Book for Discussion

Plunder: Napoleon's Theft of Veronese's Feast

by Cythnia Saltzman

Friday, September 24, 2021

7:30 - 9:00 am MST

Venue

Online Zoom Meeting

About the Book

"A highly original work of history . . . [Saltzman] has written a distinctive study that transcends both art and history and forces us to explore the connections between the two.” ―Roger Lowenstein, The Wall Street Journal

Cynthia Saltzman’s Plunder recounts the fate of Paolo Veronese’s Wedding Feast at Cana, a vast, sublime canvas that the French, under the command of the young Napoleon Bonaparte, tore from a wall of the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore, on an island in Venice, in 1797. Painted in 1563 during the Renaissance, the picture was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. Veronese had filled the scene with some 130 figures, lavishing color on the canvas to build the illusion that the viewers’ space opened onto a biblical banquet taking place on a terrace in sixteenth-century Venice. Once pulled from the wall, the Venetian canvas crossed the Mediterranean rolled on a cylinder; soon after, artworks commandeered from Venice and Rome were triumphantly brought into Paris. In 1801, the Veronese went on exhibition at the Louvre, the new public art museum founded during the Revolution in the former palace of the French kings.

As Saltzman tells the larger story of Napoleon’s looting of Italian art and its role in the creation of the Louvre, she reveals the contradictions of his character: his thirst for greatness―to carry forward the finest aspects of civilization―and his ruthlessness in getting whatever he sought. After Napoleon’s 1815 defeat at Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington and the Allies forced the French to return many of the Louvre’s plundered paintings and sculptures. Nevertheless, The Wedding Feast at Cana remains in Paris to this day, hanging directly across from the Mona Lisa.

Expertly researched and deftly told, Plunder chronicles one of the most spectacular art appropriation campaigns in history, one that sheds light on a seminal historical figure and the complex origins of one of the great museums of the world.

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View Upcoming Reading Group Meetings Here

Leading with Character in Uncharted Waters

Please join PCFR and the ASU Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab as four exceptional women leaders discuss their leadership journeys in our Coast Guard, Army, Navy, and Air National Guard. All having led large, diverse organizations during our Nation’s longest period of conflict and in environments of increasing complexity, our leaders will share their insights from the leadership lessons that they have learned. The panel will be an impactful and relevant leadership event, regardless of the sector that you serve in.

REGISTER HERE

Registration

FREE for PCFR Members

$10 for Non-Members

Schedule

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

12 pm - 1 pm MST

3 pm - 4 pm EDT

Venue

Zoom Meeting

The link for this webinar will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Panelists

Lieutenant General Gwen Bingham

United States Army, Retired (R)

Lieutenant General (LTG) Gwen Bingham is a US Army retired 3-star General and a native of Troy, Alabama. She graduated from Army ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Alabama in August 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Business Administration. She was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. Lieutenant General Bingham has a Master’s degree in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master’s degree in National Security Strategy and Resources from the National Defense University.

LTG (R) Bingham deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan in April 2010 in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. She has been a trailblazer serving as the first woman to hold numerous positions as a General Officer. They include: The Army’s 51^st Quartermaster General and Commandant of the US Army Quartermaster School; Commanding General, White Sands Missile Range; and Commanding General, Tank-automotive and Armaments Life Cycle Management Command. On 30 June 2016, she was confirmed by the Senate for promotion to Lieutenant General and assignment in the Pentagon as the Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management.  

LTG (R) Bingham’s professional affiliations include: Council on Foreign Relations, member; National Association of Corporate Directors, Governance Fellows; Blue Star Families Board of Directors (Vice-Chair); Owens and Minor, Incorporated Board of Directors; Military Child Education Coalition, Life Member; Association of the United States Army, Life Member; ROCKS, Incorporated, Life Member; and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Life Member.

LTG (R) Bingham is the recipient of the 2019 White House Correspondents “Be Fearless” Award; the 2019 Joint Women’s Leadership in Excellence Meritorious Service Award; the 2018 Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the 2018 Women in Defense Service to the Flag award and the 2014 Rock of the Year award. She and her husband, Dr. Patrick J. Bingham, have two adult children: Dr. Tava M. Bingham and Mr. Phillip J. Bingham. She is the President and CEO of P B J & G, LLC and resides with her husband in Austin, Texas. 

