November 2015 by The Washington Diplomat

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EDUCATION ■ A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

■ November 2015

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■ NOVEMBER 2015

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■ VOLUME 22, NUMBER 11

BON ANNIVERSAIRE

MIDDLE EAST

Intelligence Gaps Hamper Understanding Of Islamic State People have assigned different labels for the radical group that calls itself the Islamic State, along with various theories to explain its meteoric rise. But amid the conjecture, the only thing that’s clear is that our knowledge of the group remains riddled with gaps. PAGE 6

EUROPE

Athens or Berlin: Who Broke Greece’s Back? There are two competing narratives about the Greek financial crisis — one that puts the onus on Athens, and the other that ascribes blame to its creditors. But as with any rhetorical tug of war, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. PAGE 10

Lycée Rochambeau

allows students to obtain their U.S. high school diploma at the end of the 11th grade and their French Baccalauréat in 12th grade. After graduation, 60 percent of students pursue their education in the U.S. and Canada.

November 2015

French International School Says Oui to 60 Years of Multicultural

Immersion by Sarah Alaoui espite the European Union encompassing 24 official In the Washington metro area, languages and more than 60 one school has been producdifferent regional or minority ing fully bilingual — if not multilingual languages, more than 75 percent — graduates for decades. of its primary school The Lycée Rochambeau, or students learn English as a French International School, foreign language, according which to the started with a dozen students Pew Research Center. in 1955, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and continues In contrast, as of 2008, only to be the go-to for families 25 percent of elementary schools who want their children to receive in the United States even offer a French education. another language to students.

EDUCATION

Continued on next page

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EUROPE

‘STATE

OF WAR’ IN UKRAINE The guns have largely fallen silent but Ukraine’s new ambassador — a close friend and advisor to President Petro Poroshenko — warns that his embattled country remains in a “state of war” as he fights to keep Washington’s attention on the conflict. PAGE 15

culture

Swiss Collectors Shine at Phillips The Phillips Collection is showcasing two Swiss collectors who, like the museum’s founder, broadened modern art’s mainstream appeal. PAGE 38

PEOPLE OF WORLD INFLUENCE

DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES

Peacekeeping Chief: Do Less, Better

Man’s Best Friend Is Turkish Matchmaker

Former French Ambassador Jean-Marie Guéhenno led the largest expansion of U.N. peacekeeping in the organization’s history, directing blue-helmeted troops to joyous success and frustrating failure in bloody hotspots around the world. In the process, he learned that when it comes to conflicts, sometimes less is more. PAGE 4

Maggie, a golden retriever rescue, was the matchmaker who brought Sinem Kiliç together with her future husband, Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kiliç, indirectly helping introduce the computer programmer to the world of diplomacy. PAGE 39

PerilousPartners_WashingtonDiplomat_4C.qxp_Layout 1 10/14/15 5:02 PM Page 1

New from the Cato Institute How does the U.S. meet foreign policy objectives without betraying basic American values and making ethical compromises?

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—MICHAEL KLARE author of Blood and Oil

merican leaders have cooperated with regimes around the world that are, to varying

degrees, repressive or corrupt. Such cooperation is said to serve the national interest. In Perilous

Partners, published by the Cato Institute, authors Ted Galen Carpenter and Malou Innocent offer

case studies of U.S. engagement with dubious allies, and show that too often American leaders have sacriﬁced the moral high ground in pursuit of secondary and peripheral national interests.

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November 2015

CONTENTS thE WashINGtON DIPLOmat 8

Cosmetic Sanctuary

[ news ]

PEOPLE OF WORLD INFLUENCE

INTEL BLACK HOLE

U.S.-CHINA MIL TO MIL

[ luxury living ] 29

DIASPORA CONNECTIONS

MUSLIMS IN EUROPE Muslims are fleeing war-torn nations for Europe’s safe shores, but islam is hardly a new presence on the Christian-dominated continent.

ANNUAL BURDEN? some doctors are questioning the worth of a timehonored tradition of health care: the annual physical examination.

COVER: Cover photo taken at the Ukrainian Embassy by Lawrence Ruggeri of ruggeriphoto.com.

DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES Maggie, a 6-year-old golden retriever, was the matchmaker who brought sinem kiliç together with her future husband, Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kiliç.

CENTRAL ASIAN COLOR a riot of color greets visitors to the textile Museum’s new exhibit showcasing textiles and fine art from Central asia.

ALICE’S UNDERWORLD synetic’s “alice in wonderland” eschews the lightheartedness of the iconic childhood fairytale in favor a darker retelling.

DINING in the second installment of our globetrotting series on ethnic dining, we visit Bolivia, Yemen and Thailand via three suburban restaurants that stay true to their culinary roots.

FILM REVIEWS “he named Me Malala” follows the remarkable journey of Malala Yousafzai, who survived a gunshot to the head for trying to go to school and used her celebrity status to promote girls’ education.

DANGEROUS RESISTANCE thousands of patients could die from common surgical procedures and cancer treatments if dangerous bacteria continue to develop resistance to widely used antibiotics.

INSIDE AZERBAIJAN azerbaijan took the spotlight oct. 6 as the focus of the washington Diplomat’s inaugural ambassador insider Series discussion.

[ medical ]

COVER PROFILE: UKRAINE the guns may have fallen silent but ukraine’s new envoy warns his homeland is still in a “state of war” as he fights to keep the world’s attention on his embattled country.

COSMETIC SANCTUARY Even in a conservative town like D.C., cosmetic surgery is getting a makeover, shedding its taboo status as more washingtonians opt to go under the knife.

From Peru to Palestine, embassies are realizing the value of their diaspora communities and reaching out to pump up investment back home.

INNOVATIVE WEEK

SWISS MASTERWORKS D.C.-based art collector Duncan Phillips played a pivotal role in introducing American audiences to modern art. Apparently, he also had two kindred spirits in Switzerland.

in one jam-packed week in september, four key forces in global technology crossed paths in washington, D.C.

WHO BROKE GREECE? there are two narratives about the Greek financial crisis — one that puts the onus on Athens, and the other that blames its creditors — but the truth lies in the middle.

BON ANNIVERSAIRE

as it marks its 60th anniversary this year, lycée rochambeau continues to be the go-to for families who want their children to receive a French education.

some u.s. defense officials are questioning the utility of engaging China’s army as allegations of hacking and expansionism in the Pacific fuel bilateral mil-to-mil mistrust.

[ culture ]

DIGITAL DIPLOMACY FORUM

[ education ]

People have assigned various labels and theories for the islamic state, but the only thing that’s clear is that our knowledge of the group is riddled with gaps.

Central Asian color

While Facebook and Twitter dominate the digital diplomacy discussion, linkedin has been largely left out of the loop.

Jean-Marie Guéhenno led the largest expansion of u.n. peacekeeping in the organization’s history. He also learned some hard lessons about conflict and compromise.

U.S.-China engagement

November 2015

CINEMA LISTING

EVENTS LISTING

DIPLOMATIC SPOTLIGHT

APPOINTMENTS / WORLD HOLIDAYS

CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE CLASSIFIEDS

P.o. Box 1345 • silver spring, MD 20915-1345 • phone: (301) 933-3552 • fax: (301) 949-0065 • e-mail: news@washdiplomat.com • web: www.washdiplomat.com Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Victor Shiblie Director of Operations Fuad Shiblie Managing Editor Anna Gawel News Editor Larry Luxner Contributing Writers Sarah Alaoui, Michael Coleman, John Paul Farmer, Stephanie Kanowitz, Vanessa H. Larson, Sean Lyngaas, Molly McCluskey, Ky N. Nguyen, Justin Salhani, Gail Scott, John Shaw, Gary Tischler, Lisa Troshinsky, Karin Zeitvogel Photographer Lawrence Ruggeri Account Manager Rod Carrasco Graphic Designer Cari Henderson The Washington Diplomat is published monthly by the washington Diplomat, inc. the newspaper is distributed free of charge at several locations throughout the washington, D.C. area. we do offer subscriptions for home delivery. subscription rates are $29 for 12 issues and $49 for 24 issues. Call fuad shiblie for past issues. if your organization employs many people from the international community you may qualify for free bulk delivery. to see if you qualify you must contact fuad shiblie. The Washington Diplomat assumes no responsibility for the safe keeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. the information contained in this publication is in no way to be construed as a recommendation by the Publisher of any kind or nature whatsoever, nor as a recommendation of any industry standard, nor as an endorsement of any product or service, nor as an opinion or certification regarding the accuracy of any such information.

November 2015

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PEOPLE OF WORLD INFLUENCE

Jean-Marie Guéhenno

Ex- U.N. Peacekeeping Chief: Do Less, Do It Better by Michael Coleman

ormer French Ambassador Jean-Marie Guéhenno spent eight years as the U.N.’s head of peacekeeping, directing blue-helmeted, international troops to both joyous success and frustrating failure as they tried to keep civilians safe in the world’s most dangerous neighborhoods.

As undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations from 2000 until 2008, Guéhenno gained firsthand perspective on the bloodiest, most politically complicated crises — Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, the Congo — of the early 21st century. Today, as president and CEO of the International Crisis Group, Guéhenno is still helping to douse conflagrations in hotspots around the globe. The Crisis Group’s authoritative, on-the-ground reports from intractable conflicts are required reading among experts. And in the seven years since leaving the United Nations, Guéhenno has reflected deeply on the lessons he learned. His new book “The Fog of Peace,” a thoughtful, candid memoir, details those years and the hard decisions and compromises he was often forced to make. “In 2015, when one looks at those [U.N. peacekeeping] interventions, it sends a mixed message,” Guéhenno told The Diplomat in a wide-ranging telephone interview from Moscow.“Certainly, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya are not the shining successes that we hoped for, nor are a number of U.N. operations. The Democratic Republic of Congo is still a question mark.The war has almost ended in the Congo, but it’s hard to say the structural problems are resolved.”

and Congo have caused Guéhenno to question just how effective the United Nations can be in mediating and resolving conflicts — and whether noble aspirations can be reconciled with realities on the ground. “There really is a big question of what can the international community do … in intervention,” he said. “I think just as the pendulum was swinging toward optimism and confidence in the early 2000s, now it’s the opposite. We’re wondering if we should just hunker down because it’s too complicated. Should we just give up?” Guéhenno hopes his book, while sobering and at times pessimistic, can also help nations better understand how smart, targeted action can, indeed, help prevent senseless violence and save lives. “I thought I needed to share my experience as the head of peacekeeping during its greatest growth in history and give my own judgment,” he said. “We have to lower expectations, and we have to also be much more careful in what we do.” Any discussion of the U.N. peacekeeping mandate has to start with the bloc’s controversial and oft-contentious Security Council. The Security Council

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We have to lower expectations, and we have to also be much more careful in what we do. — Jean-Marie Guéhenno president and CEO of the International Crisis Group

In his interview, Guéhenno — also a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution — discussed a growing sense of frustration with the U.N. Security Council, the unique challenge of keeping civilians safe among terrorists and sexual abuse perpetrated by the peacekeepers themselves. As undersecretary-general at the United Nations during eight explosive years, Guéhenno became the U.N.’s longest-serving head of peacekeeping and led the biggest expansion of forces in the history of the organization. That expansion got a major boost recently when 50 countries pledged to contribute up to 40,000 additional peacekeepers. But the experiences of Iraq,Afghanistan

”

— which includes the U.S., China, Russia, France and Britain, as well as 10 nonpermanent member countries elected every two years — has the sole authority for authorizing international peacekeeping missions, as well as their size and scope. Guéhenno is skeptical that one frequently proposed reform — adding vetowielding permanent members — would help improve the organization’s effectiveness in peacekeeping. “It is a problem that the Security Council does not reflect the distribution of power today with countries like India or Brazil, or Japan or Germany, or South Africa or Nigeria,” the former diplomat said. “If you want to talk about major

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Photo: Brookings Institution

powers, the list gets quite long, and the Security Council is not representative of today’s world. “At the same time, I’m not sure that increasing the Security Council will make a large difference if the countries sitting on the council don’t have any common vision,” he added.“The decisionmaking process is complicated. I’m not sure making the Security Council larger would be more efficient. It might be more representative, but it might not be more efficient.” The inefficiencies and geopolitical divisions at the heart of the Security Council have been laid bare by the conflict in Syria. Asked about the lack of peacekeeping in that war-torn country, Guéhenno grew reflective. “Syria is just an illustration of the broken nature of international relations at the moment,” he said.“The major powers can’t really agree on the way forward in Syria. They have not been able to agree for the last two to three years and that has caused a quarter-million dead. In that context to talk about institutional reform is a bit unreal.” He said lasting peace in Syria is impossible without at least some political consensus. “The institutions are always a reflection of politics, so if the politics are broken the notion that institutions are going to fix the politics is naïve,” Guéhenno said. “But as difficult as fundamental

reform of the U.N. is, my experience in peacekeeping is that the U.N. as an operational organization has much more leeway and capacity to do things if the secretary-general is smart — and peacekeeping is one of them. “In peacekeeping, you have to make sure you don’t cross fundamental interests of major powers, but within that space there is often room to maneuver,” he said. “The problem is that the U.N. as a machine doesn’t function that well. There have been improvements in the last 10 or 15 years, but there is still a ways to go.” Guéhenno also voiced doubt that significant reform is possible because of the variety of geopolitical conflicts now percolating around the globe. “It’s the fact that the international community hasn’t rallied and shared ideas for how to deal with conflict and war — there is no agreed concept,” Guéhenno said, noting that the very definition of conflict has changed, complicating the Security Council’s mandate further. “The separation between war and peace is now blurred,” the former U.N. official said. “When you have the hybrid warfare conducted in Ukraine, when you have the war against terror … what is self-defense today when you have a terrorist movement, when you are defending yourself in a country in which no one is in control of the government, as November 2015

was the case with the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, or the Islamic State in Syria or Iraq? Is it self-defense then to strike? “These are questions that really would not have been asked in 1945 [when the Security Council’s operating procedures were created in Yalta] because the notion of aggression was clear: It was Hitler crossing the border of Poland, or an army crossing the border of another country,” Guéhenno continued. “Now you have much more complex forms of war which challenge the concepts on which the U.N. Charter was negotiated.” It has also challenged the basic assumption that peacekeeping is intended to keep the peace, which means there must be a peace on which to build. But as missions have evolved over the last two decades — there are now 16 operations on four continents totaling 125,000 troops — blue helmets have been dropped into increasingly chaotic war zones. The mandate has expanded, but the training and resources have not kept pace with the expansion. On that note, Guéhenno credited the administration of President Obama for its commitment to peacekeeping and lauded many of the goals that Obama laid out during a U.N. summit in New York in September. “The Obama administration has probably gone further in supporting peacekeeping than any recent U.N. participation of the last 25 or 30 years, and that is a strong political signal,” he said. At the U.N. summit, Obama announced that more than 50 countries had promised 40,000 peacekeepers for possible deployment on U.N. missions, as well as helicopters, medical units and training, and equipment to counter roadside bombs. The pledges, which include 15 military engineering companies and 10 field hospitals, are intended to help the U.N. deploy to conflict zones faster and beef up existing missions. China made one of the biggest commitments as President Xi Jinping promised to establish a “permanent peacekeeping police squad” and a standby force of 8,000 troops. The United States will contribute logistical support and double the number of U.S. military officers, though the number of American personnel is negligible. According to the U.N. website, the U.S. has only 79 of its own blue helmets on the ground worldwide, divided between police officers and soldiers. Guéhenno said U.S. leadership and budget support is important. The United States picks up 28 percent of the U.N. peacekeeping tab, which totals $8.2 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. But he also appreciates that the superpower doesn’t impose itself too deeply on the missions. “The U.S. doesn’t put its own troops under the flag and I can think of many situations if there were U.S. troops, with the enormous geopolitical weight of the U.S., it might not be such a good idea,” he explained. “One of the strengths of the U.N. is its independence of any power, or especially any superpower. So, in a way, the reluctance by the U.S. to commit troops to the U.N. is not such a big problem. It is important that the U.S. helps by training and providing logistics and technical support and in some cases intelligence. Here, the U.S. can lead by example and encourage other countries.” Guéhenno also endorsed, to some extent, the growing expectation — known as the socalled Kigali Principles — that U.N. peacekeepers take the fight to the bad guys in order to protect civilians; in 2013, the Security Council authorized an “intervention brigade” to launch a first-ever offensive against rebels who had been massacring villagers. Twenty years earlier, the United Nations came under fire when peacekeepers stood back and watched as thousands were slaughtered in Rwanda’s genocide, an indelible stain that continues to haunt the November 2015

organization. “You need force to be respected and sometimes you need to be proactive,” Guéhenno said.“One of the traditional principals of peacekeeping is that you only use force in self-defense and, frankly, there are situations where it doesn’t make sense. “It doesn’t make sense [to allow] some criminal militia to go and kill villages before you use force,” he continued. “If you want to protect civilians, then you need sometimes to use force before you are attacked, and you need to be very mobile because the ration of force to the area you have to cover will always be inadequate. You need both a good political acumen and intelligence to know where trouble can develop and then the capacity to move forces quickly.” In that vein, the new commitments of equipment by U.N. members of attack helicopters are a positive development, Guéhenno noted. “Having those transport and attack helicopters quickly apply force in a place that is in trouble is very important,” he said. “The U.N. has had a hard time finding those assets. At the same time, for me it’s quite clear that the U.N. is not configured to wage war. It will never have the level of military integration that is needed. Every U.N. force is a sort of ad hoc assembly of different military forces. It is not configured to really wage war. What the U.N. peacekeepers can do better is deter and crush marginal spoilers. That’s what they can and should do, but beyond that it is setting itself up for failure.” Guéhenno’s book argues that peacekeeping is only effective when it is backed by a concerted diplomatic campaign. He welcomed the recent commitments to provide more peacekeepers, even if the logistical impact isn’t clear yet, but he cautioned that numbers alone won’t guarantee success in the absence of political will. “The one caveat is that it is a mistake to think that the success or failure or peacekeeping hinges only on troops. If you don’t have the right political strategy, you can have as many troops as you want and it won’t work. Peacekeeping is an essentially political activity and that’s something I talk a lot about in my book. One of the things often missing in trying to prevent conflict is a smart political strategy. If you don’t have that you are going to fail.” A coherent political strategy is also necessary to protect civilians from the growing number of terrorist groups and regimes around the world. “I’m not sure we always have a political strategy to deal with terrorism,” Guéhenno said. “Counterterrorism isn’t enough. You have to look at the political conditions that lead to terrorism. In Iraq, the specter of Shia militias attacking Sunnis has been a factor in the development of the Islamic State. “In Syria, the barrel bombing by [President Bashar al-] Assad and the lack of international reaction has been a factor in the development of the Islamic State,” he added. Guéhenno rejects the notion that world powers should not engage terrorist groups in dialogue. “Terrorism is a label that covers a broad range of groups,” he said. “There are groups who commit terrorist acts that should be politically engaged, and I think the policy of not talking to a growing number of organizations is mistaken. I don’t think talking is legitimizing. “It’s important to talk to anybody to see whether there is any political avenue possible and then you can peel a number of people out from the terrorist strategies.” But the former U.N. official was quick to note that such discussions should have limits. “Of course, there are groups we cannot and should not even try to make an agreement

with,” he said. “Obviously, the Islamic State is one of them because of the atrocities it commits and the ideology it promotes.” As for the operational challenges, Guéhenno said the U.N.’s experience in Mali, where both al-Qaeda-affiliated militants and local insurgents operate, speaks to the need for experienced, well-trained soldiers. “That kind of asymmetric warfare is very difficult for troops unless they are very well trained and very well equipped,” he said.“It also makes it difficult for the troops to be engaged with the population. A lot of peacekeeping strategy is for the troops to be close to the population. When you are being attacked by suicide bombers, you tend to hunker down in camps with armor and all of that creates distance. It’s a real challenge to traditional peacekeeping, and it’s another reason why it’s important to have highly trained troops taking part in peacekeeping.” A lack of training is not the only factor that could endanger vulnerable populations — sometimes it’s the peacekeepers themselves who pose a threat. We asked Guéhenno about the disturbing pattern of sexual abuse allegations against U.N. peacekeepers in regions where they are purportedly safeguarding civilians. In September, Amnesty International found credible evidence that a U.N. peacekeeper sexually assaulted an adolescent girl during a search of her family’s home in the Central African Republic. Other allegations have also revealed evidence of sexual abuse in the Central African Republic by French peacekeepers, who are accused of luring young boys into oral sex in return for food and money. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has fired the head of the peacekeeping mission in that country and launched two investiga-

tions into the scandal. “It is a disgrace and it is a real problem — and it is now a problem that the U.N. has been trying to tackle for more than 10 years now,” Guéhenno pointed out, noting that a report commissioned by former U.N. SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan recommended “a number of very practical things, including the possibility of adding court martials in the areas of operation where soldiers are suspected of having committed sexual abuse.” “This report really was a milestone but the sad story is that many of its recommendations are not yet implemented,” Guéhenno added, ruefully. “It’s really shocking that the recommendations are still not implemented.” But Guéhenno said he’s learned that reform has to come from within participating armies. It can’t be forced from U.N. Headquarters in New York City. “You are not going to make progress against sexual abuse unless the troops are fully committed to it, and that is not always the case,” Guéhenno said.“The cultural change that needs to happen is in many armies — and they are armies from the developed, as well as developing, world. “Is it a priority to fight sexual abuse in all armies? To be honest, no,” he lamented. “The strength of an army is in its discipline and that is the responsibility of each army. The U.N. has been trying. It has strengthened its investigative capabilities, but unless the command chain of the troops is fully engaged in fighting sexual abuse, it’s very hard to make progress and it becomes a losing battle.”

Michael Coleman (@michaelcoleman) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

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Defense

Terrorism

Gaps in Intelligence Complicate Battle Against Islamic State by Justin Salhani

any people have assigned labels to the Sunni radical group that calls itself the Islamic State, also variously known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh. President Obama is often credited with labeling them the “JV” team of terror, hinting at their minorleague status. Yet Pentagon officials have admitted that the battle against the formidable adversary could take years. The media often portrays the group as somewhere between nefarious terrorist masterminds who use violence to manipulate public perception and masochistic imbeciles who kill everything in their path. Syria is marching into its fifth year of civil war. In the summer of 2014, the Islamic State (IS) burst onto the world stage as they pillaged their way through north Syria into eastern Iraq, most notably taking over the multi-confessional Iraqi city of Mosul. The Islamic State was a reincarnation of alQaeda’s lethal branch in Iraq, which emerged in response to the American-led invasion, but the group’s ambitions flourished when it sent the alNusra Front into Syria near the start of the Syrian war. The two entities would later split and fight each other, as al-Nusra aligned with al-Qaeda and IS expanded into Syria, calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.After declaring the re-establishment of the Islamic Caliphate, they dropped the latter half and simply named themselves the Islamic State. Aside from its formation, not all that much is known about the Islamic State.Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an Islamic religious figure allegedly from Samarra, is the self-proclaimed caliph. But beyond the loosely connected details of his life and a few other prominent leading figures, little is known about the group’s origins, capabilities or appeal. Books and articles written by various journalists and experts conjure the image of a band of radical masterminds able to corrupt their violent and disillusioned underlings. Various investigations show that thousands of Westerners have heeded the call to become foot soldiers in the extremist movement, but the motivations of these newbie jihadists remain muddied. Some have fled disadvantaged homes seeking better lives while supposedly avenging Western subjection of Muslims everywhere. Others came from educated, established backgrounds. They hail from wealthy and poverty-stricken countries alike. Some recruits have memorized the Koran with religious zeal, while many others don’t seem to be well versed in Islam. In addition, there is no concrete number that indicates how many Westerners are fighting on the ground in Syria and Iraq. What is clear, though, is that much like al-Qaeda before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, our knowledge of the self-proclaimed Islamic State is riddled with gaps. “[Our intelligence] is improving substantially compared to where we were a year ago,” Brian

The Washington Diplomat

Photo: DoD / Staff Sgt. Shawn Nickel, U.S. Air Force

Two U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft fly over Iraq after receiving fuel on Oct. 4, 2014. President Obama authorized humanitarian aid deliveries to Iraq as well as targeted airstrikes to protect U.S. personnel from the Islamic State, which controls large tracts of Iraq and Syria.

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[Our intelligence] is improving substantially compared to where we were a year ago…. The thing we’re still lacking is enough human intel coming from inside the movement and an understanding of how it makes decisions or how it decides to take certain actions. — Brian Katulis

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senior fellow at the Center for American Progress

Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who focuses on national security and the Middle East, told The Washington Diplomat. “The thing we’re still lacking is enough human intel coming from inside the movement and an understanding of how it makes decisions or how it decides to take certain actions.” A cross-border incursion into Syria from Iraq earlier this year killed a top financier and organizer behind the Islamic State’s rise and provided more inside information. But a lack of human intelligence in Syria has made it difficult for American intelligence agencies to get a better read on the group.The presence of U.S. troops in Iraq for more than 10 years following the invasion and subsequent occupation helped these agencies develop

useful resources on the ground. The same cannot be said for Syria, where a steady diet of U.S. airstrikes has killed thousands of Islamic State fighters but failed to decapitate the group. Obama has ruled out putting boots on the ground in Syria, further limiting the intelligence that can be gleaned from a chaotic battlefield littered with disparate rebel groups.The tangled web of actors — not to mention the proxy powers supporting them, from Iran and Qatar to Saudi Arabia and Turkey — has confounded outsiders trying to keep up with a conflict that has claimed at least a quarter of a million lives (even firm estimates of Syrian casualties are hard to come by). “We have this general sense that IS feeds off a sense of grievance but beyond that we don’t have a great deal of clarity in anticipating what it might do next,” Katulis said.“It’s still very much mixed to negative in terms of results.We have gaps in understanding their political agenda and how it connects to the population.” The Obama administration has insisted that the campaign against the Islamic State is proceeding according to plan, but critics remain dubious. These gaps in intelligence came into question again when U.S. civilian analysts claimed that Central Command (CENTCOM) was spinning reports favorably to tow the administration’s line that the United States was winning the fight against the Islamic State. “The cancer was within the senior level of the intelligence command,” a defense official told the Daily Beast in a report that said 50 analysts supported a complaint — signed by two senior CENTCOM analysts — over pressure to portray November 2015

terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq as weaker tory — not holding and governing it — is than they really were. the key to success in asymmetric warfare. On that note, analysts have variously Public officials are notoriously loath to admit the shortcomings of any military described the Islamic State as skillful campaign. But one former NATO official, bureaucrats on the one hand and inept writing anonymously in the New York occupiers on the other. Yet contrary to Review of Books this summer, offered a reports that the group’s medieval brand of candid assessment of the failings of the nihilism repels the local populace, the international community to predict the rise Islamic State has managed to carve out and of the Islamic State. Amid this black hole of retain a foothold across vast stretches of intelligence, widely divergent — and con- territory. Is it offering people much-needed tradictory — theories have emerged to law and order, cowering them into submisexplain the group’s successes, yet none sion or tapping into deep-seated religious fully account for its meteoric rise, accord- fervor? The truth is that defeating the Islamic ing to the article “The Mystery of ISIS.” As an example, the author cites the State will be more difficult and complicatbewildering ascension of Abu Musab al- ed than political rhetoric would currently Zarqawi, an obscure Jordanian video store have the public believe. Pledges to deniclerk who became the leader of the Iraqi grate and destroy the Islamic State are as al-Qaeda branch that was a precursor to vague as the West’s understanding of the group. the Islamic State. “You’re not going to destroy them,” “Who then could have imagined that a movement founded by a man from a video Lawrence Korb, a former assistant secretary store in provincial Jordan would tear off a of defense under the Reagan administrathird of the territory of Syria and Iraq, shat- tion, told The Washington Diplomat. “You ter all these historical institutions, and — can contain them and hope their narrative defeating the combined militaries of a will get undermined. You’re not going to dozen of the wealthiest countries on earth kill them all. This is going to go on a long — create a mini empire?” the official wrote, time.” “I see IS more as a symptom of a broader arguing that “rigor, imagination and humiliof free a lack of politicalin legitimacy ty” Although are needed to effort better isunderstand the problem NOTE: every made to assure your ad is of mistakes spelling and and a to sense of the injustice and indignity,” Islamic content State phenomenon. it is ultimately up to the customer make final proof. “The explanations so often given for its Katulis added. Without addressing these issues, hardly any closer to seeing risetwo — the anger of Sunniwill communities, theno cost The first faxed changes be made at to“we the are advertiser, subsequent changes the political defeat of considered IS, and not asapproved. close as logistical by other will be billed support at a rateprovided of $75 per faxedstates alteration. Signed ads are and groups, the movement’s social media we should be on the security front.” campaigns, leadership, its gov- Mark any changes to your ad. Please its check thisitsadtactics, carefully. ernance, its revenue streams, and its ability Justin Salhani (@JustinSalhani) is a contributtens of thousands foreign949-0065 fighting writer for The Washington If the adtoisattract correct sign and fax to:of(301) needs changes Diplomat. ers — fall far short of a convincing theory of the movement’s success.” The Washington Diplomat (301) 933-3552 The author notes that many other insurYour Source for gent groups had far more resources than Approvedthe__________________________________________________________ Islamic State initially did yet ultimately Diplomatic News. Changesfailed ___________________________________________________________ to compete with it.The Islamic State’s www.washdiplomat.com land grab has also bucked conventional ___________________________________________________________________ insurgency wisdom that melting into terri-

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Defense

Asia

Jaded U.S. - China Military Ties Fray in Wake of Recent Tensions by Sean Lyngaas

hinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Washington in September was not short on fanfare, including a 21-gun salute and a state dinner replete with toasts to the world’s most important bilateral relationship. But beneath the pomp lay a longstanding tension between the two militaries that is fueled by allegations of hacking and expansionism in the Pacific. In a recent interview in the Pentagon, a U.S. military official who specializes in China expressed concern that Chinese actions in cyberspace and at sea “are significantly undermining the support within the United States government for aspects of the mil-to-mil relationship.” Some officials across the Defense Department have grown wary of engagement with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to the official, who asked not to be named.“There are positions within all branches that are voicing significant concern over the Chinese activities and calling into question” the utility of engagement, he said. The bilateral military tension has not subsided despite increased engagement between the two militaries in recent years and, observers say, is gnawing away at any goodwill generated by that cooperation. A string of high-profile cyber-attacks against the U.S. government and American businesses that have been blamed on China has increased pressure on Washington to respond more decisively to Chinese cyber-hacking. Beijing’s territorial claims in the South and East China Seas have also ratcheted up tensions and threatened to spark clashes as the U.S. contemplates stepping up naval patrols in response to China’s military buildup in the region. Beijing insists it has sovereignty over the disputed territory, while Washington counters that its military has the right to ensure unfettered navigation in international waters. The disagreement speaks to a larger rift in bilateral relations: Beijing has taken exception to President Obama’s so-called Asia Pivot to reassert America’s presence in the Pacific, calling it a thinly veiled attempt to constrain Beijing’s influence in its own backyard. The administration denies that the purpose of the realignment is to counteract Chinese hegemony, but it also says that Beijing needs to abide by international rules and assume responsibilities that are commensurate with its status as the world’s second-largest economy. Reliable military-to-military channels between the two heavyweights will be indispensable to preventing a dangerous escalation on the high seas. Yet the two powers’ strategic interests are repeatedly trumping the individual efforts of officials to build trust and rapport. Lyle Goldstein, an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, worries that the closeness of cooperation between the two militaries is often dependent on personalities rather than underpinned

The Washington Diplomat

Photo: DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during a 2014 visit to discuss U.S.-China military relations.

