Sunday, April 29, 2012

Nonproliferation--can it work, toward Iran, under U.S. leadership?

Come discuss these questions with us on May 8:




The 'Hypocrisy' of the International Nonproliferation Regime, Iran,
and the U.S. Presidential Election of 2012


A Special Seminar with


 Daniel N. Nelson
Huffington Post
Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation
Progressive Foreign & Defense Policy Discussion Group


Tuesday, May 8, 3-5pm
PC Hoofthuis 5.08
Spuistraat 134
Amsterdam


University of Amsterdam
History of International Relations and American Studies programs


free and open to the public


Advance reading:
"Who's in, Who's Out? Campbell Craig and Jan Ruzicka on the nonproliferation complex,"
London Review of Books
Vol. 34 No. 4, 23 February 2012.
(pdf available from ruud.vandijk@uva.nl)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Max van der Stoel: Legacy in Human Rights

A symposium at Tilburg University on one of the most respected and influential foreign ministers the Netherlands has ever had:

Max van der Stoel: Life and legacy

Symposium on 25 April 2012


Background
On April 23, 2011, Max van der Stoel, a human rights professor, politician and diplomat, passed away. Immediately after his passing, individuals began to express words of praise and admiration for his life and his deeds. The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, noted ‘modest and compassionate, he made the difference in many places in the world’. Queen Beatrix learned of his death ‘with great sadness’. These sentiments are befitting for the man who made his life's work the protection of freedoms and human rights for all people.

Serving the Dutch state, Max van der Stoel had an impressive career as a member of parliament, Minister of Foreign Affairs, ambassador and member of the Council of State. In all these positions, his policy-making was marked by an emphasis on human rights. Stepping down from the Dutch Council of State in 1993, he was appointed as High Commissioner on National Minorities at the OSCE. ‘His successes in that role are largely unrecognized, as they lie in what did not happen rather than in what did’, said United States senator Benjamin Cardin in a speech to the U.S. Senate.

The symposium
Max van der Stoel’s achievements did not elude the School of Human Rights Research and University of Tilburg though. In his honor, they invite you to exchange views on his work and how his legacy should be handled in years to come. Why was Van der Stoel so successful in combating human rights violations ? Which issues are (Dutch) politicians and diplomats and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities facing today? And what lessons can be learned from Max van der Stoel?

Three experts will elaborate on these topics in short lectures. After each lecture there will be ample opportunity to exchange opinions with the speakers and the audience.

The symposium will be held at the 25th of April 2012, the official language is English.

Home page for the symposium with further detail here.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Busy Night on Wednesday, April 11

Two events that should interest aspiring specialists in the history of recent international relations:

“De Crisis Voorbij? Trans-Atlantische Betrekkingen sinds Obama."

Datum:

Woensdag 11 april

Sprekers:

Giles Scott-Smith, bijzonder hoogleraar Diplomatieke Geschiedenis van de Atlantische Samenwerking, Universiteit Leiden

Jan Marinus Wiersma, Senior Visiting Fellow Instituut Clingendael, voormalig Europarlementariër (o.a. woordvoerder trans-Atlantische betrekkingen sociaal-democratische fractie)

Juurd Eijsvoogel, correspondent internationale betrekkingen, NRC Handelsblad

Marianne van Leeuwen, bijzonder hoogleraar trans-Atlantische betrekkingen, Universiteit van Amsterdam

Moderator:

Bram Boxhoorn, directeur Atlantische Commissie

Tijd:

19.30-20.00 uur (koffie en registratie)

20.00-21.30 uur (lezingen en interactieve paneldiscussie)

Locatie:

PC Hoofthuis zaal 1.04 (UvA) Spuistraat 134, Amsterdam

Je kunt je aanmelden tot woensdag 11 april (12.00 uur) via jongeatlantici@atlcom.nl


Historisch Café

Wednesday evening, April 11, Cafe P96, Prinsengracht 96, Amsterdam

Bij het volgende Historisch Café - een maandelijks historisch discussieplatform in café P96 - schuift oud-BVD'er Frits Hoekstra aan om te praten over zijn nieuwe boek over de veiligheidsdienst. Hoekstra gaat in het boek met name in op zijn ervaringen met aan de Koude Oorlog aanverwante zaken.

http://historischcafe.nl/wordpress/.