Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, God Grew Tired of Us explores the indomitable spirit of three “Lost Boys” from the Sudan who leave their homeland, triumph over seemingly insurmountable adversities, and move to America. Orphaned by a tumultuous civil war, John Bul Dau, Daniel Abol Pach, and Panther Blor were among the 25,000 “Lost Boys” who traveled together for five years across the sub-Saharan desert to reach UN’s refugee camps in Kakuma, Kenya. A journey’s end for some, it was only the beginning for John, Daniel, and Panther, who, along with 3,800 other young survivors, were selected to resettle in the United States. From the trans-Atlantic flights that take them to America, to a supermarket visit where they encounter an endless bounty of food, the cameras observe three resilient young men in a complex and confusing western world. In time, John, Daniel, and Panther were able to build active and fulfilling new lives while remaining deeply committed to helping their friends and family left behind in Africa.

Please join us for a provocative panel discussion and Q&A session immediately following the film.

The state of Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to undertake a systemic initiative to expand learning time to improve student performance and close achievement gaps. In 2005, the state legislature made available new grants to support the creation of district implementation plans. The following year, 10 schools in five districts were selected to receive second-year grants to begin implementation and expand learning time by 30 percent.

As the ruling National Congress Party in Sudan pursues a military solution in Darfur and expands its support for armed groups committing atrocities in Chad and the Central African Republic, the international response to the crisis in Darfur lacks coordination, focus, and a clear vision for the way forward. Occasional rhetorical condemnations and unenforced or unenforceable Security Council resolutions have resulted in a collective failure to negotiate a durable peace deal, protect civilians, and hold the perpetrators of atrocities responsible for their crimes. This policy inertia can only be overcome if the international community adopts a coherent and synchronized strategy.

The Center for American Progress and the International Crisis Group invite you to a presentation of a comprehensive plan to bring about lasting peace to Darfur.

The Answer to Darfur is the first in a series of events sponsored by the newly created ENOUGH: the Project to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities. The mission of ENOUGH is to end crimes against humanity in Darfur, northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to prevent future mass atrocities through a "3P" strategy which protects the vulnerable, punishes the perpetrators, and promotes peace. ENOUGH, a joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress, will utilize field research, sophisticated analysis and recommendations, and targeted messaging to end this scourge on humanity once and for all.

Governors Janet Napolitano and Kathleen Sebelius have used pragmatic, common-sense leadership to move their states forward on energy, education and a host of other issues that benefit the common good. Their ability to build coalitions across partisan and ideological lines has allowed them to implement effective progressive policies that improve the lives of their constituents. That's one reason each enjoys broad support within their states, and it's why they represent a new generation of strong, progressive female leaders.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a conversation with these remarkable governors as they discuss approaches to effective progressive governance that transcend political ideology and work for the common good.

The British government has long been at the forefront of international action to address climate change and the Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP, “Labour’s Rising Star,” is now leading that effort as Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Late last year, Secretary Miliband introduced legislation in Parliament that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2050 with hard five-year benchmarks to ensure action is taken in the short and long-term. The recent release of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, an influential report published by the British Treasury that examined for the first time the devastating impact climate change could have on global economic output, only underscore the importance of this and other efforts to address the causes of climate change.

Please join the Center for American Progress as we present Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE), tireless champions of stem cell research and the authors of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, who will discuss the necessity of supporting this research and the political means to do so. Following their remarks will be a distinguished panel of stem cell researchers who will examine the importance of vigorously pursuing embryonic stem cell research, particularly in light of recent discoveries in stem cell science.

For too many racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S., good health and health care is elusive. Life expectancy and overall health have improved for Americans collectively, yet the prevalence of preventable diseases among racial and ethnic minorities persists. Although guaranteeing health coverage for all is a sure way of reducing health inequities, altering unhealthy lifestyles and environments are also effective. Community interventions focusing on altering unhealthy behaviors have been effective in reducing modifiable risk factors associated with preventable chronic conditions and therefore health disparities.

The Center for American Progress invites you to the release of a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce report, Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness.

Prospects for Peace in Northern Uganda is the second in a series of events sponsored by ENOUGH, a new joint initiative of the Center for American Progress and International Crisis Group. By synthesizing targeted field research and political analysis with high-level advocacy and grassroots activism, ENOUGH aims to end ongoing crimes against humanity in Darfur, northern Uganda and eastern Congo, and to prevent mass atrocity crimes from occurring in the future.

Today's meeting is co-sponsored with the United States Institute of Peace. USIP is an independent, nonpartisan institution created and funded by Congress. It works to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and increase peacebuilding capacity.

The event will also mark the release of a new report, "Contain and Engage: A New Strategy for Countering the Nuclear Crisis with Iran," authored by American Progress experts Joseph Cirincione and Andrew Grotto. Grotto will open the event with a briefing on the study.

The CAP study details a new strategy to both "Contain and Engage" Iran. Iran has to choose between continual confrontation or a new relationship with the west, based on the technical realities of Iran's program, Iran's political culture, and the relative bargaining power of the United States, its partners, and Iran.

An electronic version of the new CAP study will be available for download on Wednesday from www.americanprogress.org.

In this inaugural event for the Globalization and the Social Compact series at the Center for American Progress, please join us as Rep. Sander Levin shares his views about globalization and trade, and how progressives can use trade policy as a means to structure globalization most effectively.

