The Merida Initiative, efforts to bridge economic and social inequality, burgeoning biofuel markets, hostages in Colombia--these are only a handful of issues that define the contours of the State of the Americas in 2008. How do these and other dynamics affect the United States and its relationship with and place in the Americas? Please join The Americas Project at the Center for American Progress for a lively discussion of the evolving interconnections that increasingly define relations in the Americas. The event will feature keynote speaker Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank, followed by comments from and audience Q&A with panelists Leonardo Martinez Diaz of The Brookings Institute, Adrean Rothkopf from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Michael Shifter from the Inter-American Dialogue.
 

A large percentage of AmeriCorps members serve in public schools. But what do they do? Are they making a difference? The Center for American Progress has begun research into these questions, and together with our partners, have planned an event to explore this question in greater detail. From 1:00pm to 3:00pm, Wednesday, February 13, we will share our preliminary findings, hear an analysis of the dropout problem by Johns Hopkins researcher Robert Balfanz, and share the experiences of a panel of AmeriCorps members, program directors, and school principals. Please join us, and our partners Voices for National Service, Be the Change, and the Hudson Institute, for this lively discussion.

Against the backdrop of slowing U.S. economic growth, rapid changes in the world economy, and ongoing public ambivalence regarding the benefits of globalization, some have called for a strategic review, or pause for reflection, with respect to U.S. international economic policy. Looking at trade as well as development and monetary policy, a distinguished panel of experts will discuss the possible future direction of U.S. policy in a new administration.

Please join us for this stimulating discussion stemming from "Virtuous Circle: Strengthening Broad-Based Global Progress in Living Standards," a recent report by Mr. Samans and Jonathan Jacoby as part of CAP's Progressive Growth series on the next administration's economic policy. "Virtuous Circle" – and a link to other Progressive Growth reports – can be found here. 

After nearly five years of war in Iraq and seven in Afghanistan, the U.S. military is facing a crisis not seen since the end of the Vietnam War. Equipment shortages, manpower shortfalls, recruiting and retention problems, and misplaced budget priorities have resulted in a military barely able to meet the challenges America faces today and dangerously ill-prepared to handle the challenges of the future.

As operations in Iraq eventually draw to a close, we must plot a new strategic direction for our nation’s military. Panelists will discuss the ways in which the United States military will need to reform and reconstitute itself to meet the nation's challenges in the years to come. The event will also be the official release of 'Restoring American Military Power: Toward a New Progressive Defense Strategy for America' by Lawrence Korb and Max Bergmann.


 

"Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story" follows three families in a contemporary American battle for equal opportunity. One city's struggle over racial discrimination and how to redress institutional housing segregation is shown in a confrontation that challenges and changes Yonkers, New York.

Drawn deeply into the conflict, the people in "Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story" show how contemporary America confronts the issues of race and opportunity today. Through their city's crucible they deal with the meaning of civil rights in a contemporary context.

This story describes the racial and class divisions still running through American hearts and minds, and the important role of political activism and leadership in bridging them.

While polls show that 80 percent of Americans believe it is still possible to work your way up from poverty to wealth, in fact the American ideal of opportunity for all is at a crossroads. Class mobility is at an all-time low, racial and gender wage gaps are through the roof, and unequal access to health care threatens the health and economic security of millions of Americans. Yet we have it in our power to expand opportunity for everyone in our country. This and other critical ideas about the state of opportunity are documented in All Things Being Equal, the first book from The Opportunity Agenda, an important new voice for reform and improvement across the social spectrum.

Half critique, half road-map-for-the-future, All Things Being Equal includes eight original essays by top-notch thinkers pointing to areas in American life where opportunity is missing and showing us how to instigate it. Please join the Center for American Progress for a provocative discussion around the themes of this groundbreaking book.