January 2017 by The Washington Diplomat

Education and Hotels & Travel Special Sections Inside Education a special section of the Washingto n Diplomat

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 1

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January 2017

JANUARY 2017

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The Knowledge Gap

Survey Finds U.S. College

Middle East

Students’ Global Literacy

Woefully Lacking

• by AnnA gAWel mmigration was a hotly contested issue in the U.S. Republican Donald presidential race, Trump buoyed by with anger over what perceive to be a many Americans glut of foreigners inundating the United States.

Yet only 34 percent more Mexicans have of U.S. college students realize that left On the all-important over the last five years. the United States than entered it American college studentssubject of war, only 30 percent of Likewise, as North of government (legislative)can correctly name which branch Korea rattles the region of nuclear and ballistic with a series to declare has the constitutional authority war. dents know how many missile tests, only 36 percent of stuThose were among U.S. troops are stationed Korea and a mere 28 the dismal findings in South missioned percent are aware that of a survey comby the Council ty-bound to protect the U.S. is trea- the Japan National Geographic on Foreign Relations (CFR) and campaign pronouncementsif it is attacked (despite Trump’s ficiencies in college-age Society, which found serious dethat he may not come defense). students’ understanding to allies’ of the in-

Syria War Fuels Trend of Targeting Hospitals, Doctors

What College-Ag ed Students Know About the World

| 17

Hospitals were once considered safe places in war zones, but the relentless bombing campaigns in Syria have obliterated that norm with apparent impunity, as President Bashar al-Assad targets medical facilities and personnel to bring the opposition to its knees. / PAGE 5

United States

Trump’s Foreign Policy: How Much Does Experience Matter? Donald Trump’s campaign broke every rule in the protocol playbook, so why should his presidential team be any different? As he surrounds himself with fellow billionaires and former military men, he’s also tapping appointees with zero foreign policy experience, prompting fears that his undiplomatic style will have serious consequences abroad. / PAGE 7

Culture

Sackler Hosts First U.S. Show of Qu’rans “The Art of the Qur’an” at the Sackler Gallery marks the first major exhibition in the U.S. of Islam’s holy text. / PAGE 34

JORDAN IN CROSSHAIRS

Between ongoing atrocities in Syria, the refugee influx that country’s civil war has spawned and the battle to dislodge Islamic State fighters from Iraq, politicians and pundits often overlook the crippling impact of the region’s turmoil on a third Arab country: Jordan, a key U.S. ally in a sea of instability. But it’s hard for Dina Kawar, Amman’s ambassador, to think about anything else. / PAGE 11

United States

Politics

Pence Set to Assume Influential Role

Hotels Prepare to Party With New President

John Nance Garner, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s number two, famously quipped that the vice presidency was “not worth a bucket of warm piss.” FDR, a seasoned politician, may have had little use for Garner, but Donald Trump will clearly be leaning on his VP, Mike Pence, as he moves into the D.C. “swamp” he pledged to drain. / PAGE 4

Whatever you think of the outcome of the presidential election, we can all agree on one thing: It’s over. Now it’s time to party, and local hotels are doing it up to welcome the new president in style. / PAGE 26

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Contents

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

11 7

34 10

17 NEWS

EDUCATION

“The Great Swindle” breaks down our fraught, sometimes-taboo relationship with money.

Who Is Mike Pence? The incoming vice president is a staunch conservative with a nuanced record.

War on Medicine Syria’s civil war has obliterated the principle of hospitals as safe spaces.

7 Amateur Hour? When it comes to Donald Trump’s foreign policy, loyalty takes precedence over experience.

9 Op-ed: Satorical advice to diplomats 10

Iran-Russia-Syria-U.S. Nexus

Trump’s Syria strategy relies heavily on Russia but ignores another key player: Iran.

11 Cover Profile: Jordan Buffeted by Syria’s refugee crisis and radical extremism, Jordan fights to keep peace at home.

Silver Lining “The Fix” offers much-needed good news in a world of bad headlines.

The Knowledge Gap

Universal Currency

A new survey finds U.S. college students’ global literacy woefully lacking.

“Roe” sheds light on the two women behind the abortion ruling that continues to split the nation.

Nonprofit Lessons The Atlas Corps wants the global nonprofit sector to be a two-way street of learning.

HOTELS & TRAVEL 26

Polarization of Abortion

Dining Firefly and the Grilled Oyster Company go beyond the buzz of D.C.’s fickle dining scene.

Inauguration Roundup

Before we see if the new president lives up to his campaign promises, we party.

REGULARS

CULTURE

40 Events Listing

‘Art of the Qur’an’

The Sackler Gallery hosts the first major U.S. exhibit of Islam’s holy text.

35 More Than Meets the Eye “Photography Reinvented” challenges preconceived notions about the ever-evolving medium.

Cinema Listing

43 Diplomatic Spotlight 46 Classifieds 47 Real Estate Classifieds

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 3

WD | United States

Who Is Mike Pence? Incoming Vice President, a Devout Conservative, Has Nuanced Record by Dave Seminara

ohn Nance Garner, a Texan who served as Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s vice president for eight years, famously quipped that the vice presidency was “not worth a bucket of warm piss.” At the time, it was hard to argue with him. But in recent years, a string of influential VPs — George H.W. Bush, Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden — has caused many to reevaluate a job that’s long been given little respect. FDR, who was a state senator and a governor before he became president, may have had little use for old “bucket of warm piss” Garner, but President-elect Donald Trump— arguably the biggest outsider to be sworn into office — will clearly be leaning on his number two, Mike Pence, as he moves into the D.C. “swamp” he pledged to drain. “He’s clearly going to be active and important because the office of the vice presidency has changed so much in the last 40 years,” said Joel Goldstein, a professor at Saint Louis University School of Law and the author of “The White House Vice Presidency: The Path to Significance, Mondale to Biden.” “Pence is an insider serving with an outsider president. He has credibility within the GOP, and with members of Congress, so they might feel more comfortable talking to him than to Trump.” Already, Pence has been credited with quietly patching up the rocky relationship between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), orchestrating some of Trump’s Cabinet picks and helping to close the deal with Carrier to keep 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Leslie Lenkowsky, a professor at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs who has known Pence for more than two decades, said that the key to any VP’s success is developing a close relationship with the president. “Some develop great relationships with the president while others may as well go fishing,” he said. “I see Pence in the former group; Trump’s not going to cede control to him but he’ll be relying on Pence’s D.C. experience.”

Pence’s Record Michael Richard Pence, 57, is an Indiana native who served six terms in Congress before being elected as governor of the Hoosier State in 2012. He’s a fiscal conservative who has long championed lower taxes and less government spending. Pence is considered a mainstream conservative Republican — especially compared to Trump — who, like most in his party, has embraced free trade, voted for the war in Iraq and supports increased military spending and strength4 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

Vice President-elect Mike Pence often touts his economic record as Indiana governor. Here, Gov. Pence, fourth from left, and Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun join executives from Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp., Japan’s largest steel producer, as the company announces plans to establish operations in Shelbyville, Ind., creating up to 70 new jobs by 2021.

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Photo: Office of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Flickr

Pence is an insider serving with an outsider president. He has credibility within the GOP, and with members of Congress, so they might feel more comfortable talking to him than to Trump. Joel Goldstein

”

author of ‘The White House Vice Presidency: The Path to Significance, Mondale to Biden’

ening NATO. But Pence has also taken some principled stands, opposing key elements of George W. Bush’s domestic agenda, like the No Child Left Behind education law and a plan to subsidize prescription drugs for seniors. He also clearly has an independent streak, frequently pointing out that he’s a “Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.” Pence is also a social conservative who staunchly opposes abortion rights and has angered the LGBTQ community for opposing gay marriage and legislation that would expand their rights and protections. The vice president-elect, now leading Trump’s transition team, appeared to thrive most in Indiana when he focused on jobs. Pence cut taxes while boosting the budget surplus and investing in education and infrastructure initiatives. On the flip side, he seemed to run afoul of voters on both the left and right when he waded into LGBTQ/religious liberty issues, first championing a bill that many believe could have given businesses an excuse to deny services to gays and lesbi-

ans, before supporting a watered-down version of the legislation that angered conservatives. Only time will tell how Pence’s experience and principles will shape his actions in Washington, but as he’s preparing to assume the heartbeat-away job, it’s worth taking a walk down the winding path that led Mike Pence to the vice presidency.

Early Upbringing Pence grew up with five siblings in an Irish-Catholic household in Columbus, a charming community of 44,000 nicknamed the “Athens of the Prairie” that boasts a stunning 19th-century courthouse, a host of turn-of-the-century homes and Zaharakos, one of the nation’s oldest intact soda fountains. Pence’s grandfather, Richard Michael Cawley, immigrated to the United States from his native Ireland through Ellis Island in 1923 and later found work as a bus driver in Chicago. According to a 1994 profile in the Indianapolis Business Journal, Pence’s father Edward was a veteran who later be-

came an executive at a (now bankrupt) oil distributorship that ran gas stations. Mike Pence says that his mother Nancy, who is now 83, held the family together after her husband died of a heart attack in 1988, and he praised her for obtaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1995 at the age of 62. Pence was a gregarious kid and a good talker — he finished second in the nation at the National Forensic League’s annual extemporaneous speech competition at 18 — which should come as no surprise to those who watched his calm, unflappable performance in the vice presidential debate, where he repeatedly batted away questions about Trump controversies, skillfully pivoting to topics he preferred to dwell on. Pence’s family wasn’t political, and he says that his early heroes were John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. He served as a youth coordinator for the local Democratic Party at 15 and says he voted for Jimmy Carter in 1980. He applied to Catholic University and reportedly considered joining the priesthood, but elected to enroll at Hanover College, a small liberal arts college in Indiana, where he majored in history.

Political Rebirth A 2013 profile in Indianapolis Monthly magazine asserted that Pence went through a political and spiritual transformation some time after his Carter vote while at Hanover. He became a See Pen c e • page 6

Middle East | WD

War on Medicine Syrian Civil War Obliterates Principle of Hospitals as Safe Spaces by Brendan L. Smith

n Aleppo, death rains down from the sky without mercy, as Syrian and Russian war planes repeatedly bomb hospitals and target medical personnel despite widespread condemnation of violating international humanitarian law. Two remaining hospitals and the central blood bank in eastern Aleppo were bombed in November, the 13th attack on medical facilities across northern Syria in less than a week that killed more than 30 medical personnel and civilians, including children, the Syrian American Medical Society reported. There were 138 attacks on medical facilities since July, averaging one attack per day, by Syrian and Russian forces using missiles and cluster bombs. To a lesser extent, the rebel forces in Syria also have been accused of indiscriminate shelling, including the killing of two female medics at a Russian field hospital in Aleppo, according to the Russian government. But it is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who has been accused of deliberately targeting medical facilities and workers — through bombings, assassinations, detention and torture — to bring the city to its knees. Thousands of doctors used to operate in Aleppo, a once-vibrant commercial hub. Almost all of them have fled. According to the advocacy group Physicians for Human Rights, over 750 medical workers have died since the war began in March 2011, the bulk of them killed by the Syrian regime. The targeting of medical facilities is not a new phenomenon. During the past three years, 2,400 attacks have targeted medical facilities, centers and convoys in 11 countries, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. While Syria has dominated the headlines, hospitals also have been bombed, raided or burned in Yemen, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Ukraine and the Central African Republic. But Physicians for Human Rights calls the scale of destruction in Syria “unparalleled,” and experts fear it has fueled a worrying trend on the battlefield. Hospitals once were safe places in war zones, protected by the Geneva Conventions and other international laws, but the relentless bombing campaigns in Syria have violated those norms with apparent impunity. Condemnations from the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations have done little to stem the carnage, and there have been few investigations of war crimes, in part because of the dangerous and chaotic conditions in active battlegrounds. In 2015, 75 medical facilities that were operated or supported by Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) were attacked, and 63 of them were in Syria, said Jason Cone, executive director of the organization’s U.S. section. “What we’ve seen over the past two years, it’s pretty horrific, specifically with what’s happening in Syria,” he told The Diplomat. “Health care has become part of the battlefield in Syria. Hospitals are very much part of the war strategy that Syria employs along with its allies, including Russia.” Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution on Dec.5 that would have called for a weeklong ceasefire in Aleppo so humanitarian aid could be provided after Syrian forces had gained significant ground there through intense bombardment and troop movements. It was the sixth Russian veto and the fifth by China of resolutions relating to Syria since 2011. As of press time, the rebel-held portion

Photo: KARAM ALMASRI / MSF

Dr. Abu Wasim, a plastic surgeon, stands next to a damaged ward on the upper floors of a hospital in east Aleppo on Nov. 10, after it was hit by an air strike in mid-October 2016. At the time, he was one of seven surgeons left in the war-torn city.

“

Health care has become part of the battlefield in Syria. Hospitals are very much part of the war strategy that Syria employs along with its allies, including Russia. Jason Cone

”

executive director of Doctors Without Borders in the U.S.

of Aleppo had fallen to the regime, with major world powers haggling over how the remaining civilians should be evacuated. In May, U.N. Resolution 2286, which was co-sponsored by more than 80 member states, condemned attacks on medical personnel following the inadvertent U.S. bombing of a Doctors Without Borders facility in Afghanistan that killed 42 people. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon decried the hospital attacks at the Security Council meeting in May. “When so-called surgical strikes are hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong,” he said. “Even wars have rules.” He said all member states “must use every ounce of influence to press parties to respect their obligations” under international law. In a speech to the U.N. Security Council last September, Dr. Joanne Liu, international president of Doctors Without Borders, said the U.N. resolution “has plainly failed to produce any effect on the ground” in Syria because of a “lack of political will among member states fighting in coalitions and those who enable them.” She challenged the Security Council and member states to

act following the destruction of the al-Quds hospital in Aleppo, attacks on humanitarian aid convoys in Syria and the destruction of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Yemen in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition that killed 19 patients and health workers. It was the fourth attack on the organization’s facilities in Yemen in less than a year. “We denounce the deliberate and systemic failure of states to avoid attacking hospitals and to appropriately control their conduct of hostilities,” Liu said. “We deplore the lack of control over how hostilities are carried out. This free-for-all is a choice. There is a method in the madness. In both Yemen and Syria, four of the five permanent members of this council are implicated in some way in these attacks.” While Russia has been bombing Syria, the United States, United Kingdom and France have been part of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen that has made controversial drone strikes that have killed thousands of civilians. China also has been indirectly involved by supporting Russia with vetoes of U.N. resolutions relating to Syria. Liu called for independent investigations into attacks on civilians and medical personnel across the world and the appointment of a U.N. representative to document attacks on medical facilities. There have been repeated calls for war crime prosecutions in Syria from the United States, France and dozens of other countries. However, because Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court, any referral to the court would have to be approved by the Security Council, a nearly impossible hurdle. Both Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution to approve such a referral in 2014 despite photographic evidence of the torture and killing of approximately 11,000 detainees by the Syrian government. In a largely symbolic move, the See Hos pitals • page 46

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 5

Pence CoNtINUeD • Page 4

born-again evangelical Christian and started to embrace the bedrock conservative principle of limited government after G.M. Curtis, his constitutional and legal history professor, turned him on to studying texts authored by the Founding Fathers. Professor Curtis, now retired, has stayed in touch with Pence since he was one of his students in the 1980-81 academic year, but told The Diplomat that he doubts his class transformed Pence. “You can’t draw too much significance from what someone thought or did when they were 20 years old,” he said. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Pence spent two years traveling around Indiana, working as an admissions representative for his alma mater. He was accepted at Indiana University’s School of Law on his second try, found a job at a firm specializing in corporate law and became active in Republican Party politics. Pence met his wife Karen, an elementary school teacher, in the parking lot of their church. They married in 1985 and have three grown children: Michael, 24, a Marine Corps officer, Charlotte, 22, an aspiring filmmaker, and Audrey, 21, a student at Hanover College. In 1988, at 29, Pence ran for Congress. He lost a close election but got an education in retail politics on the road, cycling 261 miles across the state to meet voters. Pence lost again in 1990 in a campaign that was nasty, particularly by collegial Midwestern standards, and later penned an unusually candid essay about the debacle titled “Confessions of a Negative Campaigner.” (He was also dinged for using campaign money to pay his mortgage and other personal expenses, which was legal then but not now.)

After a stint as the president of a think tank in Indiana, he dove into talk radio, becoming the host of a popular talk show broadcast on 19 stations around the state. His politics were undeniably conservative but he insisted on polite discourse — something of a rarity in the world of conservative talk radio — once describing his show as “Rush Limbaugh on decaf.”

staNDoUt IN WasHINgtoN Pence ran for Congress again in 2000, won and was re-elected five times to the House before running successfully for governor of Indiana in 2012. The Pences moved to Arlington, Va., in 2001, but he kept up his hobbies — drawing cartoons and doing impersonations — and continued to drive a red pickup truck to Capitol Hill, usually wearing short-sleeve button-down shirts that made him stand out in buttoned-up D.C. “He went to Washington but never became a person of Washington,” Lenkowsky said. “He remained true to his principles.” His voting record was reliably conservative and he was something of a deficit and spending hawk, voting against a $700 billion financial rescue in 2008, for example. His refusal to approve aid money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts without significant cuts to programs such as Medicaid and tax credits for the poor annoyed some in the Republican leadership but earned him respect among fiscal conservatives, who lauded him for trying to offset new spending with budget cuts. But he also went against the conservative grain. In 2006, citing his own immigrant roots, Pence unveiled what he called a “middle ground” compromise on immigration reform that conservatives derided as amnesty for illegal immigrants. (His Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act, which would’ve

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mike Pence PHoto: ZaCH DobsoN / offICe of INDIaNa goV. mIke PeNCe

strengthened border security and sent illegal immigrants home but allowed many to come back under a guest-worker program, went nowhere.) “He rose in the Republican leadership but he maintained a kind of independence,” Lenkowsky said. “He wasn’t a go-along-to-getalong guy.” When he returned to the Hoosier State to run for governor, he emphasized jobs and education, campaigning based on a “road map” for Indiana that prioritized vocational education to improve the employability of the state’s workforce, among other things. Pence boasts about the state’s AAA bond rating and declining unemployment rate during his tenure. (It went from 8.4 percent when he took office to about 5 percent now, mirroring a nationwide trend.) He cut corporate income taxes and business personal property taxes to spur economic development. At the same time, advocates for low-income families point out that Pence voted against raising the minimum wage and that wages in the state remain below the national average. Some of Pence’s positions, however, defy easy partisan categorization. For instance, he expanded the state’s coverage of Medicaid but included a provision that required participants to contribute to the cost of their care. Pence didn’t gain much national attention, however, until he signed into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that some believe could have allowed businesses to deny services to members of the LGBTQ community under the guise of a religious objection. After a national firestorm, including threatened boycotts of the state, he worked together with the state legislature to “fix” the bill, attempting to ensure that it didn’t diminish civil rights protections for gays and lesbians. This time, conservatives were outraged, insisting that Pence had betrayed his conservative principles, essentially caving under the national media spotlight.

CoNseRVatIVe aPPeal, PRogRessIVe baCklasH Analysts believe that Trump tapped Pence for the VP slot for a number of reasons. He may have liked the idea of bringing in someone whose cool and calm demeanor stood in stark contrast to his own, someone who wouldn’t hog the limelight but would hopefully be effective behind the scenes. Trump clearly wanted someone with executive experience running a state, along with the business-friendly bona fides Pence brought to the ticket. And Pence gave the thrice-married Trump much-needed credibility with evangelical voters, who have long been a critical component of the GOP base. While there’s no way to say exactly what Pence’s presence on the ticket did for Trump, a look at Indiana’s electoral maps from 2008 versus 2016 is emblematic of the problems Hillary Clinton faced across the industrial Mid-

west. Barack Obama won the Hoosier State in 2008 but Trump/Pence carried it by 19 points, as they flipped a host of counties that had supported Obama like Madison (60 percent for Trump) and Vermillion (65 percent). But while Pence’s spot on the ticket may have reassured some, it alarmed others on the left, particularly abortion rights and LGBTQ activists. Jeremy Scahill, in a piece titled, “Mike Pence Will Be the Most Powerful Christian Supremacist in U.S. History” for the Intercept, opined that Pence should be regarded as “even more terrifying than the president-elect.” Scahill and many other progressives have cited Pence’s alleged support for gay conversion therapy as evidence that he’s a dangerous, farright zealot on social issues. But Pence’s defenders deny that he has ever supported conversion therapy and insist that the evidence to suggest he did is flimsy at best. The evidence cited by Pence critics is a bullet point from his 2000 campaign website that read, “Congress should support the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus. Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.” It’s not clear whether Pence wrote this or any of the dozens of other bullet points on the site, and it’s also unclear whether the “behaviors” in question refer broadly to the gay lifestyle or simply unprotected sex — gay or straight. Pence has also drawn criticism for his efforts to block abortions. In the week after the election, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and other liberal advocacy groups received a windfall of donations. According to the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets, 20,000 people made donations to Planned Parenthood in the name of Pence to protest his opposition to abortion rights. In addition to slashing funding for Planned Parenthood in his state, Pence has pushed several controversial anti-abortion laws. In March, he signed a bill that banned abortions based solely on a fetus’s disability, genetic anomaly, sex or race. A federal judge overturned the disability or genetic anomaly provision of the bill in June, but upheld the ban on abortions based on sex or race. (Rumors that Pence supported a law that mandates funerals for aborted fetuses are not accurate.) Lenkowsky said that while Pence is clearly more conservative than Trump on social issues like gay marriage (which Trump has expressed passive support for but Pence has opposed), Pence won’t be setting the agenda as vice president. “The job of the VP is to help the president achieve their policy objectives, not set their own agenda,” he said.

tHe ‘HamIltoN’ ImbRoglIo An incident at the Broadway show “Hamilton” two weeks after the election neatly illustrated both the concerns progressives have about the new administration and the reality that Pence and Trump’s temperamental divide is probably greater than their ideological divide. With Pence, his wife and children in attendance at the show, Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr in the hit musical, chastened Pence from the stage after the show, saying, “We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights. We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.” Trump took to Twitter to decry Dixon’s statement and the fact that Pence was jeered by members of the audience, insisting “this should see Pence • Page 13

United States | WD

Amateur Hour? When It Comes to Trump’s Foreign Policy, Loyalty Takes Precedence over Experience by Larry Luxner Secretary of State John Kerry climbs aboard his plane in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 23, 2015, after a round of talks with Iranian officials about the future of their nuclear program. The Iran nuclear agreement was a signature diplomatic achievement for Kerry, a former presidential candidate and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

n early December, President-elect Donald Trump accepted a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, breaking decades of diplomatic protocol and sparking an angry condemnation from the Chinese government. The fiasco was only the latest shocker to come out of Trump Tower — and that’s before the 45th president takes his oath of office. Trump has already named ExxonMobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson to be his secretary of state — despite the fact that Tillerson, who has spent over 40 years hammering deals around the world on behalf of the petroleum giant, has zero diplomatic experience and questionable ties to Russia. Trump also named South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants and a woman with no foreign policy experience, as U.S. envoy to the United Nations. On Dec. 7, he announced that Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad would be the new U.S. ambassador to China. And he’s tapped retired Gen. Michael Flynn — a known Islamophobe who has spread false conspiracy theories online — as the next U.S. national security adviser. (Two other retired generals have been named to head the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security; other prominent Cabinet members include wealthy business executives.)