Maxed Out shows how the modern financial industry really works, explains the true definition of "preferred customer" and tells us why the poor are getting poorer and the rich getting richer. By turns hilarious and profoundly disturbing, Maxed Out paints a picture of a national nightmare which is all too real for most of us. Maxed Out won critical acclaim at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas in March, and Simon & Schuster plans to publish a memoir based on Director James Scurlock's interviews and travels during the making of the film next year. Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post, calls Maxed Out a "riveting examination of America's debt problem." Sally Foster of Film Threat says that "Maxed Out is a skillful intertwining of facts, interviews and vignettes, ultimately coming together to form a picture of our country's current financial state."

Please join us for a provocative panel discussion and Q&A session immediately following the film.

In the March 15th issue of The New York Review of Books, Jason Epstein, founder of the publication says, "Cirincione writes as a seasoned Washington observer...his invaluable new book...ought to be read by everyone as a matter of life and death."

Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, says that Bomb Scare is "Succinct and smart, informed by insight drawn from long experience, Bomb Scare is the best one-volume examination of the history and challenges of the nuclear arms race yet written."

Robert Gallucci, Dean of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, says Bomb Scare is "a compact, balanced, and wise treatment of an issue that is of critical importance to our security."

One year after historic marches put a human face on the issue of immigration reform, our country’s immigration system remains fundamentally broken. Faith communities across the country are on the front lines in dealing with the daily consequences of an unjust system that causes undue suffering and hardship to the people they serve. Because of their experience and moral commitment, many faith communities are working for comprehensive immigration reform. As the issue returns to the forefront of the congressional agenda, the Center for American Progress has gathered faith leaders from diverse communities to discuss their work and the moral imperative that fuels their mission. Together, they are committed to a just and comprehensive solution to immigration reform.

Founded by Executive Producer Brent Hoff and novelist Dave Eggers as a new offering from McSweeney's, Wholphin debuted in an audio visual edition of The Believer magazine. Wholphin is now a quarterly DVD magazine featuring short films, documentaries, animation, and instructional videos that have not, for whatever reason, found wide release. Recent issues of Wholphin have included films by Spike Jonze, David O. Russell, Miranda July, Miguel Arteta, Errol Morris, and Steven Soderbergh, and performances from John C. Reilly, Selma Blair, Patton Oswalt, Andy Richter, a monkey-faced eel, and many others.

McSweeney’s began in 1998 as a literary journal, edited by Dave Eggers, that published only works rejected by other magazines. Today, McSweeney’s has grown to be one of the country’s best-read and widely-circulated literary journals, a book publisher of over thirty-five titles, including Nick Hornby’s Songbook, What is the What by Dave Eggers, and William T. Vollmann’s 3,300-page treatise on violence, Rising Up and Rising Down and the publisher of The Believer literary magazine and Wholphin. Please join us for a screening of select Wholphin films and a discussion with Wholphin founder and Executive Producer Brent Hoff.

"The Erosion of Rights" reveals exactly how civil rights enforcement by the executive branch over the last six years has fallen into a dangerous state of disrepair where the focus has turned to "reverse discrimination" rather than clear patterns and practices of discrimination against African Americans and other racial minorities. The panel of experts will discuss the critical civil rights issues in voting, education, housing, immigration, and communications policies and share recommendations on how to strengthen civil rights enforcement and put the nation back on track in reclaiming the promise of equal opportunity for all.

One of the most exciting breakthroughs occurred last year when Colombia's Constitutional Court declared that a total abortion ban violated international human rights norms and therefore the Colombian Constitution.

Join us for a discussion with two leaders at the forefront of these efforts to learn about recent developments in this field.

Yet, this program is set to expire and Congress is currently contemplating funding to continue SCHIP. To inform this debate, Senator Tom Daschle of the Center for American Progress will moderate a discussion on children's health coverage between two renowned health care leaders, Chairman John Dingell and Senator Gordon Smith. This conversation will focus on the impact of SCHIP, larger questions on children's health coverage and the uninsured, and challenges related to SCHIP reauthorization.

How do Congress and the executive branch strike a proper balance between the congressional need to have such information and the government's duty to protect it? What options does Congress have when the government refuses to provide the information it requests? When is it appropriate for Congress to make national security information available to the public and the press?

Please join the Center for American Progress and OpenTheGovernment.org for an address by The Honorable Jane Harman (D-CA), Chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information-Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment and former Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, who will discuss the importance of national security information to Congress and current efforts by the Administration to resist providing it.

Following Rep. Harman's remarks, a distinguished panel of experts will examine the means by which Congress obtains and makes use of national security information in performing its oversight and investigative functions.

Religion increasingly inhabits the political sphere in our country and is claimed as a motivating source by conservative and liberal leaders alike. Many of these leaders are Christian and profess that their policies follow the teachings of Jesus. And yet their policies are often diametrically opposed, promoting very different views of morality and how one should live.
Please join the Center for American Progress for a provocative conversation that explores these issues with one of our country’s leading public theologians.

Businesses are the backbone of the U.S. health insurance system, providing health benefits to nearly 175 million Americans. However, rising health care costs are placing a huge strain on our employer-based health insurance system. Premiums rose 87 percent between 2000 and 2006, with wages growing only by 20 percent during this period. Should trends continue, health benefit costs could exceed profits in Fortune 500 companies next year. This has caused both large and small businesses to make tough decisions between investing in their company or providing health insurance to their employees. It has also contributed to the rise in the number of un- and underinsured Americans.

