The Yemen Exchange

Applications are open for our 12th Yemen Exchange, via Zoom, this fall:

https://sanaacenter.org/event/the-twelfth-yemen-exchange

For more about all of our direct engagement research conferences going back to 2008, visit:

https://www.globalpoliticalexchange.org/

The 12th Yemen Exchange - Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies The 12th Yemen Exchange is an intensive online version of the Yemen Exchange organized by the Sana’a Center and The Exchange Foundation. The course is designed to provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates, and analysis on Yemen for those seeking to develop a working background on...

My piece today and video report for iNews in the UK:

“Why Israel still hasn't retaliated”

“…Blowback may be deemed to be moderate or severe by Israel, but measured against their strong, long-term interest to potentially knock out Iran, even the severe scenario could seem too good for Israel to pass up, despite the risk of global economic shock, damage to US, Gulf & Israeli interests, disruption of imminent US elections (though likely in favour of Bibi’s ally Trump) and the possibility of huge refugee flows to EU from a collapsing Iranian state.

Why Israel still hasn't retaliated with a strike against Iran The stakes are now higher in the Middle East as Israel and the US deliberate their response to Iran's missile strikes

A great article (paywalled tho) on our lawsuit against the Biden Admin: "How far does Humanitarian Law Project reach in limiting speech has been an open question,” Andresen said, “Our case would at least, if successful, claw back some of that space.”

Devex Newswire: What’s the line between speaking to terrorists and supporting them? This question has pitted many civil society organizations against the U.S. government and a new case that could broaden the counterterrorism legal framework is heating up the debate. Plus, what African countries want from COP 29.

Join us here in Kyiv or online July 23!

Refugees International and The Share Trust invite you to a presentation and discussion of our forthcoming joint report, “Passing The Buck: The Economics of Localizing Aid In Ukraine,” which will be hosted by the Ukrainian civil society organization ISAR Ednannia. This event will be available in English and Ukrainian via simultaneous interpretation.

https://www.refugeesinternational.org/events-and-testimony/passing-the-buck-the-economics-of-localizing-aid-in-ukraine/

Despite commitments to re-direct international assistance to local actors, the localization agenda has seen slow progress globally. Only 1.2% of global humanitarian funding went directly to local and national actors in 2022. This trend has been echoed in the response to the Ukraine crisis, where 0.07% of funding has gone directly to local actors since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

Deploying funding to local organizations has been shown to have a very high cost-efficiency – allowing more funding to get to those most affected by crises. The first ‘Passing the Buck’ study in 2022 used global data and found that local intermediaries could deliver programming that is 32% more cost-efficient than international intermediaries, by stripping out inflated international overhead and salary costs, equivalent to cost efficiency gains of $4.3bn annually.

Our forthcoming report groundtruths these global findings, using up-to-date data for the Ukraine response. The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) is the largest pooled fund in the world at $181.2m in 2023. It has made important strides in shifting resources and leadership toward Ukrainian responders over the past year and a half, and the report is based on a representative sample of actual budgets from the UNOCHA Country Based Pooled Fund (CBPF) for 2023, representing 30% of total funding across UN, INGOs, and LNGOs.

Passing The Buck: The Economics of Localizing Aid in Ukraine - Refugees International Join Refugees International and The Share Trust for a presentation and discussion of our forthcoming joint report.

Our discussion tonight on Inside Story:

Are Israel and Hezbollah on the verge of a full-blown war? | Inside Story Tensions between the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah are at an all-time high.They've been engaged in low-level hostilities for more than ...

We have two slots available for the 22nd Beirut Exchange conference which will be held in downtown Beirut, June 9-16. During the 40+sessions, participants will have the opportunity to listen to and engage with leading academics, analysts, activists and politicians representing a wide spectrum of views on Lebanon. Because of the ongoing hostilities, there is a refund provision for this Exchange should a cancellation of the program be necessary. All participants are required to purchases travel insurance ahead of the opening of the exchange on Sunday at 7pm, June 9.

Alumni of past Exchanges are particularly encouraged to join the group and can benefit from a reduced participation fee. For more information, visit:

https://www.globalpoliticalexchange.org/beirut

To Apply, visit:
https://forms.gle/31sryEHAekqnwrXT6

The Beirut Exchange: In-Person Research Conference Join the immersive research conference that brings together scholars, politicians, and activists for a unique perspective on Lebanon. Limited slots available. Apply before April 30.

We have two slots left for the 22nd Beirut Exchange June 9-16 (in-person). Due to the current hostilities, we do not expect to hold meetings outside of Greater Beirut. We also have a refund provision in the event of cancellation.

