INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & SECURITY

Diving deep into disagreements on the Middle East

Just days after Hamas staged its deadly terror attack against southern Israel on Oct. 7, Harvard Kennedy School Professor Tarek Masoud launched what has become an extensive series of discussions at Harvard on the Israel-Hamas war, its historical roots, and what lies ahead. At a time when universities across the country, Harvard included, were swept up in protests and arguments over what had happened and should happen, Masoud plunged into divisive policy and political issues—from the war itself to antisemitism and free speech. From February through April, he hosted the Middle East Dialogues, a series of one-on-one conversations with six experts on the issues and the region, from a Trump administration strategist to a Palestinian professor and Israel critic. The conversations at times grew testy, and there was one brief silent protest, but all six sessions proceeded civilly and without disruption. 

Also see: Crowd-Counting Consortium: Three things the pro-Palestine movement is not, from the Nonviolent Action Lab at the Ash Center on Democratic Governance and Innovation

GENDER, RACE & IDENTITY

Breaking barriers for women and girls: Global Empowerment Meeting

The Harvard Center for International Development held the 15th annual Global Empowerment Meeting on May 1-2. GEM24: Breaking Barriers for Women and Girls focused on advancing gender equity worldwide by exploring pathways to enable women and girls to reach their full potential. Co-hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School's Women and Public Policy Program, GEM24 brought together policymakers, researchers, activists, philanthropists, and leaders from over 38 countries, with dozens of attendees representing developing economies. The conference featured a series of panels, discussions, and interactive incubation sessions that provided a platform for speakers and attendees to share insights, exchange ideas, and formulate actionable solutions. As the conference unfolded, GEM24 catalyzed meaningful dialogue and collective action, driving forward the global agenda for gender equity and empowerment.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & SECURITY

Returning wartime belongings to Vietnamese veterans and families

The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia’s Unseen Legacies of the Vietnam War Project aided the return of letters, diaries, and other personal effects to Vietnamese veterans and their families in a ceremony this week at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. The ceremony was held to support the efforts of Vietnam’s National Steering Committee 515—a Vietnamese government committee to identify the remains of fallen soldiers. U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper and Unseen Legacies Project Director Dr. Hai Nguyen returned eleven individuals’ belongings, which had been stored for decades in U.S. archives. In one case, a journal was returned to its author, a veteran, and the rest to fallen soldiers’ families. For many families in attendance, the research helped answer decades-old questions about their relatives' fate and final resting place. The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia is directed by HKS Professor Tony Saich and is part of the Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. 

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