Global warming threatens developing countries with increasingly severe weather events, droughts, and other natural disasters. Climate change will also cause rapid changes in food production, water scarcity, and the spread of disease. Efforts to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development will be seriously undermined.

Join us to learn more about the impacts of climate change on developing countries and how the development community can pursue equitable and environmentally sustainable responses and policy solutions to these challenges.

Harvard University's Institute of Politics, Campus Progress, and the Center for American Progress invite you to a poll briefing. Institute of Politics has been conducting regular polling for America's young people for seven years examining the political views of 18-24 year-olds.

Please join the Center for American Progress for an address by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD), who is leading the way toward more data-driven government. As mayor of Baltimore, O'Malley achieved dramatic gains in efficiency and effectiveness through the renowned data-tracking system known as CitiStat. Now governor of Maryland, O'Malley recently signed legislation into law to implement StateStat, the state-level version of CitiStat. O'Malley will discuss his vision for StateStat at this event.

Following O'Malley's remarks, a distinguished panel of experts will discuss ideas for implementing data-driven government. Daniel C. Esty and Reece Rushing will present their new paper, "Governing by the Numbers: The Promise of Data-Driven Policymaking in the Information Age", which recommends steps at the federal level. Larisa Benson will discuss Washington state’s efforts to implement its own CitiStat-inspired program. And Nell Williams will discuss how data are being used to shape decision-making in the private sector. Sally Katzen will moderate the panel and provide perspective as the former deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget under President Clinton.

The Center for American Progress invites you to the release of the Task Force report "From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half." In this report, the Task Force calls for a national goal of cutting poverty in half in the next 10 years and proposes a strategy to reach the goal.

Kazi challenges these young people to write music about real issues affecting their lives as they strive to overcome daunting obstacles to produce a collaborative album. Russell Simmons, hip hop mogul and long-time supporter of the project, partners with Bruce Willis to donate a recording studio to the The Hip Hop Project. After four years of collaboration, the group produces a powerful and thought-provoking CD filled with moving personal narratives and sharp social commentary. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter calls The Hip Hop Project an "inspirational... compelling, uplifting tale."

Please join us for a brief performance by Kazi and a provocative panel discussion immediately following the film.

Thirty years after the Church Committee unearthed COINTELPRO and other instances of illicit executive behavior at home and overseas, the Bush administration has elevated flaws of Cold War intelligence abuse into first principles of government.

The Bush administration has created a "secret presidency" run with classified presidential decisions and secret laws. A hyperactive Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice has aggressively expanded executive power. It has deployed a vision of unmitigated presidential authority inconsistent with the Constitution and the roots of the nation.

Unchecked and Unbalanced: Presidential Power in a Time of Terror puts today's executive abuses in historical perspective and offers a road map for future accountability. Drawing on Fritz Schwarz's experience with the Church Committee and Aziz Huq's work with the Brennan Center's Project on Liberty and National Security, it argues that restoring the checks and balances of American government will promote American liberty and security. Former Vice President Walter Mondale calls Unchecked and Unbalanced "a masterly account of the roots of contemporary executive overreaching. Schwarz and Huq clarify the stakes in the Bush administration's radical and unprecedented vision of executive power."

Please join the co-authors for an engaging discussion on the history of executive overreaching and the potential for the recently divided executive and congressional branches to restore real oversight and accountability to our government.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule shortly in high-profile cases challenging voluntary racial school integration programs in Seattle and Louisville. The cases raise the question of whether school integration matters, and, if so, why?

On April 30, the UN Security Council welcomed the Moroccan initiative. The Council called on Morocco and the Polisario Front to enter into direct negotiations without preconditions to achieve a lasting political solution. Given the wrangling over the Security Council resolution, it will take aggressive action by the UN to bring the parties to the table to reach the kind of compromise that will permit the region to move forward and resolve effectively this increasingly dangerous threat to stability in North Africa.

Please join us for an engaging discussion with experts who can explore and enlighten this important and insufficiently covered topic.

Please join Mark Lloyd and former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani for a conversation on the current state of media and telecommunications policy and its impact on civic engagement and community, specifically focusing on women, children, and minorities. The discussion will consider how to ensure that democratic concerns are a priority in media and telecommunications policy, and how to promote our valued civic and cultural principles in a coarse consumer environment.

Congress is now considering renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and the Center for American Progress has invited economic and security experts, together with corporate representatives, to consider what Congress should do now and how to protect the U.S. economy, including large and small business sectors, well into the future. What is the ongoing risk of terrorism to the United States? How does terrorism affect companies of various sizes and in different parts of the country? If TRIA should be renewed, how should it be structured to provide the maximum protection to the U.S. economy? Should the American taxpayers be compensated for the protection the government provides the insurance industry? Does government belong in the insurance business and if so for how long? What is the long-term solution?