“

The two militaries, to some extent, are preparing for each other…. And so how you can conceive of cooperating with a military that you are simultaneously preparing for as an adversary is a huge challenge.

”

— Roy Kamphausen director of the National Bureau of Asian Research Washington Office

by a structural mechanism. Engagement has to go “way beyond” tête-à-têtes, said Goldstein, a researcher with the college’s China Maritime Studies Institute. “To me, you have to think about institutionalizing a very high level of engagement. And I just don’t hear anybody talking in those terms.” While the strength of the bilateral military relationship may not be the sum of its parts, personalities do matter. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who was director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014, described a “great working relationship” with China’s defense attaché in Washington, adding that he occasionally hosted Xu at his home for dinner.“I knew what they were doing and what they were up to, but at the same time, it’s like, get to know each other,” Flynn said. One key personality in the bilateral military rela-

tionship has been U.S.Adm. Jonathan Greenert, who stepped down as chief of naval operations (CNO) in September. Greenert had made better military relations with China one of his priorities. He visited China multiple times in his last year as CNO and conferred regularly with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Wu Shengli. At an event at the Brookings Institution in Washington last year, Greenert said he valued a direct line of communication in the event of a confrontation between the two navies at sea. “To me, that’s how you find out if you can trust someone else,” Greenert said. “How much confidence do you have in them? Are you willing to take more risk in them and how much authority do they have through the chain of command and just how tight is it?” It is perhaps too early to tell whether Greenert’s successor, Adm. John Richardson, will pursue closer military ties with the same vigor. His office did not grant an interview request from The Diplomat.

Forbidden Communication The Air Force in August issued updated guidance to personnel reminding them of the importance of, and limits on, contacts with the PLA. “With the rise of [China’s] influence in the international community and the increasing capabilities of the Chinese military,” the mil-to-mil relationship “is becoming more crucial than before,” the directive states. The guidance listed a dozen topical areas in which Air Force personnel are forbidden from communicating with the PLA, including operations related to nuclear weapons, surveillance and reconnaissance, joint war-fighting and space. These no-go zones are not new — they are forbidden by the fiscal 2000 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). When asked if the Pentagon has considered askNovember 2015

ing Congress to ease some of those restrictions, the U.S. military official who specializes in China said,“It is not something that’s being considered.” “The fact that we have restrictions on what we … will and will not do with the Chinese shouldn’t surprise anybody,” the official added. “It surprises the Chinese and they raise it constantly to us as an obstacle to better mil-to-mil and they see it as somewhat discriminatory against China.” The official dismissed that grievance. “We reject that outright because, first of all, we would say if we were to take any of those issues from NDAA and … ask the Chinese to brief us on those and give us access to those aspects of the Chinese military, they’d balk.” The office of China’s defense attaché in Washington could not be reached for comment, and the Chinese Embassy here did not respond to an interview request. Chinese scholar Jin Canrong has noted progress in some areas of cooperation between the two militaries. In an article published in the May/June 2015 issue of the Contemporary International Relations journal, Jin, a professor at Renmin University of China, and co-author Wang Bo praised China’s 2014 participation in RIMPAC, a multinational military exercise held in and around the Hawaiian islands. That the U.S. invited China to participate in the exercise, and the latter accepted, was a “remarkable event in the history of Sino-U.S. military relations,” wrote Jin and Wang, adding that “both sides demonstrated interaction that was transparent and well-meaning.” Yet Jin and Wang also detected an inertia in the bilateral military relationship. “Sino-U.S. military diplomacy lasted for many years with little substantial progress or change,” the pair wrote.“The U.S. has not wanted China to learn how to enhance its military capabilities through participation in military exercises because of the implied threat to U.S. security.” Increased engagement did not necessarily engender increased trust, they said. “Past exchanges, although extensive, have not resulted in trust being a priority. The severe mistrust is becoming more obvious and destructive and, of late, is intensified by any attitude or action.” Washington’s reluctance to share its military capabilities with Beijing stems in part from evidence that China’s state-owned firms have benefitted from the theft of U.S. intellectual property.The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on the Chinese military accused China of using “illicit approaches that violate U.S. laws and export controls to obtain key national security and export restricted technologies.”

Opportune Disasters Scholars of the Sino-American military relationship say there are some potential areas where the two sides could build trust. One possibility is a multinational anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden to which China has contributed ships. But the Chinese have tended to view that operation as a U.S.-led effort and, as a result, have not embraced its command structure, according to Roy Kamphausen, who heads the National Bureau of Asian Research’s Washington office. The anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden held promise because it was outside of the Pacific, where there are “less political constraints” on bilateral military engagement, according to the anonymous U.S. military official, who chafed at what he saw as a common theme in China’s military response to international crises: “They insist on working completely bilaterally with the host nation.” Such was the case in China’s response to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the outbreak of Ebola, and the devastating typhoon in the Philippines and earthquake in Nepal, the official said. Goldstein, the Naval War College professor, sees the Ebola crisis as a missed opportunity November 2015

Photo: DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, right, performs a march in review with Chinese Minister of Defense Chang Wanquan at an honors ceremony in Beijing on April 8, 2014.

for the U.S. and Chinese militaries to work together because, he said, there are few individual militaries in the world with the ability to respond on the scale and speed that the crisis demanded. The two militaries have complementary capabilities in lift and logistics, agreed Kamphausen, who said that the best hope for building bilateral cooperation was to pursue “strategic engagement on disaster response.” What the U.S. military official sees as the PLA’s intransigence, the Chinese may see as an insistence that they be treated as equals in the relationship, according to scholars Jin and Wang. “It is impossible for the U.S. to hold intensive communication and dialogue with China over military matters unless it treats China as an equal,” they wrote.

Guarded Optimism Despite all of the real or perceived stumbling blocks on the path to closer U.S.-China military ties, there have been positive signs for advocates of greater engagement. The two armies in June opened a new channel for discussing areas of mutual concern like humanitarian assistance. The Armyto-Army Dialogue Mechanism framework is particularly important to the Chinese “because the PLA is still a heavily ground force-dominated, army-dominated joint force,” said Kamphausen, a former Army officer who served as a U.S. military attaché in Beijing. President Xi’s visit to Washington more or less coincided with two additional agreements on bilateral military engagement. The two militaries on Sept. 18 agreed to annexes on military crisis notifications and on rules of behavior for air-to-air encounters, according to Col. Wu Qian, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense. “The signing of these two annexes marks new progress in the establishment of the two confidence-building mechanisms,” Wu said at a Sept. 24 press conference. The annexes are meant to head off incidents like the one that occurred in August 2014, when a Chinese jet flew within approximately 30 feet of a U.S. Navy surveillance plane in international airspace, 135 miles east of Hainan island. The annexes are part of a broader Military Maritime Consultative Agreement that Washington and Beijing began in 1998. Completing confidence-building measures for air and maritime behavior are “a net good as far as risk reduction and managing the operational risk to our folks in the field,” the U.S. military official said. Yet all of the dialogue in the world does not change the simple fact that the American and Chinese militaries reflect the views of their respective governments — one of an incumbent world power and the other of an ascendant world power. “The two militaries, to some extent, are preparing for each other, and that’s in multiple domains,” Kamphausen said. “And so how you can conceive of cooperating with a military that you are simultaneously preparing for as an adversary is a huge challenge.”

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Sean Lyngaas (@snlyngaas) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

The Washington Diplomat Page 9

Economics

Europe

Plenty of Blame to Go Around For Greece’s Economic Drama by Anna Gawel

here are two competing narratives about the Greek financial crisis. The first line of thinking accuses Greeks of being lazy workers and lousy money managers, having essentially brought financial ruin on themselves. The other theory blames Greece’s creditors, who have profited from the country’s spectacular downfall and imposed austerity measures that have kept the economy underwater while rescuing the risky lenders who sank it in the first place.

So, how to reconcile two such divergent strands of thinking? As in any rhetorical tug of war, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. “Who’s right? Well, both sides are right and that’s why there are dual narratives because it’s a glass-halffull, glass-half-empty [scenario],” said Sebastian Mallaby, a senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. “You can point the finger at both sides because both sides have made mistakes.” After joining the eurozone in 2001, Greece gorged on low interest rates and easy credit, embarking on a spending spree that German, French and U.S. banks eagerly financed.The bottom began to fall out in 2009 when it became clear to investors that Greece had hidden the extent of its debts and had failed to restructure its woefully inefficient economy. The subsequent crash’s cascading effects ravaged the Greek economy and threatened to shatter over 60 years of European unity. So the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — collectively known as the “troika” — stepped in to prevent a debt default and a “Grexit” from the 19-member eurozone, fearing the contagion could spread to other weak economies such as Spain and Italy (and, in the process, drain the French and German banks who held Greek debt). In 2010, the troika extended a lifeline to Greece — the first of three rescue packages that now total over $350 billion.The bulk of these bailouts go to pay off Greece’s existing debt, the majority of which is now owned by the troika. In other words, the creditors are essentially paying themselves back, not chipping in to rebuild the Greek economy. But the hope is that if Greece can adopt long-overdue structural reforms, it can begin to regain competitiveness and win back investor confidence. In the meantime, the troika has injected Greek banks with badly needed liquidity and propped up the country’s ailing economy. But the bailouts came at a steep price for Greece, which has endured severe punishment for its profligacy. Over the last six years, as investment fled the country and the government had no choice but to impose a slew of harsh austerity measures, the economy contracted by over 25 percent while unemployment tripled. One out of every four Greeks is now jobless (while youth unemployment stands at over 50 percent). Meanwhile, suicide rates and drug use have

The Washington Diplomat

Photo: © European Union 2015 - European Parliament

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras listens as officials discuss his country’s economic crisis at a July 8 plenary of the European Parliament. Some MEPs criticized him for his lack of concrete proposals, others praised him for standing up to German-prescribed austerity measures, while others still urged him to take his country out of the eurozone.

“

Who’s right? Well, both sides are right and that’s why there are dual narratives because it’s a glass-half-full, glass-half-empty [scenario]…. You can point the finger at both sides because both sides have made mistakes. — Sebastian Mallaby senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations

”

soared and standards of living have tumbled. The austerity-centered prescription of spending cuts and tax hikes championed by Germany has stymied growth and exacerbated Greece’s chronic economic malaise, pushing a steady diet of shock therapylike reforms that may improve the country’s competitiveness in the long run, but have done little to alleviate its immediate pain. While Greece’s suffering is very real, so are the homegrown problems that fueled it — among them, bloated public spending, inefficient state-run monopolies, cooked books, rampant tax evasion and endemic corruption. That’s why Mallaby says there’s plenty of blame to go around for the debacle: creditors for lending “foolishly” during the heady days of euro integration; Greeks for “flat out lying” about how shoddy their finances were; Germans for imposing an austerity approach that has radicalized Greek politics; and the

anti-establishment Syriza party that promised to lift the country out of its misery, only to bring it to its knees — and to heel — after a dramatic summer showdown. Meg Lundsager, a public policy fellow at the Wilson Center who focuses on economic, financial and regulatory issues, agrees that culpability lies on both sides of the divide: Greece for splurging once it joined the eurozone in 2001, and Europe for letting it in — and then looking the other way. “I think the consensus now is, ‘Oh they weren’t really ready,’” Lundsager told The Diplomat, echoing the widely held view that it was a mistake to allow Greeks into the exclusive currency club. Lundsager said that once they joined, however, everyone — not just Athens — took advantage of the good times that followed. “[A]nd that’s where I think the fault comes on both sides,” she said. “Once you’re in, what happened to interest rates? They plummeted. What a great time for all the members. Maybe they weren’t as low as Germany’s, but for all of them, they benefitted tremendously from that unity and then went on a bit of a borrowing binge.” Mallaby said that foreign banks were “clearly excessive and no prudent lender should have extended so much credit,” noting that many private-sector lenders had to eat losses on those loans. “On the other hand it’s also true that the Greeks have behaved with astonishing irresponsibility,” he added, pointing out that the Greek government was running “insane budget deficits” long before it adopted any austerity measures. “They were irresponsible before the crisis and they’ve been irresponsible since the crisis because of the pattern of pretending to [enact] reforms and then not delivering on them.” November 2015

Convoluted Saga Those days may finally be coming to an end. Since 2009, Greece has cycled through six different governments, three of which have collapsed in the face of widespread public discontent. The latest incarnation of Greek anger is Alexis Tsipras, the charismatic young prime minister elected in January on an anti-austerity platform. Over the summer, Tsipras engaged in a dangerous game of brinkmanship with Greece’s creditors in a bid to secure debt relief for his beleaguered citizens. But Europe called Tsipras’s bluff and he blinked — big time. After weeks of contentious and chaotic negotiations,Athens missed a critical debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund and had to institute capital controls to prevent a run on Greek banks. Seeking leverage in his talks with the troika, Tsipras called a last-minute referendum on the terms of a future bailout in July.The move backfired. Even though Greeks overwhelmingly voted to reject the tough conditions imposed by creditors, European Union officials — fed up with Tsipras’s erratic tactics — shrugged off the results. With his government teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, Tsipras was forced to concede defeat and accept a three-year bailout worth up to 86 billion euro (on top of two previous bailouts totaling 240 billion euro since 2010). In return, Greece had to swallow a raft of punishing reforms such as pension cuts, tax increases, a privatization overhaul and intense outside monitoring. Creditors have been demanding the unpopular measures for years, among them: raising the retirement age, dismantling labor protections, slashing pension benefits, increasing VAT and consumption taxes, and selling off state assets to create a 50 billion euro fund, the bulk of which would go to pay off debts. Tsipras and his left-wing Syriza party didn’t get much for their surrender — just a vague promise that creditors would revisit the country’s staggering debt burden, which now stands at 177 percent of GDP, and might relax certain loan terms, but not grant Greece the outright debt write-down it wants. It was a humiliating about-face. Not only did Tsipras have to embrace the very policies he was elected to oppose, he had to stomach concessions that were worse than what was on the table before his hastily called referendum. The fiery populist admitted it was a “hard deal” that will lead to recession, saying he had no choice but to capitulate in order to keep Greece inside the common currency. To bolster his mandate, the prime minister then called a snap election in September, winning by an unexpectedly comfortable margin. Now shorn of the far-left fringe in his own party, Tsipras is free to build an amenable coalition that guarantees passage of the reforms demanded under the so-called European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the vehicle through which Greece gets its bailout. In the meantime, Europe will be watching to see if Greece makes headway on thorny economic challenges such as revamping pensions and stabilizing banks ahead of a major ESM review in mid-November.Tsipras hopes to eventually restructure the country’s debt load, but the troika has said it will not consider any relief until the review is completed.

Berlin vs. Athens Moving forward, Mallaby said Greece and Germany, which for all intents and purposes represents the creditors, need to be realistic and flexible — traits that have been sorely lacking on both sides in recent years. “[T]he blame could fairly be ascribed to one party over another and that responsibility has varied over time,” said Mallaby, who has written for the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and New York Times. “I do think that this year has been a period when the fault was much more on the Greek side because they’ve gone through November 2015

Photo: © European Union 2015 - European Parliament

Greece’s financial meltdown was the subject of a hotly debated plenary of the European Parliament on July 8, shortly before Athens caved on most of its creditors’ demands in return for a third bailout worth up to 86 billion euro.

this period of wild gyrations of Tsipras changing directions every few weeks. When he was first elected, his first moves were basically to not reform, but undo reform.” Tsipras, he noted,“was elected on a mandate of saying no to austerity, but the mandate also said that he would say yes to the euro. And that’s why zigzagged thereafter because the two parts of the mandate were directly contradictory. Saying no to austerity meant undoing the reforms, but saying yes to the euro meant sustaining the reforms.” Even so, Mallaby added,“Germany refused to recognize that demanding too much austerity would push Greek politics into a radicalized posture and would lead to the election of Syriza and Tsipras. A lot of people at the time said, ‘Look, these guys have crashing GDP, unemployment at 25 percent, youth unemployment much higher than that and there’s only so much austerity a country can take, and if you don’t cut them more slack and allow them to adjust toward stability in a more gentle fashion, there will be a political upheaval’ — and that’s exactly what happened. “The Germans were deaf to that,” Mallaby argued,“so I think they were culpable last year, they reaped the whirlwind this year, and the whirlwind was Tsipras and he indeed was as radical and as irresponsible as people expected given Germany’s policies before.” In particular, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble drew criticism for suggesting that Greece might be better off leaving the euro — a sign that Berlin was more interested in coercion than compromise in its effort to make an example out of Greece. German taxpayers generally supported Chancellor Angela Merkel for taking a hard line in the negotiations. But Tsipras’s camp accused Berlin of taking Greece hostage without considering the human repercussions of its unyielding stance — or the economic data showing that austerity alone, without any concomitant stimulus or debt write-off, perpetuates a vicious cycle of recession. Between the seemingly dismissive signals coming out of Berlin and the schizophrenic negotiating strategy employed by Athens, trust between both governments quickly eroded. Despite the lingering bad blood, Mallaby said the Germans “dodged a bullet” by keeping Greece in the eurozone — on their terms — and that their position may soften in the future. At the same time, he warned, the underlying economic principles that drove Germany’s response are unlikely to budge — and run counter to the prevailing wisdom in Washington that the way to climb out of recessions is to ratchet up spending, pump easy money into the system and take bad debts of banks’ bal-

ance sheets. But that type of monetary stimulus is antithetical to the German intellectual tradition, which puts “more emphasis on rules, on stability of law, not messing around with debt contracts,” Mallaby said,“and that’s why they don’t want to restructure debt, they don’t want to do funny tricks…. It’s a much less improvisational and much more disciplined approach to policy.” Some economists, however, have pointed out that by racking up large trade surpluses, spendthrift Germans accumulate excessive savings and inadvertently contribute to the EU’s anemic growth because their savings are then used to finance other countries’ trade deficits.

But Lundsager praised the Germans’ insistence on fiscal discipline, saying it stood in sharp contrast to the EU’s lax data collection and fiscal enforcement. She said that while euro candidate countries adopt stringent standards to enter the currency club, once they’re in, the EU tends to let its guard down. For example, she pointed out that the bloc often turns a blind eye when France and even Germany don’t hit the agreed-upon threshold to keep deficits at 3 percent of GDP. “If the two big guys can’t do it, it’s very difficult to enforce it with the smaller countries,” said Lundsager, a former U.S. executive director on the IMF Executive Board.“And the Europeans have not been effective enforcers so that’s why I believe they do share the blame.” “With that said, I think Germany deserves a lot of credit for being so focused on holding Europe together,” Lundsager added, though she conceded that “frankly, I think it would’ve been nice if Europe could’ve done an outright haircut as a signal to incentivize the Greeks on their economic reforms and performance, but that just wasn’t in the cards.The Germans were not going to accept that.”

Deconstructing the Debt The troika has ruled out a face-value writeoff of Greece’s debts, fearing it could trigger a Pandora’s box if other heavily indebted governments such as Spain and Portugal demand the same treatment. Mallaby pointed out that while public-sector lenders haven’t deducted any principal from Greece’s loans, “the terms on which it’s repaid have been greatly relaxed so that they can pay it back at lower interest rates, over a much longer period, which basically is the same as reducing what is going to be repaid.”

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Continued from previous page Lundsager said Europe refused to consider an outright haircut or direct transfers to Greece, like United States did during its recent recession, when the federal government provided grants to tide state and local governments through the lean years. That left it with a third option: offer low interest rates and much longer maturities and grace periods, which make Greek debt relatively manageable — for now. “So for the next [20 to 30 years], payments are still going to be very low, on interest and principle,” she said. The challenge, according to Lundsager, will be maintaining investor confidence once those grace periods expire — specifically the confidence to know that tax rates won’t abruptly change and profits won’t be confiscated because the Greeks have to pay off outstanding debts that have come due. Yet enacting the structural changes needed to restore that confidence will take time — and a seismic shift in how Greeks view the role of the public versus private sector. Indeed, the recent bargain struck in Brussels seeks no less than to upend a deeply ingrained culture of dependency on the government, which Lundsager says is paradoxically seen as both caretaker and adversary. “People love the government; they hate the government,” she said. “On the one hand, they love the security it affords. Parents say, ‘Well, my son’s going to get a job in government, and it’ll be a lifetime job and he’ll have a nice pension, and he can retire at 55.’ Well, all that’s changing now. On the other hand, they all hate the government because the government can be very fickle, very uneven in terms of how they impose taxes and fees, [and] it drives the private sector nuts.” Lundsager, who visited Greece in August, said a sense of “resignation” has crept in among an austerityweary public, as evidenced by the lackluster voter turnout that ushered Syriza back to power. After years of belt-tightening, Greeks seemed to have begrudgingly accepted their lot. That could change, of course, once protected groups such as labor unions and farmers feel the pinch of reforms. On that note, Lundsager was dismayed that Tsipras didn’t capitalize on his re-election victory to fundamentally reset the debate — framing austerity not as something Greeks are being forced to do, but as something they should do. “I still haven’t heard Tsipras say,‘But we need to do this for ourselves, to help enliven our economy and create jobs for our young people.’” Yet the prime minister, while having consolidated power, still faces deeply entrenched skepticism in his own party, and among his constituents, that austerity is the best path forward. And if Greece’s political leaders and business oligarchs aren’t fully committed to instituting reform, Lundsager doubts the grassroots-level bureaucrats charged with executing those reforms will be motivated

Photo: © European Union 2015 - European Parliament

Above, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras greets officials at a July European Parliament plenary; at right, he shakes hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

to break old habits and carry out the changes. The sheer enormity of those changes — and the top-to-bottom approach it requires — is why she believes the devil of the latest rescue package will be in implementing the details. “This program is so ambitious,” Lundsager said. “And that makes it very tough — a lot of fiscal reforms, changes that are going to be fundamental to how people do business, how they pay taxes, how they engage with the government. “But a lot of these changes, while they’re good for long-run sustainability — making the economy more flexible, getting people to understand the government is not going to be the main source of jobs; the private sector will be — all that really takes time to work.”

Immediate Relief So what can be done in the meantime to boost jobs and show the disillusioned Greek populace some tangible benefits? Mallaby and Lundsager say rebuilding investor confidence is key. “It would be really helpful to get some high-profile investment commitments to Greece,” Lundsager said, noting that the European Commission has been exploring ways to accelerate investment in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, transport and other “visible job-creating projects.” “That’s the problem…. Right now Greece is not going to be a big manufacturing hub. It’s not going to have a bunch of automobile plants or rebuilding jet engines there. Other countries in Europe do that sort of thing very well.What Greece has is a wonderful location. It can be a huge transport corridor,” she said, noting that there’s been talk of a German company taking over a string of Greek regional airports as part of the first wave of privatization under the recent bailout.

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Photo: © European Union 2015 - European Council

“Between transportation, agriculture and tourism — there’s huge potential to develop all those further. I would hope European investors would want to do that, but you can’t tell the private sector where to invest.” Mallaby said investment might trickle back in now that the election is over and the dust has settled. “[Y]ou get a return of confidence because the craziness of Syriza has calmed down and there’s a sense that stability is returning. The real tragedy of the first half of this year was that actually in late 2014, the Greek economy was showing modest signs of stability and even slight growth,” he told us. “There was so little confidence in the first half of 2015 that you can recover from the very low base.” Yet Greece cannot rely on the one tool that countries like the United States fall back on in hard fiscal times:They devalue their currency to make their exports cheaper and regain competitiveness. The fact that different nations with widely divergent tax-and-spending policies share a single currency has long been considered the Achilles’ heel of the eurozone project. Despite this limitation, Mallaby said Greece can cushion the fall by employing two specific mechanisms. “One is that although their currency cannot devalue because it’s a shared currency, they can have a socalled internal devaluation whereby it adjusts in a real sense, not in a nominal sense. So basically what hap-

pens is that Greek wages fall and Greek prices fall, and so the cost of producing things goes down.Without the exchange rate moving, you get a gain of competitiveness compared to other members of the euro currency area.” While depressed wages aggravate an already-dismal employment picture, Mallaby says the silver lining is that they also attract investment. “If there’s unemployment in Arkansas, wages in Arkansas will tend to stagnate and land will be cheap, and then some businesses will notice that and set up a factory in Arkansas to take advantage of their production costs, and Arkansas’s exports to New York state will go up. And so this is a normal adjustment mechanism which can apply to the Greeks as well. “There’s also the question of the external environment,” he added, “so things can happen outside Greece that help Greece if you’re lucky.They may not, but those things include stronger growth in the countries that Greece normally exports to…. Unfortunately that’s not happening, but it’s possible that it can happen. “What is happening right now is that the euro as a whole is falling against the dollar, and that of course helps Greece export to non-eurozone countries, whether it’s the U.S. or Britain or the Middle East or whatever. They have a competitiveness advantage.They can’t devalue within the eurozone but they can devalue against the rest of the world.”

Exhaustion Seeps In World events, however, have conspired to put Greece on the backburner. The migrant crisis spilling onto Europe’s shores has both sidelined Greece and compounded its misery. Ill-equipped to handle an influx of refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq and other war-torn nations, Greece’s cash-strapped government has nevertheless been forced to absorb a record 400,000 migrants in 2015. Tsipras has warned that the crisis could derail hopes for economic reform. Even if the government manages to pass the slate of laws the troika demands by year’s end, once the measures begin to bite, a fresh

round of protests and upheaval could grip the country. For now, however, it appears that everyone wants a breather from the six-year roller-coaster ride of economic turmoil. Lundsager says that with the Greeks exhausted and Europeans distracted, both sides will slog through the next chapter of the Greek drama. “Everybody wants this to work out and move on. There are just too many other challenges in Europe right now — let’s just keep Greece on an even keel.” She found it striking that Tsipras, when he reluctantly accepted the third bailout, admitted that Greece would have needed to embrace reforms, regardless whether it stayed in the eurozone or not.“Finally it got through that even if Greece were to drop out, and the Germans were ready to let them go … they would have to undertake a lot of these reforms. You drop out and you have huge inflation.You’re going to be in a worse mess.” On that note, neither Lundsager nor Mallaby support the doomsday scenario of Greece returning to the drachma, thereby becoming the first country to leave the euro. Such a step is theoretically plausible. A return to the drachma would let Greece devalue its currency, though it wouldn’t reap the benefits for an untold number of years. On the flip side, Europe may survive a Grexit intact. Greece represents less than 2 percent of the eurozone, and since 2010, the EU has erected a firewall to prevent any panic from infecting other members. But leaving the euro would be a step into the unknown, both for Greece and world financial markets. Beyond the inherent uncertainty and potential chaos, nothing guarantees that going back to the drachma could pull Greece out of its economic woes. “A lot of countries succeed at doing this over the years, but that’s because they couple devaluation or a big depreciation with domestic reforms, tightening economic policy and then going through admittedly lean times for a few years before the growth,” said Lundsager, who questions whether Greece’s dysfunctional government could steer it through a devaluation. Mallaby speculated that a return to the drachma isn’t out of the realm of fiscal possibility, but politically it may be a nonstarter. “You could go through an absolutely hellish five years and maybe come out the other end with a flexible currency, but the problem is, it’s all very good to have a flexible currency if you manage it well,” he said. “And there’s not much in Greek economic history to suggest that they would manage it well. If they were the kind of political culture that did manage it properly, they wouldn’t have had the deficit in the first place.”

Anna Gawel is managing editor of The Washington Diplomat.

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November 2015

Diplomacy

Washington, D.C.

From Palestine to Peru, D.C. Embassies Reach Out to Respective Diasporas by Larry Luxner

o say Bryan Lukano is excited about Biogen Kenya would be an understatement. His company collects used cooking oil from hotels and restaurants, converts it into biodiesel and sells it at a steep discount for use in trucks, electric generators or anything with a diesel engine — with the goal of producing a sustainable alternative to traditional fuel.

“There’s an amazing market for this,” the Nairobi businessman told us one recent morning. “I come in, I collect waste vegetable oil from your kitchen, I clean it up and sell it back to you at a price you’ll never find at the pump.” Biogen Kenya’s B100 refined biodiesel sells for the equivalent of 56 cents a liter, compared to 81 cents a liter on the streets of Nairobi. Lukano says his potential market exceeds 330 hotels; at the moment, he’s working with InterContinental, Hilton and PrideInn — and trying to bring more clients aboard. Lukano was one of 35 entrepreneurs exhibiting their products and services at theAfrican Diaspora Marketplace Business Expo. The two-day conference, held in Silver Spring, Md., was co-sponsored by USAID,Western Union, Deloitte and various other business entities. Not far from Lukano’s booth at the Sept. 15-16 event were Delaware resident Bridget Mbeng, president of Mbeng Adio Mushroom Farm of Cameroon, and Fetlework Tefferi, owner of Brundo Ethiopian Spices in Oakland, Calif. Both women won technical assistance packages and round-trip tickets to Africa courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines, along with companies from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda. In addition, seven African entities — ranging from NextGen Solar of Cape Verde to Nigeria’s First Atlantic Semiconductors and Microelectronics — took home the full award package of $50,000 in venture capital, technical assistance and airfare. Liesl Riddle, an associate professor of international business at the George Washington University, has spent much of her career studying diaspora communities around the world. She helped create the African Diaspora Marketplace (ADM), which first took place in 2010 and again in 2012; last month’s event was billed as ADM III. “This is basically a business plan competition for African Americans and African migrants in the United States to have business partnerships with local companies in sub-Sahara Africa,” said Riddle, noting that this year’s 35 finalists were chosen from among more than 400 applicants. “These businesses provide a variety of development benefits including employment, technology transfer and empowerment.” Twelve African ambassadors attended this year’s event, a prelude to Global Diaspora Week 2015 in October. At the Oct. 9 opening of that event, Secretary of State John Kerry pointed out that “we live in a world where the number of people living outside their country of origin has nearly tripled to more than 230 million. The November 2015

Photo: Larry Luxner

Bridget Mbeng, president of Mbeng Adio Mushroom Farm of Cameroon, displays her company’s mushroom-based products Sept. 16 at the African Diaspora Marketplace Business Expo in Silver Spring, Md.

