Richard N Haass

We are living in the most dangerous decade since the end of World War II– one that surpasses even the most fraught period of the Cold War. A potent mix of geopolitics, global issues, and domestic challenges in the United States are colliding and setting off a vicious cycle. Internationally, Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, the rise of a more capable, ambitious, and assertive China, North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile arsenal, and Iran’s development of nuclear capabilities threaten the very foundations of international order. Complex new challenges, from climate change to pandemics and terrorism, have also emerged. International institutions cannot cope, partly because the diplomatic fallout from growing rivalries has made it much harder for great powers to work together, even when it is in their interest. An additional complication is the emergence of an increasingly divided and inward-looking United States, which hinders its willingness and ability to carry out an effective foreign policy.

In this relevant, timely, and thought-provoking session, Council on Foreign Relations president and foreign policy expert Richard Haass, who has served under both Republican and Democrat presidents, argues why this promises to be the most dangerous decade, how we got here, discusses the potential consequences, and suggests what can and should be done to reduce the dangers. Audiences will walk away with a deeper understanding of the world and how it affects each and every one of us, along with the choices that the United States, other countries, and citizens and businesses everywhere will have to consider if we are to draw back from the brink.

While the United States faces threats from Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, climate change, terrorism, and pandemics, the greatest peril to the country comes not from abroad but from within. Are Americans prepared to do what is necessary to preserve our democracy and ensure its success? Based on his forthcoming book, “The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens”, New York Times bestselling author and Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass argues that if American democracy is to survive – or better yet thrive – the very idea of citizenship must be revised and expanded. The Bill of Rights is at the center of the Constitution, yet our most intractable conflicts frequently emerge from differing views about rights. Only if we place obligations on the same footing as rights will we be able to counter the growing apathy, anger, selfishness, division, disinformation, and violence that limit or even threaten the future of all Americans.

Through his expert blend of civics, history, and political analysis, Haass illuminates how Americans can rediscover the attitudes and behaviors that have contributed so much to this country’s accomplishments over the centuries. In this talk, audiences will be introduced to the ten obligations we have to one another and our country that Haass believes are essential for healing our divisions, tackling domestic challenges, and addressing the country’s difficult foreign policy challenges.

Richard Haass covers where this pivotal conflict stands in all of its dimensions, including an account of why it came about when it did; an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the various US/Western policy responses, from military transfers and the strengthening of NATO to economic sanctions and energy shipments to Europe; a prediction of what is likely to come next on the ground given Ukrainian and Russian military strategies and capacities along with the consequences for diplomacy and Russia; a catalogue of the projected winners and losers and those in between; and, most importantly, an explanation of how this conflict will and will not change the 21st century world.

Visionary thinker Richard Haass delivers unparalleled insights that will help anyone, experts and non-experts alike, become more globally literate so they can better navigate our fast-changing world. Modeled on his book The World: A Brief Introduction, this presentation provides audiences with the essential background and building blocks needed to answer the critical questions generated by today’s headlines. With the tectonic plates of international relations constantly moving, this is a critical time for individuals, businesses, and organizations to understand what is taking place around the world, why it is taking place, and how it affects our lives and our work.

In this talk, Haass will elucidate the essential history, point out what makes each region of the world (and the most important countries) tick, analyze the most challenges globalization presents, and explain the ideas most critical for understanding international developments and why they matter.

President Obama inherited a global economic slowdown, large and growing deficits, a mushrooming national debt,and a weak dollar. This unprecedented confluence of circumstances continues to significantly alter international relations as economic forces generate instability within countries, trigger multiple forms of protectionism, and constrain U.S. power and influence.

Richard Haass looks at how political developments—for example, a crisis involving Iran or Pakistan or Russia—could make difficult situations far worse. He assesses existing policies and international institutions and what the US and others need to do to increase the odds of a sustained global recovery.

The principal characteristic of international relations in the 21st century is turning out to be nonpolarity. This is a world dominated not by one or two or even several states but by dozens of actors possessing and exercising various kinds of power. While the United States remains the single most powerful entity, many other states and non-state actors – ranging from China and India to foundations, media organizations, and terrorist groups – are on the rise.

Drawing on his groundbreaking article in Foreign Affairs, “The Age of Nonpolarity,” Haass explains the origins and consequences of a nonpolar world and outlines what the United States must do, both at home and on the international stage, to lead efforts to tackle the global challenges that are this era’s greatest threat to peace and prosperity.

The biggest threat to America’s security and prosperity comes not from abroad but from within. In this provocative and thought-provoking presentation modeled after his book, Foreign Policy Begins at Home: The Case for Putting America’s House in Order, Haass describes how the biggest threat to the United States comes from its burgeoning deficit and debt, crumbling infrastructure, second class schools and an outdated immigration system.

The result is a country less competitive and more vulnerable than it should be on the global stage. He proposes a new foreign policy of Restoration. At home, it would concentrate on restoring the economic foundations of American power. Overseas, it would stop trying to remake the Middle East with military force as was tried unsuccessfully in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Instead, it would emphasize maintaining the balance of power in Asia, promoting economic integration and energy self-sufficiency in North America, and narrowing the gap between global challenges and global arrangements. Adopting Restoration will ensure the United States has the resources it needs to lead the world, set an example other societies will want to emulate, reduce the country’s vulnerability to hostile forces and fickle markets, and discourage would-be adversaries from mounting aggression. It will require hard choices, but hard choices are called for. At stake is nothing less than America’s future and the character of the coming era of history.

International business leaders today face more complex risks and opportunities than ever before. They must navigate not only traditional business issues but also political ones, ranging from corporate social responsibility and climate change to political instability and backlashes against globalization.

Haass, president of the country’s most influential foreign policy organization and author of numerous books, including an acclaimed book on management, analyzes the environment in which today’s business leaders operate, one that is increasingly transparent, demanding, and crowded with a wide array of players. He draws on his experience at the top levels of government and working with business to offer lessons on how business can both meet challenges and seize opportunities in a global world.

President Trump comes to office facing an ever-growing and daunting slate of foreign policy challenges: a turbulent Middle East, including ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq; a global struggle against terrorism; nuclear weapon development in North Korea; a rising China; an increasingly assertive Russia; challenges to the European project; and the need to address global concerns such as climate change, cybersecurity, and the spread of nuclear weapons.

Formerly a senior aide to Secretary of State Colin Powell and before that to President George H. W. Bush, Haass explains the major issues facing U.S. foreign policy and outlines what the new Administration and Congress will need to do both at home and abroad to promote stability in the world.

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold. The rules, policies, and institutions that have guided the world since World War II have largely run their course. Respect for sovereignty alone cannot uphold order in an age defined by global challenges from terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons to climate change and cyberspace.

In this thought-provoking presentation rich in history and modeled after his book, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order, Haass describes the current world, along with how we got here and what needs doing. Haass shows that the world cannot have stability or prosperity without the United States and explains what the United States and the Trump administration need to do at home so that it can continue to act and lead effectively in the world.