http://www.iop.harvard.edu RSS Feed for IOP Events and Meetings http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Spring-Voter-Registration-Drive Door to Door Boston Voter Registration Drive - Featuring SPECIAL GUEST: IOP Fellow and Campaign Manager Extraordinaire TERESA VILMAIN http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Careers-in-Public-Interest-Dinner Are you thinking about a public interest career? Here's your chance to meet with professionals from a variety of public interest fields! http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-Group-Notice Due to mid-term exams we will not host study groups this week. They will resume April 1 after spring break. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Democracy,-Good-Government,-and-Development-Mexico,-An-Experience-in-Latin-America A Public Address by: VICENTE FOX President of Mexico (2000-2006) ***THIS FORUM WILL BE TICKETED*** Because of yesterday's technical difficulties, the lottery has been extended until 4:30 pm today! http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Law,-Order,-and-Community-in-The-New-Ireland A Public Address By: BRIAN LENIHAN Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Republic of Ireland http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/DIRECTOR'S-DINNER-The-Honorable-George-Osborne,-MP Director’s Dinner's with The Honorable George Osborne, MP http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/FORUM-EVENT-Is-Hip-Hop-Good-For-the-Black-Community A Conversation With: DAMON DASH Co-Founder of Roc-A-Fella Records REVEREND EUGENE RIVERS Pastor of the Azusa Christian Community Co-Founder of Boston TenPoint Coalition TRICIA ROSE Professor of Africana Studies, Brown University Author of Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America BRANDON TERRY (Moderator) Political Science PhD Candidate, Yale University; Harvard Black Men’s Forum President Emeritus (2003-2004) Co-Sponsored by Harvard's Black Student Association http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-David-Yepsen3 February 28 A Democratic View. Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack brings us a number of unique perspectives. He served as governor of the leadoff caucus state for 8 years, got active in statewide caucus politics in 1987 as a volunteer for Joseph Biden’s campaign and was a presidential candidate himself last year. He is now a leader in Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. He will touch on the Democratic calendar fights, debates and money. Also, what changes does he expect to see made - or like to be made - to the 2012 nominating rules? I’ll ask Gov. Vilsack to give special attention to the early money primary. Was this presidential race over before anyone cast a ballot? Money has always been a factor in election campaigns but has it become too great? How should the country fix it? http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Sile-de-Valera3 Week 3: 27th February 2008: CITIZENS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EU Speaker: Martin Macken: Electoral and Campaign Strategist. He was the campaign strategist for the successful 'Yes to Nice' referendum campaign in Ireland, which was the decisive vote to enlarge the European Union. There is a feeling of disenchantment amongst some Irish people regarding the E.U., including the belief that they are been dictated to by “faceless bureaucrats” in Brussels. This sentiment was reflected in the initial “No Vote” to the Nice Treaty in 2001. During the study group it is intended to examine the main reason the Irish people rejected the first Nice Treaty 2001. How do we make the European Institutions more meaningful to the Irish Citizen? How do we tackle the growing feeling of isolation from Brussels? How do we convince the Irish citizen that he or she has a voice on the European stage? During this study group it is intended to draw on the personal campaign experience of Mr. Martin Macken, who was one of the leaders in the second “Nice Treaty” campaign in Ireland, following which the Irish people ratified the Treaty. What were the key motivators that brought about this change and what lessons from this campaign can be utilised to ensure a Yes Vote in the forthcoming Lisbon Treaty Referendum. This is of a paramount importance as Ireland is the only country where the people directly vote on the Treaty. Where were the key motivators that brought about this change? What are the lessons from this campaign for key stakeholders including government at national level and the EU institutions? What are the implications if any, for the forthcoming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty? This is of particular significance given that Ireland is the only country where the Electorate will directly vote on the Treaty. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Connie-Morella3 Session Three: February 28: REDISTRICTING, PARTISANSHIP, AND POLARIZATION Our guest is long serving (27 years) former Congressman Charlie Stenholm, who led the Democratic “Blue Dog Coalition.” Along with three other Congressmen in Texas, he was the victim of partisan redistricting. Such designing of voter districts has allowed politicians to choose voters instead of voters choosing politicians. Congressman Stenholm will share his experiences about redistricting as well as the continuing role of the “ Blue Dogs.” http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-David-Zwick3 February 19 National Politics and Issues of 2008. This session will identify key upcoming races for Congress with high stakes for the environmental movement and will discuss environmental groups’ priorities and plans for these races. It will spotlight the Presidential race – how candidates stack up on environmental issues, the role these issues could play in the contest, and strategies for improving the environmental performance of future occupants of the White House. The session will discuss the relevance and role of environmental issues and messages in 2008 (especially energy and climate change issues) and will look at group strategies – what has been, will be, and could be done. Guest Speaker: Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters, the national political arm of the environmental movement, which includes state leagues in many states. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Bart-Peterson3 Session 3 Stepping Up to the Plate on Global Warming 2/27/08 The federal government has shown itself unable or unwilling to lead the American people’s desire for action to arrest global climate change. Cities have taken the lead in energy conservation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and environmental sustainability. We will hear the perspective of a key United States Senator on what the challenges and possibilities are in Washington, and discuss what cities are doing and can do to lead by example on an issue that has captured the American public’s attention as few complex policy questions ever have. Guest: United States Senator Evan Bayh (D – Indiana), via videoconference. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Lois-Romano3 February 19: Winning the Electoral College. This study group will focus on the state-by-state dimension of the presidential campaign as candidates allocate time and political resources to capture 268 Electoral College votes. Based on history and current voting patterns, the results can often be predicted in more than 30 states. Accordingly, the focus will be on the critical swing states and how each campaign is developing ways to gain a local, and deciding, advantage. We’ll look at the winner- take- all system, the effect of putting controversial social issues on the ballot (e.g. same sex marriage) as a means of turning out the conservative base, and efforts to chill turnout by the opposition by making access to the voting booth more difficult. Guests: Senior McCain strategist Steve Schmidt http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Connie-Morella2 Session Two: February 21: CAUSES, CHARACTERISTICS, AND CONSEQUENCES Our special guest will be Dr. James Thurber , University Distinguished Professor of Government and Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, author and expert on Congress. He is frequently interviewed on major television, radio and print media. He will lead a discussion on the causes, characteristics, and consequences of the vanishing number of moderates in the House of Representatives. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-David-Yepsen2 February 21 A Republican View. Ron Kaufman, long-time member of the Republican National Committee from Massachusetts and a Washington, D.C. public affairs consultant. He was one of the key architects of President George H.W. Bush’s 1980 campaign presidential campaign. Most recently he was a senior behind-the-scenes advisor to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. He is a veteran of many GOP campaigns has been around Republican politics and rules fights for over 30 years. Mr. Kaufman will also comment on the three focus-areas of the group – how the GOP nominating calendar works, the role of debates in the party’s contests and money. Why do Democrats seem to have most of the rules fights over their nominating process? I’d also like him to address the role of religious faith in GOP presidential politics and the effect Romney’s faith had on his candidacy. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Bart-Peterson2 Session 2 Education Reform that Produces Real Results 2/20/08 Indianapolis’s unique system of mayor-sponsored charter schools won Harvard’s Innovations in American Government Award in 2006. We will examine this results-focused education reform initiative as a prelude to a discussion of what is working and what is not among the many efforts across the country to dramatically improve urban education outcomes. Guests: Ariel Rozman, CEO of The New Teacher Project, a New York City-based national organization inspired by Teach for America that recruits “mid-career” professionals to become teachers in subject matters and geographic areas of greatest need. David Harris, President and CEO of The Mind Trust, an organization promoting transformational work in public education through social entrepreneurs; former Charter Schools Director for the City of Indianapolis. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Sile-de-Valera2 Week 2: 20th February: THE EU AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR SOVEREIGNTY Speakers: Mr. Eamon O Cuiv, Government Minister with responsibility for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Mr. Gerry Kearney, Secretary General and Chief Administrator of a Government Department delivering EU Programmes and Schemes This session will consider the practicalities of EU membership – the balance between sovereignty and EU community interests, particular institutional and legislative developments, as well as from a Departmental perspective, issues relating to EU programmes and their implementation at national level. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-David-Zwick2 State Level Strategies for Change. This session will examine how state-level campaigns – electoral and policy – play a key part in bringing about national change. It will look at several state examples with a focus on past progress and future plans for state level solutions to the climate crisis in New England, especially Massachusetts. Guest Speakers: Rob Garrity, Massachusetts Climate Action Network and Cindy Luppi, Clean Water Action Alliance of Massachusetts, leading campaign strategists and coordinators in Massachusetts and New England. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/Study-group-led-by-IOP-Fellow-Lois-Romano2 February 26: Race and Gender Voting blocks have always been tracked by presidential campaigns—but never have they been as critical as they are in the 2008. This study group will explore how one or all of these demographic groups—women, youth and minorities- could end up deciding this election, and show how unpredictable any one voting segment can be. The Clintons have long enjoyed overwhelmingly strong support in the African American community. However, the candidacy of Barack Obama has undermined that support. The way in which the candidates deal with this issue will affect a significant constituency in the fall. Moreover, after being unpopular with women throughout her public life, Clinton is demonstrating an ability to dominate the female vote. Barack Obama and John McCain are running strong with young people.whethr this energy holds up in the general elections is on certain. Guest: Eugene Ronbinson of the Washington Post http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/Upcoming-Events/FORUM-EVENT-The-Power-of-Unreasonable-People-How-Social-Entrepreneurs-Are-Changing-The-World A Conversation With: STACEY CHILDRESS Lecturer and Senior researcher, Harvard Business School LESLIE CRUTCHFIELD Managing Director, Ashoka Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship Author, "Forces for Good" PAMELA HARTIGAN Managing Director, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Co-author, "The Power of Unreasonable People" VANESSA KIRSCH President and Founder,New Profit Inc. DAVID GERGEN Director, Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership CHRISTOPHER GERGEN (MODERATOR) Visiting Lecturer, Duke University; Founding Partner, New Mountain Ventures Author, "Life Entrepreneurs"