“

[W]e live in a world where the number of people living outside their country of origin has nearly tripled to more than 230 million. The United States has the largest number of diaspora members of any country; more than 60 million Americans are first or second-generation immigrants. — John Kerry U.S. Secretary of State

”

United States has the largest number of diaspora members of any country; more than 60 million Americans are first or second-generation immigrants.” Kerry said that these diaspora communities are often the first to respond to major crises, whether a natural disaster or terrorist attack. He noted that Filipinos in the U.S. mobilized after the destruction of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, while West African communities rallied in the wake of the Ebola outbreak last year. “When you look down the list of challenges that we face … from natural disasters to promoting economic growth to the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, one thing is absolutely clear: Diaspora communities are helping to meet each and every one of those challenges,” he said. “Immigrants built America. And immigrants continue to make America what it is today.” Recognizing that immigrants who still have strong

sentimental and family ties with their countries of origin can be agents of development and investment, about a dozen countries have created entire ministries of diaspora affairs since 1995. “The possible size of diasporas varies, from under 50,000 from the Caribbean nation of Dominica to over 30 million from China,” according to an article on the website of the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute (MPI).“The number of countries with diaspora institutions has increased especially in the last 10 years, and they span multiple continents.” In 2004, India established the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to deal with the nearly 10 million Indians who live outside the motherland. Likewise, Bangladesh has set up a Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment to assist the 4.9 million Bengalis residing abroad. In a similar vein, Peru’s Undersecretary for Peruvians Abroad — a unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — assists with consular paperwork and documentation, and offers legal and humanitarian assistance, according to MPI. It has also published a “Guide for the Peruvian Migrant” that discusses key issues encountered in host countries. El Salvador, which has some 2.5 million of its people living in the United States (out of a population of about 6.3 million), established a Vice Ministry for Salvadorans Abroad in 2004. Some of the nation’s biggest communities of salvadoreños are concentrated in the D.C. metro area. More than 25 percent of the 16,200 residents of suburban Langley Park, Md., are from El Salvador, followed by Seven Corners, Va., and Adelphi, Md. As with Peru, the ministry’s mission is to defend the rights of migrant workers, improve their opportunities and safe-

Continued on next page The Washington Diplomat Page 13

Continued from previous page guard their interests. Riddle said that in Africa’s case, some immigrants go back and live there, while others run their businesses from the United States, making only periodic trips to Africa. “The U.S. has seen a real upsurge in African migrants of late, particularly in main gateway cities, so it’s easier to reach them as diaspora communities in order to mobilize them,” said the George Washington professor.“The diaspora businesses can be some of our best information brokers in helping American businesses enter these markets. When it comes to distribution channels and forging relationships, it’s very important to utilize this insider diaspora knowledge.” That knowledge, in turn, can be used to break down business barriers — the impetus behind the African Diaspora Marketplace Expo. “I’ve done surveys of all the participants who have applied since 2009, and the number-one perceived obstacle to diaspora investment [in Africa] is government bureaucracy and red tape,” Riddle said. “It’s a concern of doing business in any country, but this is by far more of an obstacle than corruption or access to energy. In fact, corruption does not even hit the top five, because the truth of the matter is, corruption is a known quantity. But it’s uncertainty that adds to the cost of doing business in a volatile way — not knowing how long something is going to take.” Barbara Span is vice president of global public affairs at Western Union, which operates in 200 countries and last year completed 255 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worth $85 billion. The financial services company is a leading money transfer provider for millions of people sending remittances to Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. “One of the most important roles of an embassy is to develop investment in, and business for, their country,” said Span. However, embassies aren’t always as responsive as they should be, she said.“We hear from our diaspora that they’d like more contact with their embassies.They need more information and guidance to invest in the country, but it’s often hard to access embassies on that level.” Among the more interesting diaspora communities in the United States is that of the Palestinians, who began streaming to this country in the 1880s as merchants, adventurers and economic immigrants. Predominantly Christian rather than Muslim, this Palestinian exodus picked up steam in the late 1930s and spiked once again after the establishment of Israel in 1948. Subsequent waves of Palestinian immigration followed the Six-Day War of 1967, which resulted in Israel occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as East Jerusalem. That triggered the departure of some 350,000 new refugees, many of which fled to neighboring Jordan. The Palestinian American National Research Project, undertaken at the request of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Delegation in Washington, is aimed at providing a better understanding and analysis of the demography of Palestinian-Americans living in the United States. The project’s author is Randa Serhan, an assistant sociology professor at American University and the director of its Arab World Studies program. Serhan, who studied at the American School of Kuwait,American University of Beirut, Canada’s University of Windsor and New York’s Columbia University, has researched a variety of Middle Eastern topics ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder after Lebanon’s civil war to Palestinian weddings in New Jersey and police surveillance of Arab-Americans. Citing statistics from the Arab American Institute, Serhan said that the U.S. Census Bureau has undercounted Americans of Arab

Photo: PLO Mission

PLO Representative Maen Rashid Areikat, above, speaks to a Palestinian-American diaspora community at a town hall meeting. Fetlework Tefferi, owner of Brundo Ethiopian Spices in Oakland, Calif., below, attends the African Diaspora Marketplace Expo in Silver Spring, Md.

origin by as much as 60 percent. Palestinian-Americans have largely remained invisible, she said, partly because — like all Arabs — they are listed as “white” on census forms and therefore have been numerically impossible to identify. “Secondly, Palestinian-Americans have not formed any enclaves and are widely dispersed across the 50 states, further making their presence less evident,” Serhan said. “Finally, some Palestinian-Americans have consciously decided to maintain a low profile given the designation of the PLO as a terrorist organization until quite recently and the overwhelming support for Israel in public opinion polls.” Interestingly,only 12 percent of all PalestinianAmericans are not U.S. citizens. “Reasons for this include a desire to have a passport and citizenship other than the one they entered the U.S. with, and to benefit from the access an American passport secures to the West Bank and other Palestinian areas,” Serhan wrote. The percentage of Palestinian-Americans with college and post-graduate degrees (48 percent) is higher than for the general U.S. population (34 percent); likewise, 6 percent have doctoral degrees, compared to 2 percent for everyone else. In 2010, average household median income for American families of Palestinian origin was $55,950. Maen Rashid Areikat is the PLO’s chief representative in the United States and as such, the closest Palestine has to an ambassador in Washington. “It’s obviously important, for our work here as a de facto embassy, to know how many Palestinians are there, how are they distributed and what their demographic composition is,” he told The Diplomat.“For quite some time, we’ve felt there’s something missing here. We are growing in number, we’re becoming more and more scattered across the United States, and I’ve always wanted to get an idea about the nature of this Palestinian-American community. We’ve managed to turn this idea into a demographic analysis.” More than 60 percent of the world’s estimated 12 million Palestinians live outside the historic borders of pre-1948 Palestine. That includes between 400,000 and 500,000 Palestinians in the United States alone, even though official U.S. Census Bureau figures suggest a number closer to 215,000. The largest communities are in Chicago (home to nearly 70,000), Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Houston and Jacksonville, Fla. “We seek a different type of investment than other diaspora communities, which are fortunate that their countries are sovereign and independent, and that they can invest in the

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Photo: Larry Luxner

economy without having to worry that political instability might undermine their investments,” Areikat explained. “Palestinians in the diaspora send a lot of money back to their families.They also invest in real estate, building family homes even though they live here.” Some do far more than that. Zahi Khouri, a Palestinian Christian businessman who was born in Jaffa, left his Florida home more than 10 years ago and moved to the West Bank, where his company, the Palestinian National Beverage Co., operates Coca-Cola bottling plants in Ramallah, Jericho and Tulkarm. In November 2014, Khouri announced he’d spend $20 million to build the first Coke factory in Gaza with permission from Israeli authorities. That facility will become operational later this year, with the investment ultimately creating 200 direct jobs. “Many investors chose to return after the 1993 Oslo Accords,” said Areikat. “One way or another, they continue to strengthen the Palestinian community.” Like the Palestinian territories, the former Soviet republic of Georgia has a surprisingly large diaspora community. Nina Matiashvili, a top government adviser on diaspora issues, said about 1.5 million Georgians live outside their country, a remarkably high number considering the country’s total population is 4 million. Just under half of all Georgians abroad reside in Russia — with which Georgia fought a brief war in 2008 — while large numbers also live in Greece, Italy and Spain. The United States is home to about 150,000 Georgians, with big communities flourishing in New York,Washington, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta (capital of the other Georgia). Many of these transplants are academics, doctors, engineers and other professionals who, like their brethren in Europe, send money back to the homeland. Some 26 Georgian diaspora organizations are now active throughout the United States. “The Georgian diaspora is one of our country’s key assets, and it has been playing an important role in the social and economic development of Georgia for many years,” said

Matiashvili, noting that last year, Georgians abroad contributed $1.424 billion in remittances — or 12 percent of the country’s total GDP. That’s a lot, but not nearly as much as the figure for other former Soviet republics such as Armenia (26 percent) or Uzbekistan (58 percent). Matiashvili said remittances will likely drop by as much as 20 percent this year due to falling world prices for oil, a mainstay of the Russian economy, and the impact of European Union sanctions on Russia. Albania, which 25 years ago emerged from Marxist isolation and still ranks as one of Europe’s poorest countries, has come to depend heavily on its U.S. diaspora — with key Albanian-American communities in New York and Boston. “That diaspora has different characteristics, with some very old Albanian families having come here 100 years ago, and a newer generation which managed to escape between 1945 and 1990,” said Floreta Luli-Faber,Albania’s new ambassador to the United States.“I’m so happy to see Albanians here in Washington with many great positions and high-level jobs.” Luli-Faber, who spent 15 years as executive director of the Albanian-American Chamber of Commerce in Tirana before coming to Washington, said the embassy is collaborating with Harvard University on a project that specifically looks at how overseas Albanians can help the land they left behind. “We are exploring how far we can take this economic potential,” she said. For years, European countries, large and small, have been doing just that — looking to their diaspora communities in the United States as a source of both pride and potential investment.The Netherlands, for example, has a relationship with the United States that is more than 400 years old. “Dutch history and American history are intertwined and visible in the vast number of Dutch family names and geographical references in America. Names such as Roosevelt, Harlem and Brooklyn harken to the Dutch roots firmly planted here,” said Henne Schuwer, the country’s new ambassador to the United States. He noted that the 4.5 million Americans of Dutch descent represent the largest such diaspora outside of Holland. “We maintain ties with this vibrant community in several ways: through our network of embassy and consulate general offices, and by working with Dutch-American business and education groups like the Netherland-America Foundation and the Netherlands-American Business Council,” Schuwer told us. “On a personal level, we engage with many Dutch cultural groups like DC Dutch. And of course, our social media platforms, website and toll-free information line provide the Dutch living here with immediate information and access to the Dutch government.” In June, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima toured the United States, spending a total of five days in Washington, D.C., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Chicago to get a firsthand look at their distant countrymen. “That visit presented the perfect opportunity to see the Dutch diaspora in full force,” said Schuwer. “In Grand Rapids and Chicago, the royal couple was met by people dressed in a sea of orange, all proud to show their Dutch heritage.”

Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

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November 2015

COVER PROFILE

Ambassador Valeriy Chaly

Ambassador Valeriy Chaly: Ukraine Still in ‘State of War’ by Larry Luxner

aleriy Chaly proudly says he took only one book with him when he arrived here from Kiev as Ukraine’s new ambassador to the United States: “The Complete Book of Presidential Inaugural Speeches from George Washington to Barack Obama.”

Perhaps fitting for a diplomat whose embassy occupies the Georgetown mansion where, in 1791, Gen. Uriah Forrest — a well-connected friend of the first president — invited wealthy Maryland and Virginia property owners to dinner in order to get them to donate land for the nation’s new capital. Exactly two centuries later, on Dec. 1, 1991, an overwhelming 92 percent of Ukrainians voted in a referendum in favor of independence. The next day, Ukraine was globally recognized as an independent nation, and by month’s end, the Soviet Union had officially ceased to exist. “Ukraine struggled for its independence, just as the United States fought for independence in the 18th century,” said Chaly, speaking from the embassy’s ornate Washington Room in his first interview as ambassador with a U.S. media outlet. “The parallels are significant — and you especially feel them sitting in such a historic place.” Yet Ukraine’s struggles are hardly over; in fact, for many of the country’s nearly 45 million inhabitants, they’re only just beginning. According to the United Nations, at least 8,000 people have died and 1.5 million have been made homeless in a war sparked by the early 2014 ouster of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russia’s subsequent annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. Since then, pro-Russian rebels — claiming eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region and encouraged by Russian President Vladimir Putin — have set up the self-styled “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk. Ukrainians haven’t been the war’s only victims. In mid-October, following over a year of painstaking forensic work, Dutch investigators concluded it was a Russian-developed Buk missile that brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 777 as it was flying over eastern Ukraine.The report did not assign blame for the crash, though separatists were known to be launching that type of surface-to-air missile; the report was also critical of Ukraine for failing to close airspace above the conflict zone. Pro-Russian rebels have rejected the Dutch report, while Moscow called on the U.N. to launch its own investigation. The downing of the airliner brought Ukraine’s civil war into sharp relief, but since then tensions have markedly decreased and international attention has shifted elsewhere. A shaky ceasefire reached in Minsk earlier this year is largely holding, although no headway has been made on core issues such as political autonomy, sparking fears that the de facto partition of Ukraine could solidify into a frozen conflict. In the meantime, both sides have endured economic hardship — leading to widespread disillusionment with a revolution that has resulted in problems, not progress. An array of businesses has been forced to close in the east, Ukraine’s industrial heartland, starving Kiev of much-needed revenues. People in rebel-held territory,

November 2015

Photo: Lawrence Ruggeri of Ruggeriphoto.com

“

I was an active participant in this revolution, and I was every day at the Maidan, including when they began killing my friends. So for me, it’s not only words.

”

— Valeriy Chaly, Ukraine to the United States meanwhile, have been largely cut off from government assistance and are now reliant on Russia. As winter sets in, many Ukrainians can barely afford to stay warm. This year, the country’s GDP is expected to shrink by 11.5 percent — largely because of the war, which has eaten up one-fifth of the economy — and earlier this year, Ukrainian supermarkets began rationing cooking oil, flour and sugar after the country’s currency, the hryvnia, was devalued by 70 percent. And although the guns have fallen silent, flare-ups continue and ceasefire violations remain commonplace. “We still have hostages, including our officers still in prison in Russia. We cannot even calculate the final casualty figures,” Chaly said.“We also have more than 1 million IDPs [internally displaced persons]. Most of them are Crimean Tatars, who were simply pushed out of their native territory. It’s a violation of human rights.” Chaly, who presented his White House credentials on Aug. 3, was born and raised in Vinnytsia, a historic city southwest of Kiev that serves as headquarters of Ukraine’s Air Force. Vinnytsia is also the political base for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, a 50-year-old industrialist billionaire who also happens to be a close friend of the ambassador. Chaly, 45, said the two men speak on a daily basis

— sometimes twice or three times a day. In fact, Chaly had just gotten off the phone with Ukraine’s self-made “chocolate king” when The Diplomat arrived at the brick Ukrainian mission on M Street. “Unlike previous ambassadors, I was the chief foreign policy advisor to the president of Ukraine,” he said. “I’ve participated in all the negotiations with Russia and have met Putin many times, in official delegations led by the president of Ukraine and in my position as deputy minister of foreign affairs.” So what does Chaly think of the Russian leader? “My understanding is that Putin changed significantly since 1997, when he was simply the head of a department in a presidential administration at the Kremlin,” Chaly replied.“He sees the breakup of the Soviet Union as a great historical mistake. He wants to try to restore the thinking of the Cold War.” In 2009, the ambassador recalled, “Crimea hosted a meeting of leaders of CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries; Putin was prime minister at the time. I told him,‘Welcome to Ukraine.’ He was surprised, because usually when he came to Crimea, he was welcomed by other words. I was reminding him that Crimea was Ukrainian territory. He only smiled.” The following year, in April 2010, Chaly quit as deputy foreign minister to protest Yanukovych’s policies. He then returned to the Razumkov Centre, a Kiev-based think tank where he had spent three years as deputy director general before joining the government. Now, Chaly’s job is to convince Washington to support his embattled nation. A bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers has urged Obama to offer lethal aid to Ukraine, but the president remains lukewarm to the idea, fearing it could ignite more bloodshed and an arms race with Russia, which has more vested interests in the country than does the United States. Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, the U.N. Security Council’s five permanent members vowed to guarantee Ukraine’s security in return for giving up the

Continued on next page The Washington Diplomat Page 15

Continued from previous page world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal. “Unfortunately, this guarantee did not allow us to respond to Russia’s occupation of Crimea,” Chaly said. “Russia has completely violated and destroyed this agreement.” In September 2014, Poroshenko visited Washington, telling a joint session of Congress that Ukraine needed military equipment — both lethal and non-lethal — to defeat the separatists pulling his country apart. “Blankets and night-vision goggles are important,” he told lawmakers, “but one cannot win a war with blankets.” Chaly, who wrote that speech, said there was ample criticism of the White House back then, “but now we are satisfied with the level of cooperation and bipartisan support from Congress, and from the administration.The situation has changed. We see the United States as our main partner, together with the EU, and we want a common understanding for the future. We thank and appreciate U.S. economic support.” While Chaly has ostensibly changed his tune, John Herbst, who was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, believes Washington could — and should — be doing far more to help Ukraine defend itself. He recently predicted that the Pentagon would begin exporting so-called lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine by late 2016 or early 2017. “Obama should also decide in the near future to visit Kiev on one of his two planned trips to Europe later this year,” said Herbst, director of the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center.“He has yet to visit Ukraine as president, and such a stop would demonstrate that the U.S. will not permit the Kremlin’s aggression to succeed.” Meanwhile, according to Chaly, Ukrainians are looking not only to Washington for help but also to Brussels, despite the eurozone crisis and migrant influx currently plaguing the 28-member European Union. After all, Yanukovych’s moves to back away from further EU integration, believed to be the result of Russian pressure, are what sparked the protests that led to the Maidan revolt and Yanukovych’s overthrow in the first place. “The Ukrainian people have chosen the path of our Western neighbors,” the ambassador said, “and now we are closer to Poland and the Czech Republic than to Russia.” Two years ago, he added, 16 percent of Ukrainians supported NATO membership; now it’s 60 percent, according to a recent poll. Likewise, the proportion of respondents backing Ukraine’s entry into the EU has risen from 50 to 55 percent. “That was one of the preconditions of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity,” Chaly said. “I was an active participant in this revolution, and I was every day at the Maidan, including when they began killing my friends. So for me, it’s not only words.” Yet some experts say that the prospect of Ukraine aligning with Europe — and eventually joining NATO — is precisely what triggered the Russian backlash and precipitated the current crisis. Ukraine — a former Soviet satellite located on Russia’s doorstep — has deep economic, cultural and historical ties to its eastern neighbor. For years, Putin has warned against creeping NATO expansionism in Moscow’s backyard and pulling countries such as Georgia into the West’s orbit. International realists such as Harvard University’s Stephen Walt argue that NATO’s needless encroachment along Russia’s borders, even though the Western security bloc’s raison d’être ceased to exist after the Soviet Union crumbled, exacerbated Moscow’s paranoia. “As the critics warned it would, open-ended NATO expansion has done more to poison relations with Russia than any other single Western policy,” he wrote in a Foreign Policy article titled “Why Arming Kiev Is a Really, Really Bad Idea.” Contrary to conventional wisdom that Putin

Photo: OSCE / Tetiana Medun

Top photo, a monitor with the Organization for Secur ity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) examines the remnants of rubble in Shyrokyne, Ukraine, on July 4. Above, a new police patrol service takes the oath at an official ceremony in Kiev. At right, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during the launch of a NATO-Ukraine military exercise earlier this year.

“is a relentless aggressor who is trying to recreate something akin to the old Soviet empire,” Walt described Russia as “an aging, depopulating, and declining great power trying to cling to whatever international influence it still possesses and preserve a modest sphere of influence near its borders, so that stronger states — and especially the United States — cannot take advantage of its growing vulnerabilities.” Chaly agrees that Russia is a declining power and says that Putin’s aspirations to be a global counterweight to the United States are completely unrealistic. “He wants to be an equal player to the president of the United States. He wants two people at the table, but it’s a crazy idea. Russia’s GDP is that of Texas. Last year it was that of the Netherlands. Apple’s stock is worth more than twice as much as all Russian companies combined. Nobody knows when things will change, but it’s a process that Putin can’t stop.” Asked why Russia’s leader invaded his country in the first place, Chaly thought for a minute. “It could have been another nation, but he simply wanted to demonstrate that in this part of the world, it’s impossible to maintain a tolerant, pluralistic model of democracy,” the ambassador finally replied.“He wants an authoritarian model for this region, and whoever disagrees with him will be under pressure. If and when Ukraine wins the support of the West, it will make a significant impact on all other countries of the region. By helping Ukraine now, you’re helping the Russian people for the future.” Chaly even hinted that regime change in Moscow could eventually return Crimea back

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Photo: NATO

to Ukrainian sovereignty.Two factors make that inevitable, he claims: changes in the Kremlin leadership, and the economic well being of the peninsula’s inhabitants. “If Ukraine proposes the best model for development, they will push out Russian military forces,” he suggested. “It’s a real challenge and a threat to international order, but I believe that Crimea will some day be back in Ukrainian hands. It may be even less difficult with Crimea than with the Donbass, simply because they didn’t kill people in this occupation. It only takes time.” Some might call that fanciful thinking, given the importance of the peninsula to Russia. Crimea, which belonged to the Russian Empire for centuries, was ceded to Ukraine in 1954 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in what many Russians perceive as a historical mistake. The strategic buffer is home to a major Russian naval base and the country’s Black Sea Fleet. Although a March 2014 referendum approving Russia’s annexation was widely denounced as a sham, the majority of Crimea’s population consists of ethnic Russians, whose loyalties lean more toward Moscow than Kiev. As such, Putin has unabashedly defended the land grab as necessary to protect Crimea’s sizeable Russian population. The Russian president has also railed against the removal of his ally, Yanukovych, and the hypocrisy of the West for not labeling his ouster a coup d’état orchestrated by the far-right neoNazi extremists he says hijacked the so-called Maidan Revolution. The one thing Putin has not openly admitted, however, is directly propping up the rebels fighting Kiev, despite widespread evidence to the contrary. In September, two prominent think tanks issued a damning report that accuses Moscow of “directly coordinating and leading the fight to destabilize and disunite Ukraine.”

“An Invasion by Any Other Name: The Kremlin’s Dirty War in Ukraine” is a joint production of the New York-based nonprofit Institute of Modern Russia, which seeks to promote democracy in Russia, and the Interpreter, a daily online magazine run by the institute. The report itself is a painstakingly detailed, blow-by-blow chronology of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, starting with Putin’s March 2014 annexation of Crimea, the May 25 election that brought Poroshenko to power and an attack the very next day against Donetsk’s recently renovated international airport that it said killed at least 30 Russian-backed fighters. “The evidence is so overwhelming, and there is so much of it,” said one of the report’s lead authors, James Miller, managing editor of the Interpreter. “Western journalists watched as Russian military hardware poured over the border.That should have showed us a window into how the Kremlin was attempting to influence Ukraine — at first with a hands-off approach through the now-infamous ‘little green men,’ then ultimately through armored divisions, paratroopers and Russian combat soldiers operating and building bases in Ukraine and across the border.” Myroslava Gongadze, chief of the Voice of America’s Ukrainian-language service, says the report is “clear evidence” of the West’s unwillingness to call what’s happening in Ukraine an invasion. She added that neither the Minsk I nor Minsk II ceasefire accords will stop the fighting permanently — nor is this a “frozen conflict” as some in the U.S. media have been labeling the war. “This will always be a burning conflict, because there are no clear barriers in eastern Ukraine as we see in Georgia with Abkhazia, or in Transnistria,” Gongadze said. “Fighting will escalate again. The only way to solve this is to strengthen reform and support the Ukrainian November 2015

military. Unfortunately, NATO doesn’t have a clear strategic policy toward Russia.” NATO has ramped up military exercises in Ukraine and across the Baltic states in response to stepped-up Russian aggression. But the security bloc is a long way away from admitting Ukraine as a member, given that such a move would represent a direct provocation to NATO’s former Cold War adversary. With or without NATO membership, the ambassador said that Ukraine has dramatically improved its own defense capabilities since then. “We simply did not have military forces last year. We had only 6,000 soldiers and officers ready to fight,” he said.“Now we have one of the most effective and experienced armies in Eastern Europe, with combat experience.” Even so, Chaly added, “Russia used sophisticated new weapons on our territory.We are still losing our people because of landmines, though we have kept the ceasefire.” Yet even if Ukraine manages to make peace with its much larger neighbor, the country’s problems are far from over. Only 3 percent of Ukrainians are satisfied with the pace of reforms, according to a recent poll cited by the Economist, and not a single one of the former officials who ransacked the Ukrainian treasury as Yanukovych fled the country or caused the deaths of Maidan demonstrators in Kiev has ever been brought to justice. Meanwhile, financial assistance from Washington has been anemic, and a $40 billion bailout orchestrated by the International Monetary Fund requires the government to overhaul its outdated economy — reforms that are needed for the long term but will exacerbate Ukraine’s short-term woes. Perhaps the country’s biggest economic challenge will be tackling corruption, which is so endemic that Ukraine ranked 142nd out of 175 countries on the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index — one of the worst-performing of all ex-Soviet republics. Wealthy oligarchs are both a roadblock to reform and an indispensable lifeline, controlling many companies that are crucial to Ukraine’s economy, from processed food to petrochemicals. “The Ukrainian state, like the Russian one, still resembles a giant mafia,” the Economist opined Sept. 26. “It administers the country (reluctantly), but its main purpose is to generate graft and it governs largely by dishing out the proceeds.” The magazine added: “Oligarchs and their political cronies still dominate Ukrainian life. Should the government do too much to fight corruption, the oligarchs may use their private armies to stage a coup. Should the government do too little, angry Maidan veterans might stage one themselves.That could leave Europe with a failed state on its borders contested by rival militias — a European Syria.” Chaly conceded that corruption is a huge problem in his country, offering explanations as to how it became so entrenched.

Ukraine at a Glance National Day: aug. 24, 1991 (from soviet union) Capital: Kiev location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black sea, between Poland, Romania and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east population: 44.4 million (July 2015 estimate) life expectancy: 71.5 years ethnic groups: ukrainian 77.8 percent, russian 17.3 percent, Belarusian .6 percent, Moldovan .5 percent, Crimean tatar .5 percent religions: orthodox, ukrainian orthodox, ukrainian Greek Catholic, roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish GDp (purchasing power parity): $370 billion (2014 estimate) GDp per-capita: $8,700 (2014 estimate) GDp growth: -6.8 percent (2014 estimate) unemployment: 10.5 percent (2014 estimate) population below poverty line: 24.1 percent (2010 estimate) exports: ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs imports: Energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals

“In the 24 years since the Soviet Union’s breakup, Ukraine was an oligarch-led system, with very close ties between politicians and businessmen,” he said.“For the first time in our history, civil society rose up to destroy this system, and now even the president of Ukraine has taken the leadership in reforms.” The ambassador added:“Corruption exists in all countries, but in Ukraine at a very high level — and you can’t simply change this if you don’t reform the judicial and procurement system. These reforms should all be implemented at the same time.” Chaly said one way to fight corruption is to decentralize the country’s system of government, a highly controversial concept whose mere discussion has already led to isolated outbreaks of violence. That’s why, he said, Ukraine wants to follow the Polish model of decentralization.(Ukrainians are scheduled to go to the polls in local elections Oct. 25 in a vote that will be critical to shepherding Poroshenko’s decentralization plan through parliament.) “Decentralization is mostly about local authorities taking responsibility. Before that, 90 percent of the money was coming back to the capital, with bureaucrats there making decisions. That’s a basis for corruption. Now, with the political will of the president of Ukraine, he’s giving not only responsibility but also the mechanism of control to the local level.” One proponent of that approach is Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia, who is now governor of Odessa, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city and a crucial Black Sea port.

Source: CIA World Factbook

Recruited by Poroshenko as part of an anticorruption drive, Saakashvili is attempting to replicate in Odessa the political and economic reforms he pushed through in Georgia from 2004 to 2013. Likewise, another foreigner, Lithuanian economist Aivaras Abromavicius — the new Ukrainian minister of economic development and trade — is trying to adopt a more businesslike model of management, said Chaly. That involves shrinking the ministry from a Sovietstyle bureaucracy to a small, streamlined onestop shop. (Saakashvili and Abromavicius’s appointments have their share of detractors,

however. Saakashvili has been criticized for provoking Russia, stifling dissent and making grandiose promises, while Abromavicius’s nonexistent connections to Ukraine and abysmal track record as an asset money manager have also raised eyebrows.) “One of my priorities as ambassador is to invite investors with strategic thinking to Ukraine,” Chaly said. “Even now in this difficult situation, we have many proposals from U.S. investors for the privatization of state-owned companies,” especially in the areas of information technology and agribusiness. “People understand that we are, in effect, in a state of war. We’ve spent 90 billion hryvnia [more than $4.5 billion] on defense,” the ambassador said. In fact, experts warn that while the world’s attention has shifted to issues such as Iran, Syria and Europe’s migrant crisis, Ukraine remains volatile.Violence could reignite for any number of reasons. Fed up with the glacial pace of change, Ukrainians could rise up again, this time against Poroshenko’s unpopular government. Poroshenko himself could have an incentive to renew the fighting if he fails to turn the economy around. Likewise, Putin could try to drum up domestic support by stirring the pot in Ukraine, following his recent script of launching airstrikes in Syria to divert attention from problems at home. Asked whether he’d ever agree to a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Washington, Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, Chaly did not appear enthused at all. “I’m not sure I’d want to shake his hand, but I’m ready to go on a talk show and defend our position — though definitely not in a private meeting. I’m 100 percent sure on that,” he said, adding quickly: “It’s nothing personal. I had many friends in Russia before the war. But after they attacked my country, things changed.”

Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

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November 2015

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Diplomacy

Events

Diplomat’s Ambassador Insider Series Debuts with Azerbaijan’s Suleymanov by Larry Luxner

zerbaijan took the spotlight Oct. 6 as the focus of The Washington Diplomat’s inaugural Ambassador Insider Series event — a unique chance for locals to interact informally with some of the over 180 men and women who represent their countries here as ambassadors to the United States. Elin Suleymanov, who has served as Azerbaijan’s envoy in Washington since late 2011, answered this reporter’s questions with grace and humor for at least 35 minutes — then took half a dozen questions from the 100 or so people in attendance, which was double the crowd we had originally anticipated. Capitol Hill staffers, think tank officials, journalists and three other Washington-based ambassadors — Kosovo’s Vlora Çitaku, Montenegro’s Srdjan Darmanovic and Nicaragua’s Francisco Campbell — attended the event at Ankara, a newly opened restaurant specializing in Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine located off Dupont Circle. At least one former ambassador, Sri Lanka’s Devinda Subasinghe, was also present, along with representatives from Canada, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland and others. As guests enjoyed traditional meze plates of hummus, baba ganoush and labneh along with lamb and chicken kebab, grilled vegetables and baklava, Suleymanov gave a crash course on his obscure yet energy-rich former Soviet republic in the Caucasus. “Azerbaijan is located in a unique neighborhood,” he explained. “If you look at a map, you’ll see that Azerbaijan is the only country in the world that borders both Russia and Iran. It’s a very diverse place, where Slavic culture meets Persian culture, and where Turks meet Christians. It’s a melting pot, and that’s why we have a Jewish community over 2,500 years old. It’s also the only place in the world where Sunnis and Shiites pray together in the same mosque.” Suleymanov remembered the day back in 1993 when, as a struggling student at the University of Toledo in Ohio, he went to apply for a social security card. The clerk went through a number of questions and then asked the young man if he defined himself racially as Caucasian.