"Disaster Gypsies is a highly readable tour of the sights, scares, and moral tradeoffs that Norris encountered in the earth's most troubled places. With a meticulous eye for detail, he offers a kind of 'biography of a humanitarian,' casting insight on democracy promotion and nation building at a time when we desperately need his hard-won wisdom."
--Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide

As part of the Center for American Progress' "Energy Opportunity" series, we are presenting this event to release the report "Global Warming and the Future of Coal: The Path to Carbon Capture and Storage." The report describes a legislative path to begin the capture and storage of the carbon dioxide produced by coal combustion so that new coal plants do not worsen global warming. Berlin and Sussman describe the science and technology of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and the current incentives and drivers for industry to invest in advanced coal technologies. They conclude that the current policy framework is inadequate to encourage these investments and then analyze an array of policy options to speed deployment of carbon capture and storage technology. The report recommends legislation requiring that new power plants be built CCS-ready with a rapid timetable for capturing and storing CO2. The authors also recommend a package of incentives to offset the potential economic impact of a capture and storage regime.

It is time to take serious, comprehensive action to achieve energy independence and cut global warming emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Berlin and Sussman propose policy tools essential to achieve this target in a timely fashion. Please join Robert M. Sussman, Kenneth Berlin, and an expert panel for a discussion of "Global Warming and the Future of Coal: The Path to Carbon Capture and Storage."

Many Americans enjoy access to the very best that medical knowledge and medical technology can offer, but our health care delivery system is riddled with inefficiency, quality is uneven, and roughly half of all patients do not receive recommended care. One of the most critical steps towards improving our health care system and garnering better value for our health care spending is to change how we deliver health care in ways that improve patient outcomes, lower costs, and improve health care productivity. Health information technology can play a significant role in this transformation.

We are pleased to invite you to a private evening reception, featuring remarks by Gen. Wesley K. Clark (Ret.), to kickoff the America in the World: Forging a New Vision for Foreign Policy and International Security conference, sponsored by the Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation. The conference will take place the next day at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. The evening reception will also celebrate the release of the book Power and Superpower: Global Leadership and Exceptionalism in the 21st Century, a joint publication of the Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation.

The United States entered the 21st century as a global leader, emulated for its ideals as much as respected for its power to shape events. During the 20th century, American leadership served as the bedrock for the international order, promoting prosperity and peace both at home and abroad. But in the first years of the new century, a belligerent U.S. foreign policy, exemplified by war in Iraq, the rejection of international treaties, and disregard for traditional allies gave the impression to many that the United States had abandoned its role as a responsible leader. Power and Superpower calls for a foreign policy that encompasses all of America's strengths and respects the commitments we share with the rest of the world, the only sure path to America's continued global leadership and influence. In this volume, some of the United States' most distinguished and experienced policymakers and experts identify pressing foreign policy issues facing the United States and provide analysis and answers for creating a progressive foreign policy that harnesses power in support of a peaceful and prosperous world.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, says that Power and Superpower is "A comprehensive review of the needed change of course in America's global engagement-daunting in its scope and ambitious in its objectives."

Thomas Pickering, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Ambassador to the United Nations, says Power and Superpower is "An excellent series of wide ranging essays by some of our most experienced foreign policy thinkers. It will give a clear sense of why we are in such deep trouble, how we got there, and most importantly some trenchant thoughts on what to do about it. A must read for all who follow foreign policy closely."

Anne Marie-Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, says "Power and Superpower is one-stop shopping for all Americans determined to get out country back on track. It offers an outline for a new American century that is genuinely consistent with American values-a century not of torture and terrorism, but liberty, democracy, and justice under law."

At a time when the American people are beginning the process of choosing new leaders, the conference on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, explored how the United States can re-assert its leadership for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure world.

Sponsored by The Century Foundation and the Center for American Progress, the conference featured speakers and panels on today's most pressing international issues of peace and security, including U.S. nuclear weapons policy, configuring America's defenses to 21st century realities, America's role in the Middle East, the global economy, and energy and the environment. Panelists included established and emerging voices in the international policy realm, including senior policy makers.

Speakers included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, former CIA Director John Deutch, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt Daniel Kurtzer, former Secretary of Treasury Bob Rubin, Senator Gordon Smith, and former Deputy Commander, Headquarters U.S. European Command Charles Wald.

The full-day conference continued a tradition of highly successful foreign policy consultations organized jointly by the Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation in New York in 2006 and in Washington in 2003.

Research on stem cells is rapidly moving forward and possible clinical benefits are considered as an ultimate goal. As the science advances, current policies in the E.U. and in the U.S. are the subject of continuous debate. As these policies continue to evolve, it is important to maintain an international dialogue, so that policies do not diverge in a manner that slows research and hampers collaboration.

Drink and appetizer specials will be available from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a presentation by Matthew C. Nisbet and Chris Mooney on how scientists and their allies can “frame” scientific knowledge to connect to the American people. Scientists often approach public communication as a technical discussion. But Nisbet and Mooney argue that this focus on details actually impedes the delivery of scientific knowledge. Using a series of case examples, they will suggest a new approach for science communication that employs language with broad appeal and emphasizes shared values.

The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq's descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality, and anarchy, "NO END IN SIGHT" is a jaw-dropping, insider's tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness, and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high ranking officials such as former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Ambassador Barbara Bodine (in charge of Baghdad during the Spring of 2003), former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell Lawrence Wilkerson, and General Jay Garner (in charge of the occupation of Iraq through May 2003), as well as Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, and prominent analysts.

"NO END IN SIGHT" examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S. policy-the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government, and the disbanding of the Iraqi military-largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. How did a group of men with little or no military experience, knowledge of the Arab world, or personal experience in Iraq come to make such flagrantly debilitating decisions? "NO END IN SIGHT" dissects the people, issues, and facts behind the Bush administration’s decisions and their consequences on the ground to provide a powerful look into how arrogance and ignorance turned a military victory into a seemingly endless and deepening nightmare of a war.

