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Leading Thinkers



Leading Thinkers, FDD's Annual Workshop on Ideas, Issues and Policies, brings together the top minds from different vantage points to tackle the most pressing security issues of our day. The forum is focused on identifying pragmatic policy solutions.

Experts from academia, government, civil society, policy institutions, industry and the media gather for three days in an isolated setting. Leading Thinkers connects stakeholders in an environment that promotes consideration of others' views and encourages networking among key players.  former and current officials from Congress, the CIA, National Security Council, and Departments of Defense, Justice, Energy, State and Transportation as well as current and former U.S. and foreign ambassadors.   The workshop operates under the Chatham House Rule, which allows participants to use the information discussed at the workshop but maintains the confidentiality of the speaker.

 

Annual Events

 

Leading Thinkers 2009: The AfPak Theater: Militant Islam, Stability and Security
Academics, diplomats, journalists and practitioners with a wealth of regional experience convened for three days to reassess goals, assess what we know about al Qaeda and the Taliban today, and evaluate policies and programs which can better achieve US security interests in the region.

Leading Thinkers 2008: Oil Dependence, National Security & Fuel Choice
Top stakeholders from academia, agriculture, the automotive industry, business, energy, the environmental community, government, journalism, mining, and the national security community convened for three days to tackle the issue of oil dependence, soaring gas prices, and the implications on international security.

Leading Thinkers 2007: Confronting the Iranian Threat
Current and former government officials from Europe, the Middle East and the United States, joined counterterrorism, non-proliferation and regional experts to evaluate Iranian intentions and identify solutions to curbing Tehran's support of international terrorism, pursuit of nuclear weapons and abuses of human rights.

Leading Thinkers 2006: Democracy and Terrorism
Co-sponsored with the National Endowment for Democracy, democracy advocates from the Middle East, Europe and the United States convened to explore the relationship between democracy promotion and terrorism and identify policies that are most likely to spread freedom, pluralism and human rights peacefully.

 

Local Events

In 2008, the Leading Thinkers brand was expanded to include a series of expert briefings and policy discussions in Washington, DC. Recent workshops include:

Homegrown Terrorism in the U.S. and U.K.
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Madison Hotel, Washington DC

The Net Zero Gas Tax: A Way to Protect America's Economic, Environmental and National Security?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Madison Hotel, Washington DC

Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Mayflower Hotel, Washington DC

The Pakistan Peoples Party's Counter-Terrorism Strategy
Friday, October 31, 2008
University Club, Washington DC

 

What They Are Saying About Leading Thinkers

 
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