Controversial Appointments The appointments of Tillerson and Flynn are proving to be the most controversial in foreign policy circles. Beyond his lack of government experience, Tillerson is expected to face an uphill confirmation battle in the Senate, where he’ll be grilled on his decades-long friendship with Vladimir Putin. As ExxonMobil chief, Tillerson clinched deals with Moscow worth billions of dollars and opposed sanctioning Russia over Ukraine because it hurt the energy company’s investments. Some Republicans, including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have expressed reservations about the choice, particularly in light of allegations that Russia directed hackers to meddle in the U.S. election to boost Trump’s chances. Others, such as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), praised the oil executive as a shrewd global powerbroker who has worked in hotspots from Yemen to Nigeria to Venezuela. Tillerson “would bring to the position vast knowledge, experience and success in dealing with dozens of governments and leaders in every corner of the world,” former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in a statement. Others point out that Tillerson is in the business of making money for his shareholders, not navigating thorny diplomatic dilemmas such as humanitarian crises in the Middle East or tensions in Asia. Steve Coll, author of “Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power,” called the decision “astonishing,” given that Tillerson has spent his life pushing the interests of a global conglomerate that sometimes wields more influence than national governments do. “In his career at ExxonMobil, Tillerson has no doubt honed many of the day-to-day skills that a Secretary of State must exercise: absorbing complex political analysis, evaluating foreign leaders, attending ceremonial events, and negotiating with friends

“

Photo: State Department

It’s almost like a monarchy, where Trump’s most trusted advisors are his family, and where he rewards people who are loyal to him and ignores everybody else.

”

Dennis Jett, former U.S. ambassador

and adversaries,” Coll wrote in a Dec. 11 New Yorker piece. “Yet it is hard to imagine, after four decades at ExxonMobil and a decade leading the corporation, how Tillerson will suddenly develop respect and affection for the American diplomatic service he will now lead, or embrace a vision of America’s place in the world that promotes ideals for their own sake, emphatically privileging national interests over private ones.” Likewise, Flynn has been a lightening rod for criticism. Trump’s choice for national security advisor is a longtime intelligence officer who has been been praised for rooting out terrorist networks in Iraq and Afghanistan, but criticized for his abrasive management of the Defense Intelligence Agency, where subordinates complained he became obsessed with Iran and Islamic terrorism at the expense of other threats such as Russia. Haley and Branstad’s nominations have evoked far less fear, although they’ve raised a few eyebrows as well. Haley in particular is likely to face a steep learning curve at the U.N., whose sprawling bureaucracy will require diplomatic arm-twisting and knowledge of everything from Syria’s civil war to obscure conflicts in Africa; her predecessors were all well versed in issues ranging from genocide to the Middle East. But the two-term South Carolina governor, who has led seven overseas trade missions, has also proven herself to be a deft political operative and a rising star within the GOP Party. In a statement announcing his U.N. decision, Trump praised Haley as “a proven deal-

maker, and we look to be making plenty of deals.” Branstad, meanwhile, cited his ties to Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he met during an official visit of Chinese business executives to the Hawkeye State in 1985. “I believe that the respect and admiration built over a decades-old friendship between President Xi and I give me an opportunity to help the presidentelect and serve Iowa, the United States and the world for the better,” said Branstad, 70, in a statement.

The Protocol Playbook Granted, presidents routinely appoint people with unorthodox backgrounds to top positions. Past U.S. ambassadors to China, for example, include former senators, governors and commerce secretaries. The practice of presidents hiring big campaign contributors and political allies to key positions in the diplomatic corps is almost as old as the presidency itself. Barack Obama was no exception, doling out about 30 percent of ambassadorships to political bundlers, sometimes with less-than-stellar results (also see “In U.S., Selling Ambassadors to Highest Bidder Has Long History” in the March 2013 issue of The Washington Diplomat). Yet the question of how much experience an ambassador or Cabinet-level official really needs has never apALSO SEE: peared to be more urgent than now, given Trump’s own lack of Op-ed: What Now? diplomatic finesse and his pro(Satirical) Advice to pensity to value loyalty and his own business interests above Diplomats PAGE 9 all else. Trump unnerved world leaders with his inflammatory rhetoric on the campaign trail — from the infamous wall he’d build to keep Mexicans out to his fawning admiration for Putin. And he continues to keep everyone guessing by throwing out the protocol playbook. The presidentelect has eschewed State Department talking points and intel briefings, leading to off-the-cuff exchanges See Ex per ien c e • page 8 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 7

Experience CoNtINUeD • Page 7

with world leaders such as Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif, who Trump called a “terrific guy,” saying he’d love to visit such “a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people” (much to archrival India’s horror). He met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his gilded Trump Tower headquarters with his daughter Ivanka by his side. He has refused to divest himself of his myriad business interests around the world. And his schizophrenic Twitter proclamations have veered from criticizing Boeing for the supposed costs of building a new Air Force One to convoluted explanations over who initiated that Taiwan call. Did Trump blunder in taking the call, unaware that he was breaching a decades-old policy that has maintained a fragile peace with both China and Taiwan? Or was it a calculated, shrewd masterstroke to throw Beijing off-kilter? It all depends on who you ask. While Trump revels in his freewheeling, unpredictable style, experts fear it could have unintended consequences — alienating America’s second-largest trading partner, for one thing, or even inadvertently sparking an actual war. “Provocative tweets might satisfy a political base, but they do nothing to advance the national security interests of the United States. On the contrary, such missives could lead to serious misunderstandings with our allies and potential conflicts with our adversaries,” wrote Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in a recent USA Today op-ed. But the effects may also be subtler. World leaders may no longer trust what the president has to say, given Trump’s constant flipflopping and aversion to facts and nuance. They may smell blood in the water if Trump stacks his team with policymaking novices, taking advantage of unseasoned players in delicate diplomatic negotiations, for instance. Or, as his supporters argue, Trump could signal to the world that he intends to radically rewrite the global rules in America’s favor, forcing allies to shoulder more of the burden and playing hardball with economic competitors such as China. The truth is, no one knows. “It’s all going to be based on what’s good for Donald Trump,” speculated Dennis Jett, a former U.S. ambassador to Mozambique (1993-96) and Peru (1996-99) under the Clinton administration. “You can forget the idea that human rights or democracy is important, because it won’t be.” Jett, an unabashed critic of the president-elect, didn’t mince words when it came to some of Trump’s nominations, including his pick for secretary of state. “It is not the worst appointment Trump has put forward, but it is troubling. Trump, having no experience in government, thinks running one is like a reality television show. Never has the nomination of someone for secretary of

state become such a tactless, public spectacle,” he told The Diplomat via email. “Tillerson has close ties to Putin, reinforcing the idea that Trump is repaying the man who did the most to get him elected. No one knows what Tillerson thinks about the many international issues with which he will have to contend, but he will no doubt have little impact on Trump administration policy. That will be left to Gen. Flynn, a man suffering from a severe case of Islamo-paranoia, and the impetuous president who cannot stop shooting from the lip and tweeting untruths. It will be a truly frightening four years.” Asked if he had any advice for Trump, Jett replied: “I wouldn’t advise him because I want nothing to do with him.” He called Flynn “a total ideologue and a complete lunatic” and said he couldn’t think of a worse person for national security advisor. “It’s almost like a monarchy, where Trump’s most trusted advisors are his family, and where he rewards people who are loyal to him and ignores everybody else,” he said.

HIgH Costs of DIPlomaCy Jett, who also served in Argentina and Israel, is now a professor at Penn State’s School of International Affairs. The author of “American Ambassadors: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Diplomats,” Jett has seen plenty of ambassadors, good and bad, come and go — long before Trump’s surprise victory in November. He told The Washington Diplomat that for the last 50 years, there’s been an unwritten rule that 70 percent of all overseas ambassadorships should go to career Foreign Service people, with political appointees comprising the other 30 percent. But that’s only a tradition, he said. The Foreign Service Act of 1980, Jett explained, “was enacted in the wake of corruption in the Nixon administration, where they were selling ambassadorships.” In one famous incident, campaign contributor Ruth Farkas was told she could be ambassador to Costa Rica for $250,000. “She said that’s an awful lot to pay for Costa Rica,” he recalled. Farkas went on to become ambassador to Luxembourg. Since then, the price has gone up dramatically. Jett co-authored a paper called “What Price the Court of St. James’s? Political Influences on Ambassadorial Postings of the United States of America,” which estimated that plum postings to places like Luxembourg now cost $3.1 million in political donations, while London goes for roughly $1.1 million. So how much will ambassadorships cost under Trump? “Trump is such a non-traditional kind of person, he could go 100 percent either way,” said Jett. “He could even name 90 percent Foreign Service professionals to compensate for the fact that he doesn’t know anything about foreign policy.” Under the Reagan administration, 38 percent of ambassadors were political appointees, while Obama has

8 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017

House as security adviser and secretary of defense, that alarms me,” said Gnehm, who was U.S. ambassador to Kuwait from 1991 to 1994 and U.S. envoy to Jordan from 2001 to 2004.

QUestIoNable moVes

PHoto: gage skIDmoRe

President-elect Donald trump, seen above at a 2011 convention, has chosen exxonmobil Chief executive Rex tillerson to be his secretary of state, despite concerns over the longtime energy executive’s ties with Russia. at left, tillerson meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the kremlin in 2012.

PHoto: by PRemIeR.goV.RU / WIkImeDIa CommoNs VIa CC by 4.0

averaged about 29 percent political appointees over his eight years in the White House, said Jett. “We’ve survived a lot of bad ambassadors,” he noted. “Reagan sent a number of hopelessly incompetent and corrupt people overseas. The big bundlers go to Western Europe, and others go to the Caribbean — mostly minorities and women. In both cases, it doesn’t do so much damage. In Western Europe, the relationships are so thick and dense that if the ambassador is a complete fool, it’s easy to work around that person. And in the Caribbean, if the ambassador sinks the island he or she is on, nobody in Washington is going to notice or care.” He added: “The Dominican Republic is an interesting example. Up until 20 years ago, it was all career people serving there. But then it became too nice of a place with good beaches, so ever since, it’s been a political appointment.”

team PlayeRs Some political appointees have crashed and burned. Obama’s pick for ambassador to Luxembourg, campaign bundler Cynthia Stroum, was found to be so noxious that her senior officers volunteered for service in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan. Others prove to be successful managers despite having no foreign policy credentials. Business leaders in particular often bring fresh, outside perspective to the job — and access, if they enjoy close ties to the president. But even the next secretary of state — the ultimate diplomatic post — is now going to be a businessman with scant foreign policy experience. P.J. Crowley, the former U.S. assistant secretary for public affairs, argues that even in such a case, the winning candidate would be supported by a career diplomatic bureaucracy. “Policy doesn’t advance in a vacuum. Gaining international support for what America wants to do is all about politics,” Crowley wrote

in a guest editorial for the BBC, pointing out that America’s relationships with key allies are driven by long-standing interests. “As successful elected officials, their political skills can serve them well. Many leading international diplomats are politicians, although their skill and knowledge can vary widely, from the profound to the profane.” Crowley, now a professor at the George Washington University, added: “While bureaucratic heft matters — the views expressed by the secretary of defense, secretary of state, director of central intelligence and chairman of the joint chiefs carry weight in the White House Situation Room — access matters more. Recent experience bears this out. During the Obama administration, those with the strongest relationship with the president had outsized influence.” Trump seems to be surrounding himself with military men and fellow billionaires. The treasury secretary nod went to Steven Mnuchin, a hedge fund financier formerly with Goldman Sachs; commerce secretary went to Wilbur Ross, a private equity billionaire known for buying up failing companies; education secretary went to billionaire Amway heiress Betsy DeVos; and labor secretary went to fast-food chain CEO Andrew Puzder. On the security front, retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis is Trump’s selection to be secretary of defense. Another widely respected retired Marine Corps general, John Kelly, has been tapped to head the Department of Homeland Security. Flynn, meanwhile, is a retired Army general who doesn’t need congressional confirmation to serve as Trump’s national security advisor. Former diplomat Edward “Skip” Gnehm Jr., who teaches at the George Washington University, said that as an American, he’s concerned about the number of military officers suddenly being named to key positions, “and that’s only because I have a strong belief in civilian control of the military,” he said. “I grew up in a town with a lot of military people and have tremendous respect for them, but when you put military men in the White

Like Jett, Gnehm said he is particularly worried about Flynn and his comments about Muslims. “That can be quite a complication for us having to deal with the region and its problems. He appears very biased,” said the professor. “On the other hand, I have been around a number of Gulf diplomats and friends, and they’re not unhappy with Trump’s election — partially because of his views about the Iranian nuclear agreement, which falls closer to how they feel about it.” Trump has also vowed to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in an effort to finally recognize the holy city as Israel’s capital. According to a recent poll conducted by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 49 percent of Israelis believe Trump would fulfill that promise, with 26 percent giving it a high chance and 22 percent saying there’s no chance it’ll happen. “If he does it, there will be a major reaction throughout the region, and it will be pretty intense, but I don’t think it will go beyond that,” said Gnehm. “I don’t see a new intifada breaking out, because the region is coping with too many other issues. It depends on what he does and how he does it.” If, for example, the Trump administration moves the embassy to a site in West Jerusalem, said Gnehm, “he could always argue that’s not making any political statement on the occupied territories.” A much more serious problem, says the former diplomat, is Trump’s Syria policy (also see story on page 10). “This idea of working closely with the Russians in the Middle East is a disaster. Look at the way the Russians have been dealing with us over whether or not we’re willing to discuss the movement of rebels out of Aleppo. I think they’re playing us, and will continue to do so.” Whether Trump will actually move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem or renege on the Iran nuclear deal remains to be seen. Far more likely to be carried out is his threat to roll back the Obama administration’s opening with Cuba, says Jett. “The Bush administration, upon taking office, made study abroad programs in Cuba almost impossible, and now I think Trump will do the same because it’s a cheap throwaway gimmick that costs him nothing,” said Jett. “If I were advising the Cuban government, I’d tell them to start talking about a Trump Hotel in Havana very quickly.” WD Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

Follow The Diplomat Connect at www.washdiplomat.com.

Op-ed: What Now? (Satirical) Advice to Diplomats T

here is one group, in addition to the pollsters and pundits, that has been completely confounded and disoriented by the recent election: the Washington diplomatic corps. Imagine how they feel knowing they must send back reports to their respective capitals full of insights and analysis of the foreign policy of the Trump administration. The diplomats should put down their bottles of antacids and relax. Their job has really become much easier. All they have to do is follow the rules of this new reality. In the past, Washington has always been a difficult place for foreign emissaries to navigate. That was because policy was made in a marketplace. It was not a marketplace of ideas, but of interests. It was difficult to understand because it was a game anyone could play. Interested parties attempted to wield their influence to secure a result that was favorable to their clients. The side with the best lobbyist won, but the outcome was unpredictable and often contentious. Now Washington has really become much simpler. Here are the only things that the diplomatic corps needs to keep in mind.

Photo: Penn State School of International Affairs

Rule one: Ignore the various government agencies, especially the State Department. They will all continue to beaver away and put out statements and position papers, but they no longer matter. They will be staffed by dispirited career bureaucrats overseen by clueless political appointees with no government experience. The only thing they will have in common is that they will have no impact on the policy process. Congress will also no longer matter. The overwhelming

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mandate derived from coming in a distant second in the popular vote will allow the president-elect to have his way whatever it is. And congressmen are as spineless as those Republican luminaries who, a few weeks ago, were harshly critical of the man they are now sucking up to for a job. So, you can forget the checks-and-balances thing. Rule two: Sign up for the commander in chief’s Twitter feed as that will be the source of all significant policy pronouncements. This will require monitoring Twitter

on a 24/7/365 basis, but at least the graveyard shift won’t be looked at as onerous. That is when all the most important edicts will be issued. An active social media presence is also required. A presidential retweet will be worth more than a treaty. Rule three: Have your head of state call the president-elect as soon as possible and make sure the possibility of a hotel in your capital comes up in the conversation. (Hear that, Havana?) The terms should be a 99-year lease for around a dollar a year and the suspension of all labor, environmental and zoning laws and regulations that might affect the project. And, of course, any local taxes should be waived since the president-elect is not in the habit of paying them. Rule four: Rush the hotel to completion. As soon as it is done, move the most sensitive parts of your government into it, especially your military headquarters, secret police and your president’s office. The charges for the use of all this space will be high, but room service will be great. And the strategic location will ensure that those offices will never be subject to an American military attack. Rule five: Move your embassy

into the new hotel in the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington for the same reasons as rule four. Rule six: Send your youngest and most attractive female diplomats to Washington. They should devote most of their time to developing close contacts with the royal family. Wearing only clothes purchased on Ivanka Trump’s website will help that effort greatly. Rule seven: In your analysis of American foreign policy, remember that facts, history and anything uttered during or after the election campaign are of absolutely no consequence. They are unimportant to the president-elect’s most ardent supporters and have never constrained him. Rule eight: Finally, tell your foreign ministry to relax. It does not matter what American foreign policy is today because tomorrow it may be different — or not. WD Dennis Jett is a former U.S. ambassador who served in the Foreign Service for 28 years on three continents. The author of the 2014 book “American Ambassadors: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Diplomats,” Jett is currently a professor of international affairs at Pennsylvania State University.

Inaugural Gala DATE: Tuesday, January 17, 2017 LOCATION: Organization of American States Washington, DC INFORMATION: http://sistercities.org/inauguralgala In advance of Inauguration Day, join Sister Cities International for an exciting gathering of diplomats, members of Congress, municipal ofﬁcials, and community leaders in celebration of the inauguration of our Honorary Chairperson, the President of the United States

@SisterCitiesInt #SCIinaugural THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 9

WD | Middle East

Trump’s Tehran Dilemma Experts Warn Road to Syria Resolution Goes Through Both Russia and Iran by Michael Coleman

uring the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, Republican Donald Trump made it clear he admired Russian President Vladimir Putin and even talked of working with the autocratic leader to help end the civil war in Syria. Putin’s name repeatedly came up before and after the campaign, especially now that he’s been accused by the CIA of meddling in the election to help Trump win. But when it came to Syria, one country was conspicuously absent in the real estate mogul’s pronouncements: Iran. Now that he’s the president-elect, Trump will not only have to cooperate with Russia to quell the devastating violence in Syria, but also possibly engage with Iran as part of the same objective. A first-time politician whose international experience is limited to building up his business empire, Trump talked tough on Iran throughout the campaign and even vowed to rip up a hard-fought deal to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Since then, he has stacked his team with former generals who hold staunchly anti-Iran views. Michael Flynn, who’s been tapped as Trump’s national security advisor, was reportedly pushed out as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in part because of his preoccupation with Iran. When once asked about the top-three threats America faces, James Mattis, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, summed them up as “Iran, Iran, Iran” (although he has cautioned that unilaterally backing out of the Iran nuclear deal will damage U.S. interests). Trump’s insistence on working with Russia to negotiate a way out of Syria’s six-year war is sure to rankle many in the Pentagon who fiercely distrust the Kremlin, but the effort is also likely to run headlong into another inescapable reality — that the road to peace in Syria leads not only through Moscow, but also Tehran. So will Trump soften his seemingly hardline stance against the Iranian regime to help stanch the bloodshed in Syria? Experts interviewed by The Diplomat said it’s possible, but as with so much related to the incoming Trump administration, it’s hard to predict. Russia officially entered the Syrian fray in September 2015 when it launched a campaign of punishing air strikes that were ostensibly meant to dislodge “terrorists” such as the Islamic State but in reality targeted all rebel groups opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Many observers agree that Russia’s intervention tipped the scales in favor of Assad’s beleaguered army, which as of press time had seized the rebel-held portion of Aleppo, ce-

10 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

Photo: © UNICEF / Al Shami

menting his grip over a key stretch of territory. But Iran’s involvement over the years has been just as critical to keeping the regime alive. Iran has supported Assad with money, weapons and its Revolutionary Guard troops, elite ground forces that have been instrumental in helping the Syrian Army hold and claw back territory from the constellation of rebel groups backed by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and other proxies. Tehran also directed Lebanon-based Hezbollah to supply Assad with some 30,000 additional ground troops (along with a smattering of Iraqi Shiite militias). In fact, without Iran’s help, the Assad regime would likely have already collapsed. Iran, a Shiite nation in a sea of Sunni rivals such as Saudi Arabia, has a strong incentive to keep Assad’s ruling Alawite minority sect in power. “Some believe Tehran has backed Syria to the hilt because of their common religious roots,” wrote Barak Barfi, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. “Both ruling cliques claim affinity with the heterodox Shia, a minority in an Islamic world populated by orthodox Sunnis. But Iran’s Syrian strategy derives less from spurious religious ties than it does from geopolitical factors. Surrounded by hostile pro-Western nations, Iran needs all the allies it can find to ensure that its regional interests are protected.” Afshon Ostovar, author of “Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,” says Iran and Syria are critical partners. “Washington first needs to understand why Iran’s stake in Syria runs so deep,” he wrote in an Oct. 12 piece in Foreign

Policy. “Syria under Hafez al-Assad was the only country in the Middle East to back Iran in its devastating war with Iraq during the 1980s. Iran’s military leaders are all veterans of that conflict. They still bear the scars, emotional and physical, of fighting in a war fueled by Iran’s Sunni neighbors that killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of their countrymen. “But the alliance is more than just about personal affection,” he added, noting that the two countries grew close over their shared antagonism to Israel. “Syria became the conduit for support to Lebanese Hezbollah, which ever since has been used as proxy by Iran to threaten and pressure Israel and to serve as a pillar of Iran’s deterrence strategy toward Washington. Losing access to Syrian territory, in other words, would undermine Iranian deterrence and make it more vulnerable to Israeli and U.S. coercion.” That’s why Ostovar argues that any negotiations between Washington and Moscow must take Tehran’s interests into account, because “[Iran] considers the war a personal, sectarian, and even existential matter for the Alawites in Syria and Shiites in neighboring states,” he wrote. At the same time, the war has been enormously costly to Tehran, which has yet to feel the economic benefits of the nuclear deal but has propped up Assad’s regime with billions of dollars while losing hundreds of its own troops. With rebels on the verge of losing Aleppo and Trump willing to work with Russia, Assad has strengthened his hand in any potential peace talks.

An internally displaced boy sits with items he will sell in rural Damascus in October 2015. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to work with Russia to help end the six-year civil war in Syria.