From left, The Washington Diplomat Publisher Victor Shiblie; Ambassador of Azerbaijan Elin Suleymanov; the ambassador’s wife, Lala Abdurahimova; and The Diplomat News Editor Larry Luxner headline the inaugural Ambassador Insider Series discussion at Ankara Restaurant.

From left, Vice President of Communications for the Meridian International Center Monique McSween, Kristin Roach of the Embassy of Iraq and Hussein Hirji of the Embassy of Canada enjoy the cocktail reception prior to the Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

“Americans are amazing,” Suleymanov said with a laugh. “Of course I’m Caucasian, I told him. I’m from the Caucasus!” Asked about his country’s current ties with the United States, Suleymanov said the Washington-Baku relationship is fundamentally that of a strategic partnership. “Azerbaijan was the only country in the Muslim world which fully supported combat boots on the ground in Iraq,” he said. “It was among the very first countries to respond to the tragedy of 9/11, within an hour in fact — and we still have our troops in Afghanistan. I think

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we have a very strong relationship, based on energy, economy, tolerance and multiculturalism. Partnerships require a long-term commitment, and that’s why Azerbaijan has chosen to be a friend of the United States. It was a conscious choice.” One of the most impressive results of that partnership is the Baku-TbilisiCeyhan pipeline, a $3.9 billion project commissioned in 2006 that today pumps 1 million barrels of crude oil a day 1,768 kilometers from the petroleum-rich Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan and Georgia to the southern Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean.

Recently appointed Ambassador of Kosovo Vlora Çitaku, left, and Ambassador of Montenegro Srdjan Darmanovic enjoy a Turkish dinner at Ankara Restaurant as part of the Ambassador Insider Series.

“This pipeline was the first physical connection between a NATO member, Turkey, and the former Soviet Union. It forced Azeris, Turks and Georgians to work together and was a great success,” the ambassador said, noting that U.S. support was crucial in getting the pipeline off the ground. “It began under the Clinton administration and was picked up and strongly supported by the George W. Bush administration.” Yet today, Azerbaijan is feeling the same economic pinch that is squeezing other resource-rich countries. More than 70 percent of its GDP and some 93 percent of its export revenues come from energy, and international prices have

November 2015

tumbled to around $53 per barrel today — down from $110 a barrel only a year ago. This is a serious concern for any oil-dependent nation, but Suleymanov insists Azerbaijan is well prepared to weather the storm. “What did we do when crude prices were high? We beautified our capital city, bought new airplanes and invested in infrastructure — new airports, highways and ports,” he said. “Azerbaijan today has almost a first-world infrastructure, especially around Baku. That’s what we did with the money. We didn’t waste it on meddling in someone else’s affairs.” Suleymanov added: “People like to talk about excess spending, but the overwhelming majority of our finances were invested with a view toward the future, like sponsoring thousands of students to study abroad. All this should help us in the long run.” Meanwhile, said the ambassador, Azerbaijan enjoys excellent relations with Israel, despite the fact that more than 90 percent of its 9.5 million inhabitants profess Islam. “Azerbaijan has never had a trace of anti-Semitism,” he noted proudly.“Why would we? The Jews of Azerbaijan were the champions of Azeri independence. Israel today is an innovative economy, and we’d like to learn a lot of things from them. The only determining factor in our relationships with other countries is whether Azerbaijan benefits from it, and in the case of Israel and the Palestinians, I’m glad we’ve been able to manage this in a non-confrontational way.” During a recent visit to Israel sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, the Azeri ambassador made a side trip to the West Bank and met with Palestinian officials in Ramallah. “The Palestinian leadership asked for our help in building better ties with the Israelis,” he recalled, “but we told them, ‘Look, we have enough of our own problems’ and so we took a pass for the moment.” In fact, one of Azerbaijan’s biggest problems — and longest foreign policy headaches — is its ongoing conflict with Armenia, which began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. That led to outright war in 1992 and Armenian occupation of 20 percent of Azeri territory, including the disputed region of NagornoKarabakh. The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994 that has yet to be implemented, despite ongoing peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). “We talk to each other, but what do these talks produce?” Suleymanov mused. “The agreement is on the table. It’s a matter of political will. Armenia is our neighbor.They shouldn’t be our enemies.” Yet the ambassador said peace cannot happen as long as one-fifth of his country is still under military occupation. “The president of Armenia recently said Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenian. That’s not true,” Suleymanov charged. “Azerbaijan is not a perfect place. No country is. But I’d be ashamed to be pursuing a tribal agenda in the 21st century.” Another flashpoint is neighboring Iran, home to some 25 million ethnic Azeris — more than two and a half times the population of Azerbaijan itself. The secular government of Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, has long presented itself as a beacon of religious tolerance compared to the strident Islamic fundamentalism preached by the ultraconservative ayatollahs in Tehran; it’s no coincidence that three of the world’s hottest pip divas — Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Rihanna — have all performed in Baku. Asked for his take on the recently concluded nuclear deal negotiated by Secretary of State John Kerry and his European counterparts, Suleymanov

Continued on next page November 2015

From left, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Elin Suleymanov joins Larry Luxner and Victor Shiblie of The Washington Diplomat as they kick off the newspaper’s Ambassador Insider Series with an Oct. 6 dinner at Ankara Restaurant.

Ambassador of Nicaragua Francisco Campbell, left, and Mammad Talibov, counselor at the Embassy of Azerbaijan, attend the Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

From left, First Secretary at the Polish Embassy Przemyslaw Nowakowski, Edona Dervisholli and Samira Safarova attend the inaugural Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

From left, embassy liaison Jan Du Plain, CEO of Home Health Connection Shahin Mafi and Hosai Rashid of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center attend the Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

Valerie Poirier of the Foreign Service Institute, left, and former U.S. Deputy Chief of Protocol Lawrence Dunham enjoy the Turkish cuisine at Ankara Restaurant. Allix Wright of Etihad Airways, left, and Danielle Peña of Medtronic attend the Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

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Continued from previous page said it’s complicated. “We do not want to see anybody else get nuclear weapons. We think the commitment to ensuring nonproliferation is a good step forward,” he said.“But unfortunately, we have not been very closely consulted on this issue. There’s an ongoing concern in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey that the agreement may lead to instability [in the form of increased Iranian-sponsored terrorism], which almost offsets the stability produced by the accord.” Before opening up our interview to questions from the audience, we grilled Suleymanov on the stickiest subject of all: persistent allegations that the Aliyev government persecutes journalists who write articles or broadcast reports about official corruption. In particular, we asked him about Khadija Ismayilova, a U.S.-trained investigative reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty who was recently sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, embezzlement and misuse of authority. Ismayilova, 39, had won international praise for her reports linking the Aliyev family to lucrative but shady business deals in the telecommunications, construction, gold mining, hotel, media and airline industries. The State Department condemned her arrest, as did Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists. “Imagine if Fox News was financed by the government of Azerbaijan and spent all its time bashing Barack Obama,” Suleymanov retorted.“Well that’s what Radio Free Europe does. RFE is a propaganda outlet [financed by U.S. taxpayers]. This is not journalism. I don’t mind that, but to present it as an independent media is just unfair.” As to Ismayilova’s specific allegations of official corruption and embezzlement, the ambassador said they’re all without merit. “There has never been any direct, proven evidence of hidden fortunes by Aliyev and his family,” he countered. “The president’s family is not above the law, but not below the law either. Both sons-in-law of President Aliyev are independently wealthy. Is that bad? This is a very Soviet approach. If more and more Azeris are becoming rich, this is a good thing.”

Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

More than 100 people came to Ankara Restaurant for The Washington Diplomat’s Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

A guest asks a question during the Ambassador Insider Series discussion. From left, Embassy of Azerbaijan Counselor Mammad Talibov, former Ambassador of Sri Lanka Devinda Subasinghe, Ambassador of Nicaragua Francisco Campbell and The Washington Diplomat Publisher Victor Shiblie listen to the ambassador of Azerbaijan.

Jennifer Johnston, left, and Stephanie Acks of Entertainment Cruises attend the Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

Philip Jacobs of Celebrity Cruises, left, and Uyen Nguyen of Beasley Real Estate attend the Ambassador Insider Series discussion. Ambassador of Azerbaijan Elin Suleymanov talks about his Central Asian nation at the Ambassador Insider Series discussion.

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November 2015

International Affairs

Europe

Muslims Comwing to Europe, Long Before Migrant Crisis by Karin Zeitvogel

Construction of the Cologne Central Mosque in Germany, designed in an Ottoman architectural style, initially met with some resistance before plans were approved.

n Bill Maher’s “Real Time” TV show on Sept. 11 this year, the conversation turned at one point to the flood of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe, mostly from Syria and Iraq. Maher said that he understands why moderate Muslims are leaving their embattled homes in the Middle East, but questioned if it was right that they should “come to moderate, tolerant Europe to some day make it less moderate and tolerant?” Maher’s guests chimed in to back up his assertion. Linda Chavez, the head of the Center for Equal Opportunity and a former advisor to President Ronald Reagan, said the problem with the huge influx of migrants to Europe is that Europeans (the implication being “white, Christian” Europeans) are not having enough babies while Muslims do have lots of babies. One day, “they” will take over by sheer weight of numbers, was the insinuation. But the offspring of these migrants won’t consider themselves Europeans. They’ll be Muslims to the end, probably living in Muslim ghettos because the Europeans are terrible at assimilating l’étranger. But Muslims in Europe aren’t exactly strangers in a foreign land. In fact, it’s not as if Europe is a new frontier in immigration, Islamic or otherwise. Muslims in Germany, mainly of Turkish origin, have been coming to the country for more than 50 years. Other Muslims in Germany hail from Kosovo, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Morocco.The roughly 3 million foreignborn Muslims in France are largely from the country’s former colonies of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. West Indians and Pakistanis have been settling in the United Kingdom for years. Tatars first arrived in Poland six centuries ago. After centuries in the predominantly Catholic nation, the Tatar community has been largely absorbed into Polish life and culture. Poland has also seen an influx in recent years of asylum seekers from Chechnya.Thousands of Chechens have been given asylum in Poland in the past 10 years. But in a period of 18 months between 2012 and 2013, Poland turned back around 52,000 people along its eastern borders, most of whom were Chechens. They were not turned back because they were Muslim but because of the way the European Union’s asylum laws work — asylum seekers are

November 2015

Photo: ‘DITIB-Zentralmoschee Köln - April 2015-7489’ by © Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Pew Research Center, there were around 13 million Muslim immigrants living in the European Union as of 2010. The Muslim share of the bloc’s population has been steadily growing by about 1 percentage point a decade, rising from 4 percent in 1990 to 6 percent in 2010 and expected to reach 8 percent by 2030. processed in the first country in which they arrive, and Poland was struggling to handle the massive influx. What’s different now is not necessarily the wave of migrants or even Muslims, but the accelerated flow of that wave — unprecedented in scale since the end of World War II. In 2015 to date, Europe saw a 51 percent increase in the share of refugees it was taking in compared to the previous year — the biggest jump of any region in the world. As of early October, more than 550,000 migrants had arrived in Europe from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. Most of the migrants are arriving via southeastern Europe, with their first EU port of call being Greece (399,200 migrants) and Italy (131,400 migrants), from where they want to head north, usually to affluent countries such as Germany or Sweden. According to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Missing Migrants database, more than half the migrants arriving in Greece are from Syria (175,000), a number that is rapidly climbing. Lesser numbers of Afghans, Pakistanis,Albanians, and Iraqis are also arriving. In Italy, Eritreans (around 31,000) make up the single-

largest group of arrivals, followed by half as many Nigerians and then groups of Somalis and Sudanese. IOM says the Mediterranean chokepoint has now become the world’s most dangerous border crossing, recording nearly 3,000 migrants deaths so far this year. While migrants have been steadily using the route to escape persecution and poverty for years, the sharp uptick in migration, along with images of washed-up corpses and cramped refugee camps, has thrust the issue into the global spotlight this summer. The European Union has struggled to overcome its internal divisions to form a coherent, collective response to the crisis spilling on its shores.The unwieldy bureaucracy has always taken a backseat to the divergent national interests of its 28 individual member states, whether it’s on immigration or fiscal matters. The migrant crisis in particular has strained services in front-line, cashstrapped countries such as Greece and Italy. It has also strained relations between governments that, on the one hand, say they are shouldering a disproportionate share of the burden and, on the other, say they have the right to set

Below, a painting shows the Wünsdorf Mosque at the Halbmondlager POW camp, which was Germany’s first mosque, built in 1915 and demolished 10 years later.

Photo: ‘Wünsdorf Mosque’ by Unknown painter

their own immigration policies and cannot accommodate large numbers of migrants, complaining that they have their own economic problems to deal with. The resentment stems in part from the so-called Dublin system, whereby the frontier countries bear all the responsibility for processing and sheltering asylum applicants. The official welcome that migrants receive also varies widely among member states. Germany famously offered to provide sanctuary for 800,000 asylum seekers this year. But the country’s generous refugee policy has come under fire by fellow EU members who blame it for triggering the current spike, offering an

See MusLims, page 53 The Washington Diplomat Page 21

DIGItaL DIPLOmaCy FORUm

Social Media

LinkedIn Disengages From Diplomats in Digital Sphere by Molly McCluskey

“

he saying goes that if you’re not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist.” So began Swiss Ambassador Martin Dahinden’s generous introduction to “LinkedIn for Democracy,” the Digital Diplomacy Coalition’s latest workshop, hosted at his residence.

In the several years since the concept of digital diplomacy first entered the global mainstream, Twitter and, to a lesser extent, Facebook, have dominated the discussion. LinkedIn — the professional networking version of Facebook that began in 2003, a year before Facebook’s launch — has been largely left out of the conversation. And as was reiterated in the “LinkedIn for Diplomacy” workshop, that’s largely for good reason. Despite reportedly having over 350 million users, the platform has become known as the place where people you don’t know endorse you for skills you don’t have. Like many people, I’ve had a LinkedIn profile for more than a decade and have frequently wondered quite what to do with it. I turn to Twitter first for information and sources, and while I’ll occasionally post an article on LinkedIn, I’ve found the platform increasingly cluttered as it attempts to do too many things for too many people. In the past several years, what was once considered to be a business prerequisite seems to have struggled with an identity crisis: Is it a blogging platform, job board, digital contact index or a forum where people turn for news and information? A new inbox design, a new contacts dashboard, which makes it more difficult to actually locate a particular connection, and what appears to be a new search algorithm all make basic functions more difficult — and seem to be taking the website further and further away from relevance. For job seekers, the site no doubt continues to be a valuable resource, but what about diplomats? Chatter before the workshop confirmed my suspicions that many people in the audience of approximately 40 diplomats already had a profile. In some cases, they also managed a public page for their embassy, but these pages sat mostly dormant. Most of the people I spoke with were interested and eager to learn how to make the most of their LinkedIn presence, and begin to use it as a new tool in their digital diplomacy strategies. Unfortunately, they were disappointed. The LinkedIn representative, Amanda Canvasser Goldberg, provided the audience of diplomats and experienced digital practitioners with a beginner’s guide to using the site, including how to create a profile and share a status update. (This, after she had polled the room to determine that most of us did, in fact, already have profiles.) The 30-minute presentation didn’t address diplomacy, foreign governments, embassies or why this experienced audience who had largely ignored LinkedIn should reconsider their strategy. When I asked how diplomats could use LinkedIn specifically for digital diplomacy, she replied,“It’s really how you leverage your own personal profile and your own personal identity on behalf of that network.” Which can be said for any form of communication, anywhere, at any time.

The Washington Diplomat

The Swiss embassy in D.C. recently hosted the workshop “linkedin for Democracy,” organized by the Digital Diplomacy Coalition.

Photos: swiss EMBassY

Despite reportedly having over 350 million users, linkedin has become known as the place where people you don’t know endorse you for skills you don’t have. As someone who takes LinkedIn’s training for journalists each year to earn the complimentary upgrade, I was surprised by the lack of information and that such a basic course would be taught to this particular audience. The journalists’ course, spearheaded by a higherranking member of the training team, includes very specific instruction on tools journalists can use to locate trending topics, find experts, save searches using keywords and follow influencers. A similar presentation, taught by someone who understands the functions of embassies, would have been more appropriate and, perhaps, even vaguely useful. Lovisa Williams, the global digital strategist at the State Department and a board member of the Digital Diplomacy Coalition, asked Goldberg for tips on how embassies could manage their public pages, and how that would differ from the strategies individuals use on their personal profiles. Goldberg responded that users could create multiple accounts using different email addresses.

“No. It wasn’t useful,” Williams later said when asked about the presentation.“It would have been better if we had heard more about how to leverage company pages for the diplomatic mission. Examples of who is doing it well and poorly would also have been useful. The presentation was too general and at the beginner level. We spent too much time on the personal profile.Another area that would have been interesting to hear more about is the blogging and groups feature. Market penetration and demographic info of LinkedIn both domestically and overseas would also have been useful.” While the presentation was an unabashed waste of time, the gathering itself wasn’t. Like most Digital Diplomacy Coalition functions, the audience was comprised of experienced digital practitioners and boasted a mix of new members and regulars, which made for insightful post-event networking. The luncheon also was a farewell to Salome Ramseier, the head of communications at the Embassy of Switzerland, who, after nearly five years in Washington, will be returning to Zurich. Ramseier has been an active member of the Digital Diplomacy Coalition and was instrumental in creating and managing the Swiss Embassy’s digital presence.

Digital Diplomacy Forum is a monthly column by Molly McCluskey on how technology is reshaping 21st-century statecraft. The author is on LinkedIn, but prefers to connect via Twitter (@MollyEMcCluskey).

November 2015

EDUCATION ■ A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

■ November 2015

Photo: Lycée Rochambeau

BON ANNIVERSAIRE Lycée Rochambeau allows students to obtain their U.S. high school diploma at the end of the 11th grade and their French Baccalauréat in 12th grade. After graduation, 60 percent of students pursue their education in the U.S. and Canada.

November 2015

French International School Says Oui to 60 Years of Multicultural Immersion

espite the european union encompassing 24 official

by Sarah alaoui

In the Washington metro area, one school has been produc-

languages and more than 60 different regional or minority

ing fully bilingual — if not multilingual — graduates for decades.

languages, more than 75 percent of its primary school

the Lycée Rochambeau, or French International School, which

students learn english as a foreign language, according to the

started with a dozen students in 1955, is celebrating its 60th

Pew Research center.

anniversary this year and continues to be the go-to for families

In contrast, as of 2008, only 25 percent of elementary schools in the united States even offer another language to students.

EDUCATION

who want their children to receive a French education. Continued on next page

The Washington Diplomat Page23

Continued from previous page Why French, in particular? While many foreign language learners turn to Spanish or, more recently, Mandarin, French is still widely spoken in Europe,Africa and the Caribbean. Moreover, many international organizations cite the language as one of its official tongues, not to mention the United Nations and EU institutions in Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Brussels. Though the idea may be outdated, some also turn to French because it is the language of romanticism and music.There are more practical reasons to say oui to French: money. MIT economist Albert Saiz calculated that the premium for speaking French translates to a 2.3 percent bump in an annual salary. Whatever the reason, people are still pursuing studies of the language, with the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) estimating that the number of French speakers will increase to over 700 million by 2050. For many families, enrolling their children at Rochambeau means preserving a certain continuity with their French or Francophone heritage. Roughly 30 percent of this year’s student body holds French citizenship and 64 percent of the students have nationalities from countries where French is the official language. One parent, Marie-Noelle Hunt, was born in Vietnam but her family immigrated to Paris when she was young and she sees French as her first language. She wanted her children to have the same immersion. Her son is currently in the 11th grade at Rochambeau, and her daughter graduated in 2014. “When they have gone to France during the summer vacations to visit their grandmother and

Photo: Lycée Rochambeau

The Lycée Rochambeau, or French International School, which started with a dozen students in 1955, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and continues to be the go-to for families who want their children to receive a French education.

the family, they have had no problem communicating and fitting in,” said Hunt. Rochambeau Director of Admissions Valerie Meriot-Burn says this kind of continuity helps parents who move in and out of the French school system. Parents don’t have to worry about traveling abroad for a few years, because they can rest assured that their child will receive the proper French equivalent at Rochambeau. Another parent, Sandra Bechan, was born and raised in Chile, while her husband was born and raised in Massachusetts. Their daughter, Amanda Stavisky, started at Rochambeau as a 10-year-old and in 2015 was awarded a full four-year scholarship to study at the University of Maryland’s honors program. For Bechan, choosing French was a way for her daughter to better understand her roots — Bechan’s father was born in Argentina to Belgian and Franco-German parents. “To me, that Amanda has reconnected with the French language and culture is a way of recovering her connection with part of my family roots,” said Bechan. “[Learning French] is very meaningful and deeper than just the intellectual value. There is sentimental value for me, in Amanda’s French-related studies and accomplishments.” Many parents at Rochambeau, however, aren’t French but simply want their children to be exposed to other cultures and languages. One such parent, Patrick Shroads, grew up in Brazil speaking Portuguese. His wife, Amy Shroads, speaks German with family members from Austria, so languages are important to the couple. Neither has a previous connection with the French language, so they have been learning it along with their son, Eli, an 8-year-old at Rochambeau.

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EDUCATION

The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel strongly that Eli should learn about other cultures, other people, other ways of doing things,â&#x20AC;? Amy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fortunate that we can offer him this.â&#x20AC;? While many of these parents may not have a French background, a vast majority is exÂÂposed to different cultures in one way or another. Meriot-Burn said that in the long term, the school would also like to encourage families already living in the area, who may not have much international exposure, to see the benefits that learning a foreign language could have for their kids â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including improved cognitive and problem-solving skills, as well as more job opportunities in an increasingly globalized world. In New York, similar efforts to introduce French to underserved areas are being piloted by the French Embassyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education attachĂŠ, Fabrice Jaumont, to provide access to dual-language programs in areas of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx that are increasingly filled with Francophone speakers. This consistent immersion and worldly exposure help students develop skills that contribute to their success after high school. By offering both a French baccalaureate and a U.S. diploma, the school opens doors in this country and beyond. In 2015, 43 percent of Rochambeau graduates stayed in the United States, while 28 percent went on to pursue opportunities in France. Others were accepted into universities in Britain, Italy and Turkey. This academic flexibility and universality adds to the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appeal and offers students a firsthand experience in a multicultural setting that helps them take the next step in their education. Sarah Curtis, a 2015 Rochambeau graduate who attended the school since age 4, is currently a freshman studying biology in the University of Maryland honors program. Curtis, who was born in the Parisian suburbs but has roots in Guinea, credits her education at Rochambeau with helping her make the

transition to college. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In college, you find yourself befriending a diverse group of people, just like at Rochambeau,â&#x20AC;? Curtis said.â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel very comfortable integrating with different social groups and can feel at ease with a great number of people that I meet. We focused on respect at Rochambeau â&#x20AC;&#x201D; respect of other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultures, opinions, etc.â&#x20AC;? While many schools offer foreign language instruction, the standard model is generally constrained to a limited number of hours per week. Many parents who spoke to The Washington Diplomat lauded Rochambeauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on full immersion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not only in the language itself, but also in the French way of learning and doing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we offer â&#x20AC;Ś is not just an opportunity to acquire a new language; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the opportunity of absorbing a dual culture,â&#x20AC;? said Catherine LĂŠvy, Rochambeauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head of school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our aim is to give our students the best of two worlds: what the French school system does best â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wide-ranging knowledge and culture gĂŠnĂŠrale, i.e., a comprehensive and rigorous program â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with what the U.S. school system does best, which is having a holistic understanding of and approach to the students.â&#x20AC;? Families with children enrolled at Rochambeau represent over 30 embassies, international institutions including the World Bank and IMF and over 70 different nationalities.The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three campuses in Northwest D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Bradley, Rollingwood and Forest Road â&#x20AC;&#x201D; have 1,030 students from preschool to high school enrolled this year. But in a sign of the enduring demand to learn French and the bright prospects for Rochambeau, the search is on to find a location that can house everyone in one place.

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Sarah Alaoui (@musingsdiffused) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

EDUCATION

November 2015

The Washington Diplomat Page25

[ technology ]

Innovative Convergence One Week in September: Techno-Centric Diplomacy Comes to Town

Photo: Xavier Rivera

by John Paul Farmer

wenty-five years ago, when the Institute for Education was founded to build common ground in the world community, the state of technology and its role in public policy circles were quite different.Yet in one jam-packed week in late September, four key forces in global technology crossed paths in Washington, D.C., and made clear just how much things have changed. The United States, China, India and the Catholic Church wield incredible influence — directly on half the world’s population and indirectly on the rest.The work that each is doing related to technology and innovation is benefiting its own people; collectively they constitute a foundation for enhanced global collaboration and progress. Let’s recap. In the United States, President Obama has made data, technology and innovation core components of his administration. He named the firstever U.S. chief technology officer (CTO) and then the first-ever U.S. chief data scientist. He oversaw the launch of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program to bring entrepreneurs and technologists into government service and issued an executive order making the program permanent. Former Presidential Innovation Fellows form the hearts of two new tech units, 18F and the U.S. Digital Service, that are applying Silicon Valleystyle approaches to ensure that high-profile government tech projects deliver high-quality services to citizens. Todd Park, a key Obama advisor and former U.S. CTO, has fully embraced a new role recruiting top tech talent. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Twilio have contributed key people to public service. In addition, the Obama administration has launched innovative efforts including the Open Data Initiatives, Precision Medicine Initiative, ConnectED, TechHire and more. Even the legislative branch may soon be getting in on the act through a new Congressional Innovation Fellows program.

Pa26

From left, Institute for Education (IFE) Innovation Steward Amy Geng; Microsoft Director of Technology and Civic Innovation John Paul Farmer (also seen at right); IFE founder and CEO Kathy Kemper; former U.S. Chief Technology Officer (USCTO) Aneesh Chopra; current USCTO Megan Smith; and former USCTO Todd Park attend the IFE Summer Innovation Cookout at Congressional Country Club. Photo: Institute for Education

In China, the administration of President Xi Jinping has made the development of industrial and information technology a core tenet of its latest five-year plan. In order to speed up this process, significant foreign investments, such as Apple’s production operations, have been encouraged and special technology districts such as Suzhou Hi-Tech Park continue to grow. Homegrown internet industry success stories include heavyweights Baidu,Tencent and Xiaomi. On his way to Washington, Xi stopped in Seattle for meetings with tech industry titans at an event hosted by Microsoft. And at the White House state dinner — which featured a star-studded invite list including honchos from Microsoft,Apple, Oracle and Salesforce — Xi sat with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the head table, where they conducted their conversation in Zuckerberg’s newly learned Mandarin. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken over the reins of a country where a combination of access to education and the globalizing tech industry has provided millions with a way out of poverty and a path toward prosperity. Still, a mere 18 percent of Indians use the Internet, according to a recent World Bank study. During his time in the United States, Modi visited Silicon Valley, including meetings and appearances at Stanford, Facebook and Google, whose internet expansion initiatives are

EDUCATION

The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

especially appealing to the Indian leader. He even engaged directly with the tech community, addressing a coterie of hackers at a Code for India hackathon. Pope Francis, as head of the Catholic Church and its seat in Vatican City, leads a nation of just 842 souls, yet his influence extends to 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. In his young papacy, Pope Francis has been refreshingly vocal on issues of science and technology. “Laudato Si,” his encyclical on climate change, was the first such publication of his tenure and placed the chemistturned-pope at the center of a key global issue — one in which the technologies and industries of the United States, China and India play especially important roles. In fact, China and the United States made commitments to reduce pollution on the heels of the pope’s visit. In his groundbreaking speech to Congress, the pontiff insisted that we have the power “to put technology at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral.” Pope Francis has previously called the internet “a gift from God” and actively tweets to millions of followers from @Pontifex. There are real challenges to cooperation on technology issues. National interests sometimes diverge or conflict. Cybersecurity and economic competition, in particular, will not be easily resolved. But the differences on those issues should not obfuscate the importance of collaborative innovation or the diffusion of new technologies that promise to fuel game-changing progress.Too much focus on how to divide the pie takes attention away from the central task of growing it in the first place. The last week in September — when President Xi, Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis chose to pay so much attention to the tech economy during their respective

OPEN HOUSE

Photo: Kyle Samperton

R. David Edelman, special assistant to the president for economic and technology policy, left, talks with U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil at the Institute for Education Summer Innovation Cookout.

visits to the United States — demonstrated the interconnectedness of us all and the potential for progress when we work together. With world leaders in New York City for the annual United Nations General Assembly, the U.N. Headquarters hosted the first-ever Solutions Summit to bring a range of nations together to discuss how cutting-edge tech is already being deployed to address the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals. For example, one featured project uses drones to plant billions of trees 10 times as fast at a fraction of the cost relative to traditional methods. Numerous areas beg for

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EDUCATION

November 2015

The Washington Diplomat Page27

Photo: Kevin Allan

From left, Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) participate in an Institute for Education (IFE) discussion. From left are Andrea Ippolito, Julia Winn, Sokwoo Rhee, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo Faida Mitifu, PIF co-founder John Paul Farmer; Ambassador of Belgium Johan C. Verbeke; IFE founder and CEO Kathy Kemper; Matthew Theall; Rachel Harrison-Gordon; Jeff Maisel; Lea Shanley; Gajen Sunthara; and Maia Hansen.

Continued from previous page

www.rma.edu

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increased cooperation: technical standards, collaborative development utilizing our respective economic strengths and, when appropriate, common rules and regulations that can help businesses grow more quickly. Sharing solutions requires us to come together in the first place. It requires a degree of trust and common ground.And it is already taking place in Washington, D.C., thanks to Institute for Education programs such as the Emerging Technology Roundtable, the longrunning INFO public policy breakfasts and recent salon conversations on wearable technology, government innovation and Bitcoin for social good. As public policy and the concerns of world leaders become more and more techno-centric, so has the Institute for

Education. Different faiths. Different politics. Different economies.Yet in the 21st century, we all rely on technology to move forward, to create societies that are healthier, happier and more secure. The tech-focused discussions in the last week of September by the United States, China, India and the Vatican make clear that to do the really big things — from addressing climate change to spreading internet access — we will have to come together. John Paul Farmer is director of technology and civic innovation at Microsoft, CEO of the nonprofit Innovation Project and the co-founder of the Institute for Education’s Emerging Technology Roundtable. He previously served as senior advisor for innovation in the White House, where he co-founded and directed the Presidential Innovation Fellows program.

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November 2015

L U X U R Y

LIVING ■ A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

■ November 2015

Sanctuary Cosmetic Center in Tysons Corner, Va.

COSMETIC F SANCTUARY Photo: Joy aSIco

Looking Good Is More Than Skin Deep, Even In Conservative Capital Like D.C. by Stephanie Kanowitz

or many years, cosmetic surgery got a certain rap — usually bad, always concealed. People were outwardly disgusted by the idea of going under the knife to alter their appearance, but in reality, patients were flocking to clinics. tv shows such as “nip/tuck” helped bring the medical genre to water cooler conversations. today, while cosmetic surgery hasn’t completely shed its taboo status, seeking medical help to

November 2015

look better has become an accepted mainstay of our society.

Society for aesthetic Plastic Surgery. the top three most popular surgeries

Look at the statistics: In 1997, about 940,000 surgical procedures were performed. Last year, that number was closer to 1.8 million — an 82 percent increase, according to the american

in 2014 were liposuction, breast augmentation and eyelid surgery, the society reported, and americans spent $12 billion on invasive and noninvasive cosmetic procedures. Continued on next page

LUXURY LIVING

The Washington Diplomat Page 29

“One thing about Washington is that they’re much more conservative in how they look. They really do not like to have a ‘done’ look.”

Cindy Souza Presents The Best in Luxury Living

— Dr. Soheila Rostami chief practitioner of Sanctuary Cosmetic Center

Continued from previous page

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In the region that includes Washington, Virginia and Maryland, more than 312,000 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed in 2014, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Soheila Rostami, a local ocular-facial plastic surgeon, has seen opinions on cosmetic surgery evolve in the two decades since she’s been in the field. To meet rising demand, she opened Sanctuary Cosmetic Center five months ago in Tysons Corner,Va., next to the RitzCarlton hotel to provide a full-service cosmetic surgery and convalescence experience. An expert in eyelids, she created the Lunch Hour Eyelid Lift — an outpatient procedure that takes 30 to 60 minutes and requires three to six days’ worth of recovery time — to offer busy Washingtonians and international visitors a quick but effective fix. We talked with the Iranian native about the state of cosmetic surgery in the nation’s capital: Q: Washington is loosening up, but it’s still considered a fairly conservative city. How does plastic surgery fit in here? A: [Washingtonians] used to be much more conservative and less seeking plas-

Photo: Joy Asico

Sanctuary Cosmetic Center opened earlier this year in Tysons Corner, Va., next to the Ritz-Carlton hotel to provide a full-service cosmetic surgery and convalescence experience.

tic cosmetic surgery, but as the years pass by, I have learned that they’re more openminded about it and they’re seeking more cosmetic surgeries. But there’s definitely a difference between Washington metropolitan [residents’] desire of how they want to look, compared to L.A. or New York or other large metropolitans. Q: How so? A: One thing about Washington is that they’re much more conservative in how they look. They really do not like to have

See Cosmetic, page 32

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KALORAMA $2,250,000 This “Best Address” building offers luxury living in a superb location. Comprising 3,420 square feet, original details are found throughout this spectacularly renovated four bedroom, four bathroom apartment. Deeded parking.

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CLEVELAND PARK $1,995,000 ttrsir.com/id/J28FYX Beautiful 4 BR, 3 full, 2 half bath townhome with 4,400 sq ft of living space across 5 finished levels. 2-story living room, hardwood floors, 2 fireplaces, glass elevator, sun-drenched kitchen, and large rooftop patio. Parking for 2 cars (driveway and garage) and blocks from Metro and Cleveland Park.

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ttrsir.com/id/YTMVYT A phenomenal corner condo in sought-after Butterfield House. This immaculate 2 bedroom, 2 full baths condo has tons of upgrades plus parking. Features include gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, large windows, brand-new wood floors, posh bathrooms, massive walk-in closet, and generously sized bedrooms.

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Welcome to 15626 Old Waterford Road, a lovely glimpse into the history of Loudoun County, VA. This charming home sits on 3 landscaped acres surrounded by beautifully manicured lawns and plantings. Spacious, open design with hardwood flooring, custom built-ins, wood-burning fireplace, and a large eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances.

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LUXURY LIVING

The Washington Diplomat Page 31

___________________________________________________________________

FIT FOR AN Ambassador

Photo: Joy Asico

Sanctuary Cosmetic Center offers the Lunch Hour Eyelid Lift, a 30- to 60-minute procedure that has a recovery time of three to six days.

from page 30

Cosmetic a “done” look. They come in and they really say,“I want to keep my natural look,” and this is why they like me, because I’m the same way. I’m very much into keeping your own look but improving it and taking some of the aging that has happened. I really don’t like to change people’s appearances in a way that they’re not recognizable; they’re not themselves. Bringing a large lip to a face that never had a large lip just doesn’t appeal to me. Q: So there’s less stigma attached to cosmetic surgery now? A: Even men patients are seeking our advice and wanting to know how they can improve their looks, and you’d be surprised that it’s becoming acceptable in our area. Q: Is it equal between the two genders? A: A majority of my patients are female even though the gap is getting closer. Q: So what do your customer demographics look like?

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The Washington Diplomat

A: We see all walks of life. We have patients that are moms at home, executives, but because Washington is such a political area, we have a very mixed population and we have a lot of international travelers. Being an immigrant myself, they feel more comfortable with us — from the Middle East, from the Far East or from other countries. They know that outside the U.S., cosmetic surgery is very acceptable, and they feel that I understand what they’re looking for, especially being from the Middle East.

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A: I wanted to make sure that the patients feel comfortable. Cosmetic plastic surgery can be very intimidating, so I wanted to say [with the name] that we have created a place for you to trust us. I really have tried to create an environment that makes them feel welcome, that makes them feel at home, at ease and comfortable.We try to provide every aspect of their needs. If they want to have privacy, for instance, we have a private entrance. They can ring the bell, we can open the door for them, no one will see them.

Q: Do you offer noninvasive services that help improve appearance? A: Sanctuary Youth Remedy is fantastic for aging necks, face or any part of your body. It’s a combination treatment. I’m an advocate for combination treatments. It’s radio-frequency resurfacing with … a combination of certain treatments that I added.We use the radio frequency, we use platelet-rich plasma from your own blood and we also use other things. There will be three or four treatments done on the same day, and you have to get three or four treatments to get the final results you’re looking for. There’s very little downtime and very little pain with it. I’m one of the patients. The second thing that I think would be very beneficial now that the winter season is coming is laser resurfacing and laser treatments for aging and skin as well as Kybella. Kybella is a new injection for fullness in the neck. If you have a little bit of fat in your neck, you can come and get some treatments at our center and wear a turtleneck for the little bit of swelling and little bit of bruising that you get and [there’s not much] downtime. The third thing is the Liquid Gold Facelift.We combine some fillers with the platelet-rich plasma — and that’s the liquid gold that we can get from you, from your own blood — and either we can do a facial with it or we can do facelifts. Q:We’re entering into winter, time for dry, cold air. What tips can you offer to keep skin looking and feeling good? A: Moisturizing during the wintertime is very important. Drying the skin ages the skin and doesn’t look very appealing, so moisturizing products are very good. Hyaluronic acid has wonderful moisturizing characteristics to it and it will plump your skin and make your skin look so much better. During the wintertime, we have such dry weather because of the cold, the humidity in the air is very little, so take a steam bath and it will give the moisture back to skin as well. Stephanie Kanowitz is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

Plan Your Entire Weekend.

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November 2015

MEDICAL â&#x2013; A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

DANGEROUS

BACTERIA

Antibiotic Resistance Could Threaten Surgery, Chemo Patients Study warns of thousands more deaths if bacteria grow stronger healthDay News

Photo: coRbIS

ore people will die from common surgical procedures and cancer treatments if dangerous bacteria continue to develop resistance to widely used antibiotics, a new study warns. Patients rely on antibiotics to protect them from potentially deadly infections after undergoing chemotherapy, pacemaker implantation, cesarean sections or countless other medical procedures, said study senior author Ramanan Laxminarayan. he is director of the center for disease dynamics, economics & Policy, a public health research organization in Washington, d.c. Continued on next page

MEDICAL November 2015

â&#x2013; November 2015

The Washington Diplomat Page 33

“Anytime you’re going to need a surgery or a transplant, you’re going to need effective antibiotics. It’s something that affects all of us.”

Continued from previous page The new study, published Oct. 15 in The Lancet, estimates that as many as half of infections after surgery and more than a quarter of infections after chemotherapy are caused by organisms already resistant to standard antibiotics. If antibiotic resistance increases by just 30 percent in the United States, the tougher-to-treat bacteria could cause 6,300 more deaths a year and 120,000 more infections in patients undergoing either chemotherapy for cancer or 10 common surgical procedures, the researchers projected. “Anytime you’re going to need a surgery or a transplant, you’re going to need effective antibiotics. It’s something that affects all of us,” Laxminarayan said. Concern over antibiotic-resistant bacteria is growing. Earlier this year, the Obama administration released a national action plan to combat antibiotic resistance. Also, the “superbug” MRSA was in the headlines this week after causing a serious infection in the ankle of New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells, prompting speculation the NFL player might need a foot amputation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 2 million people a year become infected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and at least 23,000 die from these infections. But most of these worries focus on the ability to treat existing bacterial infections, and ignore the widespread use of antibiotics to prevent infections after surgery or chemotherapy, said Dr. Joshua Wolf, an assistant member of the Infectious Diseases Department at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. “We know that kids with cancer have extremely high risk of bacterial infection that can be life-threatening. If resistance rates rise, those antibiotics will become less effective,” said Wolf, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal. “Surgery will become less safe, and cancer treatment will become more difficult.” To estimate the hazard posed to modern medicine by antibiotic resistance, the researchers reviewed hundreds of clinical trials between 1968 and 2011 that examined the effectiveness of antibiotics in preventing infection after chemotherapy or 10 common surgical procedures.

— Ramanan Laxminarayan Photo: Corbis

director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy

Patients rely on antibiotics to protect them from potentially deadly infections after undergoing chemotherapy, pacemaker implantation, cesarean sections and countless other medical procedures.

Those procedures included hip fracture surgery, pacemaker implantation, surgical abortion, spinal surgery, hip replacement, C-section delivery, prostate biopsy, appendectomy, hysterectomy and colon surgery. Based on their review, the researchers estimate that between 39 percent and 51 percent of surgical site infections and 27 percent of post-chemotherapy infections are caused by bacteria already somewhat resistant to antibiotics. Using a computer model, the study authors were able to show that with a 10 percent increase in antibiotic resistance, there would be at least 2,100 more infection-related deaths a year and 40,000 more infections following surgery or chemo. A 70 percent increase in resistance would lead to an additional 15,000 deaths annually and 280,000 infections, they said. “It’s a large enough number that it should be of concern,” Laxminarayan said. He added that the number would be even higher if the estimate included all procedures that require antibiotics,

which range from simple root canals to organ transplants. “Antibiotics are the one medication that everyone will get at some point in their life,” Laxminarayan said. The development of new antibiotics will not help if effective antibiotic controls are not in place, Wolf said. “Our experience has been that when we introduce a new antibiotic, we see resistance develop fairly quickly,” he said. Doctors and hospitals can help by limiting use of antibiotics to cases that truly need them, said Dr. Henry Chambers, chief of infectious diseases at San Francisco General Hospital. Also, Chambers would like to see tough mandatory controls put in place. Currently, he said,“in hospitals, pretty much anybody can order an antibiotic.” Consumers can play a role, too, Wolf added. “They can say no to antibiotics for coughs and colds.They can ask for an antibiotic alternative, if it’s available. And they can ask for meat that’s antibiotic-free,”Wolf said.

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Page 34

MEDICAL The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

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Johns Hopkins Medicine—with convenient locations in Maryland, the Washington, D.C., metro area and Florida—is ready to connect international patients and their families with our respected experts, cutting-edge research and innovative treatments at the most convenient location. We understand that medical issues can cause a great deal of stress and encourage you to take advantage of our complimentary medical concierge services so you can focus on your health. From your first inquiry, you’ll be paired with a medical concierge who will serve as your personal liaison to the experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Expert care, close to home. One less thing to worry about.

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MEDICAL

November 2015

10/12/15 3:04 PM

The Washington Diplomat Page 35

[ doctors ]

Rite of Passage Should the Annual Physical Be Scrapped? HealthDay News

Harvard doctors argue for and against this medical ritual

octors continue to debate the worth of a time-honored tradition of health care — the annual physical examination. Some want the once-a-year physical abandoned, based on a growing body of research that these exams don’t reduce your overall risk of disease or death. But yearly checkups help build the relationship between doctor and patient, leaving both better prepared when illness does strike, other doctors respond. In editorials in the Oct. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Harvard professors air both sides of the debate. The original idea behind the annual physical examination held that these visits provide doctors an opportunity to practice preventive medicine, said Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, an associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Doctors would detect problems such as high blood pressure, increased cholesterol or high Some doctors want the once-a-year physical abandoned, based on a growing body blood sugar, and help their patients take steps to prevent these early warning signs of research that these exams don’t reduce your overall risk of disease or death. from developing into chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease, he said. But this idea has not withstood scientific review.“In good studies, in both ran- haven’t seen a primary care doctor for several years, going in to maintain that domized trials and in observational studies, we have not found any of those ben- relationship does make sense,” he said. efits,” said Mehrotra, co-author of the editorial questioning the value of traditional Doctors should use electronic health records to maintain preventive health physical exams. care for everyone else, Mehrotra said. “We have not seen people have less illness, and we have not seen any decrease A health clinic’s computer can easily keep track of people who haven’t gotten in mortality,” he said. their flu shot, or who need to have their blood pressure, cholesterol levels or “I’m a big fan of trying to do anything that’s going to help the health of the U.S.,” blood sugar checked. Reminders can be sent to them, allowing the doctor to proMehrotra added.“But in this case, we’ve studied it, and actively pursue preventive care, he said. it hasn’t helped. We shouldn’t waste time and money “You don’t have to passively wait for patients on this.” to come in for this big annual visit to make sure Overall, these annual visits cost more than $10 bilpeople are up on their preventive care,” lion a year, Mehrotra said. And yearly physicals can be Mehrotra said. harmful, he added, noting tests like urinalysis in Goroll argues that the annual physical should patients without symptoms often yield false positive be continued for everyone, but in a team-based results, causing patients needless anguish. approach where nurses, medical assistants and Proponents of the physical exam say critics overcare coordinators handle most of the routine look benefits that are harder to measure, but imporpreventive-care chores. tant to patient care. That will give doctors the time to have inBy regularly seeing their patients, doctors can learn depth conversations with patients, which about many aspects of a person’s life — work stresses, could help guide their future health care, family issues, financial pressures — that can affect Goroll said. their health and well-being, said Dr. Allan Goroll, a “Let’s not eliminate the annual physical, professor of medicine at Harvard. which is really an annual health review, but let’s — Dr. Ateev Mehrotra That “can’t be done in five minutes, and it can’t be enhance it so it’s a meaningful experience,” he done by a questionnaire. It’s done by looking a patient said. associate professor of health care policy in the eye and giving them the feeling they aren’t In his editorial, Goroll noted this already is and medicine at Harvard Medical School being rushed,” said Goroll, who wrote the editorial happening for patients who can afford “condefending the annual exam. cierge” physicians. These people pay generous “By calling for the elimination of the annual checkup, they risk compromising fees for easy and regular access to their doctor. the delivery of a comprehensive, whole-person approach to health care,” he said. “Many people are paying thousands of dollars to ensure they have that relationBoth Mehrotra and Goroll said there’s a need for reform of the annual physi- ship with their primary care physician,” he said. “We need to come up with an cal. approach that will give us concierge service at Wal-Mart prices.” Mehrotra believes regular checkups should be reserved for people who haven’t seen their physician in two or three years. “I do acknowledge for people who Copyright © 2015 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

“I’m a big fan of trying to do anything that’s going to help the health of the U.S. But in this case, we’ve studied it, and it hasn’t helped. We shouldn’t waste time and money on this.”

Page 36

MEDICAL The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

culture & ■ WWW.WASHDIPLOMAT.COM

DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES

arts

entertainment

■ NOVEMBER 2015

KINDRED SWISS SPIRITS ART

Puppy Love “My dog Maggie introduced me to my husband and changed my life,” says Sinem Kiliç, a computer programmer who met her husband, Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kiliç, while walking her rescued pup in Ankara. PAGE 39

TEXTILES

Interwoven History Vibrantly colored textiles and fine art illustrate how Central Asia stayed true to its traditions while weaving in elements of Soviet-era Socialist Realism that emphasized modernity and industrialization. PAGE 40

THEATER

Alice’s Underworld Synetic Theater’s “Alice in Wonderland” puts a dark twist on the perils of childhood by marrying the troupe’s physical intensity with the unique retelling of a nimble fairytale. PAGE 41

Marc Chagall’s “Jew in Red”

Duncan Phillips, the D.C.-based art collector who founded the Phillips Collection, played a pivotal role in introducing American audiences to modern art. He also had two kindred spirits in Switzerland. Phillips’s namesake is now hosting “Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Switzerland” showcasing two pioneering Swiss collectors who also broadened the appeal of modern art. PAGE 38

DINING

FILM REVIEWS

We uncover exotic cuisine from Bolivia, Yemen and Thailand in suburban Washington. PAGE 42

“He Named Me Malala” follows the remarkable journey of a young girl who became a global crusader. PAGE 45

[ art ]

Swiss Go Big Modern Masterworks Echo Duncan Phillips’s Collecting Habits by Gary Tischler and Anna Gawel

n size, Switzerland is small — California is about 10 times bigger. But in other areas, the PHOTO: THE RUDOLF STAECHELIN COLLECTION © KUNSTMUSEUM BASEL, MARTIN P. BÜHLER pristine Alpine country punches above its weight. Its 8.2 million inhabitants enjoy a GDP Paul Gauguin’s “NAFEA faaipoipo (When of nearly $690 billion thanks in large part to Will You Marry?),” left, and Paul Cézanne’s the country’s reputation as a banking hub. But “The House of Dr. Gachet, Auver-sur-Oise,” the Swiss excel in another domain: art. above, are among the 60 masterworks The city of Basel bills itself as the cultural capital from Switzerland that are now on display of Switzerland. It was also the longtime home of at the Phillips Collection. Dorothy Kosinski, a Swiss citizen and director of the Phillips Collection. Tahitian women, one in the backDuncan Phillips, the D.C.-based art collector ground, dressed demurely, the other in who founded the museum, played a pivotal role in bright colors, offering up her face with introducing American audiences to modern art. curiosity and not a little invitation. No Apparently, he also had two kindred spirits in doubt it is a major attraction in the Switzerland. show, not least for its impending deparPhillips’s namesake is now hosting an exhibition ture to a mysterious private collector. of those two pioneering Swiss collectors, both As a whole, the exhibition is nothing from Basel, who, like Phillips, broadened the definiless than a treasure trove of artists most tion and appreciation of modern art. of us know and love — among them, “Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and Switzerland, The Staechelin and Im Obersteg Marc Chagall — and those we don’t, Collections” brings together more than 60 masterincluding Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler pieces from the mid-19th and 20th centuries by 22 and von Jawlensky. world-famous artists. Some of the works have never Hodler’s work, predominantly imagbeen seen in the United States before, while others es of his dying lover Valentine Godéwere exhibited only once in Fort Worth, Texas, a Darel — whom he captures vertically number of years ago. up close and supine in bed and as a The gem — news and money wise — is Paul corpse in haunting fashion — is powPHOTO: THE RUDOLF STAECHELIN COLLECTION © KUNSTMUSEUM BASEL, MARTIN P. BÜHLER Gauguin’s “NAFEA faaipoipo (When Will You erful and magnetic. Von Jawlensky is Marry?)” from 1892, the time of the artist’s first represented in a variety of fashions as a spiritual trip to Tahiti.The painting was reportedly sold to abstractionist whose work finds some parallels a Qatari collector for a phenomenal $300 milwith Mark Rothko’s dramatic coloring. lion.The Phillips is featuring the piece, from the You’ll also find two van Goghs here that you’ve Rudolf Staechelin Collection, before the new never seen:“The Garden of Daubigny,” a landscape collector takes ownership of it. punctuated by the artist’s signature intensity and Like Phillips, Rudolf Staechelin (1881-1946) thick brush strokes, and the other a startlingly and Karl Im Obersteg (1883-1969) had an eye uncharacteristic portrait of the “Head of a for the modern, championing the work of Woman.” impressionist, post-impressionist and School of The exhibition seems carefully organized Paris artists. around themes and emphasis. The room containThe exhibition — with one masterpiece after ing the Gauguin is practically a shrine to the cenanother scattered throughout — is a curious terpiece painting, while a wall showcasing Paul mix of startling color and personal affinity, illusCézanne landscapes along with works by Camille trating the collecting Pissarro is distinctive for its outdoor motif. There PHOTOS: IM OBERSTEG FOUNDATION / KUNSTMUSEUM BASEL © 2015 ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY, NEW YORK / ADAGP, PARISSWITZERLAND.” impulses of two men are also rare pieces by Modigliani, Renoir and whose tastes resembled Picasso, including “The Absinthe Drinker” (has Pablo Picasso’s “The Absinthe Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks those of Phillips. The there ever been an even moderately happy Drinker,” above left, and “Woman from Switzerland, The Staechelin and resemblance isn’t just in absinthe drinker?”) and “Woman at the Theater” at the Theater” are featured in the art itself.The display (a bit garish but energized). Im Obersteg Collections “Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks has constructed two Most dramatic of all is a series by Chagall, usufrom Switzerland.” through Jan. 10 rooms featuring similar ally known for his impish, colorful paintings of Phillips Collection works collected by Shtetl life in the Jewish villages of Eastern Europe. Phillips to spark a conHere he’s represented by the famous “Jew in Black and White”; “Jew in Green” and 600 21st St., NW versation. “Jew in Red” — large, powerful portraits that offer sharply vibrant depictions of three For more information, please call (202) 387-2151 Though their tastes rabbis. or visit www.phillipscollection.org were similar, their methPhillips Director Dorothy Kosinski, who is also the exhibition co-curator, has a perods varied. According to sonal stake in the show, being a Swiss citizen, longtime resident of Basel and frequent the museum, Staechelin worked exclusively with dealers, amassing a valuable collec- visitor. tion in a short span of time. In contrast, Im Obersteg was driven more by his personal “I am thrilled by the opportunity to bring such important and spectacular works to friendships with the artists, building up his collection over a lifetime. He liked to col- Washington — pieces that don’t normally travel,” she said.“The exhibition shows the lect multiple works by a single artist and supported certain artists, such as Russian perspicacity of these two very important 20th-century patrons and supporters of Alexei von Jawlensky, when they confronted financial difficulties — as did Phillips modernism, and dovetails nicely with the history of collectors in this country, includoccasionally. ing our own founder, Duncan Phillips.” The Gauguin, acquired initially by Staechelin, is astonishing, and not just for its price tag. It’s a big, compelling and entirely characteristic work — a portrait of two native Gary Tischler is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. Anna Gawel is the managing editor.

[

The Washington Diplomat

]

November 2015

[ diplomatic spouses ]

Unlikely Matchmaker Man’s Best Friend Brings Turkish Couple Together by Gail Scott

aggie, a 6-year-old golden retriever, was the matchmaker who brought Sinem Kiliç together with her future husband, Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kiliç.“My dog Maggie introduced me to my husband and changed my life,” Sinem said of the handsome pup, who was born in an Ankara animal shelter with a ruptured stomach and was not expected to live. Sinem took her home when she was only 35 days old. “When I went out to walk Maggie, I would see Serdar and his teenage son, Eren, walking their dog Spicy, a Dogo Argentino [Argentine mastiff]. I got to know Eren and we were forming a friendship,” Sinem recalled. “One night around 11:30 p.m., Eren came over and told me he wasn’t feeling well and asked if he could talk with me. He said,‘When we go [move] somewhere else, I want to live with you. Can you marry my father?’ I was wondering if his father had set this up, but around midnight Serdar called … and asked if I had any idea where Eren was.The next day we went over the story and he laughed, saying, ‘My son is very clever and he has the right idea.’” Although she knew their Ankara neighborhood included the homes of diplomats, judges and top government officials, Sinem Kiliç, right, met her husband, Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kiliç, during her walks she didn’t know what Serdar did. “When I asked him he said, ‘I am a secretary in a government building.’” It was only later that she says with her golden retriever Maggie, whom she rescued from an Ankara animal shelter. she found out that Serdar, 57, was secretary-general of the country’s National Security Council, having returned to Turkey in 2010 after serving for two designed by renowned Washington architect George Oakley Totten Jr. in the years as its ambassador to Lebanon. mid-19th century. Today, her stepson Eren, who is now a freshman at Koç “After that, we dated only three months before we were married. He intro- University in Istanbul, enjoys using the indoor pool when he visits. duced me to his parents and his father fell in love with me so we planned to Although this 36-year-old former computer programmer sometimes feels be married on his father’s birthday. A month later, we left for Japan,” where as if she’s living in a diplomatic dreamland, Sinem appreciates both how he would serve as Turkey’s top diplomat and they would be honeymooners fortunate she has been and the serious problems her country back home abroad. faces. A computer programming major at Ankara University, Sinem worked for Located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Turkey has felt the reverthe Turkish Petroleum Corporation Computer Programming Center and berations of turbulence throughout the Middle East, along with its own various private businesses and corporations from 2001 to 2012, so diplo- domestic volatility (also see “Turkey Confronts Threats Close to Home, macy was a new world for her. Critics Abroad” in the March 2015 issue). “I fell in love with a man. He could have been poor; he could have been Between the civil war raging in Syria and the Islamic State’s rampage rich. It didn’t matter,” she told us.“My wonderful husband has given me the through Iraq, Turkey is expected to absorb nearly 1.9 million refugees in opportunity to see the most amazing places. 2015. The government of President Recep “I loved Japan — it was like a dream,” she Tayyip Erdogan has also launched a military My dog Maggie introduced me offensive against Kurdish militants, resuming added. “Tokyo is very clean, very respectful and fun. The Japanese are lighthearted and don’t let a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 to my husband and changed my the ‘spirit of a child’ die within, no matter how over the last 30 years. And last month, twin old they are. The people love nature and chilbombings — the worst terrorist life…. My wonderful husband has suicide dren.The children call me their Turkish mother.” attack in the country’s modern history — While in Tokyo, Sinem wrote a Turkish cookthe capital of Ankara, killing nearly given me the opportunity to see the rocked book based on simple Turkish cooking, featuring 100 people and igniting heated accusations low-calorie, healthy recipes, and she would like ahead of a snap election called by Erdogan. most amazing places. to do a similar venture here. “Not only as a Turk but also basically as a “Washington is very similar to Ankara, but human being, I am deeply saddened by the — SINEM KILIÇ Ankara is not as green. Both are government citloss of innocent lives in Ankara as a result of wife of Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kiliç ies with government buildings — the same rules this terrorist attack,” Sinem said.“What I have and way of life,” she reflected. “I didn’t think I learned is that when you are far away from would love Washington as much as I do. Washington was made for living. If your home country, you are affected much more by the developments there. I had to choose an American city to live in, it would be Washington.” It is a feeling that is hard to describe. My husband and I mourn the victims Sinem and her husband also live in a historic D.C. landmark, a stately prop- of this tragic incident.” erty on Sheridan Circle where the city’s first desegregated jazz concerts Sinem added, however, that the recent turmoil should be put into perspecwere famously held in the 1930s and ’40s. tive of the country’s larger evolution as a tolerant, secular democracy and The lore associated with the residence can be a bit intimidating, Sinem growing economic power of 75 million people. admitted. “I feel like a museum curator, needing to know everything about “Turkey is an island of democracy and stability in a very volatile region. It everything — the pictures, the antiques,” she said. “I’ve made some small is a democratic, secular republic with a rich, diverse culture.With its Muslim changes including lightening up the ceiling.The house was too dark. population and a fully functioning democracy, Turkey is also an inspiration “Our residence in Tokyo was totally different, a very modern building. for the peoples of other countries in our region,” Sinem said. Here, I sometimes feel scared like there is some spirit who might say, ‘Hello, I used to sit in that chair before you,’” she joked of the building originally See SPOUSES, page 43

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November 2015

The Washington Diplomat Page 39

[ textiles ]

Central Asian Color New Approach Weaves Traditional Textiles with Socialist Realism Art by Vanessa H. Larson