Please join us for a provocative panel discussion and Q&A session immediately following the film.

The number of Americans between the ages of 75 to 85 will double and those over 85 will quadruple in the first half of this century, overwhelming the nation's long-term care services with 80 million elderly by 2050-up from the 34 million today who are already mostly underserved or worse. The current health care system is poorly suited to serve the needs of the elderly and their families, and we lack a framework within which to address and improve it.

In a new report "Caring About Long Term Care: An Ethical Framework for Caregiving," Center for American Progress Visiting Fellow Lisa Eckenwiler discusses the importance of developing an ethical framework to deal with these problems. Please join CAP and a panel of distinguished experts as we examine the coming caregiving crisis and the means by which policymakers and advocates can ethically address it.

The bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group educates members of Congress on U.S.-China issues through meetings and briefings with academic, business, and political leaders from the United States.

Please join us as we welcome a distinguished panel to the Center for American Progress to discuss the state of active duty and veterans mental health programs.

"A coolheaded, devastating expose" - Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"Enraging...apocalyptic...masterful." - Rob Nelson, Village Voice

The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq's descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality, and anarchy, "NO END IN SIGHT" is a jaw-dropping, insider's tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness, and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high ranking officials such as former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Ambassador Barbara Bodine (in charge of Baghdad during the Spring of 2003), former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell Lawrence Wilkerson, and General Jay Garner (in charge of the occupation of Iraq through May 2003), as well as Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, and prominent analysts.

"NO END IN SIGHT" examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S. policy-the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government, and the disbanding of the Iraqi military-largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. How did a group of men with little or no military experience, knowledge of the Arab world, or personal experience in Iraq come to make such flagrantly debilitating decisions? "NO END IN SIGHT" dissects the people, issues, and facts behind the Bush administration's decisions and their consequences on the ground to provide a powerful look into how arrogance and ignorance turned a military victory into a seemingly endless and deepening nightmare of a war.

Please join us for a provocative conversation with filmmaker Charles Ferguson and senior CAP fellow Brian Katulis following the screening.

"A coolheaded, devastating expose" - Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"Enraging...apocalyptic...masterful." - Rob Nelson, Village Voice

The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq's descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality, and anarchy, "NO END IN SIGHT" is a jaw-dropping, insider's tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness, and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003 by high ranking officials such as former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Ambassador Barbara Bodine (in charge of Baghdad during the Spring of 2003), former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell Lawrence Wilkerson, and General Jay Garner (in charge of the occupation of Iraq through May 2003), as well as Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, and prominent analysts.

"NO END IN SIGHT" examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S. policy-the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government, and the disbanding of the Iraqi military-largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. How did a group of men with little or no military experience, knowledge of the Arab world, or personal experience in Iraq come to make such flagrantly debilitating decisions? "NO END IN SIGHT" dissects the people, issues, and facts behind the Bush administration’s decisions and their consequences on the ground to provide a powerful look into how arrogance and ignorance turned a military victory into a seemingly endless and deepening nightmare of a war.

It appears that the first appropriation bill Congress is likely to send the President will fund the Department of Homeland Security. According to a letter sent on June 12th "The Administration strongly opposes" that bill because the $2.1 billion it includes above the amount requested by the White House is "irresponsible and excessive."

But what is Congress spending that $2.1 billion on at Homeland Security that the White House so strongly objects to and should the Congress allow the veto to stand if the President makes good on his threat. These are questions that Congressman David Price, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that drafted the legislation will address at a Center for American Progress forum at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2007.

Panelists will include Dr. Stephen Flynn, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation; Dr. Dawn Bonnell, Trustee Professor of Material Sciences at University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Nano/Bio Interface Center; and Scott Lilly, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Dr. Flynn will highlight the urgent decline of infrastructure in the United States and how the United States is falling behind other global players, including China. Dr. Bonnell will describe developments in nanotechnology that may be applied to critical components of a rebuilt national infrastructure, including air travel and information systems as well as bridges and tunnels. Mr. Lilly will discuss how pragmatic investment now can be vastly more cost-efficient than prolonging infrastructure decay. The panel will be moderated by P.J. Crowley, Senior Fellow and Director of Homeland Security at the Center for American Progress.

Please join the Center for American Progress as we describe the implications of United States critical infrastructure under siege.

And now the actions of humans since the dawn of the industrial age will only propel future hurricanes' power. There is an overwhelming scientific consensus that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere released by burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels has begun to warm the planet, including our oceans, and scientists have determined that warmer sea surface temperature can boost hurricanes' ferocity, and may even increase their frequency. It is imperative that we do everything we can to prepare for the potential disasters.

In conjunction with the release of the report, Forecast: Storm Warnings, the Center for American Progress will conduct a forum that will discuss the impact of global warming on hurricane severity and frequency. In addition, there will be a discussion of necessary federal, state, and local policies that would increase the resilience of hurricane prone communities. The forum will feature, Mayor Richard Crotty (R) of Orange County, Florida, hurricane scientist Dr. Peter J. Webster, John B. Copenhaver of DRI International, and Jane Bullock, former chief of staff of Federal Emergency Management Agency director James Lee Witt.

