Countering Violent Extremism

The recent attack on two mosques in New Zealand is a tragic reminder that terrorism and extremism remain a global threat. Extremists are preying on a generation in the midst of an identity crisis, vulnerable to extremists’ seductive, intolerant “us” versus “them” ideology, delivered using the latest technologies. How are governments responding and are current policies poised to reduce the threat from extremism—or exacerbate it? Join the World Affairs Council for a discussion with Farah Pandith on how to inoculate communities against extremism—especially amongst youth—and a conversation about Pandith’s new book, How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat. Pandith was the first-ever special representative to Muslim communities in the State Department and served in the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

About the Speaker
Farah Pandith is an author, foreign policy strategist, and former diplomat. A world-leading expert and pioneer in countering violent extremism, she is a frequent media commentator and public speaker. She served as a political appointee under Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and most recently she was the first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities, serving both Secretaries Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. She has served on the National Security Council, at the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in various senior roles. She has also served on the Department of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council, chairing its task force on countering violent extremism. She is a senior fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School as well as an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Pandith divides her time between Washington, D.C.; London; and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her book is How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders and Social Medial Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat.

About the Moderator
Nick Gorzkowski has a passion for international affairs that he currently pursues as Principle and Pacific Northwest Market Leader for Control Risks, a specialist risk consultancy. Whether in boardrooms or frontier markets, Nick is committed to finding innovative solutions for his clients using Control Risks' broad portfolio of risk management services with particular focus on security issues, crisis management, compliance investigations and new market entry.

Prior to joining Control Risks, Nick completed a master’s degree in International Relations from The London School of Economics (LSE). Nick also spent seven years doing account management for the television conglomerates, CBS and Comcast, specializing in distributing client content to new media platforms including internet, mobile and social networks.

In addition to his master’s degree, Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), an ISMA Leadership Program certification from Georgetown University, and a certificate from the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).