PHOTOS: TEXTILE MUSEUM / RENEE COMET

riot of color — deep reds, intense yellows, green, black and even indigo — greets visiTraditional textiles, including an tors to the George Washington Afghan cover, above, and a man’s robe University Museum and theTextile Museum’s from Uzbekistan, are featured alongnew exhibit showcasing textiles and side paintings such as Abdurakhman fine art from Central Asia. Rakhimov’s “Eradicate Illiteracy Traditional Uzbek women’s dresses and outer (Likbez)” in an exhibit that explores garments feature intricately patterned, multithe interplay between Central colored ikat silk fabric, while a man’s robe Asian textiles and Soviet woven in purple and blues dazzles the Socialist Realism art. eye. A hand-knotted Turkmen carpet and a richly embroidered Uzbek suzani, or decorative covering, hang on the walls. The vibrant pattern on an Afghan patchwhich emphawork-style textile seems to sized themes like almost convey movement. modernity and indusIn “Old Patterns, New Order: Socialist trialization. The 1986 Realism in Central Asia,” these and other painting “Eradicate Illiteracy eye-catching textiles are intriguingly juxta(Likbez),” for example, shows posed with Soviet-era paintings and lithographs to women dressed in typical demonstrate the interplay between the 20th-century Tajik clothing, including socialist realism art movement in Central Asia and the local culheadscarves, learning how tures from which it drew. to read.“Watching Progress,” The exhibit is one of two this fall that mark a new approach at the Textile a 1950s lithograph from the Museum, a nearly century-old Washington institution that reopened in March in a Kazakh Republic, portrays a brand-new museum space after a two-year closure during which it merged with group of farmers looking the George Washington University (also see “Textile Museum, George Washington from a distance at the conUniversity Combine Forces”” in the July 2015 issue). struction of an industrial “This is kind of our new way of looking at incorporating other works of art with site that appears set to textiles. Usually if we ever exhibited art, it may have been one piece of art in an change their way of life. exhibit, because we were strictly the Textile Museum,” said Sumru Belger Krody, Both Russian and native senior curator at the museum.“Now we are GW Museum and the Textile Museum. artists working in Central It allows us to expand our horizons, to be able to do these kinds of collaborative Asia also tended to depict exhibitions.” the region in a way that was Krody worked with Marlene Laruelle, Central Asia Program director at GW, to idealized and even curate the exhibit, which brings together nearly 30 artworks — primarily from Orientalist.“You always have what is now Kyrgyzstan, but also Uzbekistan, PHOTO: ROBERTS COLLECTION / TEXTILE MUSEUM / RENEE COMET this tension between this Kazakhstan and Tajikistan — with about a Old Patterns, New Order: political correctness that the painters had to follow in trying to dozen textiles from Uzbekistan and elseshow the Soviet successes … and at the same time they wanted to Socialist Realism in Central Asia where in the region. The art, which has not maintain the local color and the local character of their own culpreviously been exhibited in Washington, is through May 29 ture,” said Laruelle. on loan from two D.C.-based private collecGeorge Washington University Museum “The Bazaar at Bibi Khanom,” painted by an Armenian artist in tors, while the textiles belong to the museand the Textile Museum Uzbekistan in 1945, offers a somewhat abstract representation of um’s collection. the bright colors of a market, filled with people in flowing robes Two works at the beginning splendidly 701 21st St., NW and scarves. Other works show farmers harvesting cotton, women highlight the relationship between Central For more information, please call (202) 994-5220 weaving, rural areas dotted with yurts, the turquoise domes of Asia’s traditional textiles and its modern art. or visit www.museum.gwu.edu. Samarkand and other distinctively Central Asian scenes. Displayed alongside a multicolored, zigzagAuthentic textiles and costumes appear so frequently in the patterned kuylak, or Uzbek woman’s dress, from the mid-20th century is a 1950 painting,“The Dancer,” by Kyrgyz artist Nikolai Central Asian art of this period, Krody says, in part because “many of these craft tradiF. Efremenko, of a woman wearing what looks like almost the exact same dress — tions come close to dying during the first part of the 20th century, because of modernization, economic shifts.” The use of these motifs thus revealed “the ambivalent down to the cut, pattern and colors. This style of painting, featuring lifelike representations of people, was in the 20th relationship artists had between Russian modernization versus traditional Muslim century a new concept for Central Asian artists, who were heavily influenced by culture.” Over time, textiles became important in the emergence of national identities among the citizens of the Central Asian republics. Russian schools of art. Yet as much as anything, these artists seem to have been inspired by the textiles “Central Asia is mostly Muslim, and in Islam you don’t traditionally have figurative art. So when the Russian painters arrived at the end of the 19th century, during the around them because of their sheer beauty and vibrancy. “In Central Asia, the colors are so different that if you are coming from Russia, you Russian colonization of Central Asia, that was the first encounter for Central Asian artists with figurative art,” said GW’s Laruelle.“And what was really impressive is that arrive and the first thing you see is the colors, the textiles,” said Laruelle.“So I think in only one or two generations, they totally adopted figurative art, with no resistance, it was obvious for painters that they wanted to represent these colors. The textiles were everywhere present in their everyday life, even during Soviet times.” and on the contrary, with this kind of elaborate interest.” Spanning from 1935 to 1992, the artworks reveal how state-supported artists in Central Asia embraced Soviet socialist realism in both its style and subject matter, Vanessa H. Larson (@vanessahlarson) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

[

The Washington Diplomat

]

November 2015

[ theater ]

Fantastical Rabbit Hole Alice’s World is More Gothic Underworld than Fairy Wonderland by Lisa Troshinsky

hat makes extraordinary theater is not just the skill with which a play is executed, but also the selection of the producer to bring the right script to life. Synetic Theater has hit gold on both fronts — execution and play choice — with its current production of “Alice in Wonderland.” Synetic’s distinctive medium — mostly wordless, hard-hitting acrobatic and dance analyses of literary classics — is intense, to say the least. By choosing “Alice,” it successfully marries forceful concentration with a unique retelling of a nimble fairytale. But not without Synetic’s signature darker twists, of course. “Growing up as I did, in the former Soviet Union, I wasn’t exposed to a lot of the color, playfulness or bizarrely fantastical symbolism seen in [Lewis] Carroll’s masterpiece,”Paata Tsikurishvili, the play’s director and founding artistic director of the company, explained.“Our interpretation of ‘Alice’ is not focused on PHOTOS: JOHNNY SHRYOCK the sunniness and delight of childhood, as so many adaptations are. Rather, I see this tale as a journey — a journey through childhood into awareness, and one Alice in Wonderland appropriately full of danger.” through Nov. 8 Indeed, this production’s coupling of Alice’s delight for Synetic Theater adventure and fear of the unknown is its recipe for magic. Unlike other Synetic wordless productions, this one makes 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington, Va. good use of Carroll’s inventive dialogue and riddles. Tickets start at $35. For more information, please call The enchantment starts before the play has even begun. (866) 811-4111 or visit www.synetictheater.org. As the audience trickles in, they feast their eyes on Daniel Pinha’s fanciful set: a floor-to-ceiling spectacle of a syrupy “If I’m not who I was, who am I?” candied forest. Pastel-colored, rolled-up pieces of cloth resemble cotton candy, trees are shaped like flowers and fanciful rope bridges Alice ponders in a metaphor for passfill the stage. Although the backdrop puts the audience in a state of childlike ing through life’s inevitable stages. The rest of the cast is equally wonder and openness, there is something about its excess and surrealism that enjoyable, recognizable yet unique, Synetic Theater’s “Alice in Wonderland” puts a darker threatens danger. Alice’s “reality” — her bedroom and attic — is separated on thrust platform and move through the plot at lighten- twist on the Lewis Carroll fairytale to illustrate the ing speed. perils and uncertainty of growing up. stages to the right and left, while her “dream” takes over the main stage. Irina Tsikurishvili, co-founder and The play begins with Alice (played by plucky and wide-eyed Kathy Gordon) having a tea party with strawberry tarts and her (creepy-looking) dolls. She is assistant director, along with costume designer Kendra Rai let their creative rudely interrupted by her new tyrannical governess (Renata Veberyte Loman), juices loose and have fun updating some of the characters. The Mad Hatter expresses his zaniness by crumping (dance moves related who tells Alice it is not time for a tea party, confiscates the dolls and stuffs them into a chest in the attic. She then hands Alice a pack of cards to play with to hip hop); Tweedle Dee and Dum are sleazy, punked-out teenagers with mohawks who scare Alice with their Jabberwocky story; and a hookah-smokand eats the tarts herself. As Alice dozes off, her dolls — the White Rabbit (a precious Tori Bertocci ing Caterpillar tries to entangle Alice in his cocoon. Meanwhile Dodo (Eliza who spastically jumps herself into a tizzy about being late to the Queen’s Smith in point shoes) and her mismatched love, a Lobster, engage in a beautigarden party) and the Cheshire Cat (Alex Mills, whose acrobatic, joyful romp fully choreographed Swan Lake-like ballet. Colin Bill’s lighting creates Alice’s endless flow of tears from blue LED lights; with a ball of yarn will give you goose bumps) — escape the trunk and come alive. If we didn’t already, now we surely know that we’re not in the meta- Thomas Sowers’ sound creates an eerie aural backdrop; and resident comphorical Kansas anymore and are in for a wild ride — a psychedelic ride at poser Konstantine Lortkipanidze’s jaunty, yet foreboding carnival-like music imparts a disturbing beat. that. Luckily, like all regretful but illuminating acid trips, this one too comes to an Even those deeply familiar and in love with the Lewis Carroll novel, adapted here by Lloyd Rose, will be overwhelmed with the amount of creative energy end.Alice wakes up to her comforting mother, who tells her the evil governess has left, swearing that Alice’s Cheshire Cat stuffed animal somehow came to and detail put into this production. Although Alice seeks newness down the rabbit hole like a toddler first learn- life and intentionally tripped her down the stairs. This “Alice” may not exactly be the fairytale from your childhood, but take a ing to walk, she faces menacing risks. She realizes she’s wanted for tart theft, discovers the Queen (not coincidentally also played by Loman) beheads those lesson from Alice: Childhood might not be safe to repeat. who are not on time, and when she obeys signs that say “eat me” or “drink me,” Lisa Troshinsky is the theater reviewer for The Washington Diplomat. she spontaneously shrinks and grows at inopportune times.

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November 2015

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The Washington Diplomat Page 41

[ dining ]

Suburbia Adventure Hidden Ethnic Gems Offer Taste of Exotic Next Door by Michael Coleman

n the second installment of The Washington Diplomat’s globetrotting, two-part series on ethnic dining, we visit Bolivia, Yemen and Thailand by way of three suburban restaurants that stay true to their culinary roots. As we explained in this space last month, The Diplomat — inspired by George Mason economics professor Tyler Cowen and his indispensable ethnic food blog — has been scouring the Virginia and Maryland suburbs in search of the most authentic and affordable ethnic eateries.While the District of Columbia certainly has its share of delicious international fare, we’ve found that some of the most exotic cuisine is found at lower price points — and with less pretension — in the suburbs. Last month, we had mostly good and entirely authentic experiences with Moroccan, Mexican and Burmese food.

SIBARITA This month, our first stop is Bolivia via Arlington’s Sibarita Restaurant. Sibarita is a comfortable establishment with a warm and friendly vibe that radiates South American authenticity. Situated near a blink-andyou’ll-miss-it tiny strip mall on bustling Washington Boulevard, the restaurant has a well-worn but clean aesthetic and excellent, friendly service. If the weather is nice, you may want to sit outside on the small patio enlivened by Latin music. But on an early fall evening, we chose to sit in Sibarita’s dining room, casual and cozy with warm red colors bathed in a soft light. While some perceive Bolivian food to be overly meat-centric and sometimes bland, we were impressed with the variety of dishes at Sibarita. It certainly is not a vegetarian’s paradise but the menu holds a little something for everyone. We started with k’allu con pan — grilled bread with a spicy chimichurri sauce, homemade cheese, tomatoes and giant hominy.We weren’t really sure what to expect but the combination was warm and zesty and the boiled hominy added an interesting textural component. Since this is Bolivia, we had to try the pupusa, too, so we had the baked yucca with cheese version.The flat, cream-colored disk arrived hot and gooey — and quite tasty. Meat, as one would expect, is the star attraction among Sibarita’s entrées, so we chose one dish featuring beef and one with chicken.The asado borracho — strips of tender, beer-battered steak with stewed tomatoes and jalapenos served with fried onions, potatoes and two fried eggs — initially was less assertive on the palate than I expected. But when the egg yolks were punctured and the other ingredients mixed into the soupy broth, the result was hearty and flavorful, and very South American. Pollo soltado — sliced chicken fried with onion, tomatoes and fresh cut potato fries — was unreSibarita markable except for the impressively tender chickRestaurant en. There was nothing wrong with the dish; it just 2716 Washington Blvd., didn’t dazzle in any way. For dessert, we shared a Arlington, Va. piece of tres leches, a light, airy sponge cake soaked in a mixture of evaporated milk, sweetened con(703) 276-1050 densed milk and heavy cream.The cake was just as www.sibaritarestaurant.com delicious as it sounds without being too sweet and made for a nice close to the meal. Saba Restaurant It’s worth noting we visited Sibarita on a Monday 3900 Pickett Road, Fairfax, Va. only to learn that the establishment prepares special Bolivian dishes on the weekend, including (703) 425-1130 soups that aren’t available during the week. Next www.sabarestaurantdc.com time we’re going on a Saturday night and ordering the caldo de castillo, a “simmering soup slow cooked with beef ribs, chicken, tendon and garlic Thai Taste by Kob served with potatoes, rice, scallions and peas.”

[] want to

go?

11315 Fern St., Wheaton, Md. (301) 942-0288 www.thaitastewheaton.weebly.com

The Washington Diplomat

SABA Moving on to our Yemeni adventure, we chose what appears to be the only authentic representation of this troubled Arabian Peninsula nation’s cui-

Saba features Yemeni cuisine such as saltah, a traditional stew featuring cooked vegetables.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL COLEMAN

The Mexican fare at Sibarita includes asado borracho, strips of tender, beer-battered steak topped with two fried eggs.

sine in the Washington region. Saba Restaurant, a small, clean, well-lit establishment on yet another small strip mall on the southern end of Fairfax, Va., is about a 40-minute drive from D.C. but worth the trip. Saba’s menu is small but its flavors are big. We counted four appetizers, seven entrées and five desserts. We started with small meat sambousa and a bowl of lentil soup. Some sambousas are mostly fried dough with a small pocket of meat, but Saba’s were truer to the dish’s intended form: triangles of thin, crispy pastry dough filled with savory ground beef and spices — sort of like an Arabic egg roll. Each bite burst with flavor and we wished we had a couple more. But not to worry, the lentil soup arrived and it was also delicious. Unlike many lentil soups that contain whole versions of the legume, Saba’s was blended into a piping hot puree of lentils, simmered tomatoes, onions, parsley and spices. We were off to a very good start. Moving on to the main course, we felt obligated to order Saba’s signature dish: haneeth, which is slow-roasted spiced lamb shank served with charred onions and long-grain rice. I had some trouble coaxing all of the ingredients from our server but an internet search revealed many of the flavors I detected, especially black pepper and cumin. Traditional haneeth also has turmeric and other Arab spices. This dish is truly exotic and stimulates the palate in ways most American cooking does not. The haneeth dish alone validated our trip to Virginia, but we went even deeper into Yemeni cuisine with the complex saltah, a traditional stew featuring cooked vegetables and topped with hilbeh, a fenugreek-based whipped condiment; served with sahawiq and warm pita bread. Fenugreek leaves are a staple of Indian cuisine and taste something like a blend of fennel and celery. Sahawiq is a topping of blended tomatoes, jalapenos and fresh cilantro, much like Mexican salsa.The saltah dish arrived with a flourish, bubbling hot

November 2015

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with an aroma that was literally mouth-watering.The hearty vegetarian broth has a deceptively spicy heat that built intensity with each bite. This dish was like almost nothing we’d ever had before.

from page 39

THAI TASTE BY KOB

“From my experience in the United States, Americans think that Turkey is solely a Middle Eastern country,” she continued. “In reality, Turkey is geographically, historically, culturally and socially a country that is located between Europe and Asia. It is not only a bridge between east and west, but also being a developing country and a member of G20, economically speaking, it is also a bridge between north and south. “Because of Turkey’s geographical location, many ancient civilizations lived there, which is why historians call it ‘the cradle of civilization.’ I wish everyone knew Turkey’s historic richness and could have a chance to visit and experience the diverse culture and delicious cuisine. I wish more Americans knew the importance of Turkey for Christianity — that the Virgin Mary lived for a long time in Izmir,Turkey, after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,” she noted. For her part, Sinem has enjoyed traveling the United States and learning more about American culture, citing New York, Chicago and Los Angeles as her favorite cities to visit. She almost always accompanies her husband on his official trips, though Maggie, the golden retriever that brought them together, stays at

For our final meal in this two-part series we chose Thai food, a form of Asian cuisine that has become quite familiar to the American palate over the past two decades. Our challenge was to find the most authentic version of Thai food we could — not just a plate of the goopy “drunken noodles” or run-of-themill pad thai so ubiquitous in the United States.We’re happy to say that Thai Taste by Kob, an out-of-the-way eatery tucked behind the main strip in Wheaton, Md., next door to Asian grocery store, cleared our high bar. The brightly lit restaurant takes its cues from Thai street food vendors. We started with traditional crispy spring rolls filled with piquant ground chicken.The rolls were perfectly fried and sliced into thirds, which made eating them a bit easier. A slightly sweet chili sauce had a vinegary kick and helped to cool the searing hot rolls. Things got even more interesting when the larb gai arrived. Larb gai is a Thai salad consisting of ground chicken and herb rice mixed with red onion, cilantro and scallions in a lime dressing.We told our server we wanted Thai — not American — heat levels and the kitchen delivered.The tangy lime dressing hit the palate first followed by a rush of chili fire. The dish brought out our inner masochist as each bite was hotter, but better, than the last. Delicious. Thai Taste by Kob boasts an extensive menu and navigating it takes some time. But it’s an enjoyable and adventurous exercise. I settled on the pad ped pla dook, a spicy stir-fried dish of catfish filets in red chili paste with rhizome (a form of ginger with its own distinctive and tangy flavor), young peppercorns,Thai eggplant, green beans, jalapeno, red bell pepper and

November 2015

Spouses

PHOTO: MICHAEL COLEMAN

The goong tod lard prik at Thai Taste consists of deepfried shrimp, broccoli, green beans, carrots and onions topped with chili garlic sauce and crispy basil leaves.

crispy basil leaves. The warm aroma of the various ingredients, especially the basil, was almost as intense as the flavor of the sizzling hot, flash-fried catfish filets. This dish was fun to eat, too, simply because of all the different textures. The little Thai eggplant halves were especially appealing and had a slight crunch. We also tried the goong tod lard prik — deep-fried shrimp, broccoli, green beans, carrots and onions topped with chili garlic sauce and, again, crispy basil leaves.This dish was sweeter and, while fried, not too heavy. Thai Taste by Kob consistently showed its skill and we left satiated and beyond impressed. Over the past two months, we’ve barely begun to demonstrate the range and complexity of ethnic dining in the Washington suburbs, but we hope you’re inspired to embark on some exotic culinary adventures of your own. Michael Coleman (@michaelcoleman) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

home. As a young girl, Sinem was always fascinated by animals. “I brought all the stray dogs in the neighborhood home. I would put them in the bathtub, the kitchen — everywhere there were dogs and my mother was afraid of dogs! We’d call the vet and have them all vaccinated and then we’d release them back into the neighborhood. I always wanted to keep all of them for one night in my bedroom but my mother never agreed.” Today, Sinem is able to do more, lending a helping hand not only to animals but also to other causes close to her heart. She especially enjoys contributing her time to orphans, children in need of foster homes and pets that end up in shelters. “In Japan I worked in the orphanages, with the underprivileged and the poor,” she said, noting that she would like to foster a child in the U.S. but hasn’t been able to arrange that yet.“There is a one-anda-half year program to complete before you can become a foster parent. We might not still be here.” “I brought presents from Turkey to give these children. I want to be the big sister they are missing. I want to hug them. If I can save a life, my life is complete — animals as well. Everyone has only one life. We should live life to the fullest.” Gail Scott is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. The Washington Diplomat Page 43

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[ film reviews ]

Compelling True Story Resilience of Remarkable Teen Propels ‘He Named Me Malala’

[

by Ky N. Nguyen

[

Labyrinth of Lies (Im Labyrinth des Schweigens) (German with subtitles; 123 min.; scope)

merican director Davis GugLandmark’s E Street Cinema genheim’s versatile career opens Fri., oct. 9 has ranged from award-winning television series ★★★★✩ (“NYPD Blue,” “ER”) to is currently assigned. Work is not all dull middling narrative theatand no play; he does meet his love interrical features (“Gracie,” est Marlene (Friederike Becht) when she “Gossip”). He’s best known for procommits a minor violation. vocative, acclaimed documentaries Things change for Johann after dogged such as “An Inconvenient Truth” and journalist Thomas (André Szymanski) “Waiting for ‘Superman’” that managed insists that the prosecuter’s office take to reach a sizable audience and achieve seriously the report of his artist friend a level of impact that would be enviSimon (Johannes Krisch), an Auschwitz able for most documentaries. survivor who recognized a former Nazi Distributor Fox Searchlight is betPHoTo: Fox SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES.© 2015 TWENTIETH CENTURY Fox FILM CoRPoRATIoN now working as a schoolteacher. Simon’s ting that his latest doc,“He Named Me allegations have been previously ignored, Malala,” will receive comparable criti- Malala Yousafzai visits the Kisaruni Girls School in Massai Mara, Kenya, in 2014. but Johann takes it upon himself to start cal and commercial success, planting “He Named Me Malala” documents how Yousafzai became a global figure after being an investigation despite his immediate it to be a leading contender in the shot in the head for attempting to go to school in Pakistan. superior’s objections. upcoming awards season.The respectThe ensuing snowball brings to Johann’s attention the pervasive presence of forful biographical film, which Guggenheim wrote, directed and produced, is based on the book “I Am Malala,” the 2013 autobiography of 18-year-old Pakistani Nobel Peace mer Nazis in West Germany. Such revelations are by no means news to his big boss, Chief Prosecutor General Fritz (Voss), who encourages and entrusts his junior staffer Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai. At 15, Malala unintendendly became a global figure after the Pakistani Taliban shot with the sensitivity of the case. Johann tediously combs through the file cabinets at her in the face after school in the country’s Swat Valley. The attack was in retaliation the U.S. Army Document Center and collects the shocking testimony of Holocaust survivors, assisted by his diligent secrefor her and her father’s public advocacy of educating girls. tary (Hansi Jochmann). After extensive medical treatment and surgeries, Malala surThe plot thickens as Johann uncovvived the serious injuries from the assassination attempt and ers the sprawling nature of Auschwitz’s is now living with her family in Birmingham, England. She’s organization. He eventually must face used her celebrity status to the harsh reality that family members, speak publicly as co-founder He Named Me Malala relatives of people close to him and of the Malala Fund, which (English, 88 min.) indeed much of German society may promotes education for girls. Angelika Mosaic have been involved. “He Named Me Malala” benLandmark’s E Street Cinema efits from the very compelling opens Fri., oct. 9 subject matter. The film is at Well-Received its best when allowing Malala, ★★★✩✩ extraordinarily poised for a ‘Second Mother’ teenager, to speak for herself. Less successful are the animaAt the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, tion sequences recreating events, which Guggenheim ostenthe well-received world premiere of sibly employed to break up the usual talking heads that tend “The Second Mother” by Brazilian writto dominate documentary filmmaking. Animator Jason er-director Anna Muylaert’s could defiPHoTo: HEIKE ULRICH / CLAUSSEN + WÖBKE + PUTZ FILMPRoDUKTIoN GMBH / UNIVERSAL PICTURES Carpenter’s pastel drawings are beautiful but don’t quite nitely be characterized as a big success. click into place within the doc’s overall aesthetic. Alexander Fehling stars as a prosecutor who investigates how West Co-stars Regina Casé and Camila Márdila The film’s opening animation relates the tale of Malala, the German society buried its recent Nazi past in “Labyrinth of Lies.” shared the Sundance World Cinema 19th-century female warrior venerated as a freedom fighter Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Acting. against the British occupation, the namesake of our contemporary heroine.The film’s Just a couple of weeks later at the Berlin International Film Festival, Muylaert title, “He Named Me Malala,” references and emphasizes her close and controversial snagged the Panorama Audience Award for Fiction Film and the CICAE Panorama relationship with her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai. His aggressive push for Malala’s edu- Prize. cation was unusual in their community, also making him a target of the Taliban. Some The talented ensemble cast of “The critics allege that Malala is merely a puppet whose strings are pulled by her father, a Second Mother” is a delight to watch, but The Second Mother charge that the film brings up but doesn’t really address. Casé’s presence dominates the frame in (Que Horas Ela Volta?)

]

Tangled ‘Labyrinth’ Italian-born writer-director Giulio Ricciarelli makes a solid narrative debut with his German feature “Labyrinth of Lies,” which goes back to basics to play methodically as a classic whodunit under his taut direction. Ricciarelli and co-writer Elisabeth Bartel’s smart screenplay depicts a gripping account of how 1950s West German society buried its recent Nazi past and the war crimes of World War II. Their characters are enlivened by a fine ensemble cast, most notably actors Alexander Fehling amd Gert Voss, the late veteran thespian to whom the film is dedicated. In 1958, fastidious young prosecuter Johann (Fehling), a composite character of three historical figures, holds ambitions beyond the Frankfurt traffic court where he

November 2015

[

a welcome return to the big screen after (Portuguese with subtitles; 112 min.; scope) years in television. Muylaert previously Landmark’s E Street Cinema worked as a film critic and writer of screenplays directed by others. Her own ★★★★✩ intelligent screenplay elegantly lays out the subtle, complicated issues of class that are intrinsic in society, particularly in Brazil and Latin America, questioning the true meaning of family. For 13 years,Val (Regina Casé) has loyally served as an in-house housekeeper, cook and nanny for an affluent family in São Paulo. She’s been around for so long that she

]

See FILM REVIEWS, page 47 The Washington Diplomat Page 45

[ film ]

CINEMA LISTING Directed by Ask Hasselbalch (Denmark, 2014, 77 min.)

With a dwindling clientele, he reluctantly enlists the help of Ayyash, a teenage refugee from Darfur. When Ayyash accidentally adds a not-so-Kosher ingredient to the leavening process, the challah starts flying off the shelves and an unlikely friendship forms between the old Jewish baker and his young Muslim apprentice.

When 12-year-old Pelle is accidentally bitten by a genetically modified ant, he develops unimaginable superpowers, amazing strength and sticky hands.

Washington DCJCC Tue., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.

Frame by Frame

AFI Silver Theatre Sat., Nov. 7, 11:15 a.m.

Directed by Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli (U.S., 2015, 85 min.)

Antboy: Revenge of the Red Fury

Set in a modern Afghanistan bursting with color and character, “Frame by Frame” follows four Afghan photojournalists as they navigate an emerging and dangerous media landscape— reframing the country for the world and for themselves (English, Pashto and Dari).

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

English Antboy

Directed by Ask Hasselbalch (Denmark/Germany, 2014, 80 min.)

Antboy returns in this explosive sequel to the original crime-fighting blockbuster movie! Picking up where he left off, Antboy soon finds his world thrust back into the realm of danger when a menacing new band of supervillains arise. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., Nov. 8, 11:10 a.m.

Beasts of No Nation Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (U.S., 2015, 133 min.)

Idris Elba stars in the gripping tale of a child soldier torn from his family to fight in the civil war of an African country. Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Difret Directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari (Ethiopia/U.S., 2014, 99 min.)

From executive producer Angelina Jolie Pitt comes the award-winning drama “Difret,” based on the inspirational true story of a young Ethiopian girl and a tenacious lawyer embroiled in a life-ordeath clash between cultural traditions and their country’s advancement of equal rights. AFI Silver Theatre

Dough Directed by John Goldschmidt (U.K./Hungary, 2014, 94 min.)

Curmudgeonly widower Nat obstinately clings to his livelihood as a Kosher bakery shop owner in London’s East End.

Freer Gallery of Art Thu., Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT

Photo: Thomas Maier / Extrafilm

Alice Dwyer stars as a woman who leaves a torrid love affair but later questions her decision, and sanity, in “Ma Folie.”

He Named Me Malala Directed by Davis Guggenheim (U.S., 2015, 87 min.)

La Pointe Courte

Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s E Street Cinema

After a shy movie projectionist and a wacky part-time inventor accidentally unleash a mysterious monster from an eccentric scientist’s greenhouse, all of Paris is in a panicked uproar! But the monster — a giant flea named Francoeur — is actually not only quite harmless, he’s also a talented singer, guitar player and stylish dresser (English and French).

Kandahar Journals

Alliance Française Wed., Nov. 4, 4 p.m.

American University McKinley Building Wed., Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

This film examines the events leading up to the Taliban’s attack on the young Pakistani schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai, for speaking out on girls’ education and the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations.

Directed by Louie Palu and Devin Gallagher (Canada/U.S./Afghanistan, 2015, 76 min.)

A photojournalist’s firsthand reflections while covering war, “Kandahar Journals” follows Louie Palu’s experiences with several Canadian and American regiments for five years. National Gallery of Art Sat., Nov. 7, 3 p.m.

Room Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Ireland/Canada, 2015, 118 min.)

Escaping from the captivity in which they have been held for half a decade, a young woman and her 5-year-old son struggle to adjust to the strange, terrifying and wondrous world outside their one-room prison.

A Monster in Paris (Un monster a Paris)

Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Directed by Bibo Bergeron (France, 2011, 90 min.)

Suffragette Directed by Sarah Gavron (U.K./France, 2015, 106 min.)

In 1912, the U.K. is seeing an increased public presence of the Suffragettes, whose rallying cry is “Votes for Women!” Their efforts at resistance over the years have been passive, but as the women face increasingly aggressive police action, they engage in public acts of civil disobedience endangering property — but never human life. AFI Silver Theatre Opens Fri., Nov. 6

French Jane B par Agnès V Directed by Agnès Varda (France, 1988, 97 min.)

Photo: A24 Films

Brie Larson plays a mother who escapes five years of captivity with her son and must adjust to the outside world in “Room.”

November 2015

The many faces of actress Jane Birkin are revealed in Jane B par Agnès V, a collaboration between two great talents (Agnès Varda and Birkin) and a study of their long friendship. National Gallery of Art Sun., Nov. 22, 4 p.m.

Directed by Agnès Varda (France, 1955, 86 min.)

In this luminous early tour de force, Agnès Varda documents the lives of local waterman and the daily rhythms of a village near her childhood home on the Mediterranean coast — as she concurrently develops a fictionalized portrait of a young city couple who go there.

German Burden of Dreams (Die Last der Träume) Directed by Les Blank (U.S., 1981, 95 min.)

This documentary, with rare footage of Mick Jagger and Jason Robards, captures the chaos of creating the film “Fitzcarraldo” in the jungles of Peru and Ecuador (German, Spanish and English). Goethe-Institut Mon., Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Directed by Robert Weine (Germany, 1920, 75 min.)

In the ultimate German expressionist movie, Caligari, a pretentious fairground huckster, arrives in a new town with the mysterious Cesare, a somnambulist who carries out unspeakable crimes. AFI Silver Theatre Fri., Nov. 6, 7 p.m.

From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses (Von Caligari zu Hitler. Das Deutsches Kino im Zeitalter der Massen) Directed by Rüdiger Suchsland (Germany, 2014, 118 min.)

The clip’s the thing in this exciting feature-length documentary adaptation of Siegfried Kracauer’s pioneering and still essential 1947 critical history “From Caligari to Hitler.” Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sun., Nov. 8, 2 p.m., Mon., Nov. 9, 9 p.m.

Dora or the Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents (Dora oder die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern) Directed by Stina Werenfels (Switzerland/Germany, 2015, 90 min.)

Shortly after her 18th birthday, the intellectually disabled Dora is taken off heavy medication and promptly makes borderline-explicit life choices that raise many troubling questions. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sun., Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m., Wed., Nov. 11, 8:30 p.m.

The Drift (Driften) Directed by Karim Patwa (Switzerland, 2015, 93 min.)

Young car enthusiast Robert is out of prison after unintentionally killing a child during a street race involving an extreme driving technique known as drifting. He develops an intense relationship with Alice, but a revelation will forever change both of their lives. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sun., Nov. 8, 8:30 p.m., Wed., Nov. 11, 6:30 p.m.

Go Trabi Go Directed by Peter Timm (Germany, 1991, 92 min.)

After reunification, a Trabi becomes a convertible on a family road trip to Naples full of incidents. Goethe-Institut Mon., Nov. 23, 6:30 p.m.

Kebab Connection Directed by Anno Saul (Germany, 2005, 96 min.)

Hamburg-born Ibo aspires to make the first German kung-fu movie — until his German girlfriend gets pregnant (German, Greek and Turkish). Goethe-Institut Mon., Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m.