But whether the American presidentelect would make room in those negotiations for Iran is another matter entirely. Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute specializing in Iranian domestic and regional policies, told The Diplomat that the billionaire businessman’s penchant for dealmaking could inform his approach to Syria.

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The Iranians are in a position to call the shots at least as much as the Russians are…. If the Iranians aren’t happy with whatever arrangement is worked out with Syria, it isn’t going to happen. Patrick Clawson

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director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy

“If you take the most basic premise he has laid out, which is that the two evils in this Syrian conflict are Assad and ISIS [Islamic State], at least based See Ir an • page 16

Cover Profile | WD

Jordan Strives for Stability Syrian Refugee Influx, Radical Extremism Threaten Quiet U.S. Ally by Larry Luxner

etween continuing atrocities in Syria and the ongoing battle to dislodge Islamic State fighters from Mosul — Iraq’s second-largest city — politicians and pundits often overlook the crippling impact of the region’s turmoil on a third Arab country: Jordan. But it’s hard for Dina Kawar to think about anything else. As Jordan’s new ambassador to the United States, Kawar knows the dangers all too well. For the two years preceding her current assignment, she represented her small desert nation before the United Nations Security Council, with the last six months of that period as co-facilitator specifically on the refugee crisis. “Our refugees are living for the most part in cities, so we must share our resources even though we’re the second-poorest country on Earth in terms of water per capita,” she told The Washington Diplomat in an interview at her Kalorama residence. “We’re opening up our schools to everybody, meaning they now have to do morning and afternoon shifts. Hospitals are offering free health care to Syrians. This puts a huge burden on the government. We have a hard time maintaining our budget.” About 20 percent of Jordan’s GDP now goes to help Syrian arrivals, she said, estimating that the refugee influx is costing the kingdom about $2 billion a year — not to mention the social and political upheaval it has sparked. According to a national census conducted in November 2015, Jordan’s population now stands at just over 9.5 million. That includes 2.9 million foreigners, of which the biggest group by far is Syrians (1.3 million, or 13 percent of the total population). Jordan is also home to large numbers of Palestinians, Egyptians, Iraqis, Yemenis and Libyans. Syrians can be found mainly in Amman, the capital, and in the northern governorates of Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa. About 640,000 are registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and 9 percent of them live in refugee camps. Not only are the refugees straining Jordan’s social services, budget and patience, the violence in neighboring Syria and Iraq has cut off critical trade routes, further squeezing the economy. In early February, Jordan secured $1.7 billion in grants at a London conference aimed at strengthening the country’s resilience in dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis. “This Jordan Compact was sup-

posed to boost the economy so that Jordan itself could offer the Syrians employment, health care and education. The problem is that our own unemployment rate is about 15 percent, so we have to be careful in how we go about this,” said Kawar, noting that Jordan has actually received less than a third of the money donors have pledged over the last five years. “While Syrians didn’t cause the spike in Jordanian unemployment, they exacerbate the problem,” wrote David Schenker, director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Only a small percentage of the refugees live in camps; the vast majority of them live in the kingdom’s cities and towns, where they rent homes and participate in the local economy” — and compete for both high-skill and low-skill jobs. “There are employment opportunities in Jordan — but not for jobs Jordanians want,” Schenker added. “Part of the problem is a mismatch of skills and vacancies: More than 90,000 students register for university every year, leaving 16 percent of college graduates unemployed. Even more are underemployed. The dearth of appropriate local opportunities drives many Jordanians abroad. Today, according to the Jordanian government, half of the kingdom’s engineers work in the Gulf. The numbers are comparable in

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Photo: Lawrence Ruggeri

We’re all very curious [about Donald Trump]. A campaign is a campaign, but when one comes to the Oval Office, the reality is different. The president-elect has in many of his speeches referred to [King Abdullah] as an example of good leadership.

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Dina Kawar, ambassador of Jordan to the United States

other professions.” At the same time, Jordanians have witnessed a worrying outbreak of radical Islamic extremist activity at home — even among Sunni Muslims who belong to the minority Hashemite sect that has long ruled the country. While the attacks have been sporadic, they’ve raised fears that the wave of radicalism sweeping the region could engulf Jordan, an island of relative calm and a key U.S. security ally. In November, a Jordanian soldier at a military base killed three American soldiers who were part of a CIA pro-

gram to train Syrian rebels; officials are still investigating whether the incident was a mistake or whether the shooter had links to terrorist groups. Last year, a Jordanian police officer killed two Americans and three others at a police-training center in Amman. In June, five people were gunned down at a national intelligence office branch in the Baqa’a refugee camp for Palestinians, just north of Amman. Later that month, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a car bombing on the border with Syria in which seven Jordanian soldiers died.

In August, a Wall Street Journal article quoted a State Department report accusing Amman of being “reticent to acknowledge domestic radicalization.” The article went on to warn that Jordanian jihadists are speaking out more openly these days in support of the Islamic State. “That openness, along with a rare spate of terror attacks, illustrates how the threat of Islamic extremism has spread in this relatively stable U.S. ally, which has long served as a bulwark against terrorism in the Middle East,” the newspaper reported. It noted that unemployment among the under-30 crowd — more than 70 percent of Jordan’s population — now stands at 30 percent, more than twice the global average, according to a 2015 report by the International Labor Organization. Perhaps as a consequence, Jordan now ranks third among Arab countries — after Tunisia and Saudi Arabia — in the total number of foreign fighters it has sent to Syria and Iraq. About 2,500 Jordanians now bear arms on behalf of the Islamic State. See j or dan • page 12 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 11

Photo: DoD / Lance Cpl. Juanenrique Owings, U.S. Marine Corps

U.S. Marines and sailors assigned to Lima Company run toward a helicopter during a patrol exercise on June 9, 2013, in Al Quweira, Jordan. The exercise, called Eager Lion, is designed to strengthen military-to-military ties between the U.S. and Jordan, a key security ally.

Jordan Continued • page 11

The task of trying to keep the threat of Islamic radicalism at bay falls to King Abdullah II, Jordan’s moderate, pro-Western ruler, who took over the country after his father’s death in 1999. Although there have been grumblings about Abdullah’s rule, most Jordanians aren’t agitating for the type of Arab Spring-inspired change that upended the region, especially now with the Islamic State on the loose. “There have been attempts to infiltrate the country, but luckily our security forces are doing a great job,” Kawar commented. “His Majesty [King Abdullah] has always said that to fight Daesh [a derogatory Arabic term for the Islamic State], you need a military approach in the short term, a security approach in the medium term and in the long term you have to work on the ideology — and on changing the mindset,” she said. “The youth must realize that all this Daesh propaganda is rubbish, and that it’s not worth joining.” To that end, Kawar defended her government’s decision to shut down mosques whose imams preach radical Islam or advocate violence to achieve their goals. “It’s not about censoring their preaching; it’s about making sure the correct Islam is being preached. It’s been used in the wrong way,” she said. “We need programs to preach and counter what Daesh is doing by using what most youth use: social media.” Even so, Kawar says she considers herself very lucky. “Jordan has strong ties with the U.S., with this administration, with Congress and with both parties. That makes our work very enjoyable, but I wouldn’t say easy,” she said. “At least our con-

cerns are heard and taken seriously. People here realize that in the fight against Daesh, Jordan is pivotal. But in spite of our difficult situation, we have to continue with the reform process. We just finished our elections not too long ago, and we’re working a lot on improving gender issues.” Jordan, one of only two Arab countries to have signed a formal peace agreement with Israel (the other is Egypt), also managed to avoid the bloodshed that gripped much of the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring, which began in Tunisia in late 2010 and later spread to Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen. “His Majesty reacted very quickly to the Arab Spring by opening up a dialogue and allowing demonstrations to take place,” Kawar explained. “They went on for weeks and weeks, in a very peaceful way, with no deaths. The police were there to make sure everybody was safe. For Jordanians, security is sacred. They realize the importance of making sure Jordan does not fall into chaos.” The new ambassador is related to Karim Kawar, who was Jordan’s envoy here from 2002 to 2007. She also sticks out as a Christian woman representing a male-dominated, Muslim society in which Christians make up only 4 percent of the population. “I’m only reminded of this by Westerners. Otherwise, in Jordan, I don’t feel it,” she said. “I am Christian, but I feel Jordanian more than anything else.” Kawar speaks impeccable English; she’s also fluent in French. She spent seven years in the United States getting her master’s degree at Columbia University and doing post-graduate work at Harvard. For 12 years, she also lived in Paris, where she was Jordan’s ambassador to France with accreditation to Portugal, the Vatican and UNESCO. Kawar was then transferred to New York to represent Jordan on

12 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

Photo: By I, Aviad2001, Wikimedia Commons via CC BY 2.5

Above, an enormous Jordanian flag dominates the skyline of Aqaba, the only coastal city in the desert-dry kingdom. At left, the King Abdullah Mosque in Amman, a memorial to Jordan’s late King Hussein, is seen at night.

Credit: UN Photo / Mark Garten

Above, children play in a covered playground at Jordan’s Zaatari Refugee Camp, which has grown to house nearly 80,000 Syrian refugees since it opened in 2012. The majority of Syrian refugees in Jordan, however, have blended into its cities, such as the capital of Amman, below.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons via CC BY-SA 2.5

the Security Council before arriving in Washington in 2016 to take up her current position. Kawar was only the sixth woman in U.N. history to occupy a seat on that council — and the first woman ever from the Arab world. Gender inequality continues to be a problem in the Hashemite Kingdom, along with an unequal distribution of income and much higher consumer prices ever since the first waves of Iraqi refugees began arriving in the early 1990s. Per-capita income today stands at around $5,000, yet the costs of real estate, electricity and even water have gone up sharply in recent years. To offset the coming water crisis, in 2013, Jordan, Israel

and the Palestinian Authority signed a water-sharing deal authorizing construction of a canal linking the Red Sea to the shrinking Dead Sea. This “Red-Dead” canal project — whose first phase alone costs $900 million — involves building a conveyance system to transfer 300 million cubic meters of water annually from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, which could completely evaporate by 2050 if nothing is done. The plan also envisions building a desalination plant that could produce up to 85 million cubic meters of fresh water a year. “This project has taken 15 years, and we’re now in the process of getting funds,” explained Kawar, whose country is 92 percent desert.

Photo: By ‫ يداه ميهاربإ قراط سدنهملا‬Eng. Tariq Ibrahim AbdulHadi / CC BY-SA 3.0

“The level of the Dead Sea is falling one meter a year because its sources from the north have dried up.” Jordan is also energypoor. Unlike Egypt to the west and the wealthy Arab Gulf kingdoms, sheikhdoms and emirates to the east, Jordan has no oil or gas. To cope with that problem, the country is trying to develop nuclear power while diversifying into wind and solar power. It has also signed a highly controversial $10 billion, 15-year deal

with neighboring Israel to import liquefied natural gas from Israel’s Leviathan offshore gas field in the Mediterranean. But the more immediate threat to the economy is the spillover effect from Syria, whose six-year bloodbath continues unabated. With that in mind, we asked Kawar what she thinks of President-elect Donald Trump, who, among other things, has promised to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State, even it

means keeping Syrian President Bashar alAssad in power. A seasoned diplomat, Kawar was measured in her response. “It’s no secret” that Washington and Moscow are already cooperating in their efforts to destroy the Islamic State, she said. “The problem is the Syrian issue and getting to some sort of transitional government. Assad will not be able to stay forever. That’s something we cannot discuss ahead of time or predict ahead of time.” She added: “I think most diplomats — whether from the Arab world or otherwise — are holding their breath. We’re all very curious. A campaign is a campaign, but when one comes to the Oval Office, the reality is different. The president-elect has in many of his speeches referred to [King Abdullah] as an example of good leadership.” Kawar spent one and a half years on the U.N. Security Council representing Jordan as one of the council’s 10 rotating members. During her term, which ended in December 2015, she followed Syria closely. “There is no way out of this problem without negotiations and getting both the Russians and Americans to sit down and talk reasonably,” she told us. “If the Russians do not cooperate with the Americans, it will be very difficult. Once the fighting stops, we’ll be able to get in just to offer basic hu-

Pence CoNtINUeD • Page 6

not happen,” while demanding an apology from the cast. But Pence later said the boos were “what freedom sounded like” and insisted that he wasn’t offended by Dixon’s speech. Pence added, “I know this is a very disappointing time for people that did not see their candidate win in this national election. I know this is a very anxious time for some people, and I just want to reassure people that what President-elect Donald Trump said on election night, he absolutely meant from the bottom of his heart. He is preparing to be the president of all of the people of the United States of America.” Curtis said Pence’s response to the “Hamilton” incident exemplifies the type of person he is and his understanding of the Constitution. “He understands that government needs to protect liberty, not control behavior.”

key PlayeR However the Trump-Pence relationship evolves, it’s hard to imagine Pence being anything other than a key player in the new administration. In 1974, historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. wrote about the rapport between the vice president and president, arguing that, “Mistrust is inherent in the relationship. The Vice President has only one serious thing to do: that is, to wait around for the President to die. This is hardly the basis for cordial and enduring friendships.” Goldstein of Saint Louis University argues that much has changed since then, as the vice presidency has evolved from a largely ceremonial post — simply presiding over the Senate, breaking ties when necessary — to serving an integral advisory function in the executive branch. He says that the VP role first took on more prominence, particularly in terms of foreign affairs, in 1953 with Richard Nixon

jordan at a Glance National Day: may 25 (1946) Location middle east, northwest of saudi arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq Capital amman Population 8.1 million (July 2016 estimate) Ethnic groups arab 98 percent, Circassian 1 percent, armenian 1 percent GDP (purchasing power parity) $82.7 billion (2015 estimate)

GDP per-capita (PPP) $12,100 (2015 estimate) GDP growth 2.5 percent (2015 estimate)

Unemployment 13.1 percent (2015 estimate) Population below poverty line 14.2 percent (2002 estimate)

Industries tourism, information technology, clothing, fertilizers, potash, phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing

CReDIt: offICIal WHIte HoUse PHoto by Pete soUZa

National flag of Jordan

President obama meets with king abdullah II of Jordan and members of the Jordanian delegation in the oval office on may 17, 2011.

NOTE: Although every effort is made to assure your ad is free of mistakes in spelling an content it is ultimately up to the customer make theprocess. final proof. on the Middle to East peace We alsoURCe: CIa WoRlD faCtbook

ways feel like the Arab Peace Initiative was ” two faxed changes will be made aatmissed manitarian help — even in the Palestinian together. opportunity. Israel hadsubsequent the chance change The first no cost to the advertiser, Yet said of that the per region’s refugee camps near Damascus. The second to normalize its relationship with manyapproved. will the be ambassador billed at a rate $75 faxed alteration. Signed ads are considered challenge is to get all the parties — the re- problems “should not blind us” from solv- countries to the benefit of everybody.” gime and the opposition — to sit down ing one of its most intractable conflicts — Incidentally, Israel, with which Jordan Please check ad carefully. any changes to your ad. Israelis and this Palestinians. together. This discussion phase might take the one between sharesMark a 238-kilometer land border, also “Just because the issue is relatively calm happens to be its neighbor in Washington; years.” the ad is correct sign and fax to: (301) 949-0065 needsembassies changes fronting Kawar insisted that any form of transi- If now, it doesn’t mean everything is forgotboth countries have ten. There needs to be a return to the Mid- International Drive, NW. Asked about the tional government must stabilize Syria. “There are no miracles,” she said. “If there The dleWashington East peace process. The longer we take,933-3552 nature of her relationship with Israel’s amDiplomat (301) were, of course, we would have known the more complicated it gets. And [Israel] bassador here, Ron Dermer — who has a about it. What’s important is to fight Daesh needs to stop building settlements.” reputation for supporting hard-line posiApproved Pointing__________________________________________________________ out that King Abdullah is offi- tions on West Bank settlements — Kawar Changes cially the___________________________________________________________ custodian of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa told us: “I say what I think; he says what he Mosque — the third-holiest site in Islam thinks. They know what our positions are.” ___________________________________________________________________ after Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and Medina — And if she happens to run into Dermer at and fully evolved into a critical partnerKawar said “it’s not a political as much as a a reception or cocktail party, is the encounadvisor relationship under Jimmy Carter, moral patronage. All major issues need to ter generally friendly? who gave Walter Mondale access to all be discussed: Jerusalem, borders and refu“It’s not violent,” she replied, then quickly the same meetings and information that gees. ” added: “When diplomats stop being cordial he had and treated him as a key member She added: “We have a peace treaty, but with each other, it’s the end of the world.” WD of his team. everybody knows that normalization beGoldstein points out that of the 44 tween the Arabs and Israel is slower than it Larry Luxner is news editor of The presidents in U.S. history, nine were VPs should be. Jordanians need to see progress Washington Diplomat. who took power when presidents died (eight times) or resigned (Nixon). And five other vice presidents (most recently George H.W. Bush) were elected president after serving full terms in the role, so one-third of all U.S. presidents previously served as vice president. Does this mean Pence now has a leg up to be the GOP nominee in 2024 or sooner if Trump doesn’t run in 2020? “Pence’s chances of being elected president are clearly greater [as vice president] than they would have been as governor of Indiana,” Goldstein said. “That doesn’t mean in 2020 or 2024 he ends up being the guy, but he’ll be in the conversation if he wants to be. He goes to the head of the class.” Goldstein said it’s extremely difficult to predict what sort of influence Pence will have on Trump. “The role the VP plays will end up being dictated by their strengths and the president’s weaknesses, and what the president wants them to do,” he said. Lenkowsky thinks that Pence’s foreign policy instincts are probably closer to the Dick Cheney wing of the GOP than the internationalists from Bush 41’s administration. But he adds that Pence’s role will be more similar to the roles Biden and Gore played, rather than Cheney’s agenda-setting tenure. Curtis, Pence’s history professor, refused to speculate on what kind of vice president his former pupil will be or what he’ll focus on, insisting that we’ll all have to simply wait and see. “Anyone who thinks they know what’s going to happen is kidding themselves,” he said. WD

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017 | 13

WD | Book Review

Silver Lining ‘The Fix’ Offers Much-Needed Good News in a World of Bad by Ryan Migeed

n “The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline,” author Jonathan Tepperman tells the good news stories that rarely get reported in a world of bad news. The book identifies 10 seemingly intractable problems that are affecting many — if not most — states, such as immigration, income inequality, corruption and Islamic extremism, but challenges the status quo by offering potential templates for solutions. By looking at these issues through case studies of countries that faced these problems and found solutions, “The Fix” seeks to show that solutions, if unconventional, do exist. Not only do solutions exist, Tepperman argues, but they have been tried — and proven to work. “I wrote the book because of an intuition and a frustration,” Tepperman told The Diplomat in an email. “The intuition was that things are not as bad as almost universally portrayed by the news media, by populist politicians and others. And the frustration was with those politicians but especially with my own field — journalism. Far too often, we in the media focus on the bad news.” Tepperman is the managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine. After beginning his career as a speechwriter at the U.N. in Geneva, Tepperman reported for the Jerusalem Post, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Newsweek International. But it’s not just his own field that Tepperman wanted to challenge with this book. “Even the literature of international relations spends too much time diagnosing problems and not enough time looking for answers,” he said. To find these answers, Tepperman returned to his reporting roots, digging into data and traveling the globe to conduct more than 100 interviews. Tepperman interviewed current and former heads of state, including former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and current Rwandan President Paul Kagame, as well as numerous experts responsible for the solutions he describes in the book. What are some of those solutions? When it comes to combating Islamic extremism and terrorism, Tepperman turned to Indonesia as a guide. Although 90 percent of its citizens are Muslim, Indonesia is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures. To protect each group’s identity, and each individual’s freedom, the state’s first three freely elected leaders strengthened democratic norms and artfully removed military leaders from political decision-making. In his chapter “Kill Them with Kindness: How Indonesia Crushed and Co-opted Its Islamic Extremists,” Tepperman writes that while Indonesia relentlessly pursues terrorists, the country “has treated terrorism more like a law enforcement problem than a military one.” This approach offers two major advantages, ac-

14 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

“

As bad as things look around the world today, there’s no need to despair…. Don’t get me wrong, the world faces a very long list of daunting problems. But contrary to conventional wisdom, those problems have answers. And not just theoretical ones. Jonathan Tepperman

”

author of ‘The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline’

cording to Tepperman. First, trying terrorists in public courts “allows democracies to remain true to their values — values the terrorists seek to undermine,” Tepperman said.

“Second, observing such scruples makes it much harder for the terrorists to claim that they’re righteous victims being unjustly persecuted by a tyrannical regime.” The result of Indonesia’s democratic experiment, Tepperman writes in his book, is a state where fewer Muslims think their government should adopt Sharia law than do the citizens of Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Malaysia or Pakistan. Terrorist attacks have become rare, insurgencies have been peacefully extinguished and civilian control over the military has been thoroughly established. Inequality is another scourge that has gripped states around the globe. To illustrate one example of success, Tepperman interviewed Brazil’s former president, popularly known as Lula, about the massive anti-poverty program he developed. Called Bolsa Familía (Family Grant), the program disburses cash payments to the mothers of poor families, under the belief that families know how to budget better than government programs that distribute funds with specific allocations, like food stamps. Lula’s vision for the program was borne out of his own experience growing up in a poor, fatherless family. Not only has Bolsa Familía helped lift 36 million people out of poverty, reduced Brazil’s income gap by a third and slashed the percentage of Brazilians living in poverty, but the program is dramatically inexpensive. The average recipient gets $65 a month, because, as Lula reasoned at the program’s inception, poor families only need small payments to make a big difference in their daily lives. “I don’t think debt is nearly as big a problem as the deficit hawks argue,” Tepperman said. “Most countries, especially wealthy ones like the United States, can afford to spend far more than they do to generate economic growth and alleviate poverty and inequality through social spending.” Tepperman said that Brazil’s battle against inequality shows that “the war can be waged cheaply,” while boosting markets by putting cash directly in consumers’ hands. At times, the solutions Tepperman presents in “The Fix” can read like one-off success stories, the result of good luck and rare good leadership. This raises the question of whether they are replicable by other states. For instance, Tepperman cites Rwanda’s use of village tribunals, called gacaca, as a major reason for its successful reconciliation and reconstruction after the country’s 1994 genocide that killed an estimated 800,000 people, many of them ethnic Tutsis slaughtered by Hutus. The gacaca allowed local communities to hear victims’ stories and, like regular courts, a gacaca could mete out prison sentences to those found guilty. But the decision to handle reconciliation at the loSee Book r eview • page 16

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 15

Book Review CoNtINUeD • Page 14

cal level instead of through a national commission like the one South Africa used after apartheid was a master stroke by Rwandan President Kagame, as Tepperman sees it. Moreover, gacaca courts are unique to Rwanda’s culture and legal history. Can a different state find a similar solution to civil strife, or is such a case study distinct to Rwanda? Tepperman’s answer is that “local problems require local answers.” Indeed, in his book’s chapter on immigration reform, Tepperman cites Canada — which has its own unique multicultural history marked by nationalist and separatist movements — as an example of a successful immigration system that embraces pluralism and respects the multitude of ethnic minorities already living in the country. The lesson from Rwanda’s reconciliation is that “post-conflict societies should find a solution that resonates with and feels legitimate to the populace, and isn’t just a universal template imposed from above,” Tepperman said. But there are two other lessons Tepperman takes from Kagame’s attempt to heal Rwanda’s ethnic wounds. First, crises create opportunities to experiment with unconventional problem-solving approaches. As successful as the gacaca courts were, entrusting a judicial system to a population newly emerging from a genocidal civil war was a gamble, Tepperman writes. But national catastrophes open the door to trying new, even radical, ideas that ordinary times would not allow. “Crises have a way of concentrating the mind and sweeping away many of the obstacles that ordinarily block reform,” Tepperman said. It’s not a coincidence, he acknowledged, that in the case studies he writes about, “salvation came at a moment of great peril.” “So crises help. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make progress without them, so long as you’re able to build a big enough coalition to support dramatic changes,” Tepperman said. On that front, he argues that nations are in dire need of leaders willing to compromise, cajole or create out-of-the-box solutions to tackle complex, difficult challenges. One of the basic premises of the book, Tepperman writes in its introduction, is that states around the world face these dilemmas because of the failure of their politicians to lead. For the success of Canada’s open immigration and assimilation policy, Tepperman credits Canada’s “deft leadership” that embraced multiculturalism and convinced the populace to do the same. In 1971, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (father of the current prime minister, Justin Trudeau) declared that “there is no official culture” of Canada and created the first Ministry of Multiculturalism anywhere in the world. Not only did this undercut sectarian rifts — namely, the threat of Quebecois separatism — that could have gridlocked government, but it also

opened the country to the benefits of immigration while helping to absorb the influx of immigrants Canada was experiencing at the time. Canada can provide lessons, if not a direct model, for other states grappling with assimilating immigrants, such as the masses of refugees that are pouring into Europe and upending the continent’s politics. Of course, there are no quick fixes to the multitude of intractable problems that the world faces, and many of the examples Tepperman cites are far from perfect. For instance, despite his revolutionary anti-poverty program, Brazil’s Lula has been ensnared in a long-running corruption scandal that has

tarnished his reputation. Rwanda’s Kagame has been accused of being an authoritarian strongman, and Jakarta’s Christian mayor has been under fire for allegedly insulting the Koran, revealing the intolerant strain of Islam that continues to thrive in Indonesia. But Tepperman makes a solid, data-driven case for optimism in a time of overwhelming pessimism. “Abandoning hope certainly is tempting, especially at a moment when so many things seem to be going wrong with the world,” he writes. “Fortunately, for us, it’s also unnecessary.” Ultimately, “The Fix” is an optimistic look at the world and the innovative ways countries have

addressed the myriad challenges around them. “As bad as things look around the world today, there’s no need to despair,” Tepperman said. “Don’t get me wrong, the world faces a very long list of daunting problems. But contrary to conventional wisdom, those problems have answers. And not just theoretical ones. Though it’s often overlooked, these solutions have already been tried and worked. Now we need more gutsy, committed leaders to follow those leads.” WD Ryan Migeed (@RyanMigeed) is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.

Jonathan tepperman

Iran CoNtINUeD • Page 10

on what he said during the campaign, Assad is the lesser of the two evils,” Vatanka said. “If he sticks to that viewpoint and also wants a political solution to the Syrian war, then he has to be knocking at the door of the Russians and maybe the Iranians. Invariably, he will be asked to partake in a give-and-take process.” Trump himself has vaguely suggested he might be open to negotiations, though he hasn’t mentioned Iran by name. “My administration … will work with any country that is willing to partner with us to defeat ISIS and halt radical Islamic terrorism — and that includes Russia,” Trump said on the campaign trail in September. “If they want to join us by knocking out ISIS, that is just fine as far as I’m concerned. It is a very imperfect world, and you can’t always choose your friends. But you can never fail to recognize your enemies.” One possibility for ending the protracted conflict in Syria often floated in foreign policy circles is giving Assad and his family immunity from war crimes prosecution and asylum in some other country (likely Russia) in exchange for transitioning him from power. The scenario could involve Assad handing the government off to some other leader of the Alawite minority, which would likely be a nonstarter for the rebels, who have seen hundreds of thousands of their brethren slaughtered by the regime. But it’s an option that Iran, Russia and possibly a Trump administration could live with. Neither Tehran nor Moscow is particularly wedded to Assad. They’re more interested in keeping the Sunnis at bay while also preventing Islamic extremists from overrunning what’s left of the war-torn nation — the latter being a goal that Trump in theory shares. “Nobody really knows what would happen to the Assad government if he was no longer at the helm, but assuming his departure didn’t mean the collapse of the rest of the government, then why on earth would Iran or Russia put all of their eggs in the basket of Assad?” Vatanka said. “What they care about above all is that their Arab rivals, particularly Saudi Arabia, don’t end up winning or even being perceived to have won the Syrian civil war. That tells you something about the depth of animosity between Iran and Riyadh.” He said Iran might find the idea of easing Assad out palatable, considering the alternatives. “If you are sitting in Tehran and looking at Syria and thinking, ‘OK, another five years of war and let’s hope Assad can clean house or let’s go with Trump and maybe he can bring a solution if he comes on board with Russia and by extension Iran, we would finish this war now — and the price we’d have to pay is to see Assad go?’ I think they’d say, ‘Fine. What is so special about Assad?’”

16 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017

PHoto: HoseIN VelayatI / WIkImeDIa CommoNs VIa CCa 4.0 / HttP://WWW.yPa.IR/meDIa/k2/galleRIes/426/%284%29.JPg

Iranian army soldiers and pilots march in an april 2012 parade during the Islamic Republic of Iran’s army Day.

Patrick Clawson, director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, agreed that the Iranians will be a key player in any Syrian resolution. But he wasn’t as optimistic about Tehran meeting in the middle with a Trump administration. “The Iranians are in a position to call the shots at least as much as the Russians are,” Clawson said. “The key actors in almost all of these reconciliations [temporary ceasefires] have been the Iranians. This just suggests what an important role Iranian forces have played, and Iranian money is keeping Assad in power. If the Iranians aren’t happy with whatever arrangement is worked out with Syria, it isn’t going to happen.” However, Clawson doesn’t envision someone else in the Alawite sect replacing Assad. He’s even more doubtful that the Iranians and Trump can reach some kind of accommodation. “The idea that we’re going to have a common agenda with the Iranians is very optimistic,” he said. “A large part of their agenda is demonstrating the Americans can be defeated. It’s going to be really, really tough to find a way to work with the Iranians on that front.” But he did express a glimmer of hope that Putin can convince Assad to focus attention on crushing the Islamic State once and for all. “It’s conceivable this time that the regime will decide we’d like to go clean up that situation in the east and knock ISIS out,” Clawson said. “If the Russians can persuade the regime to do that, then the United States will be delighted. But this is going to be tough to deliver — really tough to deliver. But if that were to happen, I’m sure we would hear Mr. Trump say his policy with respect to the Russians is working.” At the same time, Trump would be loath to be seen as working with Iran, the regime he slammed on the campaign trail. Ilan Goldenberg, director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, argues that Trump can’t have it both ways: Either he kills the Iran deal

or he accommodates Russia. Goldenberg pointed out that Trump has said he would cut off aid to U.S.-backed rebels, paving the way for Russia and Iran to finish off the Syrian opposition in Aleppo in return for Russian cooperation in destroying the Islamic State. He said that strategy would push any remaining moderate rebels to align with extremist factions and called it “morally reprehensible” in light of Assad’s atrocities. “But for all its faults, this approach, at a minimum, represents a coherent strategy,” Goldenberg recently wrote in War on the Rocks. “But if the Trump administration chooses to combine this Syria strategy with efforts to unilaterally dismantle the Iran nuclear agreement — the situation goes completely haywire. “Even if Trump did not abrogate the deal on day one, there is still a good chance it could collapse over time,” Goldenberg wrote, warning that Iran would then not only restart its nuclear program with little international blowback, but it would also bolster its Shiite proxies such as Hezbollah, ramping up attacks against U.S. forces and possibly toppling the U.S.friendly Shiite government in Iraq. Vatanka said Trump would be unwise to jettison the nuclear deal with Iran, especially if he wants concessions on Syria and to prevent Iran from further destabilizing the region. “Mr. Trump loves to negotiate,” Vatanka said. “It’s better to say I’m not ripping the deal apart, but in order for it to go anywhere — for this 10- to 15-year agreement to be sustainable and viable — we need to talk about other things linked to Iran’s behavior in the region. If the Iranians want to play ball, then you might be able to take that approach forward and expect, or at least hope for, some modification of behavior on the part of the Iranians.” WD Michael Coleman (@michaelcoleman) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

Education a special section of the Washington Diplomat

•

January 2017

illUStrAtionS: lightSPring / ShUtterStoCk

The Knowledge Gap Survey Finds U.S. College Students’ Global Literacy Woefully Lacking •

by AnnA gAWel

mmigration was a hotly contested issue in the U.S. presidential race, with Republican Donald Trump buoyed by anger over what many Americans perceive to be a glut of foreigners inundating the United States.

Yet only 34 percent of U.S. college students realize that more Mexicans have left the United States than entered it over the last five years. Likewise, as North Korea rattles the region with a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, only 36 percent of students know how many U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea and a mere 28 percent are aware that the U.S. is treaty-bound to protect Japan if it is attacked (despite Trump’s campaign pronouncements that he may not come to allies’ defense).

On the all-important subject of war, only 30 percent of American college students can correctly name which branch of government (legislative) has the constitutional authority to declare war. Those were among the dismal findings of a survey commissioned by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the National Geographic Society, which found serious deficiencies in college-age students’ understanding of the inSee Literacy • PAge 18

What College-Aged Students Know About the World A Survey on Global Literacy September 2016

Photo: CoUnCil on Foreign relAtionS

the Council on Foreign relations and national geographic Society commissioned a survey last May to gauge American college students’ knowledge about the world.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017 | 17

Literacy Continued • page 17

creasingly interconnected world they must navigate. The Global Literacy Survey, conducted in May by ARC Research, polled 1,203 students educated at U.S. colleges and universities between the ages 18 to 26 to gauge their mastery of geography, the environment, demographics, U.S. foreign policy, recent international events and economics. The survey revealed that few students possess critical knowledge about the world and America’s role in it, including which countries are U.S. allies and basic geography. For instance, only 31 percent of students could pinpoint Israel on a map, while only 29 percent correctly identified Indonesia as a Muslim-majority nation. About half knew that Mandarin Chinese is the language spoken by the most people in the world, and only 57 percent were able to identify Sudan as being located in Africa. There were a few bright spots, however, particularly on the environmental front. A majority (78 percent) of students knew that fossil fuels are

a nonrenewable resource and 84 percent said the increase in greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere is considered by scientists to be one of the causes of climate change. A majority of respondents also indicated that it is vital to be knowledgeable about geography, history, foreign cultures and world events, and nearly three quarters said these topics are becoming more important to them. Overall, however, this desire to learn more about the world didn’t translate into encouraging results. On the knowledge questions, the average score was only 55 percent correct. A mere 29 percent of respondents earned a minimal pass, and just over 1 percent — 17 students of 1,203 — earned an A (91 percent or higher). Caroline Netchvolodoff, vice president of education at CFR, admitted that the results were disheartening, although she said they offered some grounds for optimism. “Knowing which countries are U.S. treaty allies, where the United States has deployed significant numbers of troops, which part of the U.S. government has the power to declare war — this is core knowledge that every citizen should possess in order to understand the United States role in the world,” she told The Washing-

Respondents answered whether more Mexicans have Asked whether more Mexicans have left the United States than entered past five years, entered 34 percent answered correctly, i.e., that more have left. left over thetheU.S. than over the past five years.

34%

49%

17%

DON’T KNOW

Asked whether more Mexicans have left the United States than entered over the past five years, 34 percent answered correctly, i.e., that more have left. Photo: Council on Foreign Relations

ton Diplomat via email. “On the upside, however, strong majorities of respondents indicated that they believed it important to be knowledgeable about current world events, international relations,

U.S. government and related topics. Almost three-quarters said those topics are becoming more important to them. This reflects the recognition that today’s world is interconnected and global knowledge

Highlights From the Survey

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Knowing which countries are U.S. treaty allies, where the United States has deployed significant numbers of troops, which part of the U.S. government has the power to declare war — this is core knowledge that every citizen should possess in order to understand the United States role in the world. Caroline Netchvolodoff vice president of education at the Council on Foreign Relations

”

is critical.” and this again requires a basic level of CFR President Richard Haass said the global literacy across society.” repercussions of not having this knowlTo help address this problem, Netchedge are far-reaching and detrimental. volodoff said that CFR created a “Mod“College graduates step into a world el Diplomacy” simulation program for characterized by enormous cross-bor- higher education and high school classder flows of people, services, currency, rooms last year; the think tank is also energy, entertainment, technology, dis- launching a new initiative called CFR ease, drugs, weapons, ideas and much Campus that includes original educamore. American citizens are affected in tional content. “We believe all of this, fundamental ways by what happens in in addition to the many other resources the world. These findings suggest that available at CFR.org, will serve stumany students simply are not prepared dents, instructors and lifelong learners. to understand the world they will enter. Similarly, National Geographic has long This will have adverse consequences for been committed to making geographic their individual prosperity and for the education accessible to students and the country’s economic competitiveness, broader public.” national security and democracy,” he Netchvolodoff added that while U.S. said in a press release. colleges and universities offer a range Netchvolodoff agrees that ignorance of avenues for students to learn about about how the world works has pro- international affairs, from political scifound, widespread effects on the United ence and economics courses to cultural States, even in a time of retrenchment clubs, CFR argues that “schools should that the president-elect seems to be not simply offer courses and opportuniushering in. “First, every American is a ties, rather they should require them.” citizen of a democracy facing enormous “Many schools have distribution recorrectly identified which branchthat of the U.S. students government challenges 30 in percent the world. The country quirements oblige to take (legislative) hasknowlconstitutional authority tofocused declarecourses, war. benefits when citizens have the internationally but ofedge required to evaluate competing ten these requirements are so loose that policy ideas and demand account- they don’t effectively give all graduates ability from their elected officials,” she a basic level of understanding about told us. “This can happen only when geography, international relations and all Americans, not just those working foreign policy,” she said. directly in international fields, care She noted that the Organization for about and have a basic understanding Economic Cooperation and Developof the foreign policy choices facing the ment’s Programme for International United States. That said, we also need Student Assessment (PISA) has proqualified Americans to work in those 30 posed including 11 an% “assessment % 7% of 4% 48% international fields, whether in the dip- global competence” in its 2018 PISA JUDICIAL lomatic corps, the military, the intelli- survey — “a heartening step that could DON'T DEPARTMENT KNOWsogence community, the civil service or add to our understanding of which OF DEFENSE the private or nonprofit sector. Filling cieties are best preparing their young positions in these arenas is critical LEGISLATIVE to See Literacy • page 20 advancing U.S. interests in the world, EXECUTIVE

Percentage of respondents who correctly identified Percentages who correctly identified the countries highlighted below: the countries highlighted below.

Center for Language Education and Development • Intensive English Program • Business and Professional English Program • Evening and Weekend English courses • Teaching EFL Certificate Course • Customized Teacher Training and Professional Development programs for Ministries Georgetown University-CLED

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IRAQ

IRAN

Meeting the needs of students and teachers of English as a Foreign Language

Center for Language Education and Development 202-687-7710, 202-687-5978 cled@georgetown.edu http://cledsp.georgetown.edu http://efl.georgetown.edu

61% SAUDI ARABIA

Photo: Council on Foreign Relations

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 19 Highlights From the Survey

Literacy

RespondentsRespondents ranked importance of knowledge on the topics ranked importance of knowledge on thebelow. topics below. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

Continued • page 19

VERY IMPORTANT

MODERATELY IMPORTANT

SLIGHTLY IMPORTANT

NOT AT ALL IMPORTANT 3%

people for today’s world.” The CFR-National Geographic survey also confirmed what has become patently obvious in recent years: Young people are increasingly turning away from traditional sources of information such as classrooms and newspapers in favor of social media, internet blogs and TV comedy shows such as “The Daily Show.” The survey found that 43 percent of students consume their news from Facebook; 40 percent from CNN; 33 percent from ABC News; 26 percent from Huffington Post; and 21 percent from comedy news programs. “On the one hand, it’s terrific to see young people seeking news from a wider variety of sources than ever,” Netchvolodoff said. “Comedy news programs, social media networks and other sources often deliver information in formats that young people — and the rest of us — find digestible and compelling. To the extent that this exposes Americans to information they might not otherwise get, it’s a plus. The downside is that the demand for brevity and buzz can squeeze out nuance. Foreign policy issues are complex and generally offer no obvious policy solutions.” Facebook and other social media platDiplomat_SU_Ad_2016.qxp_Layout 1 8/2/16 8:54 AM forms also allow users to pick and choose

CURRENT WORLD EVENTS

41%

40%

17%

1% 3%

U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

40%

38%

17%

2% 2%

ECONOMICS AND FINANCE

36%

WORLD HISTORY

25%

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

22%

FOREIGN (NON-U.S.) CULTURES

20%

GEOGRAPHY

19%

their news, amplifying their opinion without exposing them to opposing viewpoints. “It can be distorted by what has been termed the ‘echo chamber effect,’ in which likeminded individuals are connected and communicate with one another, but not so much with those who might consult a greater vaPageof 1 resources and hold different points riety

42%

19%

32%

28%

36%

32%

11%

30%

41%

31%

34%

10%

14%

of view. This increases the need for all of us, including young people, to think critically about what we’re reading or being told,” Netchvolodoff said. That need has grown exponentially in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the global turbulence of the last 15 years, including a worldwide economic recession, a wave

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The campus has opened over $350 million in new, cutting-edge facilities in recent years, including an Academic Commons, Perdue Hall and a medical simulation center. An English Language Institute offers comprehensive programs for non-native speakers. Located in a small city on Maryland’s scenic Eastern Shore, SU is just 30 minutes from Atlantic beaches and 2.5 hours from Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

With 59 graduate and undergraduate programs, SU has majors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) ﬁelds and is home to the AACSB internationally accredited Perdue School of Business. Highlights From the Survey SU consistently ranks among the nation’s best in The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

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Percentage of respondents who correctly identified which branch of the U.S. government has 30 percent correctly identified which branch of the U.S. government (legislative) has constitutional authoritywar. to declare war. constitutional authority to declare

48%

30%

11% DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

7% DON'T KNOW

4% JUDICIAL

LEGISLATIVE EXECUTIVE

30 percent correctly identified which branch of the U.S. government (legislative) has constitutional authority to declare war.

Percentages who correctly identified the countries highlighted below:

of populist, xenophobic political sentiment, two American-led wars, the explosive rise of the Islamic State, turmoil throughout the Arab world, territorial disputes in Asia and tensions with geostrategic competitors such as China and Russia. “The September 11 attacks established beyond any doubt %that what happens in 31 the world, even ISRAEL in seemingly far-off 49%places, can affect Americans directly here at home. IRAQ when Americans who were young children the attacks occurred, or who have been born since, have grown up in an environment marked by this reality. The U.S. military has been involved in Afghanistan, Iraq or both for some 15 years,” Netchvolodoff 61% pointed out. SAUDI ARABIA “It’s hard to establish cause and effect, but today’s young people clearly care about international affairs and want to be involved. In addition to our survey results, we see

Highlights From the Survey

this, for example, in the fact that the number of American students studying abroad is more than three times higher than it was 20 years ago, though it’s still relatively low overall.” Netchvolodoff also cited a 2013 study that found that 75 percent of American millennials (ages 16 to 34) wanted “to travel abroad as much as possible,” as well as a 45%Pew poll showing that 70 percent of recent IRAN voters ages 18 to 29 consider foreign policy to be “very important to their vote.” “So I think young people recognize that today’s world is interconnected and want to understand and participate in it. What is crucial is helping them obtain the knowledge, skills and perspective to do so effectively.” WD Anna Gawel (@diplomatnews) is the managing editor of The Washington Diplomat.

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017 | 21

WD | Education | Nonprofits

Flattening Nonprofits Atlas Corps Aims to Make Global Nonprofit Sector a Two-Way Street •

by Mackenzie Weinger

hile serving in the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, an idea sparked in Scott Beale’s mind while reading Thomas Friedman’s book on globalization, “The World Is Flat.”

“I said, ‘Well, it’s flat in the diplomatic sector. Diplomats, we take our black passports, we go around the world. It’s flat in the private sector — a guy from India goes to Seattle, invents Hotmail, makes a billion dollars. It’s even flat in the athletic sector. If you’re a really good shortstop in the Dominican Republic, you can go play for the Yankees or even better, for the Nationals. Even athletes are crossing borders. “But in the nonprofit sector, in the NGO-civil society space, Americans had gone overseas to serve in the Peace Corps. But the idea of someone coming and volunteering in the United States — that just was not even going to happen,” Beale recently told The Washington Diplomat. Beale saw an opportunity to create an organization that could provide that exact experience for nonprofit professionals, and he left the State Department in March 2006 to start Atlas Corps. Last year marked the 10-year anniversary of his global fellowship program, which brings young nonprofit professionals from around the world to the United States — and has since expanded to sending people to both Colombia and Australia as well. “People often think of us as the reverse Peace Corps — instead of sending people overseas, we’re bringing people here — but what we want people to think of us as is a global Peace Corps, in that it’s not just about U.S. citizens who are going to go overseas and serve,” said Atlas Corps founder and CEO Beale, whose wife Courtney is a U.S. diplomat. “That is a perfectly great thing, but we need to find ways for young people around the world to serve and citizens of all countries to be able to develop their skills and share their talents.” Atlas Corps fellows, he told us, are “like citizen diplomats.” “These are nonprofit leaders who in many ways represent their countries overseas as well,” Beale said. In 2007, the first group of fellows arrived in the United States — six professionals from India and Colombia, two countries in which Beale and his wife lived and served. Last September, the organization welcomed its 22nd class of fellows, having supported over 500 people from 79 different countries over the last decade. The organization celebrated its anniversary gala in November, and the

22 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

Atlas Corps fellows from Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Turkey.

Photos: Atlas Corps

Atlas Corps provides fellowships in the U.S. and Latin America to nonprofit leaders from around the world, including countries such as Sudan and Nigeria, at left.