Apply now:
https://forms.gle/toPKpv1DEAvt254i6

For more on the Beirut Exchange:
https://www.globalpoliticalexchange.org/beirut

The Beirut Exchange Application Dear Applicant: Below you will find the complete application for the 22nd Beirut Exchange hosted by The Foundation for Global Political Exchange. The Conference will take place in-person June 9-16, 2024 in Beirut, Lebanon. Furthermore: o Deadline I for applications is April 15/Deadline II is May 15,...

We are suing top Biden Administration officials in U.S. Federal Court. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University has filed a lawsuit challenging the assertion by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that it can restrict American groups from organizing political discussions that include people whom the government has sanctioned. The complaint, filed on behalf of our Foundation for Global Political Exchange, argues that OFAC’s position exceeds its statutory and regulatory authority and violates the First Amendment.

Sadly, despite all of their rhetoric about the urgent need to defend democracy, it is Team Biden that tried to pull off one of the most far-reaching abridgments of free speech - and critical engagement - in decades. Not since the days of McCarthyism has the government come this close to asserting a need to foreclose political dialogue in the name of national security.

Read our full commentary on the case which came about after we tried to organize the 21st Beirut Exchange conference in January 2023:
https://justsecurity.org/94412/talking-to-the-enemy-shouldnt-be-illegal/

For The Intercept's piece, visit:
https://theintercept.com/2023/12/20/sanctions-first-amendment-free-speech/

For the Knight Institute press release and full complaint, visit:
https://knightcolumbia.org/content/foundation-for-global-political-exchange-and-knight-institute-challenge-us-treasury-departments-unlawful-suppression-of-political-speech

To learn more about all of our Exchanges since 2008 in Western Asia and North Africa, visit:
https://globalpoliticalexchange.org

Talking to “the Enemy” Shouldn’t be Illegal Litigants explain their suit challenging U.S. Treasury Department’s OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) decision to prohibit organization’s providing “a platform” for designated individuals “to speak” at a diplomatic conference.

We are suing the Biden Administration. More on this effort by our Exchange Foundation, together with the Knight Institute, in the coming days, but briefly: despite all their rhetoric about the urgent need to defend democracy, it is Team Biden that recently tried to pull off one of the most far-reaching abridgments of free speech - and critical engagement - in decades. Not since the days of McCarthyism has the government come this close to asserting a need to foreclose political dialogue in the name of national security. For more, and to read the court complaint:

Talking to “the Enemy” Shouldn’t be Illegal Litigants explain their suit challenging U.S. Treasury Department’s OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) decision to prohibit organization’s providing “a platform” for designated individuals “to speak” at a diplomatic conference.

We will be extending the application deadline until April 7 for the Tenth Yemen Exchange conference (April 22-May3 via Zoom), hosted with :

The Tenth Yemen Exchange – An Intensive Online Course on Yemen - Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies The Tenth Yemen Exchange is an intensive online version of the Yemen Exchange organized by the Sana’a Center and The Exchange Foundation. The course is designed to provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates, and analysis on Yemen for those seeking to develop a working background o...

APPLICATIONS are open for the 10th Yemen Exchange! Apply before March 31 to take part in this intensive online course on , organized by Sanaa Center For Strategic Studies and The Exchange Foundation from April 22-May 3.

Among our 60+ speakers and facilitators are many of the world's foremost scholars, researchers and analysts working on . More to be announced soon.

Over 10 days, they will cover topics related to the Red Sea, climate change, gender-based violence, Gaza, the war economy, tribes, smuggling and Houthi weaponry, Iran's role, Saudi Arabia, southern developments, AQAP, the impact of war on children, and much, much more.

For the Agenda and Application, visit:

The Tenth Yemen Exchange – An Intensive Online Course on Yemen - Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies The Tenth Yemen Exchange is an intensive online version of the Yemen Exchange organized by the Sana’a Center and The Exchange Foundation. The course is designed to provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates, and analysis on Yemen for those seeking to develop a working background o...

Applications are now open to join our 22nd Beirut Exchange conference that will be held in-person January 7-14, 2024. For more about the Exchange, the 40+speakers from across the spectrum in Lebanon & scholarship opportunities visit: https://www.globalpoliticalexchange.org/beirut

To apply, email [email protected] for an application link.

The Beirut Exchange: In-Person Research Conference Join the immersive research conference that brings together scholars, politicians, and activists for a unique perspective on Lebanon. Limited slots available. Apply before April 30.