The urgency of this work grows every day as thousands of Americans relocate to coastal areas, but with the best science, local mitigation, and federal support, we can minimize the likelihood that future storms join the tragic roster of the deadliest hurricanes. Unfortunately, the global warming forecast is for storm warnings ahead.

Please join us for a discussion with D.C.-area public school leaders on their strategies to turn around low-performing schools and for the release of a new Center for American Progress paper on how expanded learning time strategies are being employed across the country to support student learning and close academic achievement gaps.

Panel Discussion: Bloggers and Online Activists

Featured Panelists:
Spencer Ackerman, Reporter/Blogger, TPMmuckraker.com
Nita Chaudhary, MoveOn.org Political Action
Caroline Fredrickson, Director, Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union
Julian Sanchez, Contributing Editor, Reason magazine

Moderated by:
Faiz Shakir, Research Director, Center for American Progress

Panel Discussion: Restoring Checks and Balances

Featured Panelists:
Mary DeRosa, Chief Counsel for National Security, Senate Judiciary Committee
Former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK)
Morton H. Halperin, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Kate Martin, Director, Center for National Security Studies

Moderated by:
Mark Agrast, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Program Agenda:

Bloggers and online activists have been at the forefront of raising awareness about the civil liberties and legal implications relating to the Bush administration's spying activities.

Citizen journalists and grassroots organizers have challenged the administration's assertions about the legality of the warrantless wiretapping program. With persistence and shared efforts, these activists have uncovered disturbing examples of administration attempts to mislead and dissemble about its surveillance programs.

Most recently, they have reacted with disdain to the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act amendments, and they have been working to inform others about the ramifications of those changes.

11:45 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Light Lunch

12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M.
Panel Discussion: Restoring Checks and Balances

Nearly 30 years ago, Congress enacted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to strike a balance between the government's need for foreign intelligence information and the constitutional requirement that Americans not be subject to electronic eavesdropping without a court order. The statute has been amended many times to ensure that our intelligence capabilities keep pace with advances in technology, but for three decades the core requirement that the government must get a warrant to spy on Americans in the United States remained intact. That abruptly changed on August 5, when the president signed legislation which permits the government to eavesdrop on Americans without a warrant as long as the "target" of the surveillance is located outside the United States.

This and other sweeping changes to FISA were enacted with virtually no public debate as Congress prepared to leave for the August recess. The legislation is set to expire in six months, and congressional leaders have vowed to reconsider it once Congress reconvenes in September.

Key findings of the Terrorism Index:

-Nearly all of the experts (91 percent) say that the world is becoming more dangerous for Americans.
-84 percent of survey participants say that the country is not winning the war on terror.
-More than 80 percent predict a 9/11-scale terrorist attack on the United States within the next 10 years.
-More than half believe the recent surge in Iraq has had a negative impact on U.S. national security, compared with 31 percent six months ago.

Rep. David Obey (D-WI) offers us a unique perspective in understanding how our Congress has changed over the past four decades in a new autobiography, Raising Hell for Justice, the Washington Battles of a Heartland Progressive, due to be released the week of Sept. 10. The Center for American Progress will host a forum on Sept. 10 to talk about the Obey book and the problems facing our legislative branch. Joining Obey will be American Enterprise Institute scholar Norm Ornstein, the co-author of the recent critique of Congress titled Broken Branch, and National Journal reporter Richard Cohen, co-author of the Almanac of American Politics, to discuss "How Congress Evolves: The Perspective of a House Appropriator."

The panel is expected to talk not only about the changes that have taken place but the forces behind those changes and the challenges facing the current Congress in repairing "the broken branch."

David S. Broder of The Washington Post called Obey's book, "more than a shrewd and candid inside look at Congress...a great testament to the enduring values of our system of representative government, a reminder of what public service can really mean when rendered by a person of courage and character." Mark Shields says, "Obey suffers neither fools nor cheats. . . . Like its author, this book is passionate, honest, and funny."

Tom Mann of the Brookings Institute commented, "Raising Hell for Justice is a powerful and enlightening political memoir by one of America's all-time great legislators."

A luncheon discussion co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress, Hudson Institute's Bradley Center, Voices for National Service, and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University, will examine the role that national service plays in workforce and talent development for the country. Two expert panels will bring together a thoughtful group of leaders from national service, higher-education, and the private sector for a policy discussion on service as a strategy for public and private leadership. First, national service alumni will share stories about the role that their national service experience has played in their professional development and career choices. Second, executives from every sector will give their perspective on the role national service can play in developing leaders and a strong workforce.

*This event was re-scheduled from July 18*

China's rapid economic growth and increasingly important role in world affairs poses many difficult questions for U.S. policymakers. How does Chinese economic growth affect U.S. competitiveness in the world? What kinds of policies should Congress sponsor to ensure a fair and productive trade relationship with China? How can the United States best encourage a beneficial and secure relationship with China economically, politically, and militarily? The Center for American Progress will host a conversation with U.S. Reps. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Rick Larsen (D-WA), co-chairs of the U.S.-China Working Group, to examine these issues and discuss congressional opinions and attitudes toward China. The discussion will be moderated by Carol Browner, Principal of The Albright Group LLC and former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group educates members of Congress on U.S.-China issues through meetings and briefings with academic, business, and political leaders from the United States.

