Young people voted in record numbers in 2004, 2006, and in the 2008 primaries. Some pundits have continued to doubt young people's seriousness about participating in policy debates and politics. But from grassroots organizing to GOTV campaigns to direct engagement in their communities, young people have demonstrated their commitment to engaging on the issues and working for positive change. In the wake of the 2008 general election results, this event, sponsored by Campus Progress, will critically evaluate the role young people played in the elections, highlight the growing and substantive political engagement of this generation, explore the issues and values most important to young people, and showcase the determination of young people to hold their elected officials accountable post-election.

From Jeremiah Wright and anti-Muslim rhetoric to interfaith alliances and Compassion Forums, religion has been a front-burner issue during much of the 2008 presidential campaign. It has been used both as a divisive weapon and as a force that unites and inspires. Since 2004, the face of religion has changed dramatically across the country. The values debate is broader, the religious right is weaker, and a diversity of faith communities has gained visibility and strength.

What does the 2008 election tell us about the hopes and concerns of the country? What issues do we care about most? What role did faith communities play in the election, and what should they be doing in the days ahead? Please join our distinguished panel of experts for a provocative, enlightening conversation on religion and politics in 2008 and beyond.

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell" is the extraordinary story of a small band of Liberian women who came together in the midst of a bloody civil war, took on the violent warlords and corrupt Charles Taylor regime, and won a long-awaited peace for their shattered country in 2003.

This remarkable chapter of world history was on its way to being lost forever. The Liberian war and peace movement were largely ignored as the international press focused on Iraq. Moreover, the women's own modesty helped obscure this great accomplishment.

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell" reconstructs the moment through interviews, archival footage, and striking images of contemporary Liberia. It is compelling testimony to the potential of women worldwide to alter the history of nations.

Pakistan lies at the nexus of one the world's most complicated geopolitical regions—one plagued by poverty, nuclear proliferation, and global terrorism. Pakistan will pose one of the most daunting foreign policy challenges for the incoming Obama administration. While militant bombings capture headlines, Pakistan’s economy is on the brink of failure, presenting a major challenge to the democratic civilian government in Islamabad. These multiple internal challenges extend beyond Pakistan’s borders and have a wide-ranging impact on regional and global stability.

A new Center for American Progress report, Partnership for Progress: Advancing a New Strategy for Prosperity and Stability in Pakistan and the Region, examines the multiple factors threatening the security and stability of Pakistan and outlines a comprehensive strategy that moves beyond the short-term, military-focused, bilateral approach that has characterized U.S. policy towards Pakistan for decades. It aims to map out a set of recommendations for addressing not only growing militancy in Pakistan, but also Pakistan’s economic crisis and weak civilian institutions. Moreover, it recognizes that U.S. influence in Pakistan is limited and recommends an increasingly multilateral approach, with Pakistanis in the lead.

Please join featured discussants Jonah Blank, Steve Coll, and Bruce Riedel as they comment on this new report, as well as offer their insights on the multiple challenges facing U.S. national security and U.S. policy toward Pakistan.

Van Jones illustrates how we can invent and invest our way out of the pollution-based grey economy and into the healthy new green economy. Built by a broad coalition deeply rooted in the lives and struggles of ordinary people, this path has the practical benefit of both cutting energy prices and generating enough work to pull the U.S. economy out of its present death spiral.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a provocative discussion around The Green Collar Economy.

Copies of The Green Collar Economy will be available for purchase.

It is no surprise that according to most measures, teachers are inequitably distributed among students. Poor and minority students are more likely to have teachers with less experience and weaker qualifications. This inequity is troubling, since among all other school factors, teachers have the greatest influence on student learning. So what can states and districts do to attract and retain effective teachers in high poverty schools? What do we know about the efficacy of recruitment and incentive strategies, including those strategies used in other sectors outside education?

Join us for a lively discussion that will provide new data, insights, and fresh thinking about how to address teacher equity. Two new papers from the Center for American Progress will launch our discussion. One, by Dan Goldhaber, describes the labor market for teachers, assesses what we know about financial incentives and some of the other policy options for attracting effective teachers to hard-to-staff schools, and makes four policy recommendations designed to address teacher equity. The second paper, by Julie Kowal, Bryan Hassel, and Emily Ayscue Hassel explores the research from other sectors—including civil service, the military, and the medical field—about the use of financial incentives to recruit candidates for hard-to-staff positions and offers some lessons learned for education. This event will feature comments from experts who have been intimately involved in policy development and the implementation of strategies to attract effective teachers to high-needs schools.