Colombian ambassador is scheduled to host a private event at his residence in honor of the group. Open to anyone from around the world, as long as they are equipped with a college degree, two years of work experience and the ability to speak English, the fellowship program is fiercely competitive, with close to 10,000 people starting the application process last year alone. Applicants must be 35 or younger at the beginning of the fellowship, and the average fellow is 28 years old with two to 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector when they arrive. Most fellowships last a year or 18 months. Afterward, fellows re-

turn to their home countries to share their skills in the hopes of addressing some of the world’s most pressing 21st-century challenges. Fellows are placed with host partners such as the American Express Foundation, Enough, Save the Children, Refugees International, Oxfam, UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund. Organizations come to Atlas Corps looking for candidates, and Atlas Corps sends over the top shortlisted applicants to interview. The host organizations cover about two-thirds of the cost for the fellows, and the rest is fundraised from foundations, individuals and governments. There are 90 fellows active at

the moment, and the overwhelming majority is based in the D.C.-area, Beale noted. Fellows span the gamut of nonprofit work. Yuleidy Gonzalez, for example, is a 30-year-old public health expert from Cuba who is volunteering in New York City as a fellow at Planned Parenthood leading a project to make public health data presented in a visually compelling way. Ankit Gupta of India is an advocate for transgender youth and sexual rights who is working as a program manager with the Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute in D.C. See atlas • page 24

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“

[I]n the nonprofit sector, in the NGO-civil society space, Americans had gone overseas to serve in the Peace Corps. But the idea of someone coming and volunteering in the United States — that just was not even going to happen. SCott beAle, founder and CEO of Atlas Corps

Atlas Continued • PAge 22

Nchotou Ndimuanga is a biology expert who developed a cervical cancer screening project for women living with HIV in Cameroon and is now working to tackle breast cancer with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Dallas. Palestinian Asmaa Abumezied, a social entrepreneur from Gaza, is a volunteer in D.C. at Internet2, a tech community that serves higher education institutions. Mehak Toseef, a current fellow who is working as a training manager at Atlas Corps, came to D.C. from Pakistan after working in the public health sector. “Working for almost four years in the nonprofit sector in Pakistan, you start identifying some of the areas where there are roadblocks and you feel like, ‘Oh, I wish I had those expertise that could assist me in doing this kind of work,’” Toseef told The Washington Diplomat. “Learning best practices of doing those kind of things, that was my primary motivation when I applied for the fellowship.” Beyond the professional benefits, Toseef said one of the highlights of the programs has been the Atlas Corps community itself.

“I felt like I really got a chance to meet people from these countries — and not just meet them, like a superficial meet-up or just a happy hour or something,” she said. “You really go deeper and you really understand those people and see where they’re coming from. That’s really the fascinating part of this fellowship program. “When we’re training together and when we’re meeting, we don’t have these sort of country conflicts that we have in our mind. We’re just two people trying to address the same concerns in the world. That’s the beauty of this exchange program,” she added. When Toseef ’s fellowship is up, she says she plans to get a master’s degree in public health and return to Pakistan to pursue work in the sector. And she credits her time on the fellowship with spurring her career path. “I’m even more enthusiastic to get back to Pakistan and get right back into it,” Toseef said. Carlos Jáuregui Portilla, a fellow from Peru, is working in D.C. on the communications team of the nonprofit Social Progress Imperative. He’s spending his days testing social media strategies, writing blog posts and managing the website and email newsletters for the group, which is best known for its Social Progress Index that assesses the social and environmental performance of different countries. Jáuregui Portilla said

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24 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017

•

WASHINGTON, DC

•

”

CHINA

I N T E R NAT I O NA L LEADERSHIP Atlas Corps’s first fellow from Cuba speaks at the White House.

he waited “for two years for this unique opportunity” to gain new tools for his professional career. Like Toseef, Jáuregui Portilla told The Diplomat that the other fellows in the program have been the most memorable part of his experience with Atlas Corps so far. “The best part of this fellowship is to be able to interact with people from around the world,” he said. “There are some fellows from countries that I do not know where they are and I need to look for in a map. I am passionate about intercultural communication and I am thrilled to know about cultures that are new for me.” Beyond the young professionals they meet, Beale noted that it is “common for our fellows to connect with their home governments here, but it’s actually something we would like to happen more than it does. We want embassies to know about this program because we want to be working with other embassies and consulates and governments around the world.”

Photo: Atlas Corps

As the organization moves into its second decade, Beale said Atlas Corps’s global focus on leadership development in the nonprofit sector simply makes sense. “No matter where you go, big cities and small towns, wealthy countries and more developing countries, you meet these smart, passionate people. But opportunity is not universally distributed in this world,” he said. One of the “beautiful things” about Atlas Corps is “that this is not a way for the U.S. to teach people how to do things,” Beale said. “That’s not the point of this program. The point of Atlas Corps is people are there to learn from each other.… We can learn a lot from development leaders abroad as well. We need to be encouraging partnerships and cooperation, and that’s what Atlas Corps does.” WD

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 25

Hotels & Travel a special section of the Washington Diplomat

•

January 2017

Let the Show Begin! D.C. Hotels Gear Up to Welcome Trump with Array of Inaugural Packages by StePhAnie kAnoWitz

Photo: tiMothy lUndin PhotogrAPhy / trUMP internAtionAl hotel WAShington, d.C.

hatever you think of the outcome of the presidential election, we can all agree on one thing: It’s over. Now it’s time to see whether the new administration lives up to its promises. But ﬁrst, we party. Washington may have a reputation for being buttoned-up and stoic, but every four years, the District throws a bash like no other. We’re talking a parade, balls, galas and, of course, Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20.

26 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017

A statue of benjamin Franklin stands outside the recently opened trump international hotel, which was once home of the old Post oﬃce Pavilion.

Photo: JW Marriott

The JW Marriott, whose presidential suite living room is seen above, is offering a $400,000 inauguration package.

Needless to say, the inaugural is a big deal — made even bigger by the fact that an unfiltered billionaire real estate tycoon/reality TV star who defied everyone’s political expectations (and who happens to own a hotel right down the road from the White House where he’ll take up residence) is assuming office. Officially welcoming the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a huge boon to tourism here. President Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural broke attendance records when more than 1.8 million people came to watch him take the oath of office. By comparison, about 300,000 attended George W. Bush’s first inauguration in 2001. It remains to be seen what kind of numbers Trump will draw. Either way, Washington, D.C., has plenty of hotels to accommodate the influx, and many offer inauguration packages that range from simple commemorative souvenirs to insider access to D.C. sites and restaurants. Several hotels are honoring the incoming 45th president with price tags incorporating that number. We break down some of what’s available in descending price order, though we start with the property everyone’s been talking about.

Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW trumphotels.com/washington-dc/ Trump’s recently opened hotel along Pennsylvania Avenue is not offering any special inaugural packages — nor does it need to. According to Patricia Tang, the sales and marketing director, the hotel is 100 percent sold out. Many of the rooms were sold as five-night minimums and priced at five times the already-pricey normal rates, according to a Nov. 18 article in the Washington Post. That’s not surprising given the namesake that now graces the Old Post Office Pavilion, though it marks a dramatic change of fortune for the plush 263room hotel, which debuted in September to mixed reviews. Trump’s $200 million renovation meticulously preserved the building’s historic charm, which had fallen into disrepair, while adding five-star touches, including the billionaire’s penchant for flashy gold and marble accents. The hotel boasts the city’s largest luxury ballroom, a signature spa by Ivanka Trump

and chef David Burke’s BLT Prime restaurant. But shortly after Trump International’s soft opening, many questioned the astronomical room rates (a standard room went for over $800). Prices were slashed after just a few weeks and bookings were down. Experts predicted the hotel might have problems attracting large convention business, with organizations wary of associating their brand with such a controversial candidate. Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric against Mexicans and immigrants on the campaign trail led one prominent chef, José Andrés, to pull his restaurant out of the project. The prospect of a Hillary Clinton presidency also made the hotel kryptonite to many politicos and diplomats. But in Washington, power talks — and Trump’s surprising presidential victory has made his hotel the place to be. The Post’s Jonathan O’Connell and Mary Jordan wrote that, “About 100 foreign diplomats, from Brazil to Turkey, gathered at the Trump International Hotel [in November] to sip Trump-branded champagne, dine on sliders and hear a sales pitch about the U.S. presidentelect’s newest hotel.” Diplomats told the reporters that foreign delegations and national day receptions are sure to migrate to the hotel as “an easy, friendly gesture to the new president.” That has led to criticism that diplomats will use Trump’s varied business interests to curry favor with the new administration. Some have privately expressed concerns about spending money at competing properties, for fear of angering the thin-skinned real estate mogul. Despite the debate over Trump’s conflicts of interests, the hotel is poised to profit from his presidency. But that doesn’t mean other area hotels won’t be capitalizing on the biggest presidential party in town.

JW Marriott Washington, DC 1331 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

202.234.3200 sales@carlylehoteldc.com

202.337.9700 sales@gloverparkhotel.com

YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME, RIGHT OFF EMBASSY ROW Two Kimpton Hotels featuring restaurants by James Beard award winning Chef Michael Schlow, redesigned guest rooms, and meeting space.

jwmarriottdc.com Situated along the parade route, this 777-room hotel is offering the “JW Marriott Presidential Ovation” package. See inauguration • page 28

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 27

___________________________________________________________________

Inauguration ContinUed • PAge 27

For $2.5 million, guests can create their own four- or five-night inauguration fête for 300 of their colleagues, family members or friends. This includes access to the hotel’s four presidential suites; 325 guest rooms; a $400,000 food and beverage minimum; a craft bourbon barrel tasting reception; customized inauguration menus specially prepared by executive chef Adam Salyer; and a private viewing party on the hotel’s 12th-floor, 7,300-square-foot terrace overlooking the inaugural parade route.

COMFORT MEETS STYLE

Photo: brAnklinkdC

the W’s inauguration package includes three nights in its e-Wow Suite.

W Washington D.c.

Photo: WillArd interContinentAl WAShington

the Willard is offering a $450,000 “Stay like a President” inaugural package.

Charles Dickens and Mark Twain have put pen to paper here. Additionally, Martin Luther King Jr. finished his “I Have a Dream” speech at the hotel. In celebration of its storied past, the Willard is offering the “Stay Like a President” package for $450,000 that includes roundtrip transportation for two from anywhere in the continental United States to Washington Dulles Airport on a private jet; private on-call limo service; a four-night stay from Jan. 17 to 21 in a presidential suite overlooking the parade route between the U.S. Capitol and White House; lunch at Café du Parc with journalist Larry King, who has interviewed every president since Ronald Reagan; a five-course in-suite dinner for eight by executive chef Peter Laufer; daily in-suite breakfast for two; and special access to behind-the-scenes tours of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center led by William F. Readdy, a former Navy test pilot and three-time NASA astronaut who commanded the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

515 15th St., nW wwashingtondc.com The closest hotel to the White House, the W has a $500,000 inaugural package that includes roundtrip airfare from anywhere in the continental United States to Reagan National Airport, three nights in the 1,176-square-foot E-Wow Suite, a curated chef ’s tasting at Pinea restaurant, a private historian-led tour of inaugural-based locations and spa treatments at Bliss. Additionally, the hotel will host a private inaugural ball on its POV rooftop, including a sit-down dinner and drinks for 250 guests.

EMBASSY SUITES CHEVY CHASE PAVILLION The recently renovated contemporary, yet elegant, all two-room suite Hotel is consistently ranked among TripAdvisor’s top 10 Washington DC Hotels. Located in Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights, the heart of the city’s premier shopping district, with a variety of highly rated restaurants nearby and the red line metro stop located right inside the Pavilion. You can enjoy all the perks of the city and a few others: • Complimentary cooked to order breakfast buffet daily

• Willie’s Bar and Atrio Cafe

• Complimentary evening reception with drinks and light fare

• Groups and Meetings Welcomed

the Willard intercontinental Washington D.c. 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., nW washington.intercontinental.com A stay at the nearly 200-year-old hotel is a walk through history. It has hosted every sitting president since John Tyler in the early 1840s, and authors Walt Whitman,

Photo: MAndArin orientAl

the Mandarin oriental’s presidential suite living room.

Mandarin oriental Washington Dc 1330 Maryland Ave., SW mandarinoriental.com/Washington A minimum four-night stay starts at $275,000 and includes accommodations in the 3,512-square-foot presidential suite, 45 rooms for your guests, a private cocktail reception on Jan. 19, a private breakfast on Inauguration Day and a toast before that night’s galas.

• Pavilion Health & Fitness

Photo: AbACAPreSS / bob CoSCArelli / SoFitel

A fireplace graces the presidential suite of the Sofitel Washington dC hotel.

28 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017

Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square 806 15th St., NW accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-3293sofitel-washington-dc-lafayette-square/ index.shtml Guests who want to pamper themselves should consider the Sofitel’s “Fit for a President” package, which costs $201,700 for four nights and includes his and hers Cartier watches from local jeweler Tiny Jewel Box; a pair of gifts from Hermès; a personal makeup and hair stylist; in-room massage; French butler service; a French champagne and caviar cocktail party for up to 20 guests; a meal and wine for two at iCi Urban Bistro; and VIP access to French high-end stores at CityCenterDC such as Dior, Louis Vuitton and Hermès. King rooms are also available during the inauguration starting at $995 per night between Jan. 17 to 21 with a fournight minimum.

The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown 3100 South St., NW ritzcarlton.com/georgetown The $175,000, self-described “over-the-top” inauguration package covers four nights in a luxury suite and two deluxe rooms; six roundtrip, first-class tickets from anywhere in the United States; a $20,000 shopping spree to prepare for inaugural balls; the ability to host your own event for up to 50 guests that includes a cocktail reception and five-course meal with drinks, live entertainment and a photographer; an eight-course tasting menu in-suite for up to eight people;

a private five-course tasting dinner for six to eight guests by renowned chef Fabio Trabocchi; and two VIP tickets to the Newseum’s sold-out 2017 Presidential Inauguration Celebration Experience. That celebration will happen from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 20 and includes a complimentary breakfast and lunch with drinks by Wolfgang Puck Catering, programming with journalists and museum staff, music, activities and a front-row seat to the parade route. The hotel will donate 5 percent of the package to the Georgetown Ministry Center, which offers services to homeless men and women. This is available for four nights starting Jan. 17.

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The $150,000 “Discover the District in Luxury” package at the Ritz-Carlton includes a 3-carat round blue Ceylon sapphire necklace.

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The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C. 1150 22nd St., NW ritzcarlton.com/washingtondc The $150,000 “Discover the District in Luxury” package at the Ritz-Carlton puts extra sparkle in the celebration with a 3-carat round blue Ceylon sapphire necklace in a See inauguration • page 30

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 29

Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel

Inauguration

999 9th St., NW

Continued • page 29

marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasrb-renaissance-washington-dc-downtown-hotel/

handmade platinum-and-diamond micropavé frame designed by locally based Shah & Shah Distinctive Jewelers in honor of the 45th president (the traditional 45th anniversary gift is a sapphire). Other package perks include a private dinner at chef Eric Ziebold’s Métier for six or eight guests; a private cocktail reception at Guarisco Art Gallery for up to eight guests; two VIP access tickets to the Newseum Inauguration Day event; a designer tuxedo and gown with a personalized hair and makeup session; and a private customized tour of D.C. with behind-the-scenes access to some sites. The package covers four nights starting Jan. 17.

The $60,000 “Renaissance Posh Presidential” package buys you the chance to host an inauguration party with a deejay for 50 guests in the hotel lobby. The next day, get two spa treatments at the hotel’s Aura Spa. The package also includes transportation to the hotel from the airport and a four-night stay in the presidential suite with a fully stocked premium bar and late-night snacks.

The Mayflower Hotel

The St. Regis Washington, D.C. 923 16th St., NW

1127 Connecticut Ave., NW

stregiswashingtondc.com The opulent property is offering a “taste of presidential privilege” for $85,000 that includes four nights in the newly renovated presidential suite; butler service; personalized White House stationary; dinner for four with a custom menu; a private class on how to saber a champagne bottle along with a bottle of Dom Perignon; afternoon tea for four; and airport transportation in a Mercedes S550.

themayflowerhotel.com

Photo: Renaissance Washington

The Renaissance Washington is offering a $60,000 “Renaissance Posh Presidential” package.

At this 581-room hotel, the “Inauguration Celebration” package will set you back $45,000, but the hotel will donate the full amount to Children’s National Health System, which has been serving the area’s children since 1870. Available from Jan. 18 to 22, the package includes a four-night stay in the newly renovated presidential suite and two tickets to the inauguration. The hotel’s other luxury suite is also available that weekend for $15,000 per night with a two-night minimum.

Photo: St. Regis

The St. Regis’s $85,000 inaugural package features four nights in the newly renovated presidential suite.

Four Seasons Hotel Washington DC

Park Hyatt Washington 1201 24th St., NW

2800 Pennsylvania Ave., NW fourseasons.com/washington

parkhyattwashington.com

The only five-star, five-diamond hotel in the city will pull out all the stops to The “New American Claswelcome POTUS 45. The Royal Suite is sic” package ($45,000) inavailable for four nights during the inaucludes a four-night stay in the guration for $80,000. The 4,000-square2,006-square-foot presidenfoot space is enclosed with bullet-proof tial suite; a VIP tour of Mount Photo: Four Seasons glass and can be enlarged to more than Vernon, the home of Amer5,200 square feet or almost 9,000, deica’s first president, George The Four Seasons Royal Suite pending on your needs. During inauis available during the Washington; and a chef ’s table guration week, Royal Suite guests will inauguration for $80,000. dinner for 12 at the Michelinreceive a Presidential Stationery Book starred Blue Duck Tavern. The Box and a limited-edition print in a handmade leather folio from tour includes access to areas of Book Arts, a local bookbinder that counts President Obama and Mount Vernon typically offthe pope among its clients. Both items are made of Florentine calflimits to guests. The package Photo: Park Hyatt skin and feature 23-karat gold and hand-tooled motifs that are inalso includes souvenirs such The $45,000 “New American Classic” package at the Park Hyatt includes a spired by previous White House and heads of state gifts. as a wool flag blanket, a copy four-night stay in the 2,006-square-foot presidential suite. Other rooms require a four-night stay between Jan. 18 and 23 of “Dining with the Washingand cost $1,475 to $20,000. Each guest will get a commemorative tons” recipe book and a limited-edition bottle of George Washington’s Straight Rye room key card featuring Trump’s image and complimentary inauguration-themed Whiskey, made according to the former president’s recipe. gifts every night. Additionally, a pop-up Jimmy Choo shoe shop, free Giorgio Armani makeup appointments and men’s and women’s accessories will be provided by Saks Fifth Avenue. Check out the hotel’s “Art of Inauguration” website for more details. Washington Marriott Wardman Park

2660 Woodley Road, NW

The Jefferson, Washington DC

marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasdt-washington-marriott-wardman-park

1200 16th St., NW jeffersondc.com The upscale 95-room property is pairing its “2017 Jefferson Experience” inauguration package with a yearlong celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s personal hobbies. For $80,000, guests can learn more about the Founding Father who authored the Declaration of Independence with four distinct seasonal experiences throughout the calendar year. The Jan. 18-22 stay includes four nights in the presidential suite, cocktail party for 10 in the Book Room, private dinner for 10 in the Thomas Jefferson suite and four nightly amenities, including a three-angle Smartphone camera lens to capture your inaugural moments and a gift card to Framebridge, a local framer. The spring, summer and fall stays feature highlights such as tasting menu and wine pairing for two at Plume, a spa party and a zip-line adventure at Salamander Resort & Spa.

The hotel honors its history with the $25,000 “Legacy of Hosting” package, including four nights in the Wardman Tower presidential suite. Longtime Wardman Tower resident Perle Mesta made Washington dinner parties into the power events they are known for today. Her guests included Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Gerald Ford. The package includes a champagne reception for 30, personalized invitations for the reception, black car service and a private four-course custom dinner for eight, designed by executive chef Abdellah Aguenaou.

The Watergate Hotel 2650 Virginia Ave., NW thewatergatehotel.com

Marriott Marquis Washington, DC 901 Massachusetts Ave., NW marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasco-marriott-marquis-washington-dc This hotel, which opened in 2014, will turn its presidential suite into a tribute to the White House Rose Garden, decked out from bedroom to dining room with roses, including a living red-and-white rose wall. Priced at $75,000, the package includes a dining preview of chef Mike Isabella’s Arroz, opening at the hotel early this year, and a 24-hour champagne butler.

30 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

Photo: Marriott

The Marriott Marquis’s presidential suite.

The sleek, newly reopened Watergate Hotel is offering an “Unapologetically Presidential Package” starting at $20,000 per night that includes half-day spa treatments, custom monogrammed robes with a special Watergate inaugural logo, two whiskey glasses from Christolfe, a personal photographer, whiskey and cigar turndown service and other goodies.

Kimpton Hotels

the george hotel is offering a five-night $10,000 inauguration package.

kimptonhotels.com The 10 D.C.-area Kimpton locations offer the “Inauguration’s a Ball” package for only $45 more than the regular price in honor of the 45th president, with rates starting at $520 per night. It includes a guest room, inauguration welcome gift, commemorative sunglasses, a welcome bottle of bubbly, dining credit and late checkout on Jan. 21, 22 and 23. Individual hotels also offer their own specials. Here’s what’s available:

the Hay-adams 800 16th St., nW hayadams.com

Directly overlooking the White House and across from St. John’s Church, where the presidentelect traditionally attends a morning worship service prior to being sworn into office at the Capitol, the Hay-Adams offers NOTE: Although every effort is made to assure your ad is freethat of mistakes in spelling and an inaugural package incontent it is ultimately up to the customer make the final proof. cludes a signedto caricature of the incoming president, created exclusively fortothethe hotel by Kevin subsequent changes The first two faxed changes will be made at no cost advertiser, “Kal” Kallaugher, an The new Kimpton Mason will be billed at a rate of $75 per faxed alteration. Signed adseditorial are considered approved. cartoonist for the Economist and & Rook Hotel (1430 Rhode the Baltimore Sun. Other ameIsland Ave., NW; masonanPlease check this ad carefully. changes to your ad. nitiesMark includeany an inaugurationdrookhotel.com) is offering themed treat each night from a Shinola watch butler serIf the ad is correct sign and fax to: (301) 949-0065 needs the hotel’s pastry chef andchanges access vice, allowing guests to borPhoto: kiMPton to an on-site fashion boutique, row timepieces for balls and (301) 933-3552 including a makeup events, and a Jos. A. Magnus & Co. commemorative bourbon delivered The by Washington Diplomat artist. The package Bar Cart Service. The “Presidential Treatment” package ($5,000 per night) starts at $1,199 per also includes accommodations in a Premier Spa Suite, two in-room spa Approved _______________________________________________________ night for a Superior treatments, hair and makeup prep for galas, $100 dining credit and a VIP Room, while the FedChanges ________________________________________________________ nighttime tour of D.C. eral Suite, which of________________________________________________________________ fers panoramic White At Kimpton’s The George HoHouse views, costs tel (15 E St., NW; hotelgeorge. $8,999 per night. WD com), situated on Capitol Hill, the $10,000 presidential suite Stephanie Kanowitz is inauguration package buys a a contributing writer five-night stay between Jan. 18 Photo: the hAy-AdAMS for The Washington and 23, $1,000 dining credit Diplomat. per stay, private car service, the hay-Adams overlooks the White house. on-demand tailoring, a framed copy of Washington’s inaugural address from 1789 and a private tour of Mount Vernon. Photo: kiMPton Kimpton Hotel Monaco kimpton Mason & rook’s “Presidential treatment” Washington DC (700 F St., NW; package includes bar cart service with Jos. A. Magnus monaco-dc.com) has a presi& Co. bourbon. dential suite inauguration package starting at $15,000 that includes accommodations in the newly redesigned 810-square-foot presidential suite, a welcome amenity including a keepsake jewelry box, private dining for four in the hotel’s new restaurant, an evening in-suite reception for four and a post-inauguration outdoor fire pit for eight with hot cocktails and a late-night chef ’s tasting menu.

the ritz-carlton, Pentagon city 1250 South hayes St., Arlington, va. ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/ washington-dc/pentagon-city You don’t have to stay within the District’s borders to partake in the fun. Situated in Arlington, this hotel is a Photo: the ritz-CArlton, PentAgon City stone’s throw from the acthe ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City’s inaugural package includes access tion. Guests who opt for the to the Club lounge. “Presidential Inauguration Celebration” package, which starts at $1,799 per night from Jan. 17 to 23 with a minimum three-night stay, get suite accommodations with Club Lounge access, a GoPro camera, a themed amenity on check-in, two free Metro passes and two VIP passes to the Newseum’s inauguration event.

rosewood Washington, D.c. 1050 31st St., nW rosewoodhotels.com/en/washington-dc This Georgetown hotel on the C&O Canal is offering a five-night package that includes in-room champagne and nightly gifts curated through partnerships with Smythson of Bond Street, Bespoke & Co. and Keith Lipert Gallery, as well as SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier. Saks Fifth Avenue will have a pop-up boutique with gowns and menswear, too. The cost per night is $1,395.