In the new book Less Safe, Less Free: Why America is Losing the War on Terror, Georgetown Law Professor David Cole and his co-author Jules Lobel argue that the "preventive paradigm" adopted by the Bush administration not only has undermined our nation's character but has also made us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

The authors contend that this new paradigm has led directly to the detentions at Guantanamo, the use of coercive interrogation and torture, and the invasion of Iraq. They argue that there is virtually no evidence that the paradigm of prevention has thwarted actual terrorist plots or captured many terrorists, while there is substantial evidence that it has made us less safe. They offer an alternative preventive strategy that favors non-coercive measures, multilateral cooperation, and support for the rule of law.

Please join us for a lively and stimulating discussion with Professor Cole and Bradford Berenson, former White House Associate Counsel, who advised President George W. Bush on many of the policies discussed in the book. The moderator will be Mark Agrast, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Larry Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C., will give a lunchtime address at the Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA describing and discussing the implications of the Petraeus Report, a summary of General Petraeus' views about the future course of the war in Iraq. Phil Carter, a veteran who served in Iraq in 2006, lawyer and Slate commentator, will then offer his impressions on the Petraeus Report given his experiences in Iraq. Q & A will follow. This event is free and open to the public.

Generously sponsored by the Alfred Herrhausen Society

Ms. Arana, current Book Editor of the Washington Post, is also the author of a collection of columns, The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work. Her novel Cellophane, a saga set in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, was published July, 2006, and was a finalist for the John Sargent Prize. It was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Washington Post, and Library Journal, as well as receiving positive reviews in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the New Yorker, and People magazine. The paperback version of Cellophane was published in 2007.

In this lively discussion, Arana will share insights into her writings, work and experiences growing up and living bicultural in the United States

High quality education for all students has long been a priority of the Center for American Progress. This event is being co-sponsored by Campus Progress, the Center for American Progress' comprehensive effort to help young people make their voices heard and empower new generations of leaders. Launched in 2005, Campus Progress supports student programs in journalism, activism, and public education, and has held hundreds of events on a wide range of issues.

With billions of dollars poised to flow into cities in the form of green investment, a movement is growing to ensure that the new green economy builds local businesses and creates good jobs for those who need them most. The question people are asking is: "who will get the green jobs of the future?" Around the country, cutting edge businesses, community activists, and forward-thinking elected officials are making good on the promise of green cities to expand economic opportunity and build career ladders into family-supporting green jobs with living wages.

This panel of national experts on "green collar jobs" and environmentally-oriented economic development comes at a critical moment for our city and our nation, as we grapple with how to leverage emerging policies on green building, clean energy, waterfront restoration, and climate change as an opportunity to reinvest in jobs, skills, and local businesses, even as we rebuild our neighborhoods and restore aging infrastructure. These experts will tell their concrete stories of how community groups, developers, and city governments are forging a better path forward into a green, equitable, and prosperous economy.

Six lives transformed by human tragedy.
Six people united by a belief that anything is possible.
Six individuals committed to ending the worst crisis of the 21st century.

Darfur Now is a story of hope in the midst of one of humanity's darkest hours - a call to action for people everywhere to end the catastrophe unfolding in Darfur, Sudan. In this documentary, the struggles and achievements of six different individuals from inside Darfur and around the world bring to light the tragedy in Sudan and show how the actions of one person can make a difference to millions. Written and directed by Ted Braun, the film explores the Darfur conflict through the first-hand experiences of Don Cheadle, Hejewa Adam, Pablo Recalde, Ahmed Mohammed Abakar, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and Adam Sterling. Executive Produced by Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Omar Amanat, Matt Palmieri, Gary Greenebaum and Dean Schramm. Produced by Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle and Mark Jonathan Harris.

Please join us for a provocative panel discussion and Q&A session immediately following the film during which panelists will discuss the film and the on-going crisis in Darfur.

With this major new volume, Paul Krugman, "the heir apparent to Galbraith" (Alan Blinder) and, today's most widely read economist, studies the past eighty years of American history, from the reforms that tamed the harsh inequality of the Gilded Age to the unraveling of that achievement and the reemergence of immense economic and political inequality since the 1970s. Seeking to understand both what happened to middle-class America and what it will take to achieve a "new New Deal," Krugman has created his finest book to date, a work that weaves together a nuanced account of three generations of history with sharp political, social, and economic analysis. This book, written with Krugman's trademark ability to explain complex issues simply, will transform the debate about American social policy in much the same way as did John Kenneth Galbraith's deeply influential book, The Affluent Society. Please join senior fellow Scott Lilly for a discussion with Paul Krugman about his new book, The Conscience of a Liberal.

Join us for a lively discussion of two new papers from the Center for American Progress about effective strategies for reforming teacher compensation. The first, by Joan Baratz-Snowden, looks at the factors driving the adoption of performance pay programs as well as the elements of the Denver school system's successful effort to implement a radically different pay plan which was created with the full cooperation and involvement of the local union. The second, by Robin Chait, examines recent developments in state programs to reform teacher pay. This event will feature comments from experts who have been intimately involved in policy development and implementation of local teacher compensation programs.

The Center for American Progress will release a new counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan, outlining a set of recommendations for strengthening the Afghan government, increasing security, accelerating reconstruction, combating the narcotics trade, and removing the terrorist safe haven in Pakistan. The panelists will discuss the new Center report, as well as offer their valuable insights on U.S. policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The United States and its international partners have a window of opportunity to reverse the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. But that window is closing rapidly. A failure to turn the situation around in the near future could allow Afghanistan to revert to a failed state that is a terrorist haven for Al Qaeda and affiliated terrorist networks. Please join the panelists for a provocative discussion on the real front in the fight against international terrorist networks.

