Speaker Events - Saturday, September 13, 2008

Nancy Soderberg and Brian Katulis Discuss the Prosperity Agenda

On September 8th, the International Peace Institute held an evening reception featuring Nancy Soderberg, former White House Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, who discussed their recent book, The Prosperity Agenda: What the World Wants from America and What We Need in Return.

 

Nancy Soderberg and Brian Katulis contend that the best way to make America more secure is to switch the focus of American policy from its present emphasis on installing democracy and holding elections to one placing a higher priority on meeting the basic needs of people domestically and internationally. When democracy is viewed as a crusade to advance US interests, it is likely to backfire. But when more of the world’s citizens see the United States working to improve their daily lives, then and only then will America be able to convince the world to join in addressing threats to global security. By promoting prosperity abroad, Americans will be safer and more prosperous at home.

 

The Prosperity Agenda lays out a blueprint for the next US administration to promote prosperity and address the world’s most pressing issues: terrorism, oil dependency, food shortages, climate change, global poverty, and the spread of nuclear weapons. Soderberg and Katulis argue against an approach to foreign affairs that has consisted of lecturing and threatening others. Such an approach, they argue, has brought America’s popularity around the world to an all-time low. The event, hosted by Vice President and Director of External Relations Warren Hoge, was part of a new series of evening meetings at IPI called “Beyond the Headlines,” each featuring a leading personality invited to speak on international issues and to engage in a robust discussion with experts from Permanent Missions to the UN and other members of the UN community.

 

Slide show: Image 1 of 7
Photo Credits: Joe Peoples
Brian Katulis and Nancy Soderberg discuss The Prosperity Agenda.