Major General Kerry L. Muehlenbeck

Arizona Air National Guard

Maj. Gen. Kerry L. Muehlenbeck is the Adjutant General of Arizona and Director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of Arizona's Army and Air National Guard, Joint Programs, and the Division of Emergency Management. She leads an 8,300-member department, of which 2,400 are fulltime federal military and civilian personnel, and 600 are fulltime state employees. She entered the active duty Air Force as an attorney in the Judge Advocate General Corps in 1993 and has served in various legal and command roles in the Arizona Air National Guard since 1997. General Muehlenbeck also has a distinguished civilian career as an attorney and an educator, having served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Saginaw County, a Deputy County Attorney at the Pima County Attorney’s Office, an Associate Professor at Arizona State University, and fulltime residential faculty at Mesa Community College where she most recently served as the Department Chair for the Administration of Justice Studies Department.

Vice Admiral Nora Tyson

United States Navy, Retired (R)

Nora Tyson served over 38 years on active duty in the United States Navy, retiring as a Vice Admiral.  She is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and a graduate of Vanderbilt University.  She received her commission through Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and earned her Naval Flight Officer wings in 1983. She is a 1995 graduate of the U.S. Naval War College with a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Affairs.  

An aviator by specialty,Tyson served three operational flying tours in Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, including one as Commanding Officer.  The squadron provides secure communications between National Command Authorities and our nation’s nuclear forces.

Tyson’s operational assignments include USS Lexington (AVT 16); Navigator aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65); Commanding Officer of amphibious assault ship, USS Bataan (LHD 5), leading the Navy’s initial disaster relief efforts on the U.S. Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and deploying twice to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Commander, Task Force 73, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific based in Singapore; and Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2, where she led the USS George H.W. Bush Strike Group on its maiden deployment in support of combat operations in both U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

Her shore assignments include political military planner in the Asia-Pacific Division of Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J-5) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS); Executive Assistant for the Assistant to the Chairman of JCS; Director of Staff for Commander, Naval Forces Europe/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet; Executive Assistant for the Chief of Naval Operations;  Vice Director, Joint Staff, and Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

Tyson’s last active duty assignment was Commander, U.S. THIRD Fleet, from July 2015 to September 2017, commanding all Naval Forces on the West Coast to the International Dateline, comprised of about 110 ships, 400 aircraft and 60,000 people.  Her military awards include: Navy Distinguished Service Medal(2), Defense Superior Service Medal(2), Legion of Merit(5), Meritorious Service Medal(3), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal(2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2) and various unit awards.

She was the St. Mary’s Episcopal School 1998 Distinguished Alumna and Vanderbilt University 2012 Distinguished Alumna.

She serves on the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and the Los Angeles Fleet Week Leadership Council. During her career and currently as a motivational/leadership speaker and defense and leadership consultant, she has traveled extensively around the world sharing her experience and hoping to help make the world a better place.  Her current passion is playing golf and traveling with her husband, Wayne, also a Navy Veteran.

Moderator

Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz

Retired U.S. Coast Guard

Admiral Sandy Stosz started out in the US Coast Guard as an ensign serving on polar icebreakers, conducting national security missions from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Her forty-year career is filled with leadership lessons gleaned while breaking ice and breaking glass as the first woman to command an icebreaker on the Great Lakes and to lead a US armed forces service academy.

Along the way, Sandy served for 12 years at sea, commanding two ships, and led large Coast Guard organizations during times of crisis and complexity. She finished her career as the first woman assigned as Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, directing one of the Coast Guard’s largest enterprises. She has lectured widely on leadership, and has been featured on CSPAN and other media outlets. In 2012, Newsweek’s “The Daily Beast” named Sandy to their list of 150 Women who Shake the World. She volunteers in leadership roles for several organizations and runs Sandra Stosz, LLC. Sandy enjoys hiking, swimming, birdwatching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family.

Admiral Stosz's book, "Breaking Ice & Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters" was published on June 1, 2021. 

The Collapse of Afghanistan

Just twenty years ago, Afghanistan was ruled by an authoritarian, theocratic system of governance. In 2001, President Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the leader of the interim government in Afghanistan, supported by the United States and the international community, and the end of Taliban rule. The recent and sudden withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Afghanistan has created the conditions for the same authoritarian actors to rule once more. This change will have lasting consequences impacting not only the people of Afghanistan, but the entirety of the region, and the world. Now, we must ask ourselves: how and why did Afghanistan collapse, and what can be salvaged from all the progress that has been made in the past twenty years. Sher Jan Ahmadzai, Director at the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska - Omaha, joins PCFR for a timely discussion on Afghanistan’s collapse and what the future might look like under Taliban rule.