Please join us for a provocative panel discussion and Q&A session immediately following the film.

Equally as awkward at home as he is at work, he's raising Heidi, their twelve-year-old daughter and her 8-year-old sister Dawn. Although a loving father, Stanley is unable to conform to a more affectionate role and the girls miss their mother deeply.

While tolerating his job and stumbling through parenting he is abruptly awakened when tragedy strikes. Ill prepared to deal with it himself, he is at a complete loss contemplating how to tell his children. Desperate to delay telling the children they embark on a spontaneous road trip. Grasping to give them their last moments of innocence, Stanley reveals a softer side as they travel to Dawn's chosen destination - Enchanted Gardens Theme Park.

The farther they drive the closer they become yet Stanley knows he must face the inevitable task of changing their lives forever.

Please join us for a provocative Q&A session immediately following the film.

Recent developments in Pakistan are deeply troubling to U.S. interests in the country and the region. In declaring emergency rule on November 3, President General Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution, detained many leading opposition politicians, and jailed thousands of protesting lawyers and human rights workers. While he has announced that elections will occur on January 8, he has given no clear indication as to when the security crackdown will end.

The Center for American Progress will convene a panel to explore the situation in Pakistan and the prospects for civilian, democratic rule. The panelists will offer their valuable insights on the multiple challenges facing U.S. national security, including the growing terrorist threat, the international mission in Afghanistan, and the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program.

Employer-provided health insurance is the backbone of health coverage for American families, a system which is encouraged by exempting spousal and dependent health benefits from taxation. Nonetheless, even as many companies are realizing the importance of providing equal health benefits to all domestic partners, that coverage is taxed as income to the employee, creating an extra tax averaging $1,069 per year. The employers who provide these benefits are also penalized, paying a total of $57 million each year in payroll taxes on domestic partnership benefits. Although legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate to remedy this problem (H.R. 1820, S. 1556), these equality taxes penalize same-sex and other domestic partnerships and inhibit businesses from adopting domestic partnership policies.

Please join a distinguished panel to discuss the implications of this unfair tax treatment. M. V. Lee Badgett will introduce her new report, "Unequal Taxes on Equal Benefits: The Taxation of Domestic Partner Benefits," which presents original research on the extent of this inequality. The panel will also discuss the broader economic implications of the extra tax on domestic partner benefits.

A great deal hinges on the quality of people who lead America's schools. It goes almost without saying that school reforms and improvements depend largely on strong principal leadership together with effective teachers. Yet while much emphasis has been placed on teachers, we know little about how to attract and retain high quality principals, especially for schools serving large numbers of low-income students. One strategy is to reform how principals are compensated. This seems particularly important when teacher pay reforms are also underway.

Prince George's County, Maryland has a new federal grant to provide incentives to teachers and principals in low-performing schools. New York City offers a $25,000 raise to principals who teach for three years or more in a high-needs school and a $25,000 bonus based on student achievement. Yet we know little about whether these initiatives or others are likely to be effective. Why? While we know that principal leadership is critical, research tells us little about how to structure principal compensation effectively.

Please join us for a discussion and Q&A session on a new paper from the Center for American Progress by Dr. Dan Goldhaber and on principal pay initiatives in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Prince George's County, Maryland. Panelists will discuss the research on principal compensation and their perspectives on how principal pay initiatives should be structured to attract high quality candidates to high-poverty schools.

The Iraq War has caused the largest population displacement in the Middle East since 1948. However, the dire situation has elicited neither a major international humanitarian response nor a policy debate over U.S. responsibility for the crisis. Sectarian fighting, political and criminal violence, lack of basic services, loss of livelihoods, spiraling inflation, and uncertainty about the future have pushed some 4 million Iraqis from their homes. Neighboring states, burdened by the influx of refugees and concerned for their own security, have imposed visa restrictions and effectively cut off entry. The Iraqis that have fled to neighboring countries face tremendous uncertainties, including the threat of deportation. Regional governments, coalition forces, and international organizations are grappling with the crisis while protecting against security vulnerabilities. The recent flow of Iraqis returning home may be a promising sign, but until security in Iraq improves and people can safely go back, critical attention must be paid to the remaining options: improved conditions inside Iraq, temporary placement in a host country, or resettlement in a third country.

The Center for American Progress and the Heinrich Boell Foundation invite you to join us for a conference addressing Iraq's displacement crisis, the international responses, and the prospects for improving the situation. The panelists will offer their insights on the current challenge and examine the moral and security implications of the crisis, share strategies, and identify programming and policy options.

In his new paper, "Lifelong Learning: New Strategies for the Education of Working Adults," Bosworth proposes innovative changes to federal and state adult education systems to help America better prepare working adults for the 21st Century economy. The panel and participants will discuss:

• New adult education tax incentives for individuals and firms.


• A unique workplace approach to literacy.


• A revolution in the use of technology for adult basic education.

From the director of Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Alex Gibney's TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE is a gripping investigation into the reckless abuse of power by the Bush Administration. By probing the homicide of an innocent taxi driver at the Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, the film exposes a worldwide policy of detention and interrogation that condones torture and the abrogation of human rights. This disturbing and often brutal film is the most incisive examin