The King’s Surrender (Wir waren Könige) Directed by Philipp Leinemann

The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

Carmen from Kawachi

(Germany, 2014, color, 104 min.)

In the less desirable sections of an unnamed, graffiti-strewn metropolis, an efficient, perpetually underfunded SWAT team is having a run of bad luck in this sweeping criminal character study.

Directed by Seijun Suzuki (Japan, 1966, 89 min.)

A 1960s riff on the opera “Carmen,” this picaresque tale sends its heroine from the countryside to Osaka and Tokyo in search of success as a singer. Her journey is fraught with exploitation and abuse at the hands of nefarious men — until Carmen seeks revenge.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Nov. 7, 5 p.m., Sun., Nov. 8, 12 p.m.

Late Bloomers (Die Herbstzeitlosen)

Freer Gallery of Art Fri., Nov. 20, 7 p.m.

Directed by Bettina Oberli (Switzerland, 2006, 90 min.)

Eight Hours of Fear

After her husband passes away, Martha decides to transform their grocery store into a saucy lingerie shop (German and Swiss-German).

Directed by Seijun Suzuki (Japan, 1957, 77 min.)

Goethe-Institut Mon., Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m.

Ma Folie Directed by Andrina Mračnikar (Austria, 2015, 100 min.)

On vacation in Paris, a child therapist meets fellow an Austrian but ends the relationship due to his jealousy and manipulation. As her own life sinks into paranoia and fear, however, she begins to question her decision. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Nov. 7, 3 p.m., Mon., Nov. 9, 7 p.m.

The Misplaced World (Die abhandene Welt) Directed by Margarethe von Trotta (Germany, 2015, 100 min.)

After German lounge singer Sophie loses her mother, father Paul discovers that New York opera singer Caterina could have been her identical twin (German, English and Italian).

A German lounge singer embarks on a journey to uncover a long-buried family secret in Margarethe von Trotta’s “The Misplaced World.”

modern, multicultural Germany of today. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Tue., Nov. 10, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Gangs of Wasseypur 1

Who Am I: No System is Safe (Who Am I—Kein System ist sicher)

This ambitious and extraordinary bloodand bullets-fueled crime saga has been called Indian cinema’s answer to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” It charts 70 years in the lives — and spectacular deaths — of two organized-crime families fighting for control of the coal-mining town of Wasseypur, India.

Directed by Baran bo Odar (Germany, 2014, 105 min.)

A garden-variety contemporary nerd, Benjamin has no friends at school and few social skills, but there’s one thing he understands: computers. Before long, he’s part of an anonymous hacking collective. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Fri., Nov. 6, 7 and 9:30 p.m., Sat., Nov. 7, 10 p.m.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Nov. 7, 1:15 p.m., Sun., Nov. 8, 4:15 p.m.

The Whole Shebang (Alles Inklusive)

Wacken 3D

Directed by Doris Dörrie (Germany, 2014, 124 min.)

Directed by Norbert Heitker (Germany, 2014, 95 min.)

Maybe you’ve heard of Wacken Open Air, the world’s largest heavy metal festival, now in its 25th year. No? Well, you’ll certainly hear it during this special 3D screening (German and English). Goethe-Institut Sat., Nov. 7, 2:30 p.m.

We are Young. We are Strong. (Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark.) Directed by Burhan Qurbani (Germany, 2014, 127 min.)

In August 1992, three years after the wall came down and Germany reunified, anti-immigration rioting jolted the former East German port city of Rostock. This timely drama recreates an event that helped push a calcified society into the

from page 45

Film Reviews has largely raised the family’s teenage son Fabinho (Michel Joelsas), who considers her a surrogate mother. He turns to her for love before his biological parents, patriarch Dr.Carlos (Lourenço Mutarelli) and mother Bárbara (Karine Teles). In fact, all three family members treat Val with more affection and

Hindi

In this warm, humorous film, lovelorn Apple, with French pug Dr. Freud in tow, follows her mother to the Spanish beach of her counter-culture childhood. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Thu., Nov. 12, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Victoria Directed by Sebastian Schipper (Germany, 2015, 138 min.)

Photographed in a single, uninterrupted take on 22 locations with actors improvising dialogue from the framework of the story arc, this thriller set in Berlin’s Mitte district features genial young Madrid-based waitress Victoria ensnared as an accomplice in a desperate deed. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Sat., Nov. 7, 7 p.m.

respect than each other. Tending to her employers’ constant desires meant that Val had to leave behind her daughter Jéssica (Camila Márdila) on the other side of Brazil with Val’s estranged ex. Alas, Val and Jéssica haven’t set eyes on each other for over a decade. Unexpectedly, Jéssica rings Val, asking to stay with her while taking her university entrance exams, just as Fabinho is preparing to do as well. As Val is considered

Directed by Anurag Kashyap (India, 2013, 159 min.)

Freer Gallery of Art Fri., Nov. 6, 7 p.m.

Gangs of Wasseypur 2 Directed by Anurag Kashyap (India, 2013, 158 min.)

Familiarity with part one of Anurag Kashyap’s gangland epic is encouraged but not required to enjoy its thrilling second half, in which crime boss Sardar Khan’s son Faizal takes over the family’s operation. Faizal reluctantly evolves from a listless stoner into a ruthless yet vulnerable kingpin of a fragile empire. Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Nov. 8, 2 p.m.

Japanese Capone Cries A Lot Directed by Seijun Suzuki (Japan, 1985, 128 min.)

In this surreal comic confection, a traditional naniwa-bushi singer moves to Prohibition-era San Francisco. He goes in search of Al Capone, whom he mistakenly believes is president, hoping to impress the gangster with his singing and popularize the art form in the States. Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Nov. 22, 2 p.m.

family, Bárbara welcomes Jéssica as a houseguest. That turns out to be the opening of Pandora’s box. As a newcomer unfamiliar with the household norms, Jéssica fails to heed the tacit boundaries that have long separated Val and the other servants from their employers. First, she quickly decamps Val’s small servant’s room for the more luxurious guest room.The sudden thrust into the household of a spunky,

kidnaps his sister? Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Nov. 15, 3 p.m.

A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Directed by Seijun Suzuki (Japan, 1977, 93 min.)

Nearly a decade after being fired by Nikkatsu Studios, Seijun Suzuki returned to the director’s chair with this titillating tale of a model who is groomed to become a professional golfer as a publicity stunt. When she turns out to be good at the sport, her success leads a deranged fan to hatch a blackmail scheme.

When their train is trapped by a landslide, passengers — including a murderer escorted by police officers — pile into a bus to proceed through the rugged countryside. Meanwhile, two bank robbers are loose in the vicinity. As the travelers’ journey continues, the danger mounts and tempers begin to fray.

Freer Gallery of Art Fri., Nov. 13, 7 p.m.

Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Nov. 1, 3 p.m.

In 9th-century China, a young woman is abducted as a child from a decorated general and raised by a nun who trained her in the martial arts. After 13 years of exile, she is returned to the land of her birth as an exceptional assassin, with orders to kill her betrothed husband-tobe. She must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings in a choice to sacrifice the man she loves or break forever with the sacred way of the righteous assassins.

Passport to Darkness (Ankoku no Ryoken) Directed by Seijun Suzuki (Japan, 1959, 88 min.)

In this stylish film noir, a trombonist goes on an all-night bender after his wife disappears during their honeymoon. When he returns home to find her corpse in their apartment, he sets off on a frantic quest to find her killer by piecing together a night he can’t remember. Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Nov. 1, 1 p.m.

The Sleeping Beast Within Directed by Seijun Suzuki (Japan, 1960, 86 min.)

A businessman vanishes upon his return from an overseas trip, and his daughter hires a reporter to help find him. When the father reappears, the reporter becomes suspicious and starts digging deeper, uncovering a secret world of heroin smuggling and murder. Freer Gallery of Art Sun., Nov. 15, 1 p.m.

Smashing the O-Line Directed by Seijun Suzuki (Japan, 1960, 83 min.)

This crime thriller features one of the most nihilist characters in Seijun Suzuki’s early films: Katiri, a reporter so ambitiously amoral that he’ll sell out anyone — including his partner and the drug dealer he’s sleeping with — to get a scoop. But what happens when an even more ruthless female gang boss

attractive young woman disorients the men of the house. Carlos becomes excessively supportive of Jéssica’s ambition to gain entrance to Brazil’s top architecture university. With Carlos’s approval, she digs into the ice cream that is normally Fabinho’s domain. And Val is scandalized that Jéssica is stepping out of her place! Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

November 2015

Mandarin The Assassin Directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien (Taiwan/China/Hong Kong/France, 2015, 107 min.)

AFI Silver Theatre

Spanish I Am Cuba Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov (Cuba/Soviet Union, 1964, 143 min.)

The dazzling, black-and-white “I Am Cuba” was a gesture of Soviet-Cuban friendship in the early 1960s. Constructed as a sequence of painterly tableaux, the film conveys views of Yankee imperialism, a passionate Cuban revolutionary spirit and the devotion of farmers and students to the cause (Spanish and English). National Gallery of Art Sat., Nov. 28, 2 p.m.

Tango Glories Directed by Oliver Kolker and Hernán Findling (Argentina, 2014, 117 min.)

Committed to an institution decades ago, and suffering from PTSD and depression, Fermin breaks out of his isolation with the help of an ambitious young doctor, who connects to Fermin through the language of the Argentinean tango. Washington DCJCC Tue., Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m.

Photo: Aline ArruPdlae / oscilloscope Laboratories

Regina Casé stars as a live-in housekeeper who becomes a surrogate mother to the Brazilian family for whom she works in “Second Mother.”

The Washington Diplomat Page 47

[ around town ]

EVENTS LISTING **Admission is free unless otherwise noted. All information on event venues can be found on The Diplomat Web site at www.washdiplomat.com. Times and locations are subject to change. Unless listed, please call venue for specific event times and hours of operation.

ART Through Nov. 1

The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists

This dramatic multimedia exhibition reveals the ongoing global relevance of Dante Alighieri’s 14th-century epic as part of a shared intellectual heritage and includes original commissions and renowned works of art by approximately 40 of the most dynamic contemporary artists from 19 African nations and the diaspora. National Museum of African Art Nov. 1 to March 13

Celebrating Photography at the National Gallery of Art: Recent Gifts

Marking the culmination of a year-long celebration of photography at the museum, this installation brings together an exquisite group of gifts, ranging from innovative photographs made in the earliest years of the medium’s history to key works by important 20th-century artists and contemporary pieces that examine the ways in which photography continues to shape our experience of the modern world. National Gallery of Art

17 works on paper and four sculptures.

American politics and government.

in-depth examination of masterpieces.

Folger Shakespeare Library

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through Nov. 28

Through Jan. 3

Bold and Beautiful: Rinpa in Japanese Art

Through Jan. 31

Under ART

In Latvian Artist Edīte GornovaRasmusena’s “Four Seasons,” each of the 12 months is represented in paintings that reflect the various seasons and the dramatic changes as experienced by the artist in the northern European country of Latvia (open Fridays and Saturdays). Through Dec. 6

Enigmas: The Art of Bada Shanren (1626-1705)

Rymd – A Swedish Space Odyssey

Sweden has been a member of the world space elite ever since the first space rocket left Earth. For more than half a century Swedish space research, technology and innovations have been at the cutting edge of space exploration and discovery. See the smallest space rocket engine in the world, find out about a unique and sustainable propulsion system and learn how Sweden awakened comet chaser Rosetta from her solar slumber. You can even help plan a mission to search for alien life on the icy moons of Jupiter. The digital stations in this exhibit offer videos, interviews and in-depth facts. And don’t miss out on the chance to win a space adventure in Abisko, Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle. For information, visit www.swedenabroad.com/en-GB/ Embassies/Washington/Current-affairs/ Events/EXHIBIT-Rymd---A-SwedishSpace-Odyssey-sys/. Through Dec. 31

9 SEASONS

Finland is extremely dark, extremely bright and everything in between. Polar nights and the midnight sun add a unique touch to everything Finns do. Light, and the lack of it, colors their lives. “9 SEASONS” showcases work by nine artists from the Arabia Art Department Society in Finland that reflects the diversity of Finnish nature and seasons. The Sami people of Lapland are said to have divided the year into eight different seasons: fall-winter, winter, spring-winter, spring, spring-summer, summer, fall-summer, and the fall. The Arabia Art Department Society discovers one more season to add to the list: art. This exhibit transforms the embassy’s Finlandia Hall to a dreamlike world where different horizons become visible (open Saturdays and Sundays). Embassy of Finland Nov. 15 to May 15

Louise Bourgeois: No Exit

Louise Bourgeois’s ties to surrealism and existentialism will be explored through

Freer Gallery of Art Through Jan. 3

OJJDP’s Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest

Through Nov. 15

The modern term Rinpa (Rimpa) describes a remarkable group of Japanese artists who created striking images for paintings, ceramics, textiles and lacquerware.

Embassy of Latvia

House of Sweden

OAS Art Museum of the Americas

November 2015

National Gallery of Art

Through Nov. 6

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) hosts this exhibition of winning entries from the National Missing Children’s Day Art Contest. With an annual theme of “Bring Our Missing Children Home,” the missing children’s day poster contest provides teachers with tools to educate children and parents about safety and initiate conversations regarding prevention.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT

Ingénue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion

The first exhibition at Hillwood to present Marjorie Post’s full range of style, “Ingénue to Icon” will examine how Post’s lifelong passion for objects that were exceptionally beautiful and impeccably constructed extended to her taste for clothing. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens Through Jan. 2

Peacock Room Remix: Darren Waterston’s Filthy Lucre

“Peacock Room REMIX” centers on “Filthy Lucre,” an immersive interior by painter Darren Waterston who reinterprets James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room as a resplendent ruin, an aesthetic space that is literally overburdened by its own excesses — of materials, history, and creativity. Like “Filthy Lucre” and the original Peacock Room, this exhibition invites viewers to consider the complex relationships among art, money and the passage of time. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Through Jan. 3

Age of Lawyers: The Roots of American Law in Shakespeare’s Britain

In the 800th anniversary year of the Magna Carta, “Age of Lawyers” offers a close-up look at the rapid increase of lawyers and legal actions in Shakespeare’s Britain, from the law’s impact on daily life to major political and legal disputes — some invoking the Magna Carta — that still influence

Born a prince of the Ming imperial house, Bada Shanren (1626–1705) lived a storied life, remaking himself as a secluded Buddhist monk and, later, as a professional painter and calligrapher. Featured in this exhibition are examples of his most daring and idiosyncratic works, demonstrating his unique visual vocabulary. Freer Gallery of Art Through Jan. 3

Le Onde: Waves of Italian Influence (1914-1971)

This exhibition of nearly 20 works from the museum’s collection follows Italian contributions to the transnational evolution of abstraction, through movements and tendencies such as futurism, spatialism, op art and kinetic art. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Streams of Being

Drawn from the permanent collection of the Art Museum of the Americas, “Streams of Beings” brings to light a multiplicity of ideas and identities emerging within contemporary Latin American art. Featuring 22 artists from 12 countries across the Americas, this exhibition explores the permeable boundaries and dimensions of life through interrelated themes of scale and place, human and animal bodies. Throughout four intersecting “streams” — Bestiary, Cosmos, Topologies and Bodies in Exile — the display stages movement and displacement, dwelling on crossings both serendipitous and transgressive.

Esther Bubley (1921-98) was a photojournalist renowned for her revealing profiles of the United States and its people in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s. Bubley’s talent for creating probing and gently humorous images of Americans contributed to her success in photojournalism. National Museum of Women in the Arts Through Jan. 31

Sōtatsu: Making Waves

Tawaraya Sōtatsu (act. ca. 1600–40), a fountainhead of Japanese painting and design, is one of the most influential yet elusive figures in Japanese culture. Sōtatsu’s work is instantly recognized by its bold, abstracted style, lavish swaths of gold and silver and rich jewel tones. Much of the artist’s life, however, remains a mystery. How a working-class owner of a Kyoto fan shop transformed into a sophisticated designer with a network of aristocratic collaborators is still an enigma — and the focus of this

Robert Joffrey’s awe-inspiring staging of the perennial classic boasts larger-thanlife Victorian America scenery and costumes, entrancing storytelling, Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, and invigorating dancing that could only be found in a dream. Tickets are $55 to $195. Kennedy Center Opera House

Tue., Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m.

Hidden Identities: Paintings and Drawings by Jorge Tacla

With the earliest works in the series dating to 2005, “Hidden Identities” by Chilean artist Jorge Tacla is composed of a rich series of paintings and drawings that explore central themes of mutability of identity, collective memory, the physical and psychological fallout of trauma, and the omnipresent yet latent potential for change. The inspiration for this body of work comes from the social, political and historical events of the artist’s life during the chaos of the Chilean coup d’état. Through Feb. 28

Esther Bubley Up Front

The Joffrey Ballet: The Nutcracker

Through Feb. 3

OAS Art Museum of the Americas

Through Jan. 17

Nov. 25 to 29

DISCUSSIONS

Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Switzerland, The Staechelin and Im Obersteg Collections

The Phillips Collection

George Mason University Center for the Arts

OAS Art Museum of the Americas

Through Jan. 10

This exhibition pays tribute to two pioneering supporters of the arts, Rudolf Staechelin (1881-1946) and Karl Im Obersteg (1883-1969), both from Basel, who championed the work of impressionist, post-impressionist and School of Paris artists, providing a platform to distinguish collecting philosophies and situate them within the history and reception of modern art. The exhibition features more than 60 celebrated paintings — masterpieces created during the mid19th and 20th centuries by 22 worldfamous artists.

present a captivating evening of Indian music and dance. The legendary Indian musician Rahis Bharti brings his spectacular vision of authentic Indian music to the George Mason stage accompanied by his talented ensemble of musicians and dancers. Tickets are $29 to $48.

Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today

This exhibition presents dynamic women designers and artists from the mid-20th century and today making groundbreaking commercial and industrial designs, maintaining craft traditions and incorporating new aesthetics into fine art. National Museum of Women in the Arts Through June 5

Perspectives: Lara Baladi

Egyptian-Lebanese artist Lara Baladi experiments with the photographic medium, investigating its history and its role in shaping perceptions of the Middle East, particularly Egypt, where she is based. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

DANCE Fri., Nov. 6, 8 p.m.

Compañia Flamenca José Porcel: Flamenco Fire Celebrate the art of flamenco with this explosion of vibrant color, passionate rhythm, and enchanting movement by José Porcel, along with his troupe and orchestra. This breathtaking extravaganza represents the golden age of flamenco and showcases the purity and authenticity of this traditional art form. Tickets are $29 to $48.

George Mason University Center for the Arts Sat., Nov. 21, 8 p.m.

Bollywood Masala Orchestra and Dancers of India: The Spirit of India

Experience a veritable feast for the eyes, ears and soul when these dynamic artists

Global Challenges for a Sustainable Economic Development

The Georgetown University Italian Research Institute, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute, invites you to a symposium and discussion on the challenges facing a sustainable global economic development that will require a data revolution, global environmental protection, policy issues as well as ethical and technical concerns — featuring professor Enrico Giovannini of the University of Rome and Ruth Greenspan Bell of the Wilson Center. For information, visit http://italianinstitute.college.georgetown. edu/events or call (202) 733-3826. Georgetown University Intercultural Center Auditorium

FESTIVALS Through Nov. 8

Kids Euro Festival 2015

The eighth edition of the Kids Euro Festival offers children a trip to Europe — without the passport. This two-week long festival of European arts and culture presents more than 125 free activities to D.C. metro area children and their families, including performances, concerts, workshops, movies, storytelling and more — all brought to you by the 28 European Union member states. Among the November highlights: “Animals” puppet theater from Spain (Nov. 7-10), which explores some of the 8.74 million species of animals that live on Earth; traditional Irish dance and music with the Shannon Dunne Dance Company (Nov. 7); “KeeKee’s Big Adventures in Athens, Greece” storytelling and book signing at the Greek Embassy (Nov. 7); “Baba Marta’s Yarn,” traditional Bulgarian folktales told with puppets and props made of yarn (Nov. 4-6); and “White Lullaby,” which uses dance and a little bunny who travels to a dream world to explore Lith uanian fairytales, some of the oldest in Europe (Nov. 1). For information and reservations, visit http://kidseurofestival.org. Various locations

MUSIC Tue., Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m.

Tehorah: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of German-Israeli Diplomatic Relations

Fresh from a performance at Carnegie,

The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

singer Adrienne Haan, along with the Israeli String Quartet and pianist HeinzWalter Florin, present a program of meaningful and deeply felt music. “Tehorah,” which means “pure” in Hebrew, features music of 1920s Weimar, Berlin, klezmer and contemporary Hebrew songs sung in German, Yiddish and Hebrew. A collaboration of German and Israeli artists, this concert carries a message of hope and forgiveness with music as an ambassador of peace. Tickets are $60, including reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.

contemporary classics, gospel spirituals, and treasured American and European carols all performed with its well-known lush harmonies and impeccable technique. Tickets are $32 to $54. George Mason University Center for the Arts

THEATER Through Nov. 8

Alice in Wonderland

Alice’s story takes a sharp turn as she falls down the rabbit hole into the dark and mysterious Wonderland. The Tsikurishvilis combine their signature cinematic style with a script by recent Helen Hayes Award nominee Lloyd Rose that promises to be a fresh take on Lewis Carroll’s fairy tale of the absurd. Tickets are $35 to $65.

Embassy of Austria Fri., Nov. 6, 7 p.m.

Yoruba Andabo

The Adinkra Group and Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation in partnership with the Yoruba Cuba Association present Afro Cuban legendary band and Rumba masters Yoruba Andabo — live and direct from Cuba for the first time in D.C. Tickets are $35 to $55.

Synetic Theater Through Nov. 8

Salomé

GW Lisner Auditorium Sat., Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Central American Marimbas

Mesoamerica vibrates with the sounds of marimbas. These traditional instruments — patriotic symbols of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Nicaragua — are the pride of peoples and eras in Central America. A variety of performers from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras take the stage to celebrate this musical tradition as part of Teatro de la Luna’s 25th anniversary season. Tickets are $35; for information, visit www.teatrodelaluna.org. Rosslyn Spectrum Theater Sun., Nov. 8, 2 p.m.

Washington Performing Arts: Amit Peled and Noreen Polera Homage to Pablo Casals

Celebrating the centenary of Pablo Casals’s 1915 U.S. tour and performing on Casals’s own cello, renowned performer and pedagogue Amit Peled affectionately recreates the legend’s program of cello favorites. Tickets are $50. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater Mon., Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m.

Tomer Gewirtzman, Piano: Daniel Pearl Memorial Concert

Presented in cooperation with the Embassy of Israel, this Embassy Series concert features pianist Tomer Gewirtzman, who has won first prizes in the Chopin competition for young pianists in Tel-Aviv, the Rig’ey See piano competition in Ashdod, the Pnina Zaltzman Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Kfar-Sava, and the Tel-Hai International Piano Masterclasses concerto competition. Tickets are $70, including reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Venue TBA Fri., Nov. 13, 9 p.m.

A Family Affair: Dorado Schmitt and the Django Festival All-Stars

Showcasing the rhythmic, virtuosic intricacies of the Django Reinhardt guitar style of “hot jazz,” the Django Festival All-Stars return to the Kennedy Center by popular demand, featuring superstar Dorado Schmitt on lead guitar and violin. Tickets are $30.

Photo: Photo: Cade Martin / Hasselblad H3D

Soloman Howard stars as Martin Luther King Jr. in the Washington National Opera production of “Appomattox.”

de America, with a special appearance by the Maru Montero Dance Company. Tickets are $35; for information, visit www.teatrodelaluna.org. Rosslyn Spectrum Theater Sun., Nov. 15, 7 p.m.

Chucho Valdés: Irakere 40

Two landmarks in Latin jazz, the band Irakere and its iconic bandleader, Cubanborn Chucho Valdés, take the stage in this performance that celebrates Irakere’s indelible legacy, a bold fusion of Afro-Cuban ritual music, popular AfroCuban styles, jazz and rock that marked a turning point in Latin jazz. Leading a 10-piece ensemble, Latin Grammywinning composer and bandleader Valdés offers a vivid retrospective of his work the past four decades. Tickets are $28 to $58. Music Center at Strathmore Sun., Nov. 15, 4 p.m.

Johannes Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem

The Choral Arts Society of Washington opens its 2015-16 season with Johannes Brahms’s “Ein deutsches Requiem,” constructed to move from words of comfort to those who remain behind, to comfort for those who have passed on. Inspired by Brahms’s own loves and losses, and his longest choral work, “A German Requiem” was written to appeal to the masses — the religious and secular, the young and old. Tickets are $15 to $69. Kennedy Center Concert Hall Sun., Nov. 15, 6 p.m.

10th Annual Korea Art & Soul: An Evening of Opera and Choral Music

Presented by the Korean American Cultural Arts Foundation, this special concert of master artists from South Korea along with Korean American performance artists will include a fashion show of traditional and modern dress, Korean and American opera vocalists, and two choirs. Tickets are $45 to $75. GW Lisner Auditorium

Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

Tue., Nov. 17, 8 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.

“A masterful interpreter of classic songs” and modern tunes alike, this jazzy singer/songwriter infuses her compositions with “rich tone, emotional depth and expressive storytelling” (The Associated Press). Don’t miss the Wolf Trap debut of this critically acclaimed artist. Tickets are

Mariachis

The mariachi is a serenade, a message of love with the sounds of the heart and the soul, as well as an international symbol of Mexico. This event by Teatro de la Luna spotlights the mariachi group Son

Madeleine Peyroux

$42 to $45. The Barns at Wolf Trap Tue., Nov. 17, 8 p.m.

Youssou N’Dour

The high-energy concerts by Youssou N’Dour, Senegal’s most beloved musician, showcase the mbalax, reggae and internationally influenced music that he developed over his 40-year career. Tickets are $35 to $75. GW Lisner Auditorium Wed., Nov. 18, 8 p.m.

Paco Pena

Paco Pena embodies both authenticity and innovation in flamenco. As guitarist, composer, dramatist, producer and artistic mentor, he has transformed perceptions of this archetypal Spanish art form. Tickets are $30 to $50. GW Lisner Auditorium Fri., Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.

Mariko Furukawa, Pianist

Japanese pianist Mariko Furukawa is an active chamber musician and won the Mannes Chamber Music Competition in 2004, resulting in a performance with the Orion String Quartet. She has also performed at numerous major halls throughout New York and Japan, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, Steinway Salon, Yamaha Salon, Union Club, Goethe Institute and the German and French consulates. Tickets are $150, including cocktails and buffet dinner; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Japanese Ambassador’s Residence Sun., Nov. 22, 6 p.m.

Gioachino Rossini’s ‘Semiramide’ The Washington Concert Opera debut of “Semiramide” features dazzling virtuostic arias, spectacular chorus and orchestral writing, and is Rossini’s most monumental work. This lush tale of murder, power and revenge brings ancient Babylon to life as Queen Semiramide pays the price of her deceitful crimes with the heartbreak from an impossible love. Tickets are $40 to $110. GW Lisner Auditorium Sat., Nov. 28, 8 p.m.

Chanticleer: A Chanticleer Christmas

This Grammy Award-winning ensemble presents a glorious performance of ancient hymns, venerated sacred songs,

In this new work, internationally acclaimed adaptor-director Yaël Farber reworks Oscar Wilde’s play with ancient Arabic and Hebraic texts. The result is an urgently relevant exploration of the woman’s voice in history, oppressed people’s power over their own bodies and the explosive connections between religious and political uprising.

Through Nov. 15

Smartphones: A Pocket-Size Farce

This modern surreal play by Spanish playwright and director Emilio Williams, presented by Ambassador Theater, deconstructs relations between four egocentric individuals addicted to social media and self-gratification. Two couples and their precarious worlds get too close for comfort stuck in the house of their elusive friend, who may never arrive. While waiting for him and pestering their smartphones to “death,” the group begins to lose their cool. Lies are exposed, masks dropped and secret desires revealed in this fast-paced comedy too ridiculous to be true, or is it? Tickets are $20 to $35. Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint Nov. 17 to Jan. 3

Kiss Me, Kate

As they try to stage a musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” sparks fly on and off stage between the show’s director and his leading lady — and ex-wife. Add to the mix passionate young lovers, plus a few musically inclined gangsters’ heavies, and the result is a sharp and witty night with some of Cole Porter’s most immortal songs. Tickets are $20 to $118.

Shakespeare Theatre Company

Shakespeare Theatre Company Sidney Harman Hall

Nov. 13 to Dec. 20

Through Nov. 22

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival Production of Pericles

Cake Off

Folger Shakespeare Library

Signature Theatre

Nov. 14 to 22

Through Nov. 29

Pericles, Prince of Tyre, sets sail on an extraordinary journey through the decades and is blown from the coasts of Phoenicia to Greece and to Turkey. Chased by the wicked King of Antioch, Pericles finds his true love in Thaisa and loses her and their daughter Marina on the rough seas. Tickets are $35 to $75.

Appomattox The Washington National Opera continues its 60th anniversary season with the world premiere of a newly revised version of “Appomattox,” which marks 50 years since the Voting Rights Act and 150 years since the end of the Civil War. As the brutal American Civil War is drawing to a close, a determined Ulysses S. Grant has just ordered the final assault on Richmond and issued President Abraham Lincoln’s terms of surrender to Robert E. Lee. The two generals meet in a small Virginia courthouse and change the course of a nation forever. Flash forward a century later — an emboldened Martin Luther King, Jr. struggles to negotiate voting rights with President Lyndon B. Johnson. As these legendary leaders battle to end racial inequality and bloodshed, their stoic fronts belie profound humanity, from their own personal regrets to discussions with their deeply concerned wives. Tickets start at $25. Kennedy Center Opera House Through Nov. 15

girlstar

It’s the 50th annual Millberry Cake Off. After a chilly pre-heating, hardy contestants Paul and Rita don their aprons, strap on their oven mitts and square off. Armed with whisks, bowls, knives and eggs, the two engage in an increasingly ludicrous all-out brawl — and only one can remain standing when the timer dings. Visit www.sigtheatre.org for ticket information.

The Cripple of Inishmaan

Scena Theatre presents Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy set in 1934 on the island of Inishmaan, where residents are excited to learn that a Hollywood film crew has arrived in nearby Inishmore to make a documentary on island life. Many of the locals clamor for their once-in-a-lifetime shot at stardom in desperate efforts to escape poverty, boredom and gossip. A young outcast vies for a role against all odds — and to everyone’s surprise the outcast gets his shot, or so some think. Tickets are $25 to $45. Atlas Performing Arts Center Through Dec. 13

Sorry and Regular Singing

The final plays in Richard Nelson’s “The Apple Family Cycle” quartet explore the immediate present and evolving future of the United States. Over meals at the family homestead, the tensions and compromises, affections and resentments of the Apple family’s lives play out against a rapidly changing America. Tickets are $49 to $96. The Studio Theatre

Legendary record producer Daniella Espere is searching for her next international sensation. She discovers it in her long-lost niece, Tina, who dreams of being a world-famous pop star. Despite warning signs that all may not be as it seems, the two eagerly forge a mother/ daughter bond and Daniella transforms Tina’s image, voice and talent into star quality — but not by the usual means. Please call for ticket information.