REGISTER HERE

Registration

FREE for PCFR Members

$10 for Non-Members

Schedule

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

10 - 11 AM MST

1 - 2 PM EDT

Venue

Zoom Meeting

The link for this webinar will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Speakers

Sher Jan Ahmadzai

Director, Center for Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska - Omaha

Sher Jan Ahmadzai is the Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska – Omaha. He worked in the Afghan government for many years prior to moving to the United States. First, he serve at the Afghanistan Assistance Coordination Agency (AACA) which was run, at that time, by the current president of Afghanistan, Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani. He later served in the Executive Office of President Hamid Karza, responsible for managing President Karzai’s day-to-day schedule and maintaining relations with a myriad leaders across Afghanistan and beyond. As Director for the Center for Afghanistan Studies, Mr. Ahmadzai teaches about the geopolitics of Central Asia and South Asia (CASA), oversees the Center’s academic, programmatic and administrative affairs, and leads higher education academic capacity building projects and initiatives in CASA, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and India.

Mr. Ahmadzai has also presented on the topics of, culture, governance, tribal and political dynamics of Afghanistan (and Pakistan). He is a regular contributor and commentator for many national and international media outlets such as Voice of America (VOA), BBC, CNN, and more, on various issues related to the U.S. foreign policy in the CASA region, Afghanistan and Pakistan, tribal dynamics, security and terrorism, and the Taliban in South Asia. He has also participated in many rounds of U.S-Russian Track-II talks on counterterrorism, Afghanistan and regional security.

He co-authored Transboundary Water Resources in Afghanistan,  a book focused on the hydro-politics of the region and the socio-political impacts of constraints on water security – particularly how water diplomacy will become a source of either cooperation or conflict in the region. Mr. Ahmadzai also assisted studies for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and has worked with Chattam House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs) on a project for the United Nations Security Council on the role that climate represents in achieving sustaining peace in Afghanistan.

Mr. Ahmadzai holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies and a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy.

Rangina Hamidi 

Former Minister of Education, Afghanistan

Rangina Hamidi was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan. In 1981, she emigrated to Pakistan and then to the USA with her family. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in Religious Studies and Women & Gender. Rangina is married and has one daughter.

Ms. Hamidi returned to Afghanistan in 2003 and took up residence in Kandahar. For two decades, Ms. Hamidi worked tirelessly to better the lives of Afghan citizens through development projects, advocacy, and, most importantly, education. Examples of Ms. Hamidi's accomplishments include the establishment of a full value-chain model of an all women's social enterprise in Kandahar whose products have reached Europe, the Middle East, Americas as well as other parts of the world. In this endeavor, Ms. Hamidi designed and implemented a holistic and full-environment approach to bring value to Afghan women at each part of the value chain.

Ms. Hamidi successfully led the Mezan International School to integrate and implement a world-class and internationally accredited curriculum with a solid foundation of Islamic education, Afghan history, Afghan values, and multi-lingual education. Most recently, Ms. Hamidi was Minister of Education. 

Ms. Hamidi is well versed in child development, educational psychology, educational management, Islamic pedagogy, curriculum, business administration, development in conflict-affected countries, and gender issues from an Islamic perspective.

Ms. Hamidi has spoken about Afghanistan in numerous national and international forums that include universities, schools, conferences, and other special events.

She has been recognized internationally for her work with women. She was selected as one of 18 finalists for the CNN 2007 Hero Award and chosen as a "Personality of the Week" by Radio Free Europe. She has contributed to numerous publications and radio programs, including TIMES Asia Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Der Spiegel, Business Week, The Guardian, The Telegraph, NPR, BBC, and Voice of America. Her latest publication is a book that she has co-authored entitled “Embroidering within Boundaries: Afghan Women Creating a Future."

Ms. Hamidi serves on the advisory boards of Open Society Afghanistan (OSA), Afghan Women Chamber of Commerce & Industries (AWCCI), Medica Afghanistan (MA), the Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society (AICS) and is a council member of the US-Afghan Women’s Council.

Moderator

Sanjeev Khagram

Director General & Dean, Thunderbird School of Global Management

Dr. Sanjeev Khagram is director general and dean of Thunderbird School of Global Management, ASU Foundation Professor of Global Leadership, and a member of ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability's board of directors. He is a world-renowned expert in global leadership, the international political economy, sustainable development, and the data revolution. He has worked extensively with global start-ups, corporations, governments, civil society groups, nonprofit organizations, cross-sectoral action networks, public-private partnerships, foundations, professional associations, and universities worldwide.