Give the Gift of Time … with a friend, loved one or yourself alone.

Romantic Getaways, Spa Retreats, Weddings & Celebrations

Historic Elk ForgE inn & spa

elkfoRGe.Com

S 410-392-9007

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017 | 31

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WD | Hotels & Travel | Hotels Guide

The Washington Diplomat

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HOTEL GUIDE

Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square 806 15th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 www.sofitelwashingtondc.com 202.730.8800 • 202.730.8500

2 5 0 5 W I S C O N S I N AV E N U E , N W WA S H I N G TO N , D . C . 2 0 0 0 7

• Ideal location steps from several embassies and the Georgetown neighborhood

• 237 rooms and 17 suites

•154 spacious rooms with up to 455 square feet, some with stunning views of the National Mall

• Five meeting rooms; ballroom with private entry

• Brand new 1,860 square foot ballroom with natural light

• SoFit state-of-the-art fitness center

• Casolare, a full-service restaurant led by acclaimed Chef Michael Schlow

• Two blocks from the White House

2100 Massachusetts avenue, nW Washington, Dc 20008 WWW.fairfaxWashingtonDc.coM

Toll Free Phone: 855-559-8899 Main nuMber: 202-293-2100

• iCi Urban Bistro and Le Bar • Clefs d’Or Concierge

Contact:

• State-of-the-art fitness center, Urban Athletic Club by Graham King

Catering and Sales Department 202.730.8443

CONTACT

SA L E S @ G LOV E R PA R K H OT E L . C O M 2 0 2 . 6 2 5 . 5 410

Promote your conference rooms, spa, ballrooms, catering services,

Your Hotel Here

123 Conceirge way Washington, DC 20006 www.yourhotel.com 888.123.4567 • 202.234.6789

PLE

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restaurant, guest rooms or all of the above

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32 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Eye of the Beholder A new contemporary photography exhibition at the National Gallery of Art’s recently reopened East Building revels in the variety of the medium, constantly pushing viewers to see that whatever they think photography is — it’s more than meets the eye. / PAGE 35

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photography

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January 2017

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HISTORY

ILLUMINATING

ISLAM “The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts” at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery marks the first major exhibition in the United States of Islam’s holy text — and the exceptional show cannot be missed. / PAGE 34

ART

Money Talks In “The Great Swindle: Works by Santiago Montoya,” the Colombian artist transforms paper currency into an artistic canvas to probe our complicated, fraught relationship with the financial systems that define our lives and keep our countries running. / PAGE 36

THEATER

Aftermath of ‘Roe’ Arena Stage wades into the reignited culture wars over women’s bodies with “Roe,” a world premiere that focuses on the two women at the heart of the infamous case and the divergent paths their lives took, which in some ways mirror the larger national divide over abortion. / PAGE 37 PHOTO: MUSEUM OF TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS, ISTANBUL

DINING

EVENTS

DIPLOMATIC SPOTLIGHT

A reliable staple and suburban standout find their niche in a fickle landscape. / PAGE 38

Art / Discussions Music / Theater / PAGE 40

March of Dimes / Italian Food Norwegian Christmas / PAGE 43 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANUARY 2017 | 33

WD | Culture | History

Can’t -Miss Qur’ans Sackler Hosts First Major U.S. Exhibition of Islam’s Holy Text •

The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts THROUGH FEB. 20 ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY 1050 INDEPENDENCE AVE., SW

(202) 633-1000 | WWW.ASIA.SI.EDU

“T

he Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts” marks the first major exhibition in the United States of Islam’s holy text — and the exceptional show cannot be missed. The exhibition at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery stretches over two floors and features more than 60 Qur’ans (Korans), many of which have never been shown outside of Turkey. The darkened rooms, with only the texts and descriptions lit, invite visitors to have a meditative experience as they study the splendidly decorated manuscripts, which span 1,000 years of history. The dimly lit environment is more than fitting, given how transfixing the exquisite scripts, repeated geometric patterns and bursts of gold in many of the works are. Because artistic depictions are discouraged in Islamic art, the show highlights the way calligraphy, ink, color and gold on paper can invoke both artistic beauty and religious power. The exhibition is mainly composed of works from the museum in Istanbul along with a few Qur’ans from the Sackler’s own collection, curator Massumeh Farhad told The Washington Diplomat. “We ended up borrowing 48 of their best Qur’ans, which is really unprecedented,” Farhad said. “It’s the first time so many of their works are seen outside of Istanbul, and they really are among the finest in the world. We are extremely lucky to have them here on view, and that’s one of the reasons why this exhibition is exceptional.” The Sackler supplemented the pieces from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts with some of its own works, “so we use the opportunity to highlight some of the treasures we have here at the Freer | Sackler,” she added. To top it all off, this show is not only the first major exhibition of Qur’ans in the U.S., but the last significant one on the topic in the West since a 1976 exhibit at the British Museum in London, Farhad pointed out. “It’s also important in that respect,” she noted. The dozens of holy texts on display at the Sackler Gallery represent “manuscript production throughout the Islamic world from Afghanistan in the east to, of course, Turkey and the Mediterranean in the West,” Farhad explained. And in terms of time period, the exhibition takes on a large swath of history, with Qur’ans on display dating from late 7th- or early 8th-century Damascus to 17th-century Istanbul. Originally created for powerful rulers of the Islamic world, the manuscripts were highly sought after by the Ottoman elite, including sultans, queens, pashas

BY MACKENZIE WEINGER

and viziers who viewed them as cherished possessions, according to the Sackler Gallery. “They were offered as gifts to cement political and military relationships or recognize special acts, and they were also given to public and religious institutions to express personal piety and secure political power and prestige,” a museum press release states. “Each one in some way is a highlight,” Farhad told us. “We really focused on the finest of the finest and the works that can tell a story.” The exhibition’s wide array of Qur’ans — some monumental in scope, others with delicate calligraphy decorated in brilliant gold — are wonderful to see in person, with beautiful details that reveal themselves on closer study. “And you have some Qur’an folios that are the size of an iPhone — the range is really staggering,” Farhad noted. The large-scale Qur’ans are obvious stunners, with a particularly breathtaking moment in store for visitors as they walk downstairs halfway through the show and find themselves staring down a five-foot-by-seven-foot copy. The illuminated manuscripts, though, are the biggest treat, with gold script dancing across the pages, intercutting with remarkably intricate geometric medallions. Another memorable copy to look out for features paper from China, sprinkled with gold flecks from Iran. The exhibition is a book lover’s dream, reveling in the different sizes, formats, styles and illuminations on offer. There is a section dedicated to how the Qur’an is produced, so visitors can see sample tools, ink and gold that calligraphers would have used to copy the holy text. Visitors can even try their hand at coloring themselves by taking part in the “create challenge” midway through the show. Beyond the practical elements involved in creating the works, the exhibition also delves into the religious aspects. Visitors can read up on Islam and the Qur’an itself in informative captions and wall labels that encourage a nuanced understanding of the religion and sacred text. The show has been carefully devised and displayed, from the dim light, to the low sound of recitations in some rooms, to the beautiful deep purple and midnight blue of the walls, to the thoughtfully discussed religious elements. All of this attention to detail invites viewers to stay and linger over the pieces, soaking in the meticulous splendor and splashes of gold of these visually exquisite, historically significant works. WD Mackenzie Weinger (@mweinger) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

“The Art of the Qur’an” features more than 60 of the most important Qur’an manuscripts ever produced from the Arab world, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan, spanning nearly 1,000 years of history. PHOTOS: MUSEUM OF TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS, ISTANBUL

34 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANUARY 2017

Photography | Culture | WD

Picture of Change ‘Photography Reinvented’ Captures Evolving Medium •

BY MACKENZIE WEINGER

“Photography Reinvented” showcases the pledged gift of 34 contemporary photographs to the National Gallery of Art, including, from clockwise top: Candida Höfer’s “George Peabody Library Baltimore”; Thomas Ruff ’s “Portrait (T. Ruff )”; Thomas Demand’s “Clearing”; and Thomas Struth’s “Alte Pinakothek, Self-Portrait, Munich.”

Photography Reinvented: The Collection of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker THROUGH MARCH 5 NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART THE NATIONAL MALL BETWEEN 3RD AND 9TH STREETS AT CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NW

(202) 737-4215 | WWW.NGA.GOV.

new contemporary photography exhibition at the National Gallery of Art’s recently reopened East Building revels in the variety of the medium, constantly pushing viewers to see that whatever they think photography is — it’s more than meets the eye. “Photography Reinvented: The Collection of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker” stemmed from the collectors’ pledged gift of 34 photographs to the gallery, curator Sarah Greenough told The Washington Diplomat. What has emerged is a striking exhibition of contemporary photography with dozens of notable works that play with, challenge, dismantle and rebuild the art form. “We knew … that it was such an important acquisition for us, that it expanded our photography collection in such exciting ways that we wanted to celebrate their donation with an exhibition,” she said. “It’s a great group of both American and European photographers, and it’s particularly strong with the Düsseldorf School of photographers.” The recent acquisition of monumental images from Meyerhoff and Becker is particularly notable for the gallery “because it does so greatly expand our holdings of contemporary photography,” according to Greenough, senior curator and head of the National Gallery’s department of photographs. “And more than that, it gave a really nice survey of contemporary and recent trends in photography,” she added. With the reopening of the newly renovated East Building, the gallery decided “that the most logical and wonderful time to have the exhibition was when the building reopened to have it as part of the grand celebration,” Greenough said. The collection focuses on innovative work that challenges accepted conventions of the nature of photography, in scale, subject matter and method of creation, according to the gallery. Key works from photographers such as Cindy Sherman, Thomas Demand, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Jeff Wall, Thomas Struth and Candida Höfer hang in monumental scale on the walls. The immense size of the photographs makes the exhibition a must-see to visit in person. “That scale, I think, forces viewers to think about these photographs in different ways. For so many years, photographs were something we could hold in our hands that we easily saw reproduced in books,” Greenough pointed out. “These pictures were clearly designed to be seen on a museum wall and it’s a very different relationship they establish with their viewers. These are not intimate pictures you hold in your hand — you need to stand back and encounter them in these wonderful galleries.” Take Demand’s “Clearing,” for instance. There is only one other print of this incredible piece in the United States, Greenough said, and on first glance it seems merely like a photograph of light coming through a forest canopy.

PHOTO: © CANDIDA HÖFER/VG BILD-KUNST, BONN

PHOTO: COLLECTION OF ROBERT E. MEYERHOFF AND RHEDA BECKER

PHOTO: © THOMAS DEMAND, VG BILD-KUNST, BONN / ARS, NEW YORK

But then you get up close and see something is slightly off — that the entire image is fabricated and made out of 270,000 pieces of paper cut to replicate another photograph of that same forest image and then printed six feet by 16 feet to reproduce the actual size of the forest scene. “It’s this wonderful inverse of what you expect to be seeing and really points out the artificiality of the entire scene,” she said. Anselm Kiefer’s “Vanitas” starts the show off with a bang, highlighting that very theme of experimentation that runs through all the works on display. The mixed media piece, PHOTO: © THOMAS STRUTH built off a photograph but featuring leaves, branches and paint, challenges notions of traditional photography, history and beauty. A jarring but stunning piece, it immediately suggests the variety that can be found in just one medium. Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II hang alongside images of Düsseldorf art students. Geometry and architectural studies also dominate the collection, as do glimpses inside museums around the world. Images by Cindy Sherman and Marina Abramović highlight the possibilities that come from using a medium that people often implicitly, and wrongly, trust to showcase reality. Sugimoto’s works zero in on simple lines and the play of light. Prints from Struth and Höfer, meanwhile, directly engage with how art functions and how museumgoers experience that art — a very fitting issue for the newly reopened wing at the National Gallery. Each piece on display aims to challenge viewers’ perceptions of reality and of photography itself. The monumental works play on the notions of artifice and documentary, constantly reminding viewers that photography is an ever-evolving medium. WD Mackenzie Weinger (@mweinger) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANUARY 2017 | 35

WD | Culture | Art

Universal Currency ‘The Great Swindle’ Looks at Our Fraught Relationship with Money •

BY KATE OCZYPOK AND ANNA GAWEL

The Great Swindle: Works by Santiago Montoya THROUGH MARCH 26 ART MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAS 201 18TH ST., NW

(202) 370-0147 | WWW. MUSEUM.OAS.ORG

n exhibit at the Art Museum of the Americas explores a relationship that many find too taboo or intimate to speak about in polite conversation: money. In “The Great Swindle: Works by Santiago Montoya,” the Colombian artist transforms paper currency into an artistic canvas to probe our complicated, fraught relationships with the financial systems that define our lives and keep our countries running. “Money is a universal language, and it is an abstraction of many things of our daily life — financial transactions, expectations and dreams and politics,” said Montoya. “I have never found money [to be taboo], but it certainly is for most people. Money and religion have a very strong historical connection, so it isn’t a surprise that people perceive both to be under the same ‘divine’ light.” The seemingly Godlike power money wields certainly makes the world go round, whether in the U.S., China, Argentina or Zimbabwe. Montoya’s works examine the singular yet universal aspirations of different nations to accumulate wealth and prosperity, while laying bare the shaky foundations on which this prosperity is often built. Money, after all, can be both a blessing and a curse, worshipped by many but also demonized when it’s mismanaged and destroys livelihoods — a painful lesson most people and governments have been forced to learn at one time or another. But “The Great Swindle” is not just about the perils of money. The project, which Montoya has been working on for the last 10 years, first attracted notice when it debuted at London’s Halcyon Gallery. It weaves together a mesmerizing tapestry of banknotes — from Indian rupees to North Korean won to American dollars — in a playful yet provocative commentary on the meaning of money. Montoya manipulates the physical material of paper notes and uses repetitive patterns to offer a snapshot of a nation’s history and ambitions. For example, he reveals how governments use iconography and idealism to infuse their currencies with political propaganda, from model planes and boats inspired by communist China’s food coupons of the 1950s and 1960s to portraits of fallen dictators. While the banknotes are specific to individual governments, they also evoke the interdependent ties that undergird a global economy, binding countries together while also fueling competition between them. On the one hand, similar symbols crop up among the different banknotes (stars,

36 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANUARY 2017

PHOTOS: OAS ART MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAS

Colombian artist Santiago Montoya manipulates paper currency in works such as “Latitude III,” above, and “I am the people,” left, in a playful yet provocative commentary on the meaning of money.

for example, are a common theme, as are national heroes); on the other hand, Montoya hints at the East-West rivalry for global financial dominance. Curated by José Luis Falconi, the display is part of a temporary exhibits program that showcases modern artists belonging to the member countries of the Organization of American States. The Art Museum of the Americas has accepted Montoya’s “One Man Many People” into its permanent collection. The piece, which consists PHOTO: LUKE UNSWORTH of paper money on stainless steel, explores themes such as democracy, political violence and human rights. Montoya, who incorporates traditional painting, found objects and video documentary into his work, said he knew he wanted to be an artist from a young age. “There wasn’t much to be decided really. Art to me offered the possibility to seek freedom,” he told us. Now, he wants to pass that sense of freedom to his audience — without dictating how they should feel about his work. “Fundamentally, questions of value in art and life in general became a personal concern,” Montoya said, noting that his work “is not an abstraction of a sermon.” “I don’t do art to tell others what I think about one thing or the other. Of course there is always comment, but I like my work to lay out a starting point for a dialogue between the viewer and the work.” In the end, to Montoya, the true meaning of the piece is realized within the viewer, not the other way around. As far as what’s next, Montoya said he is experimenting with the idea of letting people play with money. WD Kate Oczypok (@OczyKate) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. Anna Gawel is the managing editor.

Theater | Culture | WD

The Abortion Divide ‘Roe’ Sheds Light on Two Women at Heart of Landmark Case •

BY LISA TROSHINSKY

Roe JAN. 12 TO FEB. 19 ARENA STAGE 1101 6TH ST., SW TICKETS ARE $40 TO $90.

(202) 554-9066 | WWW.ARENASTAGE.ORG

oe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion and revolutionized feminism in the early 1970s, is again at the forefront of America’s political consciousness — and is as divisive as it was over 40 years ago. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court who could possibly overturn the landmark ruling, though, as with many of his campaign pronouncements, the only consistency in his position is that there is no consistency. Trump vaguely told CBS’s Lesley Stahl that if abortion were outlawed, the issue would go back to the states. That is little comfort to pro-choice advocates who worry that the Republican billionaire’s presidential victory will erode women’s rights. But it is welcome news to pro-lifers who’ve spent decades fighting to reverse Roe v. Wade. Arena Stage is wading into the reignited culture wars over women’s bodies with “Roe,” a world premiere that focuses on the two women at the heart of the infamous case and the divergent paths their lives took, which in many ways mirror the larger national divide over abortion. Bill Rauch, director of the newly commissioned play, is well aware that the contentious issue is making headlines again. Rauch is the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which commissioned 37 new American plays to examine significant moments in U.S. history. He tapped playwright Lisa Loomer, who has written about issues such as how women alter their bodies in the quest for beauty, to pen “Roe,” which opens at Arena Stage in January. “With the recent presidential election, and with Trump clearly being anti-choice and talking about defunding Planned Parenthood, the timing of doing this play couldn’t be better,” Rauch told The Washington Diplomat, noting that the play opens days before Trump’s inauguration. “The atmosphere in the nation’s capital will be intense.” Audiences may assume that in a decidedly left-leaning town like D.C., “Roe” might tilt toward the pro-choice side, but Rauch says the play refrains from taking sides. “What struck people in Ashland [Oregon], when they saw the premiere of ‘Roe,’ is the respect that the writer, Loomer, has for the humanity of all the play’s characters,” Rauch said. “You might think that ‘Roe’ would be a lecture or diatribe — a partisan piece. But what I love about Lisa’s writing is that she’s very interested in taking a polarized issue and humanizing people on both sides of the issue. Whatever your point of view, it will be expressed in ‘Roe.’” The play traces the lives of the two women central to the story: Sarah Weddington, a strait-laced, brilliant lawyer who doggedly challenged Texas’s abortion ban at the age of 26; and Norma McCorvey, a poor, wildtempered 21-year-old girl with a troubled upbringing who was seeking to end her third pregnancy. An unlikely and reluctant poster child, McCorvey was recruited to be the plaintiff in the case, going by the pseudonym “Jane

PHOTOS: JENNY GRAHAM, OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

Sara Bruner (as Norma McCorvey), above left, is looking to end an unwanted pregnancy while Sarah Jane Agnew (as Sarah Weddington) is looking to strike down America’s abortion laws in “Roe,” which showcases the two women at the heart of the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

Roe.” The court case dragged on and McCorvey ultimately had the baby, giving it up for adoption. In 1980, she revealed her identity as Roe, came out as a lesbian and staunchly advocated for abortion rights. Years later, McCorvey did a dramatic about-face. She became a born-again Christian, joined the pro-life movement, renounced her lesbianism, criticized Weddington for using her as a pawn and was herself criticized as an opportunistic charlatan. Meanwhile, Weddington went on to become a member of the Texas House of Representatives, a professor and a prominent speaker who continued to push for abortion rights. Both women built lives and careers around an issue that defined them in starkly different ways. Weddington waged a national campaign to give American women freedom over their bodies. For McCorvey, it was a personal battle that haunted her for years to come. “The play exposes these two different women from their lives in 1969 to the present day,” Rauch said. “I’ve been amazed of how few people know the details of this story, how the case was argued and what happened after the case was argued. I’m also struck by the fact that the play is surprisingly entertaining. Lisa has a wonderful comic ear, a lot of humor and lightness of touch. Since it traverses over 45 years, there’s plenty of room for vibrant storytelling.” The two main actors, Sarah Jane Agnew, who plays Weddington, and Sara Bruner, who plays McCorvey, “are both fierce, funny and moving powerhouses,” Rauch said. “We also have a strong design team. The set and costuming work form metaphors. The set literally divides in two at one point, which characterizes the increasingly polarizing issue of abortion.” Also, characters have literal and figurative on-stage metamorphoses. “They’ll change costumes on stage and become other characters. The play is all about the opportunities and limitations of transformation,” he said. Rauch said that even though Roe v. Wade is unique to the United SEE ROE • PAGE 42 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANUARY 2017 | 37

WD | Culture | Dining

Standbys and Suburbs Reliably Solid Firefly and Grilled Oyster Company Stand Out in Buzzy Crowd •

BY MICHAEL COLEMAN

ashington’s restaurant scene has evolved so dramatically over the past decade that it’s a bit surprising when an old standby manages to grab our attention all over again. But that’s exactly what happened on a recent visit to Firefly, the intimate Dupont Circle bistro located just a stone’s throw from Embassy Row, adjacent to the Hotel Madera. Firefly first opened to buzzy fanfare in 2002 and quickly earned a reputation for inventive, upscale American food served in a cozy, glittering space. The restaurant settled in nicely over the years and has remained a solid — if not necessarily essential — choice in the Dupont neighborhood for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now, with the arrival of talented young executive chef Jammir Gray, Firefly is again proving its place among the best dining spots in Northwest Washington. Gray honed her skills at top-shelf restaurants in California and Chicago before arriving at Washington’s Firefly six months ago, and she brings a thoughtful but unfussy approach to the new menu. The restaurant has retained its signature aesthetic of raw and lightly polished wood combined with sultry lighting, making it an ideal spot for a date or an evening out with close friends or colleagues. We arrived feeling hungry on a chilly fall evening and immediately dove into a tasty array of deviled eggs, whose creamy filling was topped with an intriguing sweet pepper-bacon relish. The bacon gave the morsels a slightly salty crunch that contrasted nicely with the sweet pepper relish. A couple of bowls of soup arrived soon after and helped extinguish a lingering chill from the wet, frigid evening. It’s hard to say which soup was better — the posole stew or a broccoli cheese made with smoked Havarti. Traditional posole is a New Mexico mainstay featuring hominy and pork, typically simmered for hours in a puree of garlic and roasted red chiles indigenous to the state. I was dubious when I learned that Gray’s version contains none of the smoky-rich red chile. But soon, I was pleasantly surprised. Her version — featuring tender cuts of pork shoulder, red cabbage, cilantro and crispy tortilla chips — FIREFLY had an immediate savory taste that brought to mind Texas, 1310 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE., NW not New Mexico. That was probably the result of the cumin, (202) 861-1310 typically added to a pot of Texas chili (not to be confused WWW.FIREFLY-DC.COM with actual red or green New Mexico chiles). In any case, the soup was delicious. In addition to the satisfyingly and savory pork, Gray’s kitchen also nailed the hominy, which if not prepared correctly can be irredeemably chewy. Hers was tender and flavorful, as was the entire dish. The Firefly kitchen also takes a novel approach to its broccoli cheese soup. In many versions, the green vegetable is an afterthought in a steaming bowl of melted cheddar cheese and cream or milk. Firefly puts the broccoli front and center with small pieces of chopped — not completely pureed — broccoli. The effect was texturally pleasing and gave the dish a broccoli-forward consistency that almost made it seem healthy. Alas, the decadent bite of smoky Havarti cheese ruined the illusion, but this dish was worth every calorie. My only regret was that the bowl wasn’t bigger. I had a hunch that our order of chicken-fried oysters might be superfluous, and it was. The breading nearly overwhelmed the texture of the tender oysters inside and the “po’ boy sauce” (a routine remoulade) didn’t add much flavor. Not a total misfire, but forgettable nonetheless. For entrées, we opted for yet another hearty comfort food: a steaming bowl 38 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANUARY 2017

PHOTO: KIMPTON HOTELS

Seared sea scallops are among the favorites at Firefly, which opened in 2002.

of lamb cavatelli, as well as the lighter sea scallops. The scallops, perfectly seared with a crusty golden exterior and a tender middle, were modest in size with a delicate flavor to match. A drizzle of blood orange reduction added a splash of sweet and sour pizazz, while a side of butternut squash puree made for an appealing seasonal side. Cavatelli — made from eggless semolina dough — is a thick and chewy pasta that holds up nicely to robust sauces. This version included PHOTO: SCOTT SUCHMAN a sofrito sauce of tomatoes, garlic, oil and onions mixed with pieces of ground lamb. This was a simple but robust dish that hit the spot. Overall, dining at Firefly again after several years away felt like being reacquainted with an old friend. We look forward to next time.