Through Jan. 3

Signature Theatre

Arena Stage

November 2015

Oliver!

Charles Dickens’s unforgettable characters burst to life in the Tony Awardwinning musical that blends the chaotic worlds of Victorian London with 2015 London to infuse a modern edge to the classic story about an innocent orphan living amongst double-dealing thieves and conmen. Please call for ticket information.

The Washington Diplomat Page 49

DIPLOMATIC SPOTLIGHT

The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

Nyumbani Benefit

Gerald Harvey of Lockheed Martin and Cynthia Harvey attend a benefit for Nyumbani, which provides a range of services, including: Kenya’s first and largest facility for HIV+ orphans; Lea Toto Community Outreach, a home-based care program in Nairobi; a state-of-the-art diagnostic lab; and a model bio-friendly, self-sustaining community called Nyumbani Village.

photo: Eric Jemal Sharpe / nyumbani

From left, Kenyan Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Julius Bargorett, Nyumbani Executive Director Sister Mary Owens, Ambassador of Kenya Robinson Njeru Githae and President of Nyumbani U.S. Board Gail Dalferes Condrey attend the 22nd annual benefit and auction for Nyumbani (Swahili for “home), an internationally recognized nonprofit that cares for HIV-infected children in Kenya.

Landon High School students Christopher Onesti, left, and Jeremy Loeb, who created the Tibu Foundation, present Sister Mary Owens with a check for $10,000 to support Nyumbani’s life-saving programs for HIV+ Kenyans.

From right, philanthropists Patty and John Noel present John Sheffy, an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin, with the Noel Humanitarian Award for his sustainable agriculture work at the Nyumbani Village.

John Noel, founder of Travel Guard International and president of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, looks at auctioned artwork created by students from Landon School to support Nyumbani.

From left, Sherri Cunningham, Elizabeth Cunning- ham, Rev. William George, Mistress of Ceremonies Kathleen Matthews, formerly of WJLA and Marriott who is running for a Maryland House seat, and political satirist Mark Russell attend the 22nd annual benefit and auction for Nyumbani held at the Ritz-Carlton.

From left, Barbara Conte, Jayne McIntosh, Patricia Perito, Miriam Parrales and Judi Miller attend the 22nd annual benefit and auction for Nyumbani. The live auction raised over $35,000 for Nyumbani, which offers programs for HIV+ children in Kenya.

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, left, is honored by Nyumbani Executive Director Sister Mary Owens for his work as an architect of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

From left, Hannah Sweeney, Dr. Denise DeConcini of Silver Spring Pediatric Group, Dino DeConcini, former Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.), Patricia DeConcini and Christina DeConcini of the World Resources Institute attend the 22nd annual benefit and auction for the Kenyan children’s charity Nyumbani held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Kluge Prize From left, German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, retired Librarian of Congress James Billington, and Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor attend the 2015 Kluge Prize ceremony at the Library of Congress. Habermas and Taylor shared the John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, which this year awarded $1.5 million instead of the customary $1 million. Charles Margrave Taylor speaks at the ornate Jefferson Room of the Library of Congress during the 2015 Kluge Prize ceremony. Endowed in 2000, the John W. Kluge Center seeks to bring the world’s best senior thinkers — the Kluge Scholars — into residence to gain wisdom from the library’s resources and to interact with political Washington.

From left, dentist Jerrold Epstein, Angie Young, former U.S. Ambassador Johnny Young, State Department Protocol Officer April Guice and teacher Andrew Newhouse attend the Nyumbani 22nd annual benefit and auction.

Taiwanese National Day

From left, Peter Mkengi, Lea Toto General Manager Nicholas Makav, Peter Wanjiku and Tina Cleland attend the Nyumbani benefit and auction. Nyumbani’s Lea Toto Community Outreach program serves more than 3,000 children and is funded by USAID through the PEPFAR program.

Director of Kenya Educational Service Trips Lloydie Zaiser, left, and Tomi Browne of Heart of the Village bead studio attend the Nyumbani 22nd annual benefit and auction, whose theme, “It Matters to Each One,” reflects the nonprofit’s philosophy of caring for every single member of the community it serves.

From left, Mary Ellen D’Agostino, Rev. Jack Podsiadlo and Marie Giblin attend a benefit for Nyumbani, which was founded in 1992 by the late Father Angelo D’Agostino, a Jesuit priest and physician who worked to provide a home for HIV-infected orphans in Kenya.

Former Ambassador of Macedonia Ljubica Acevska, left, and Larry Duncan, vice president for federal and state government relations and PAC affairs at Lockheed Martin, attend the Nyumbani 22nd annual benefit and auction held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

From left, Jack Dausman of Cloud Powered Commercial Solutions, Dave Donahue and Pat Donahue attend a benefit for Nyumbani, a nonprofit that works with children in Kenyan communities who have been orphaned or abandoned as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Currently over 4,000 children and elders are being served by Nyumbani’s work.

Representative Lyushun Shen of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, left, accepts a proclamation of friendship from Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo, who represents the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam in Congress, at Taiwan’s 104th National Day celebration.

photos: larry luxner

Lyushun Shen, chief of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), welcomes visitors to Twin Oaks Estate to celebrate two anniversaries: 104 years since the founding of the Republic of China, and 70 since the end of World War II.

Cuban-born politician Lincoln Díaz-Balart, a former Republican member of Congress, looks on as his GOP colleague and fellow Floridian, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, urges Washington to “strengthen the U.S.Taiwan alliance in the face of an increasingly aggressive China.”

Photos: Shawn Miller / Library of Congress

The Washington Diplomat

November 2015

French International School

From left, Caroline Barbeau, Gilles Barbeau, Ambassador of France Gérard Araud and Carmelle Barbeau attend a fundraiser at the French Residence to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Lycée Rochambeau, the French International School.

photos: lycee rochambeau

Bass baritone Simon Charette, a music teacher at Lycée Rochambeau performs as part of an opera concert and fundraiser for the French International School.

From left, Vanena Wilmot, Francois Legros, Head of School at Lycée Rochambeau Catherine Lévy, David Wilmot and a guest were among the supporters who attended the French International School’s 60th anniversary celebration at the French Residence.

From left, mezzo-soprano Cynthia Samaha, world-renowned opera singer Géraldine Chauvet and soprano Beth Rubens, a music teacher at Lycée Rochambeau, perform as part of an opera concert and fundraiser for the French International School.

‘Le Onde’

Ambassador of Italy Claudio Bisogniero stands in front of Enrico Castellani’s “Blue Surface 5,” part of an exhibition of nearly 20 works that follow Italian contributions to the transnational evolution of abstraction.

photos: embassy of italy

From left, wife of the Italian ambassador Laura Denise Bisogniero, embassy liaison Jan Du Plain and Shelly Ross-Larson celebrate the Hirshhorn exhibit “Le Onde: Waves of Italian Influence (1914-1971).”

Angolan Hero’s Day

From left, senior curator Valerie Fletcher, Director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Melissa Chiu, trustee Robert Lehrman, trustee Steve Elmendorf, Ambassador of Italy Claudio Bisogniero and trustee Dan Sallick celebrate the Hirshhorn exhibit “Le Onde: Waves of Italian Influence (1914-1971).”

A visitor examines Giò Pomodoro’s “Opposition,” part of an exhibition of works from the Hirshhorn Museum, many rare or never before seen, that examine Italian contributions to movements such as futurism, spatialism and arte povera.

Algeria in Iowa Kathy Garms, executive director of the Abdelkader Education Project, left, welcomes Ambassador of Algeria Madjid Bouguerra to the Iowa town of Elkader, named after a 19th-century Muslim leader from Algeria, for the Sixth Annual Forum: Why Emir Abdelkader Matters in Today’s World.

‘Threads’ at GW From left, Veronique Yusuf; Osman Yousuf; Ambassador of Bangladesh Mohammad Ziauddin; and S. Aktar Hossain, the embassy’s commercial counselor, attend a screening of “Threads.” The documentary tells the story of Surayia Rahman, a selftrained maker of embroidered quilts who turned an ancient, forgotten art form into a thriving craft that today provides a living for thousands of Bangladeshi women.

Recently appointed Ambassador of Mauritius Sooroojdev Phokeer, left, talks with Ambassador of Angola Agostinho Tavares da Silva Neto at a reception celebrating Angola’s National Hero’s Day.

Joseph Adeyemi of Chevron Nigeria, left, and Maria Da Cruz Gabriel, executive director of the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce, examine photographs of António Agostinho Neto, Angola’s first president.

Photos: embassy of angola

Ambassador of Angola Agostinho Tavares da Silva Neto welcomes guests to the embassy to celebrate the country’s National Hero’s Day with a photo exhibition on the life and work of Dr. António Agostinho Neto, Angola’s first president.

Dan Mozena, who retired from the Foreign Service in 2014 after his last posting as U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, and Dhaka-born sitar musician Alif Laila attend a screening of the documentary “Threads” at the George Washington University’s Textile Museum. Photo: Larry Luxner

RFFG Fellows

Consul General of Luxembourg in New York City Jean-Claude Knebeler attends a reception for the Robertson Foundation for Government hosted by the Embassy of Luxembourg.

Robertson Foundation for Government (RFFG) Maxwell Fellows pose with professor Michael Wasylenko of Syracuse University, right. RFFG is a nonprofit family foundation dedicated to helping top U.S. graduate students pursue federal government careers in foreign policy, national security and international affairs. Photos: Vanessa Castillo

Ambassador of Luxembourg Jean-Louis Wolzfeld talks with Institute for Education (IFE) founder and CEO Kathy Kemper at a reception for the Robertson Foundation for Government hosted by the Embassy of Luxembourg.

November 2015

Vice Chairman of Kissinger Associates Robert Hormats attends a reception for the Robertson Foundation for Government hosted by the Embassy of Luxembourg.

From left, Special Assistant to the President for Economic and Technology Policy R. David Edelman, Robertson Foundation for Government (RFFG) Board President Katherine Ernst and Alexandra Ghara attend an RFFG reception at the Embassy of Luxembourg.

The Washington Diplomat Page 51

AROUNDTHEWORLD

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT

November 2015

HOLIDAYS ALBANIA Nov. 28: Independence Day Nov. 29: Liberation Day ALGERIA Nov. 1: Anniversary of the Revolution ANDORRA Nov. 1: All Saints Day ANGOLA Nov. 2: All Souls Day Nov. 11: Independence Day ANTIGUA and BARBUDA Nov. 1: Independence Day AUSTRIA Nov. 1: All Saints Day AZERBAIJAN Nov. 12: Constitution Day Nov. 17: National Revival Day BANGLADESH Nov. 7: National Revolution and Solidarity Day BARBADOS Nov. 30: Independence Day BELARUS Nov. 7: october Revolution Day

BELGIUM Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 11: Armistice Day

CANADA Nov. 11: Remembrance Day CAPE VERDE Nov. 1: All Saints Day

BELIZE Nov. 19: Garifuna Settlement Day BENIN Nov. 1: All Saints Day BOLIVIA Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 2: All Souls Day BOSNIAHERZEGOVINA Nov. 25: Anti-fascism Day BRAZIL Nov. 2: Memorial Day Nov. 15: Proclamation of the Republic BULGARIA Nov. 1: Day of the National Enlighteners BURKINA FASO Nov. 1: All Saints Day BURMA (MYANMAR) Nov. 16: National Day BURUNDI Nov. 1: All Saints Day CAMBODIA Nov. 1: Birthday of HM the King Nov. 9: Independence Day

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Nov. 1: All Saints Day CHAD Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 28: Republic Day CHILE Nov. 1: All Saints Day COLOMBIA Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 11: Independence of Cartagena COSTA RICA Nov. 2: All Souls Day CÔTE D’IVOIRE Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 15: National Peace Day CROATIA Nov. 1: All Saints Day CZECH REPUBLIC Nov. 17: Day of the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy DOMINICA Nov. 3: Independence Day

Nov. 4: Community Service Day

Send Us Your Holidays and Appointments

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Nov. 6: Constitution Day

Fax to: The Washington Diplomat at: (301) 949-0065 E-mail to: news@washdiplomat.com Mail to: P.o. Box 1345, Silver Spring, MD 20915-1345

EAST TIMOR Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 12: Santa Cruz Massacre ECUADOR Nov. 2: All Souls Day Nov. 3: Independence of Cuenca EL SALVADOR Nov. 2: All Souls Day Nov. 5: Cry of Independence Day

GUATEMALA Nov. 1: All Saints Day GUYANA Nov. 11: Diwali HAITI Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 2: All Souls Day HUNGARY Nov. 1: All Saints Day

ESTONIA Nov. 2: All Souls Day Nov. 16: Day of Declaration of Sovereignty

INDIA Nov. 11: Diwali (Deepavali) Nov. 26: Guru Nanak’s Birthday

FIJI Nov. 11: Diwali

ITALY Nov. 1: All Saints Day

FINLAND Nov. 1: All Saints Day

GABON Nov. 1: All Saints Day

JAPAN Nov. 3: National Culture Day (Bunka No Hi) Nov. 23: Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinro Kansha No Hi)

GEORGIA Nov. 23: St. George’s Day (Giorgoba)

JORDAN Nov. 14: Late King Hussein’s Birthday

FRANCE Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 11: Armistice Day

LATVIA Nov. 18: Independence Day in 1918 LEBANON Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 22: Independence Day LIBERIA Nov. 6: Thanksgiving Day Nov. 29: Williams V.S. Tubman’s Birthday LIECHTENSTEIN Nov. 1: All Saints Day LITHUANIA Nov. 1: All Saints Day LUXEMBOURG Nov. 1: All Saints Day

MEXICO Nov. 20: Mexican Revolution of 1910 MICRONESIA Nov. 3: National Day MONGOLIA Nov. 26: Independence Day MOROCCO Nov. 6: Commemoration of the Green March Nov. 18: Independence Day NEPAL Nov. 9: Constitution Day Nov. 11: Diwali

MADAGASCAR Nov. 1: All Saints Day

OMAN Nov. 18: National Day Nov. 19: Birthday of Sultan Qaboos

MARSHALL ISLANDS Nov. 17: President’s Day

PAKISTAN Nov. 9: Birthday of Allama Iqbal

MAURITANIA Nov. 28: Independence Day

PALAU Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day

PANAMA Nov. 3: Independence Day Nov. 4: Flag Day Nov. 10: Independence of the Los Santos Province Nov. 28: Emancipation From Spain PERU Nov. 1: All Saints Day PHILIPPINES Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 30: Andres Bonifacio Day POLAND Nov. 11: Independence Day PORTUGAL Nov. 1: All Saints Day RUSSIA Nov. 4: National Unity Day SENEGAL Nov. 1: All Saints Day SEYCHELLES Nov. 1: All Saints Day SINGAPORE Nov. 11: Deepavali SLOVAK REPUBLIC Nov. 1: All Saints Day Nov. 17: Day of Fight for Freedom and

Democracy SLOVENIA Nov. 1: Remembrance Day SPAIN Nov. 1: All Saints Day SRI LANKA Nov. 11: Deepavali SURINAME Nov. 25: Independence Day SWEDEN Nov. 1: All Saints Day SWITZERLAND Nov. 1: All Saints Day SYRIA Nov. 16: National Day TOGO Nov. 1: All Saints Day TRINIDAD and TOBAGO Nov. 11: Divali URUGUAY Nov. 1: All Saints Day UZBEKISTAN Nov. 18: Flag Day VENEZUELA Nov. 1: All Saints Day YEMEN Nov. 30: Algala Eid (1967)

APPOINTMENTS Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib became ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States on Sept. 17, 2015, having most recently served as deputy chief of staff to Ambassador the Afghan president. Hamdullah Mohib The role included oversight of the spokesperson’s office, the office of correspondence and diplomatic communications, protocol office, petitions office and the presidential secretariat. During his tenure at the Presidential Palace, Ambassador Mohib liaised with governmental counterparts, drafted bilateral and multilateral agreements and helped to organize official presidential visits to Azerbaijan, Belgium, China, Germany, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. Ambassador Mohib led the presidential negotiating team for several intergovernment cooperation agreements and the formulation of Afghanistan’s national development “Realizing Self-Reliance” reform strategy. Ambassador Mohib holds a Ph.D. and bachelor’s degree with honors from Brunel University in the United Kingdom. Before joining the government, he worked for the American University of Afghanistan and Intel Corp. Ambassador Mohib has been an active leader in civil society in the global Afghan community. He founded the largest Afghan diaspora youth association in Europe, the Afghan

The Washington Diplomat

Students Association of the UK, as well as the Afghan Professionals Network (APN). As part of APN, he started the think tank “Discourse Afghanistan” and initiated community service programming to support special needs orphans in Kabul and to recognize achievements of Afghan women. Ambassador Mohib is fluent in English, Pashto and Dari, with proficiency in Urdu/Hindi. He is a published writer on Afghan politics, as well as on academic research.

Austria Christian Brunmayr assumed the role of deputy chief of mission on Aug. 11, 2015, superseding Sigurd Pacher, who departed the post on Aug. 7 to serve in the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Brunmayr previously served as director for international cultural projects at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Alexander Ehrlich-Adam assumed the role of counselor (trade and economic affairs) on Aug. 10, 2015, having previously served as deputy chief of mission at the Austrian Embassy in Spain since 2011. Ehrlich-Adam has held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he joined in 1996, including the oSCE Department (1998-99) and Protocol Department (2006-11). He has also been posted to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania and India. Josef Prelec assumed the role of consul general on Aug. 17, 2015, superseding

Walter Neumayer.

Czech Republic David Frous assumed the role of first secretary on Aug. 10, 2015, superseding Vaclav Kolaja, who departed the post on Aug. 14, 2015.

Cyprus Andreas Nekolaides assumed the role of deputy chief of mission on June 1, 2015, superseding olympia Neodeous, who departed the post May 31, 2015. Nekolaides previously served in Vienna, Washington, D.C. and Madrid, as well as director of the Schengen Division and deputy director of the MENA/Gulf Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Democratic Republic of Congo François Nkuna Balumuene became ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United States on Sept. 17, 2015, having most recently served as the dean of the diplomatic corps in India (2014-15). He previously served as the Democratic Republic of Congo’s ambassador to Congo (2003-15) with concurrent accreditation to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, as well as chargé d’affaires of the DRC Embassy in South Africa (2000-03). In addition, Ambassador Balumuene was the diplomatic and administrative assistant to the deputy commissioner general of the Government for MoNUC Affairs, in charge of finance, logistics and foreign policy (2000); a

member of the technical cell of the International Cooperation office at the State Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (1999-2000); advisor to the minister of foreign affairs, in charge of international cooperation (1999); director and head of the Europe Department (1997-99); and assistant to the secretary-general for foreign affairs in charge of financial and banking issues (1996-97). other postings include the ordinary Passports Division at the Department of Chancery and Litigation; Latin America Division; and embassy in Spain. Ambassador Balumuene holds a master’s degree in economics from the Faculty of Economics at the UNAZA Campus of Kinshasa. Born Sept. 9, 1952, Ambassador Balumuene is married with five children.

Egypt Yasser Reda became ambassador of Egypt to the United States on Sept. 17, 2015. He is a senior career diplomat who has served twice as the assistant minis- Ambassador ter of foreign affairs Yasser Reda and chief of the Minister’s Cabinet, from october 2013 to August 2015, and from June 2006 to August 2008. Ambassador Reda was also Egypt’s ambassador to Israel (2008-12) and deputy chief of mission at the Egyptian Embassy in Germany. In addition, during his 33-year career in the Egyptian

diplomatic service, he has served in Egypt’s embassies in Italy, Iraq, Cyprus and China. Born in 1958, Ambassador Reda received a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Cairo University. He speaks Arabic, English and French and is married. Wael Hamed assumed the role of deputy chief of mission in August 2015, superseding Alaa Hegazy, who departed the post in July 2015. After graduating from the American University in Cairo in 1992 with a bachelor’s in economics, Hamed joined the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993 and served in several departments, including the Economic Department, European Department and Cabinet of Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry. Hamed’s postings abroad include the Egyptian Ministry in Bonn/Berlin (1996-2000), Beijing (2002-06) and Moscow, where he served as deputy chief of mission (2009-13). Hamed is married and has two sons.

Ghana Skido Seidu Sullman Achulo assumed the role of deputy chief of mission on Aug. 14, 2015, superseding Edith Hazel, who departed the post on oct. 30, 2013. Achulo previously served as a lecturer at the University of Education in Winneba, Ghana.

Laos Mai Sayavongs became ambassador of Laos to the United States on Aug. 3, 2015, with concurrent accreditation to Canada

November 2015

from page 21

Muslims incentive for migrants to undertake the perilous trek.And even Germany’s longstanding tradition of tolerance for outsiders is being put to the test by the recent tide of immigrants, expected to reach 1 percent of the total population. Meanwhile, Sweden has accepted the most refugees per capita of any EU nation, priding itself on its open-door approach. Next door, however, neighboring Denmark has experienced a surge in populist, anti-immigrant sentiment among voters — a right-wing political backlash seen in other countries, most notably Hungary. Despite these entrenched divisions, the swell in migrants fleeing war-torn nations has propelled the issue to the forefront of the bloc’s otherwise slow-moving agenda. EU officials pushed through a mandatory quota system whereby 120,000 refugees would be more evenly spread among member states. But critics say the plan is flawed because this figure still only accounts for a fraction of the migrants arriving each day. Countries such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic have also balked at the notion that they should be forced to integrate foreigners who are often culturally, economically and religiously different from their native populations. On that note, the integration of Muslims into the European fabric is not a new issue. According to the Pew Research Center, there were around 13 million Muslim immigrants living in the EU as of 2010.The Muslim share of the bloc’s population has been steadily growing by about 1 percentage point a decade, rising from 4 percent in 1990 to 6 percent in 2010 and expected to reach 8 percent by 2030. Germany and France had the biggest number of Muslims — 4.8 million and 4.7 million, respectively, or around 6 percent of the German population and 7.5 percent for France. People’s perception of how many Muslims are in their country was slightly different, though. An Ipsos MORI poll conducted in 2014 found that the French perceive the Muslim population in their country as being around 30 percent of the population. A common justification cited among immigration critics is that foreigners — and particularly Muslims — have failed to assimilate into the European (i.e. predominantly Christian) way of life. On the outskirts of Paris, isolated enclaves have sprouted up to house immigrants and were the site of a series of riots 10 years ago by residents protesting marginalization from mainstream French society. Economically, while the surge of young refugees into Europe has provided the aging continent with a much-needed demographic boost, it has exacerbated the perception that migrants are stealing scarce jobs. On the security front, the influx has sparked fears that young Muslim men could bring radical religious views (though many are themselves trying to escape Islamic extremists back home). Europe’s Islamophobia has also been exacerbated by terrorist attacks in France, Belgium, Denmark and elsewhere. “The backdrop to this [migrant crisis] is the difficulty that many European countries have in integrating minorities into

and Mexico. Ambassador Sayavongs previously served as director-general (201315) and deputy director-general (2012-13) of the Asia-Pacific and Africa Department at the Ministry of Foreign Ambassador Mai Sayavongs Affairs, where he also served as deputy director-general of the Europe and Americas Department (200409) and director of the Americas Division at the Europe and Americas Department (2003-04). Ambassador Sayavongs also previously served in Washington, D.C., at the Lao Embassy as minister counselor and deputy chief of mission (2009-12), second secretary (2001-03) and third secretary (1997-2001). Other ministry postings include: member of the Permanent Secretary of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control & Supervision (1996), member of the Lao-Myanmar Boundary Demarcation Committee (1991-93) and desk officer in the Department of International Organizations (1989-96). Ambassador Sayavongs, 53, holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and a master’s in Asia and international studies from Griffith University in

November 2015

Photo: Larry Luxner

A Muslim crescent sits atop La Grande Mosquée in Paris. France is home to around 4.7 million Muslims, about 7.5 percent of the population.

the social mainstream. Many of these immigrants are coming from Muslim countries, and the relationship between immigrant Muslim communities and the majority populations is not good,” former Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Charles Kupchan said in a CFR backgrounder. “Europe has historically embraced more ethnic than civic approaches to nationhood, unlike the United States, and that is part of the reason immigration is proving so difficult,” he added. But Sezen Coşkun — the Berlin-born daughter of Turkish parents of Arab descent — says the problem is not that immigrants or their children refuse to become European, but that a large chunk of the European population refuses to accept them as one of their own. “In my own country, people don’t consider me German, even though I was born and raised there. I’m not a GermanTurkish person. I’m just German,” Coşkun said. Coşkun said she is proud of the way Germany is taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants from the Middle East, but worries that the authorities have not thought out ways to help the new Germans to adapt to their new country. “We need to have programs. We need to help them to learn German fast. We need to help them get jobs, get into schools. This is crucial because when people feel they are not wanted or not needed in society, they will feel left out, and that’s when things get messy,” said Coşkun, who is the co-founder of a group called Typisch Deutsch (Typical German), which aims to “show people it’s not about Turkish or Arabic or Muslim. It’s about everyone. Typisch Deutsch — what is considered typical German — is changing.” Coşkun said there is reluctance to embrace the changing face of Germany among some Europeans. She pointed out that while many younger Germans “are aware that the world is becoming a smaller place,” many older people “think that Islam is a problem in Germany, and they ascribe all of society’s problems to that one fact.” Coşkun said the belief that everything and everyone is easily

Australia. He also completed courses in English language training from Canberra University, the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii and a higher diploma program at the Lao National Academy of Politics and Public Administration. Ambassador Sayavongs speaks Lao, English and Russian and is married to Soumaly Sayavongs and has two children.

New Zealand Jonathan Steffert assumed the role of public affairs and communication officer on Oct. 5, superseding Gina Anderson, who departed the post on Oct. 5.

Romania George Cristian Maior became ambassador of Romania to the United States on Sept. 17, 2015, having most recently served as director of the Ambassador Romanian Intelligence George Cristian Service (SRI). During Maior his eight years at the helm, the SRI underwent an extensive reform process that allowed it to strengthen bilateral and multilateral partnerships with other intelligence services, as well as

to consolidate public confidence. In November 2004, Ambassador Maior was elected senator in the Romanian Parliament, where he held various positions, including: chairman of the Committee for Defense, Public Order and National Security; member of the Joint Committee for the Parliamentary Oversight on the Foreign Intelligence Service Activity; and member of the Senate Committee for Human Rights, Cults and Minorities. From 2000 to 2004, he was state secretary and head of the Department for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Defense Policy in the Ministry of National Defense, where he was responsible for coordinating the strategic and military dimension of Romania’s NATO accession process. Ambassador Maior also served as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Department of Treaties and Department of Strategic Affairs (1992-97) and chargé d’affaires of the Romanian Embassy in Ireland (199799). Ambassador Maior received a law degree in international and comparative law from the George Washington University in D.C. and a Ph.D. in international law from the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. His dissertation, “National and European Features in Strasbourg European Court

classifiable into good and bad — as they are in German fairytales — also stokes xenophobic sentiment against migrants, many of whom physically look different than the stereotypical German ideal of blond hair, blue eyes. “We like to have a bad guy.We like to have someone to blame for things. It’s not a conscious process,” Coşkun says in flawless English that she picked up living in Cleveland, Ohio, for several years. “It’s the fear of the unknown. It’s the fear that, ‘Oh my God, someone is going to take something away from me.’ Multiple outside forces are feeding that fear,” she said. Fear has indeed dominated some of the rhetoric, on both sides of the Atlantic. In a piece in the U.S. conservative magazine National Review, Ian Tuttle wrote that it was “only a matter of time” before the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in Paris happened. Tuttle blamed French immigration policies for the January massacre that killed 17 people, including cartoonists with the French satirical magazine that lampooned the Prophet Mohammad. “For several decades, the country has invited immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa en masse — first to bolster the labor force in the rebuilding years that followed World War II, then out of multicultural impulses that prevailed over prudential considerations. That radical Islam was transplanted to France, grew in strength and extent, and bore this … hideous fruit was not difficult to predict,”Tuttle wrote. Then he warned: “The same is not unlikely in Sweden, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere.” Tuttle argues that the greater the number of Muslims in a country, the greater the number of potential extremists. “Whatever the percentage of Muslims who support or would ever consider supporting jihadism, the raw number obviously increases along with the total number of Muslims. One percent of 10 million is much larger than 1 percent of 1 million,” he argued. In the United States, which recently pledged to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year, the frontrunner in the race to be the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, said allowing Syrians into the United States “could be one of the great military coups of all time.” “Young, strong people and they turn out to be ISIS [Islamic State]. Now, probably that won’t happen, but some of them definitely in my opinion will be ISIS,”Trump told Fox News in an interview, referring to the self-proclaimed Islamic State extremist movement. Back in Europe, Slovakia filed suit against the European Union, calling the EU decision that member states have to legally take in some of a wave of the migrants from the Middle East and Africa “irrational” and “nonsense.” On another U.S. latenight talk show, John Oliver said Slovakia has insisted that it cannot take in any of the migrants because there isn’t a single mosque in the country. As Oliver pointed out, they could always build one. But, then again, if they build one,“they” might come. Karin Zeitvogel (@Zeitvogel) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

Jurisprudence,” was nominated for the UNESCO Most Prize in 1998. He was also a university professor and Ph.D. coordinator at the Department of International Relations and European Integration within the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest. Ambassador Maior, who was born Nov. 16, 1967, in Cluj-Napoca, is married to Anamaria Maior and has two children.

Trinidad and Tobago Neil Parsan became secretary for integral development at the Organization of American States, having most recent Neil Parsan served as ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S. and its permanent representative to the OAS (2011-15). Ambassador Parsan earned his undergraduate medical degree at the University of the West Indies (UWI), where he graduated with distinction. After spending eight years as a lecturer/ tutor at the UWI Faculty of Medical Sciences, he pursued a master’s of business administration, graduating as top student with distinction. He also holds a registered financial consultant (RFC)

degree, a CACM from Harvard University School of Public Health, and a world trade professional cegree from ITM Worldwide in Sweden. Ambassador Parsan was also awarded an honorary doctorate for education, culture and humanitarian work from the American University, registered with Cambridge University and the Congress of Mexico. Ambassador Parsan is presently the chairman of the Global Gas Council; chair of the Honorary Council for the Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma, and Anesthetic Care (the G4 Alliance); and a director of the Young Americas Business Trust and the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business Alumni Board. He previously served as chair of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development in the latter half of 2014; vice chair of the Permanent Council in 2014; chair of the Permanent Council from April to June 2015; and chair of the OAS Retirement and Pension Committee.

Zimbabwe Whatmore Goora departed the post of counselor on July 30, 2015. Russell Muusha assumed the role of minister counselor on Aug. 3, 2015.

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