Dr. Khagram holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies and Engineering, and a master’s degree and doctorate in Political Economy, all from Stanford University.

Struggle for the Future of Myanmar

By the time that this program will go live, the situation in Myanmar could look a lot worse. Experts former Amb. Scot Marciel and Lynn Salinger join PCFR to speak about Myanmar’s history and what’s at stake in a country in decline. Myanmar is unique in that the entire country is united against a military coup, likening it to a foreign occupying force. The combination of economic decline between high unemployment in urban areas and worsening conditions for farmers, coupled with a cash shortage makes for a humanitarian crisis in the making. Myanmar’s geostrategic direction is important for the Indo-Pacific region.

REGISTER HERE

Registration

FREE for PCFR Members

$10 for Non-Members

Schedule

Thursday, October 14, 2021

12:00 pm-1:00 pm MST

3:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT

Venue

Zoom Meeting

The link for this webinar will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Speakers

Amb. Scot Marciel

Former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar

Scot Marciel is a Visiting Scholar and Practitioner Fellow on Southeast Asia at Stanford University’s Walter Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center. A career Foreign Service Officer, he most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar from March 2016 through May 2020. He also has served as U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, U.S. Ambassador for ASEAN Affairs, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia.

Mr. Marciel has more than 36 years of experience as a diplomat in Asia and around the world, including in Vietnam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Turkey and Brazil. Mr. Marciel earned an MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a BA in International Relations from the University of California at Davis.

Lynn Salinger

Nathan Associates

Lynn Salinger is a development economist and Principal Associate with Nathan Associates, an economic advisory services firm in Arlington, Virginia. Her work has focused on helping governments, private sector associations, companies, and individuals in middle- and low-income countries acquire the skills needed to allow them to reap the benefits of increased global integration. Ms. Salinger’s areas of expertise include labor markets and workforce development, agriculture and food policy analysis, trade integration and facilitation, competitiveness and private sector development, gender and social inclusion, and productive uses of energy in development.

Lynn’s career began in Northern Cameroon, where she conducted farming systems research, then pivoted to Morocco in North Africa to explore agricultural prices, tariffs, and market incentives as the country underwent structural adjustment. Over nearly forty years, she has since worked across sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Since 2015 Ms. Salinger has supported two economic growth programs for the United States Agency for International Development in Myanmar, and currently tracks the economic impacts of the February 2021 military coup on Myanmar’s macroeconomy, trade and investment flows, and households. Lynn received her B.A. in political science and German from Tufts University and her M.A.L.D. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, at Tufts. Lynn is the mother of two grown sons; she and her husband live in Concord, Massachusetts.

Program Description

Great Decisions is back by popular demand. PCFR members loved participating in Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions series in 2020. Here is what PCFR member Charles Blum had to say about the program: “Great Decisions and PCFR are a perfect match. This program provides an ideal platform for informed discussion, deeper insights into current issues and greater appreciation for the insights and experiences of our members.”

This year, PCFR is thrilled to partner with Global Ties Arizona to bring you Great Decisions. Over 8 months, PCFR members will have the opportunity to dive deep on 8 of the most critical issues facing the U.S. foreign policy each year. Prior to each session, participants will read a chapter from the Great Decisions Briefing Book. Each session will feature a subject-matter expert and you will have the opportunity to participate in the group discussions. PCFR member Charles Blum will moderate the series.

PCFR and Global Ties AZ are covering the cost of the Great Decisions Briefing Book (a $35 value) for PCFR members. A special thank you to Richard Fincher, Global Ties Board of Directors Member and PCFR Program Committee Member, for his generous sponsorship on behalf of Global Ties Arizona.

Registration for 2021 Great Decisions is now full. 

How to Participate

1. Fill out the form to register to participate and receive your complimentary Great Decisions Briefing Book
2. You will receive a link to watch the program videos
3. Participate in the discussion!

Schedule 

All sessions will take place from 12 pm - 1 pm MST, online via Zoom.

