head of Strategy, Anduril Industries Moderator: Josh Rogin - Columnist, Global Opinions, Washington Post Panelists: Sec. Mark Esper - 27th U.S. Secretary of Defense, 23rd U.S. Secretary of the Army Rep. Stephanie Murphy - United States Congresswoman, Florida - 07 Sen. Dan Sullivan - United States Senator, Alaska

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTSON CHINA’S “VACCINE DIPLOMACY”“In other words, [the CCP] putting their political interests above their strategic interest and above the health and welfare of billions of human beings tells you all you need to know about what’s going on inside the top leadership of the CCP. I think that’s like a long way of saying that, you know, the coronavirus pandemic brought to the fore, a lot of the problems that a lot of people were already having with the Chinese government’s behavior outside of its borders, and it forced people in every country to confront those problems in a way – in a new way – but more than that, it turned people in democracies, especially in democracies against the Chinese leadership forcing their leadership in democracies to respond to that.”CCP VS. AMERICAN VALUES“We have to speak clearly and be clear eyed about the Chinese Communist Party’s assault on those values, and assault on those interests, and then join with like-minded countries to come up with a comprehensive response.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTSHon. Julie Bishop on the Power of America’s Alliances“I’ve often said that while the United States, of course is militarily unparalleled in the world and economically the largest and strongest economy in the world, I think its greatest strength in foreign policy most certainly lies with its network of alliances and its deep engagement with nations around the world and that can’t be replicated, and it’s a massive strength that the United States has and we of course hope the Biden administration will continue to appreciate that, recognize it and use it for the global good.”Dr. Henry Kissinger on Julie Bishop“I am delighted to welcome Julie Bishop to our 2021 Kissinger Fellowship, and I look forward to her important contributions to the McCain Institute’s work on combatting human trafficking and her timely work on the strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific.”Ambassador Green on Dr. Kissinger’s Lasting Impact“Dr. Kissinger is a remarkable figure historically, but more importantly, he’s a remarkable