THE GRILLED OYSTER COMPANY

THE GRILLED OYSTER The trendy new restaurants in the District COMPANY of Columbia seem to generate the most buzz these days, but anyone who has lived and 7943 TUCKERMAN LANE, POTOMAC, MD. dined in the Washington region for any time (301) 299-9888 knows that it’s not hard to find high-quality WWW.THEGRILLEDOYSTERCOMPANY.COM dining in the suburbs. Our latest foray outside D.C. took us to the Grilled Oyster Company in Potomac, Md. Launched a few years ago in the Cabin John Shopping Center by the husbandand-wife team of Valerie and Rick Dugan, the Grilled Oyster Company offers fresh seafood in a modern, 130-seat dining room. The Grilled Oyster Company also has a location in Northwest D.C.’s Cathedral Commons neighborhood. The Potomac location, under the leadership of executive chef Steve Mason, was voted Best New Restaurant by Bethesda Magazine in 2014. We were pleased to find that it isn’t resting on its laurels. While the Potomac location is in a strip mall, the less-than-glamorous setting is forgotten upon entering the restaurant. A spacious room, punctuated by white tablecloths and bright, modern art with seafaring themes, projects a refined but casual vibe that feels more Chesapeake Bay than commuter suburb. The menu is an expansive delight and offers something for just about anyone who loves seafood — and even a few things for those who don’t. The place has

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Dining | Culture | WD

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plenty of dips, salads and other starters, raw and grilled oysters, steamed mussels and a full complement of entrées. It didn’t take long for us to settle on a starter. The name of the restaurant is the Grilled Oyster Company, after all, so we opted for a combination of four of the mollusks, which are grilled until their shells open and then draped with an assortment of garnishes. We were given four options: “Drunken” with bourbon garlic butter; “Fall Harvest” with roasted turnips, carrots, radishes and quajillo salsa; “Rick’s” with a special barbeque sauce and chilled cucumber relish; and “Farmer’s” with roasted beet, rutabaga, sweet potato and celery cream. And we actually liked them most to least in that exact order. The sweet bourbon garlic butter complemented the warm, briny oyster

perfectly, while the Fall Harvest version was bursting with fresh vegetables. We admired the ambition of the Farmer’s version, but less so the execution. There was just too much going on with this particular grilled oyster, leading to a jumble of indistinguishable flavors. But all of the shellfish were generously apportioned and we recommend starting with at least two or three, as they are also sold a la carte. Heeding the recommendation of our server and some nearby diners, we opted for the Fall Chesapeake Cioppino as an entrée. The seafood soup features grilled shrimp, clams, mussels, rockfish and grilled corn served with homemade cornbread. Another generous dish, the soup’s tomato broth was savory and warm and the assortment of seafood made each bite something of an adventure. This was a smart choice.

The grilled filet mignon with mashed potatoes and a tequila mushroom sauce also hit the spot. The prime cut of meat was well cooked — medium rare — and the tequila mushroom sauce lent an earthy, piquant flavor contrast. Our meal was complemented by friendly service and affordable wine. The Grilled Oyster Company is an altogether pleasant and no-fuss dining experience. Whether you’re in Washington or Potomac, your chances of enjoying a tasty meal in a relaxed and inviting setting are excellent if you decide to visit either the reliable standby of Firefly or the suburb standout of the Grilled Oyster Company. WD PHOTO: TAMZIN B. SMITH / THE GRILLED OYSTER COMPANY

Michael Coleman (@michaelcoleman) is the dining reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

The Fall Chesapeake Cioppino seafood soup at the Grilled Oyster Company features grilled shrimp, clams, mussels, rockfish and grilled corn. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANUARY 2017 | 39

WD | Culture | Events

Events Listings *Unless specific times are listed, please check the venue for times. Venue locations are subject to change.

ART Through January

Resilience: Reclaiming History and the Dominican Diaspora Resilience is defined as the human ability to cope with difficult times and bounce back from personal trauma. The Inter-American Development Bank, with support from the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Embassy of the Dominican Republic, examine how artists create a space for society’s healing and growth. Today, the Dominican Republic is one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean. Nevertheless, the advances in reducing poverty and inequality have not kept pace with GDP growth. Looking toward the future, the country needs to improve the quality of education, health care infrastructure and services, diversify exports and boost productivity, while also adapting to climate change and promoting innovation. IDB Cultural Center Through Jan. 2

Drawings for Paintings in the Age of Rembrandt Dutch landscapes, still lifes, and scenes of daily life possess a remarkable immediacy and authenticity, giving the impression that Dutch artists painted them from life. However, artists actually executed these works — as well as biblical and mythological subjects—in studios, often using drawings as points of departure. Over 90 drawings and 25 paintings by renowned Golden Age masters reveals the many ways Dutch artists used preliminary drawings in the painting process. National Gallery of Art Through Jan. 2

Intersections: Photographs and Videos from the National Gallery of Art and Corcoran Gallery of Art Nearly 700 photographs from Eadweard Muybridge’s groundbreaking publication “Animal Locomotion,” acquired by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1887, became the foundation for the institution’s early interest in photography. The Key Set of more than 1,600 works by Alfred Stieglitz, donated by Georgia O’Keeffe and the Alfred Stieglitz Estate, launched the photography collection at the National Gallery of Art in 1949. Inspired by these two seminal artists, Muybridge and Stieglitz, the exhibition brings together highlights of the recently merged collections of the Corcoran and the National Gallery of Art by a range of artists from the 1840s to today. National Gallery of Art

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 to as photograms, these highly differentiated shadow records on light-sensitive surfaces are created in a process similar to an X-ray, with Roth dedicating 15 years of research and development into this medium. Goethe-Institut

Through Jan. 2

Recent Acquisitions of Dutch and Flemish Drawings “Recent Acquisitions of Dutch and Flemish Drawings” encompasses landscapes, seascapes, portraits, still lifes and history subjects that demonstrate the originality of Dutch and Flemish draftsmanship and its stylistic evolution. National Gallery of Art

Through Jan. 27

Sertão Cerrado by José Diniz

Through Jan. 2

Senses of Time: Video and Film-Based Works of Africa This exhibition features six internationally recognized African artists and examines how time is experienced and produced by the body. Bodies stand, climb, dance and dissolve in seven works of video and film art by Sammy Baloji, Theo Eshetu, Moataz Nasr, Berni Searle, Yinka Shonibare and Sue Williamson, all of whom repeat, resist and reverse the expectation that time must move relentlessly forward. National Museum of African Art Through Jan. 5

North Is Freedom This photographic essay celebrates the descendants of freedom-seekers who escaped slavery in the United States by fleeing to Canada. In the years before the American Civil War, approximately 30,000 fugitive slaves followed the “North Star” to freedom, using a network of clandestine routes that became known as the “Underground Railroad.” Some 150 years later, Canadian photographer Yuri Dojc explores the northern end of the “Underground Railroad” and presents a series of 24 portraits of descendants. This exhibit honors the contributions of once-enslaved African Americans and their descendants to Canada and celebrates the opening of the newest Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Embassy of Canada Art Gallery Jan. 6 to June 2

From the Desk of Simone de Beauvoir Consider the influence and intellect of feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir in an interpretation of her Paris studio alcove. This installation invites visitors to reflect on Beauvoir’s impact, not only in her time and not only as a feminist, but in our own time and in the areas of literature, philosophy and popular culture. National Museum of Women in the Arts Through Jan. 7

The Overflow of Productivity Logic “The Overflow of Productivity Logic,” with works by artists Cristina Lucas, Irving Penn, Abraham Cruzvillegas and more, features a selection of

40 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

Photo: Arielle Doneson

The 2016-2017 Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists will participate in the WNO’s American Opera Initiative in January.

pieces that, through gestures, evocations or representations, displace the conceptual pillars of the prevailing economic model. Through three thematic axes, the exhibit calls into question production processes and economic exchange, reflects on the role that the economy plays in the constitution of an individual and challenges the logic of “productivity” within the capitalistic economic model. Mexican Cultural Institute Through Jan. 8

NO MAN’S LAND: Women Artists from the Rubell Family Collection

nationally acclaimed Icelandic artist and his prodigious output since his debut in Reykjavík in 2000. It features the artist’s most celebrated works, including many never before seen in the U.S., and encompasses the entirety of his practice — live endurance performance, large-scale video installations, drawings, photography and painting. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Through Jan. 8

Whitfield Lovell: The Kin Series & Related Works

Born in 16 countries across five continents, 37 contemporary artists use their aesthetically diverse work to address varied political and intellectual themes. This exhibition centers on the process of making as well as on images of the female body — both topics that extend from the feminist art movement of the 1970s. National Museum of Women in the Arts

The work of internationally recognized Bronx-born artist Whitfield Lovell powerfully examines “the markings that the past has made — and continues to make—on who we are.” In his exquisitely crafted Kin series and related tableaux, Lovell combines freely drawn Conté crayon figures of anonymous African Americans with time worn objects from everyday life, such as a brooch, clock or flag. The Phillips Collection

Through Jan. 8

Through Jan. 10

People on the Move: Beauty and Struggle in Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series The Phillips Collection reunites all 60 panels of “The Migration Series,” Jacob Lawrence’s seminal masterwork depicting the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North between the World Wars. Shaped by an interdisciplinary team of scholars, this exhibition explores the historical, literary, socio-cultural, aesthetic and contemporary manifestations of migration that underlie Lawrence’s powerful visual narrative. The presentation is complemented by a new interactive website, featuring the artist’s first-hand accounts as well as contemporary responses to migration. The Phillips Collection Through Jan. 8

Ragnar Kjartansson “Ragnar Kjartansson” is the first major survey of the work of the inter-

Surreal Dialogue: Works by Ji Yoon Hwang and Soyoung Kim Diverse yet complementary painting and fabric installation works by two young Korean artists explore the language of emotional discomfort in modern society through subtly unsettling images and tactile sensations. Each artist strives to communicate this message of emotional dissonance, inviting viewers to consider the human stories and voices in modern society and to explore our own imagination through surrealistic visions of the everyday. Korean Cultural Center Through Jan. 13

Light from the Other Side: Shadowgraphs by Tim Otto Roth Shadows underscore the beauty of nature and escape the captivity of their surfaces in the shadowgraphs created by German conceptual artist Tim Otto Roth. Usually referred

Sertão refers to backland region located inside Brazil, far from the coast, while Cerrado occupies much of the interior. In addition to providing water that feeds aquifers and basins to major cities, the region is home to a cycle of fire and water, after periods of drought and fire, that gives birth to lush flowers rising from the ashes — an elemental process of earth, water, fire and air documented by Brazilian photographer José Diniz. Art Museum of the Americas Through Jan. 28

DeLIMITations This exhibit chronicles a 2,400 milelong, site-specific installation that traces the border between Mexico and the United States as it existed in 1821. In marking the short-lived historic boundary with a series of monuments that mimic those installed along the contemporary border, artists Marchos Ramírez Erre and David Taylor question the permanence of borders while recognizing the shared history and common interests between the two neighboring countries. Mexican Cultural Institute Through Jan. 29

Los Angeles to New York: Dwan Gallery, 1959-1971 The remarkable career of gallerist and patron Virginia Dwan will be featured front and center for the first time in an exhibition of some 100 works, featuring highlights from Dwan’s promised gift of her extraordinary personal collection to the National Gallery of Art. National Gallery of Art Through Jan. 29

Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan Decades of civil unrest nearly destroyed Afghanistan’s vital artistic heritage. Over the past decade, Turquoise Mountain, an organization founded in 2006 at the request of the prince of Wales and the president of Afghanistan, has transformed the Murad Khani district of Old Kabul from slum conditions into a vibrant cultural and economic center. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Through Jan. 30

Bingata! Only in Okinawa The first major American exhibition of Okinawa’s textile treasures — brightly colored fabrics known as

bingata — introduces U.S. audiences to the history and culture of Japan’s southernmost administrative district through dozens of bingata textiles, ranging from 18th- and 19th-century court robes to contemporary works by Okinawan artists and fashion designers. The George Washington University Museum / Textile Museum Through Feb. 7

No Boundaries: Aboriginal Australian Contemporary Abstract Painting “No Boundaries” showcases the work of nine Aboriginal artists from remote northwest Australia, revered as community leaders and the custodians of ceremonial knowledge. They took up painting late in their lives, but quickly established themselves at the forefront of Australian contemporary art. The paintings of these nine men cannot be understood outside of the rich cultural traditions that inform them. At the same time, these artists are innovators of the highest order. Embassy of Australia Art Gallery Through Feb. 12

Notes from the Desert: Photographs by Gauri Gill Since the late 1990s, Gauri Gill (born 1970) has been photographing marginalized communities in western Rajasthan, India. Featuring 57 of her prints, this exhibition showcases Gill’s work in the remote desert region and draws on her extensive archive. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Through Feb. 20

The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts In recognition of one of the world’s extraordinary collections of Qur’ans, the Freer|Sackler is hosting a landmark exhibition, the first of its kind in the United States, featuring some 50 of the most sumptuous manuscripts from Herat to Istanbul. Celebrated for their superb calligraphy and lavish illumination, these manuscripts — which range in date from the early 8th to the 17th century — are critical to the history of the arts of the book. They were once the prized possessions of Ottoman sultans and the ruling elite, who donated their Qur’ans to various institutions to express their personal piety and secure political power. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Through Feb. 26

Evolving Elections; Comparing the 1916 and 2016 Presidential Campaigns “Evolving Elections” attempts to make sense of presidential politics then and now, exploring the political campaign season of 100 years ago vs. the current election. The modern day complaints about primary fights, the importance of party unity, a bitterly

Events | Culture | WD

divided party, the grueling length of campaigns and outsiders seeking nomination would have been familiar to the voter during the contentious election of 1916. More contentious than 2016? You decide. Woodrow Wilson House

Sat., Jan. 28, 8 p.m.

Direct from Dublin: The Five Irish Tenors Five premier tenors from Ireland fuse Irish wit and boisterous charm with lyricism, dramatic flair and extraordinary musicianship in this singular concert experience. Tickets are $33 to $55. George Mason University Center for the Arts

Through March 5

Photography Reinvented: The Collection of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker The collection of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker brings together works of critically important artists who have changed the course of photography through their experimentation and conceptual scope. Especially rich in holdings of work by photographers of the famed Düsseldorf School, among them Struth, Candida Höfer, Andreas Gursky and Thomas Ruff, the collection also includes examples by photographers exploring the nature of the medium itself, such as Demand, Cindy Sherman and Vik Muniz. National Gallery of Art Through March 5

Stuart Davis: In Full Swing As one of the most important American modernists, Stuart Davis (1892–1964) blurred distinctions between text and image, high and low art, and abstraction and figuration, crafting a distinct style that continues to influence art being made today. National Gallery of Art Through March 26

The Great Swindle: Works by Santiago Montoya Colombian artist Santiago Montoya uses paper currency as the base for his work, re-contextualizing one of our most basic and intimate relationships: the relationship with money. Comprised of works that Montoya has made over the last 10 years, “The Great Swindle” represents a sustained examination of the complicated, fluid relationships we have with financial systems, as well as a journey through the artist’s forays into the materiality of paper bills — raising questions and taking positions on our place within the financial system. OAS Art Museum of the Americas Through Aug. 6, 2017

José Gómez-Sicre’s Eye A half-century ago, Cuban-born curator José Gómez-Sicre took the reins of the OAS’s art program, thrusting himself into the rapidly expanding Latin American art world and bringing young, emerging talent to the OAS’s budding exhibition space. Impassioned by the arts, Gómez-Sicre planted the seeds of what is today considered among world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary Latin American and Caribbean art. The OAS will be celebrating the centennial of Gómez-Sicre’s birth throughout 2016, honoring his contribution to the legacy of the hemisphere’s art. OAS Art Museum of the Americas

THEATER Photo: The In Series

The In Series presents “Irving Berlin: A Simple Melody” at Source Theater from Jan. 6 to 13.

DANCE Jan. 17 to 22

Shen Yun Performing Arts 2017: Experience a Divine Culture Presented by Falun Dafa Association of D.C. Shen Yun Performing Arts, the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company originating from America, invites you to experience a grand performance of Chinese arts and culture from the Middle Kingdom. Tickets are $70 to $250. Kennedy Center Opera House Sat., Jan. 28, 8 p.m., Sun., Jan. 29, 2 p.m.

Pilobolus Experience the mind-bending world of Pilobolus with the D.C. premiere of “Shadowland,” an evening-length piece following the dreamlike world of a young girl. Equal parts dramatic and comedic, “Shadowland” incorporates moving screens, projected images and front-of-screen choreography all set to a rhythmic original score by American film composer David Poe (co-presented with CityDance). GW Lisner Auditorium

DISCUSSIONS Tue., Jan. 17, 7 p.m.

Why Did the Holocaust Happen? A Leading Scholar on Eight Key Questions In his new book “Why?” historian Peter Hayes explores what scholars know about the Holocaust, answering questions including: Why were Jews the primary victims? Why were Germans the instigators? Why did murder become the “Final Solution”? And why didn’t the international community do more to help? U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

MUSIC Tue., Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m.