• March 23, 2021 | The World Health Organization's Response to COVID-19
• April 20, 2021 | Brexit: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
• May 18, 2021 | China and Africa
• June 22, 2021 | The Future of Persian Gulf Security

• September 21, 2021 | The Coldest War: Toward a Return to Great Power Competition in the Arctic?
• October 19, 2021 | The Two Koreas
• November 16, 2021 | The End of Globalization?
• December 14, 2021 | Global Supply Chains and U.S National Security

VIEW FULL TOPIC DESCRIPTIONS HERE

Moderator

Charles Blum has spent a lifetime in international affairs. Before launching an independent consultancy in 1988, he served in the US State Department and the Executive Office of the President for 17 years. He has worked on commercial, investment and policy matters on six continents and participates in a broad range of discussions on foreign and domestic policy. A native of New York, he now resides in Sedona, AZ.

Book for Discussion

Challenging China

by Sam Kaplan

Friday, October 29, 2021

7:30 - 9:00 am MST

Venue

Online Zoom Meeting

About the Book

""Sam’s book is a timely reminder that our country’s greatest tools to meet any challenge from China include what we do to invest in our own competitive advantage, the promotion of human rights and working with other countries. Easy to read for folks who want an introduction to the current state of U.S.-China relations with plenty of heft for the serious China watcher." 

- Rick Larsen, Member of Congress

Expertly researched and thought-out, yet approachable and witty, this book will immediately draw in anyone interested in global affairs, foreign policy and the future of America's role on the world stage.

This book provides a fascinating insider's look at how China is changing rapidly today, how these changes pose grave risks to the rest of the world, and how the U.S. and its allies can best address these challenges. Trade wars and U.S. presidents may come and go, but the fundamental dynamics of the U.S.-China relationship will remain in place for years to come.

Challenging China is a popular current events explanation of how China has become more authoritarian and expansionist and what strategies the U.S. and its allies need to adopt to address this new China. Although delving into serious issues, Challenging China is written in an engaging way and probably the only book on China that references Dolly Parton, LeBron James and Bruce Springsteen.

Save the Dates

View Upcoming Reading Group Meetings Here

How China is Changing the World Order

Discussion with Sam Kaplan, Author of Challenging China

Sam Kaplan will talk about one of the four most important issues in the world: what to do about a more authoritarian, more expansionist China. In recent years, China has become more oppressive, while at the same time, becoming more aggressive on the world stage. Our presenter will illustrate these troublesome trends and provide strategies on how the United States and world can deal with them. Join to learn more about the great escalator incident of 2015, a secret speech given by Xi Jinping, China's stunning economic success and what a dwarf Japanese maple tree at his old house has to do with all of this.

Learn more Sam Kaplan’s new book Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era here. We will be giving away copies of Sam’s book LIVE during the program.

PCFR Members are reading Sam’s book Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era in the PCFR Reading Group in October. Sign up for the Reading Group here. The October Reading Group will meet on October 29th at 7:30 AM MST.

REGISTER HERE

Registration

FREE for PCFR Members

$10 for Non-Members

Schedule

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

12 pm - 1 pm MST

3 pm - 4 pm EDT

Venue

Zoom Meeting

The link for this webinar will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Speaker

Sam Kaplan

Director, Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management

Sam is the director of the Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management, which connects industry and education in Washington around workforce development issues. The Center maintains data on the industry, including how many jobs, where they’re located and the average wage; organizes a Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad program; and has worked with colleges around the state on global trade and logistics curriculum. The Center also produced a Virtual Textbook Chapter on Following the Supply Chain to be used by business courses.

Sam also publishes the weekly newsletter, International Need to Know and has recently written a book about China and America—Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era-- that was published by Tuttle Publishing on April 6, 2021.

In 20 years at the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, the last five as president, Sam was engaged in promoting, connecting and educating the Greater Seattle region internationally for trade and business. At TDA he led the effort to create target markets for the organization which married industry sectors with international markets using data and qualitative analysis. As President of TDA, Sam oversaw the organization of nearly a dozen outbound business and leadership missions, helped lead the Global Cities Initiative, helped organize the successful visit of President Xi Jinping and co-led the effort to create an International Competitive Strategy for Washington state. While president of TDA, Sam served briefly as interim president of the Washington State China Relations Council.

Previously Sam worked as a legislative assistant handling foreign affairs and trade issues for now retired U.S. Representative John Miller. Representative Miller served on the Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittee on International Trade. Sam has been published in the World Bank's Urban Age magazine, as well as in many other publications.

He wrote and co-produced the short film about customer service, Please Hold and is author of the novel, Munsrat Lives. Sam has traveled to and worked extensively with Asia and Europe during his long career in international affairs and trade.