Breakfast available from 8:00 a.m.
Discussion begins at 8:30 a.m.

The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan — now in its 17th year — has spanned three U.S. administrations and undergone multiple revisions of strategy. President Donald Trump has made clear his impatience over the continued U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, and demanded options for ending America’s “longest war.” Now, the U.S. is engaged diplomacy with the Afghan government and the Taliban, and the withdrawal of U.S. forces is on the table. Those talks have brought both hope for a more peaceful future in Afghanistan, and concerns that an already fragile security environment may worsen if U.S. forces leave.

Join us for a discussion with former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Barnett Rubin, including a special report from a leading journalist in Afghanistan and Asia 21 Young Leader Lotfullah Najafizada, on the prospect of a peaceful resolution of the Afghan War and its implications for Afghanistan and the region.

Speakers

Lotfullah Najafizada (via video) is an award-winning journalist and Head of TOLOnews, Afghanistan’s top 24-hour news channel, and an Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader. He oversees the largest news operation in Afghanistan, producing and broadcasting approximately 18 hours of television content per day in the sphere of politics, economy and culture. He has been awarded the prestigious Press Freedom Hero award on World Press Freedom Day, was featured as a Next Generation Global Leader by TIME Magazine, and was selected as a 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 Asia Influencer.

Barnett Rubin is a senior fellow and associate director of NYU’s Center on International Cooperation, where he directs the Afghanistan Pakistan Regional Program.  Previously, he served as Director of the Center for Preventive Action and Director of Peace and Conflict Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was the Senior Adviser to the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (2009-2013), and as special advisor to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan during the negotiations that produced the Bonn Agreement. He subsequently advised the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan on the drafting of the constitution of Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Compact, and the Afghanistan National Development Strategy.

Tom Nagorski (moderator) is Executive Vice President of Asia Society. He joined the Asia Society following a three-decade career in journalism — having served most recently as Managing Editor for International Coverage at ABC News.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Nicholas and Sheila Platt Endowment for Public Policy, and in coordination with the Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative.