Retirement income security remains a major priority for the United States. Over the past three decades, the United Kingdom has undergone numerous changes in its retirement system, which resembles the U.S. system in important ways. Since becoming Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, after the U.K. election in May, The Rt Hon David Blunkett MP has begun a process of consensus building, launching a national debate with the aim of forging a long-term solution to the future security of retirement savings. Mr. Blunkett will discuss the past experiences of the U.K in reforming its system, highlight some of the issues being raised in the current U.K. debate and focus on the challenges of delivering long-term solutions for a modern world facing rapid globalization and demographic change.

Four years after a bipartisan Task Force recommended an acceleration of programs to secure Russia's vulnerable nuclear weapons and materials by 2009-2011, a report by the Henry L. Stimson Center and the Center for American Progress finds that the United States may not reach that goal until 2020-2030. A distinguished panel featuring Graham T. Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government and Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and others will discuss the threat and comment on the report. Robert O. Boorstin, Senior Vice President for National Security at the Center for American Progress, will moderate. The authors of the report—Brian Finlay, Senior Associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, and Andrew Grotto, Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress—will be available at the event to answer questions.

Hurricane Katrina starkly revealed how class and race still divide Americans. Yet amid all the terrible tragedy, the nation now also has an opportunity to close these divides and build a region that is stronger and fairer than before. There is no time for progressives to waste before developing a way forward: Already, Congress has appropriated $62.3 billion for relief and reconstruction; regional business leaders have gathered to pursue reconstruction plans; and the Bush Administration is issuing huge contracts and suspending prevailing wage laws. The enormous challenges include strengthening the skills of low-wage workers, improving the stock of good-paying jobs, and improving residential integration. What is the progressive vision for a reconstructed Gulf? And what steps must be taken now, particularly in Washington, to achieve that vision? A distinguished and diverse group of speakers will address these questions and offer specific proposals for moving forward.

Senator John Edwards discussed the structural poverty that was exposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and how the country needs to seize this opportunity to take the steps necessary to fight poverty and expand opportunities for everyone in our country.

A Section Eight Production, "Good Night, And Good Luck." takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950's America. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff - headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom - defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist 'witch-hunts'. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity will prove historic and monumental.

Reel Progress, HBO Films and Be A Witness.Org are pleased to invite you to a screening of HBO Films’ Sometimes in April, a gripping drama inspired by true events surrounding one of history’s darkest chapters: the 100 days of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. This extraordinary film tells the story of the Rwandan genocide by tracing the lives of two brothers - one in the military, one a radio personality – whose lives and country are changed overnight in unimaginable ways. Sometimes in April – the first major film about the Rwandan genocide to be shot on location – is not only an epic story of courage in the face of daunting odds, but an exposé of the West's inaction as nearly a million Rwandans were being killed in the course of 100 days. One year ago, President Bush declared that a genocide was unfolding in the Darfur region in Sudan. Today, the genocide continues to unfold. It is time for the world to learn the lessons of Rwanda once again.

Investment banker and former ambassador to France, Felix G. Rohatyn, assesses our country’s economic outlook, including the critical need for domestic investment in public infrastructure and the need for foreign investment in the U.S. Ambassador Rohatyn will discuss a national strategy for growth and security, given Hurricane Katrina’s massive destruction, our complex financial and trade relations with China, India and Europe, and the Bush administration’s current economic policies.

The Whittington Lecture
"Are We Too Polarized to Make Sound Public Choices?"

The Hart Auditorium
1st Floor of McDonough Hall
Georgetown University Law Center
600 New Jersey Avenue, NW