Antonio Lizana Saxophonist and “cantaor” flamenco Antonio Lizan presents his latest album, “Quimeras del Mar,” in which he travels through jazz, guided by his love of flamenco music and strong Cádiz roots. Tickets are $15. Former Spanish Residence

Through Jan. 1

The Second City’s Black Side of the Moon The Second City renews its long-running, hugely-successful partnership with Woolly Mammoth by shining the light of satire on a nation eclipsed by its own divisiveness. In “Black Side of the Moon,” a cast of Chicago’s funniest and most audacious African American sketch and stand-up artists deconstructs and reconstructs blackness through comedy, illuminating the challenges of the past and promises of the future. Tickets start at $20. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Jan. 5 to Feb. 5

Someone is Going to Come Scena Theatre continues its 30th anniversary season with Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse’s emotionally powerful drama about a strange couple who moves into an isolated, run-down house to be alone, far from the prying eyes of others. Yet, they both grow increasingly anxious that “someone is going to come” in this poetic play about passion, paranoia and jealousy. Tickets are $30 to $35. Atlas Performing Arts Center

England to stay with her remote and morose uncle, still grieving the death of his wife 10 years ago. Terrified of every nook and cranny of the haunted Craven Manor on the Yorkshire Moors, Mary seeks refuge in her late aunt’s mysterious walled garden, where she discovers amazing secrets. Please call for ticket information. Shakespeare Theatre Company Harman Hall

newest play follows Hilary, a young psychology researcher at the prestigious Krohl Institute for Brain Science. As she and her colleagues grapple with the “hard problem” of defining consciousness, a thorny decision from Hilary’s past fuels her controversial stances — and a few suspect choices. Tickets start at $52. Studio Theatre

Through Jan. 8

Roe

Sleeping Beauty Synetic’s award-winning ensemble takes on the classic tale of a princess, an evil sorceress and a centurieslong sleeping curse in this darkly elegant, wordless adaptation of one of the Grimm Brothers’ most beloved stories. Tickets start at $35. Synetic Theater Through Jan. 8

Wicked Back by popular demand: From its first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, “Wicked” — the untold true story of the Witches of Oz — transfixes audiences with its wildly inventive story that USA Today cheers is “a complete triumph!” Tickets are $99 to $359. Kennedy Center Opera House Jan. 11 to Feb. 19

The Hard Problem Master dramatist Tom Stoppard’s

Jan. 12 to Feb. 19 The lawyer: a young, brilliant, courageous woman arguing Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court. The plaintiff: a complex, single woman seeking to end an unwanted pregnancy. The landmark 1973 case legalized abortion, but also began their separate journeys that would come to mirror the polarization in American culture. Tickets are $40 to $90. Arena Stage Jan. 13 to 15

American Opera Initiative The Washington National Opera (WNO) presents the fifth season of its acclaimed American Opera Initiative, a comprehensive commissioning program that brings contemporary American stories to the stage while fostering the talents of rising American composers and librettists. The festival begins with the world premiere of a new hour-long work by composer Mohammed Fairouz and librettist Mohammed Hanif, “The

Dictator’s Wife,” on Jan. 13 and 15. Three new pairings of opera composers and librettists offer new one-act operas during the festival, each based on a contemporary American story and inspired by the ideals often ascribed to President Kennedy as part of “JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of President Kennedy.” Two semi-staged concert performances of each 20-minute opera are presented on Jan. 14. Tickets are $20 to $35. Kennedy Center Family Theater Jan. 24 to March 5

As You Like It Rosalind is banished from court and flees to the Forest of Arden, where she discovers Orlando and a world of passion and possibility in one of Shakespeare’s most cherished romantic comedies. When she disguises herself as a man, enchantment abounds and blossoms into an exploration of the beauty and complexities of young love. Tickets are $35 to $75. Folger Theatre Jan. 28 to Feb. 11

Hamlette “Hamlette” takes the classic Shakespeare play, throws it in a blender and shakes it up into a side-splitting comedy told in under an hour with only five actors as part of the Keegan Theatre’s “Play Rah Ka” series on inspiring young people (recommended for ages 11 and up). For information, visit http://keegantheatre. com/playrahka/. The Keegan Theatre

Jan. 6 to 13

Irving Berlin: A Simple Melody “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and no songs like the songs of Irving Berlin. For most of the 20th century, from stage, screen and music halls, Berlin’s songs painted life and love in America with wit, wisdom and unabashed patriotic fervor. The In Series presents this cabaret-revue evening of hit songs by Berlin, the man who told America’s story in song for nearly a century. Tickets are $42. Source Theater Through Jan. 8

Into the Woods Venture into the woods with the acclaimed Fiasco Theater’s production that became New York’s surprise hit of the season. This witty and wildly theatrical re-invention of Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical classic is staged like you’ve never seen it before. Tickets are $45 to $175. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater Through Jan. 8

The Secret Garden When 10-year-old Mary Lennox loses her parents to a cholera epidemic in the British Raj of India, she travels to

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 41

WD | Culture | Film

Cinema Listings *Unless specific times are listed, please check the theater for times. Theater locations are subject to change.

ENGLISH Allied Directed by Robert Zemeckis (U.S., 2016, 124 min.) “Allied” is the story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war. Atlantic Plumbing Cinema

Arrival Directed by Denis Villeneuve (U.S., 2016, 116 min.) When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team — led by expert linguist Louise Banks - is brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers — and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity (English, Russian and Mandarin). Angelika Mosaic Atlantic Plumbing Cinema Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Assassin’s Creed Directed by Justin Kurzel (U.K./France/Hong Kong/U.S., 2016, 108 min.) When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society. Angelika Pop-Up

Cul-de-sac (U.K., 1966, 112 min.) A wounded criminal and his dying partner take refuge at a beachfront castle. The owners of the castle, a meek Englishman and his willful French wife, are initially the unwilling hosts to the criminals. Quickly, however, the relationships begin to shift in humorous and bizarre fashion. National Gallery of Art Sun., Jan. 8, 4 p.m.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Directed by David Yates (U.K./U.S., 2016, 133 min.) In this all-new adventure returning us to the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling (the “Harry Potter” series), Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures and finds himself in 1926 New York, where some of Newt’s fantastic beasts have escaped. Angelika Mosaic Atlantic Plumbing Cinema

Hidden Figures Directed by Theodore Melfi (U.S., 2016, 127 min.) In this incredible untold story, three brilliant African American women working at NASA serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence. AFI Silver Theatre

Jackie Directed by Pablo Larraín (U.S./Chile/France, 2016, 99 min.) Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, first lady Jacqueline Ken-

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

nedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children and define her husband’s historic legacy. Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s E Street Cinema

put-upon program director of a Bay Area Persian-language radio station (Farsi and English). AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Jan. 29, 7:15 p.m.

Lion

The Salesman

Directed by Garth Davis (Australia, 2016, 120 min.) A 5-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of miles from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia. Not wanting to hurt his adoptive parents’ feelings, he suppresses his past, his emotional need for reunification and his hope of ever finding his lost mother and brother for 25 years. But a chance meeting with some fellow Indians reawakens his buried yearning (English, Bengali and Hindi). Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Directed by Asghar Farhadi (Iran/France, 2016, 125 min.) When an intruder attacks Rana in their new home, her husband Emad turns amateur detective in an attempt to find the assailant and soothe his wife’s addled nerves (Farsi and French). AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Jan. 22, 5:15 p.m.

Passengers Directed by Morten Tyldum (U.S., 2016, 116 min.) Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt star as two passengers onboard a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet, but the trip takes a deadly turn when their hibernation pods mysteriously wake them 90 years before they reach their destination. Angelika Mosaic Atlantic Plumbing Cinema

FARSI Radio Dreams Directed by Babak Jalali (U.S./Iran, 2016, 91 min.) Mohsen Namjoo, a folk singer known as “Iran’s Bob Dylan,” delivers a brilliantly deadpan performance in this comedy as a

FRENCH The Brand New Testament Directed by Jaco Van Dormael (Belgium/France/Luxembourg, 2015, 112 min.) God lives in human form as a cynical writer with his young opinionated daughter in present-day Brussels, Belgium. She concludes that her dad is doing a terrible job and decides to rewrite the world, which leaves God angry, powerless and adamant to get his power back. Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Orpheus Directed by Jean Cocteau (France, 1950, 95 min.) Orpheus, a celebrated contemporary poet who becomes romantically obsessed with death, follows his unhappy wife into the underworld. National Gallery of Art Sun., Jan. 22, 4 p.m.

Weekend Directed by Jean-Luc Godard (France/Italy, 1968, 105 min.)

A supposedly idyllic week-end trip to the countryside turns into a never-ending nightmare of traffic jams, revolution, cannibalism and murder as French bourgeois society starts to collapse. National Gallery of Art Sat., Jan. 7, 1:30 p.m.

GERMAN Toni Erdmann Directed by Maren Ade (Germany/Austria/Romania, 2016, 162 min.) A father who is a divorced music teacher and an old-age hippie of sorts — with a passion for bizarre pranks involving several fake personas — decides to reconnect with his adult daughter, a business consultant posted in Bucharest (German, English and Romanian). Landmark’s Theatres

ITALIAN La Strada Directed by Federico Fellini (Italy, 1956, 108 min.) Federico Fellini cast his wife, Giulietta Masina, as a childlike peasant girl “acquired” (and then exploited) by a loutish traveling entertainer (Anthony Quinn). National Gallery of Art Mon., Jan. 16, 2:30 p.m.

JAPANESE Woman in the Dunes (Suna no onna) Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara (Japan, 1964, 123 min.) A Tokyo-based entomologist on vacation is trapped by local villagers into living with a woman whose never-ending life task is shoveling sand for them.

Roe CONTINUED • PAGe 37

States, its relevance can be felt the world over. “Roe v. Wade was such an important episode in American history’s reproductive rights and justice, but it also is such a potent issue for people around the world,” Rauch said. “There are countries that are more permissive and restrictive on abortion than the United States. I can’t recommend this play highly enough for the diplomatic community.” Rauch said the decision to commission 37 new plays for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival that chronicle profound moments in American history was inspired by Shakespeare’s history plays. “Shakespeare dramatized the transfer of power in England, addressing all

Photo: Jenny GrAhAM, oreGon shAKesPeAre FestiVAl

From left, sarah Jane Agnew, susan lynskey, richard elmore, sara Brunner and catherine castellanos star in “roe,” which runs until Feb. 19 at Arena stage.

the accompanying anxiety, insecurity, fears and changes of his age,” Rauch explained. “I wanted to do the same thing for this county.” Like the Oregon Shakespeare Festival,

42 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JANuAry 2017

Arena Stage is delving into this contentious moment in U.S. history with the launch of “Power Plays,” an ambitious initiative commissioning and developing 25 new plays and musicals from 25 writ-

National Gallery of Art Sun., Jan. 29, 4 p.m.

KAZAKH The Eagle Huntress Directed by Otto Bell (U.K./Mongolia/U.S., 2016, 87 min.) This spellbinding documentary follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old nomadic Mongolian girl who is fighting to become the first female eagle hunter in twelve generations of her Kazakh family. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema West End Cinema

SILENT The Red Turtle (La tortue rouge) Directed by Michael Dudok de Wit (France/Belgium, 2017, 80 min.) This dialogue-less film follows the major life stages of a castaway on a deserted tropical island populated by turtles, crabs and birds. Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s Theatres Opens Fri., Jan. 27

SPANISH Julieta Directed by Pedro Almodóvar (Spain, 2016, 99 min.) Julieta is a middle-age woman living in Madrid with her boyfriend who has been apart from her daughter for 12 years. After a casual encounter, the brokenhearted woman decides to confront her life and the events that led to her daughter’s estrangement. Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s Theatres Opens Fri., Jan. 13

ers over the course of the next 10 years. The project will highlight American stories of politics and power, exploring the people, events and ideas that helped shape the country’s narrative and identity, with one story per decade, beginning with 1776 through today. “Power and politics are the red meat of Washington, D.C.,” said Arena Artistic Director Molly Smith. “We eat, sleep and drink politics here from early morning coffee to late-night conversations…. D.C. audiences are hungry for these stories, and there is no other place in the country where these plays could have such an impact.” “There is no better time to launch this massive commissioning cycle, the largest in Arena’s history,” she added. “The more we understand our American stories of politics and power, the more informed we become as a democracy.” WD Lisa Troshinsky is the theater reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

Spotlight | Culture | WD

Diplomatic Spotlight

January 2017

March of Dimes Signature Chefs Gala

Sustained Dialogue Institute Gala

The Maryland-National Capital Area Chapter of March of Dimes held its 20th annual Signature Chefs Gala on Nov. 2 at the Ritz-Carlton in D.C., raising over $225,000 to support the nonprofit’s mission to prevent premature childbirth. The premier social event highlighting the city’s culinary masters brought together over 40 of the area’s celebrated chefs, mixologists, bartenders and vintners for an evening of wine, cocktails and dining, along with an expansive auction. Every year more than 15 million babies are born prematurely; 1 million will die before their first birthday as a result.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was honored at the Sustained Dialogue Institute Gala on Nov. 17 at the National Press Club for her lifetime dedication to the highest ideals of cautious change and thoughtful jurisprudence. The first Global Peacemaker Award was also presented by Librarian of Congress Emeritus James Billington to Susan Carmel Lehrman for her efforts to promote cultural relations, particularly with Russia.

Executive chef Joe Palma of Bourbon Steak, left, prepares chestnut soup with white truffles, garam masala and tasted pepitas.

Diane Mullins, Jim Dougherty, Mary Jane Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthare Mid Atlantic Health Plan Christopher Mullins and Tammy O’Hare.

George O’Hare, Laura Furgione of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Ricky Levine.

“Top Chef” alum Jennifer Carroll of Requin presents her deviled lamb rillettes.

Pastry chef Erin Reed of DBGB Kitchen and Bar.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon offers its Highland Folk-Lour made with 12-year Aberlour single-malt whisky.

Chef Danny Lee of Mandu prepares Korean shrimp cracker.

Andrew Gelfuso of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, embassy liaison Jan Du Plain, President of the Eurasia Center Gerard J. Janco and his wife.

Joanna Athanasopoulos Owen, president of the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW), and Sheila Switzer, AAFSW program chair.

Wife of the Botswana ambassador Changu Mazana, Ambassador of Botswana John David Newman of Botswana, embassy liaison Jan Du Plain and Vincent Orange, the new president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

Honorary cocktail chair Jo-Jo Valenzuela prepares drinks. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (seated), former D.C. Council Member Carol Schwartz, gala chair Judith Terra of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, gala honorary chair Ambassador Andrew Young (seated) and Hilda McIntosh.

Neonatologist Robin Baker and Sara Donahue, NICU family support specialist with March of Dimes.

John Rorapaugh of Sustainability Profish, Jennifer Reswick Williams and Steve Uhr of Schlow Restaurant Group.

Chef Matteo Venini, right, of Lupo Verde prepares charred baby octopus. Shahin Mafi of the Azar Foundation for Children and Home Health Connection, gala chair Judith Terra and Dame Pamela Gordon Banks.

Lebanese-Palestinian Performance The General Delegation of the PLO to the United States, in cooperation with Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and the Ramallah Club of Washington D.C., hosted a live performance at Georgetown featuring the two renowned performers, Lebanese singer Oumeima El Khalil and Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul.

Photos: PLO General Delegation

Saba Shami of Washington Works LLC, honoree Khalil Aburish and PLO Chief Representative Maen Rashid Areikat.

Egyptian Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Wael Hamed, Jordanian Embassy Counselor Anas Oran, Omani Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Ahmed Al Saidi, Khalil Aburish, Ambassador of Tunisia Fayçal Gouia and Jamil Shami.

Photos: Patricia McDougall

Lebanese singer Oumeima El Khalil and Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul.

President of the Sustained Dialogue Institute Rev, Mark Farr, philanthropist Susan Carmel Lehrman, Librarian of Congress Emeritus James Billington and presenter Thomas Noll. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 43

WD | Culture | Spotlight

Diplomatic Spotlight

January 2017

U.N. Day at Oneness

The Power of Film America Abroad Media (AAM) hosted its fourth annual “Power of Film” awards dinner Nov. 15 at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium to honor filmmakers, journalists and media leaders, especially those from the Middle East, whose work exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower citizens. The star-studded evening brought together “Homeland” actors Miranda Otto and F. Murray Abraham and executive producer Howard Gordon; Gen. John Allen; Chairman of Atlantic Media David Bradley; Saudi actor and comedian Nasser Al Qasabi; and members of TOLO TV, Afghanistan’s largest independent media channel.

The Oneness-Family Montessori School in Maryland held its most successful United Nations Day to date on Oct. 21, with representatives from 88 embassies attending to carry their nations’ flags and watch student performances. A representative from the United Nations started the procession with the U.N. flag, followed by representatives from the four corners of the globe. Photos: Oneness-Family Montessori School

Photo: Joy Asico

Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates Yousef Al Otaiba, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard G. Olson and CEO and Chairman of Moby Group Saad Mohseni.

Michèle Flournoy of the Center for a New American Security; “Homeland” executive producer Howard Gordon; actress Miranda Otto; “Homeland” executive producer Chip Johannessen; John MacGaffin III of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and AAM President Aaron Lobel.

The Oneness-Family Montessori School’s annual United Nations Day event is the largest of its kind in the D.C. area.

Dana Masalimova, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Kairat Umarov and Muna Habib.

Lael Mohib, Ambassador of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib and Craig Gordon of Bloomberg News.

Ambassador of Indonesia Budi Bowoleksono, Long & Foster realtor Catherine “Smitty” Smith and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Stanley Owen Roth.

Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.); his wife Marie Royce; former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.); Kristi Rogers; Heba El Koudsy; and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.).

Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Aykan Erdemir; Chief of the Voice of America Urdu Service Faiz Rehman; Tugba Tanyeri-Erdemir of the Middle East Technical University; AAM President Aaron Lobel; and private equity fund manager Imaad Zuberi.

Photo: Joy Asico

Lotfullah Najafizada of TOLO TV; AAM President Aaron Lobel; Massood Sanjer of TOLO TV; CEO and Chairman of Moby Group Saad Mohseni; and Gen. John Allen.

Shirley and Art Sotloff paid tribute to their son, the late American-Israeli journalist Steven Joel Sotloff, who was captured and killed by the Islamic State in 2014. Photo: Joy Asico

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

IFE Thanksgiving Coach Kathy Kemper, founder and CEO of the Institute for Education (IFE), and her husband Jim Valentine welcomed ambassadors, White House presidential innovation fellows, friends and family to their home for a holiday champagne kick-off on Thanksgiving.

Ambassador of Belgium Dirk Wouters, Ambassador of Sweden Björn Lyrvall and Ambassador of Mexico Carlos Manuel Sada Solana.

44 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017

“Homeland” executive producer Howard Gordon, AAM President Aaron Lobel and “Homeland” actor F. Murray Abraham.

Jim Valentine, Marie-France Mathes of Emerging Capital Partners and Pierre Mathes.

Hani Nasser, political counselor at the Embassy of Canada.

Kathiravan Subramaniam of the Embassy of Malaysia; Kutsuk Taysaev of the Russian Embassy Cultural Section; Head of OnenessFamily Montessori School Andrew Kutt; Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Morocco Driss Alaoui; Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Cambodia Kim Sovanna; and Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Zambia Joseph R. Chilaizya.

Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Morocco Driss Alaoui and Ambassador of Angola Agostinho Tavares.

Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Zambia Joseph R. Chilaizya and Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Burkina Faso Seydou Sinka.

Wife of the Belgian ambassador Katrin Van Bragt, wife of the Mexican ambassador Maria Elena Vazquez and wife of the Swedish ambassador Madeleine Lyrvall. Photos: Emma Shetter

Dana Al Marashi, head of heritage and social affairs at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates.

Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Luxembourg Véronique Dockendorf. M. Ibrahima Biridogo of the Embassy of Mali, Benjamin Manirakiza of the Embassy of Burundi and Siuaji Raja of the Embassy of Indonesia.

Spotlight | Culture | WD

Norwegian Christmas

Polish Independence Day

Former Ambassador of Hungary András Simonyi, Nada Simonyi and Ambassador of Norway Kåre R. Aas.

Ambassador Kåre R. Aas welcomed guests to his residence Dec. 8 to celebrate the Norwegian Christmas spirit with cocktails, Smørgåsbord and jazz.

Piotr Wilczek, a professor and literary scholar who was recently appointed Poland’s ambassador to the U.S., welcomed guests to the Polish Residence on Whitehaven Street to celebrate the country’s Independence Day on Nov. 16. Ambassadordesignate of Poland Piotr Wilczek, center, joins co-chairs of the House Poland Caucus Reps. Tim Murphy (R-Penn.) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio).

Photos: James Cullum

David Farrar, Ellen Marie Skillingstad and Sabine Farrar.

Rachel and Will Saetren, a consultant on nuclear weapons policy.

PolishAmerican historian Marek Jan Chodakiewicz of the Institute of World Politics.

Ambassador of Luxembourg Sylvie Lucas and Ambassador of Hungary Réka Szemerkényi.

Chuck and Paula Fry and pastor Terri Driver-Bishop.

Greg Nelson and Melissa Huston.

Kristin Lund and Aliza Watters of Johns Hopkins University.

Tribute to Bernardo Álvarez

Nina Langli of BAO Systems LLC, Zerina Mackovic of Ross, Langan & McKendree LLP and Evan Rodaho.

Tanya and Pat Doloner.

At a Dec. 1 special meeting, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) paid a posthumous tribute to late Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Álvarez Herrera, Caracas’s permanent representative to the OAS who died Nov. 24 at 60. OAS Assistant Secretary-General Néstor Mendez called Álvarez, who served in Washington during periods of strained U.S.-Venezuela relations, “a fearless leader and deft diplomat with uncanny ability to allay tension and forge dialogue and understanding of the most complex and volatile issues.” Photos: Juan Manuel Herrera / OAS

Italian Culinary Week To celebrate the Italian Culinary Week in the World, guests were treated to a dinner at the Italian Residence (“Villa Firenze”) on Nov. 15 by Massimo Bottura, the chef and owner of Osteria Francescana, a three Michelin star restaurant in Modena, Italy, that was voted number one in the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2016.” As part of the series, more than 60 events were held across the United States, from conferences on Italian food and technology to films, guided tours and dinners by renowned chefs. Translator Nobuko Sasae, Ambassador of Japan Kenichiro Sasae and journalist Roland Flamini. Micaela Barbagallo, wife of the Italian ambassador, and Rima Al-Sabah, wife of the Kuwaiti ambassador.

Chef Massimo Bottura and Ambassador of Italy Armando Varricchio.

Photos: Embassy of Italy

Chef Fabio Trabocchi of Fiola in D.C. and a guest. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | January 2017 | 45

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sage into eastern Aleppo,” Keck told The Diplomat. “This is an unprecedented phenomenon. We certainly have seen attacks on health care centers around the world, but the situation that is most dark is in Syria. It sends a signal to the rest of the humanitarian community that protections afforded to them under the law won’t be respected.” However, cooperation among some nongovernmental organizations working in Syria also has frayed. A position paper by the Syrian NGO Alliance representing 73 organizations working in Syria criticized SARC and U.N. agencies based in Damascus for making decisions “shaped by the political influence of the Syrian government.” The alliance stated it was suspending its participation in an information-sharing program in Syria and called for a revision of medical evacuation procedures and a transparent investigation of U.N. operations in Damascus. “This deliberate manipulation by the Syrian government and the complacency of the U.N. have played hand-in-hand,” the paper stated. “The people of Syria have suffered ever more as a result.” Humanitarian organizations are

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in the difficult position of criticizing Bashar al-Assad’s regime because they need the government’s cooperation to gain access to war zones. The Red Cross, which wasn’t mentioned in the Syrian NGO Alliance position paper, doesn’t get involved in “naming and shaming,” Keck said. The Red Cross, which hasn’t suffered any direct attacks in Aleppo, is a neutral organization that doesn’t seek international war crime investigations, and it conducts confidential discussions with various parties in a conflict to help ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, he added. While Doctors Without Borders has directly criticized countries involved in attacks on medical facilities, it also doesn’t actively seek war crime prosecutions, although it will provide information if those prosecutions are initiated by another party, Cone said. The organization also conducts confidential negotiations with warring parties to help deliver medical aid and protect medical personnel. “We don’t have any illusions when it comes to the government of Syria,” Cone said. “With other governments and groups, there is more space for dialogue.”

The Syrian government has violated international humanitarian law by effectively criminalizing the delivery of health care to rebels early in the conflict, Cone said. “Once you’ve taken that step, it’s not that far a leap to bombing the hospitals themselves and killing the doctors you consider criminals just for providing medical care,” he said. “We do have a worry this is becoming normalized. In particular conflicts, it’s becoming normal to strike a hospital.” The hospital attacks aren’t just killing medical personnel and rebels but also civilians. People are dying from lack of medical care, including women with complicated pregnancies and children who don’t receive vaccines for preventable diseases, Cone said. While investigations of attacks on hospitals are needed, international law is clear on the matter, he added. “We don’t need a new Geneva Convention. The rules are sound and fit the purpose,” he said. “It’s just a matter of governments and rebel groups and others respecting them.” WD Brendan L. Smith is a freelance journalist in Washington, D.C.

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