The Public Service Project

On Culture and Conflict (and sexy policy work) with CJ Pine

CJ Pine is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, teaching about the United Naitons Security Council. He previously worked as a civil servant at the U.S. Mission to the UN, and at the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. CJ is here to dispel myths about peace studies, explain how (and why) countries negotiate at the UN, and tell us all about his childhood misadventure selling lemonade in China. His experiences as a "third culture kid" shaped the way he looks at the world, and approaches conflict management. This is a master class in multilateralism and a delightful chat with a person whose brilliance is only surpassed by his kindness.

On Courage and Vocation with Ambassador Barbara Leaf

Ambassador Barbara Leaf is a career public servant with over 3 decades of experience, most recently serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, where she was responsible for the U.S. relationship with 18 countries from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula. She's a frequent guest on media outlets as an expert on the Middle East, but she's here to speak candidly about her life and career. She shares a bit about her childhood, reflects on experiences (and moments of career malaise) that taught her important things about herself, and describes how healthy relationships with other countries directly benefit Americans. In a parallel universe, she may have opened a little book shop, but it's hard to even imagine her not crossing the globe and meeting with foreign dignitaries. She is whip smart, serious about her work, and refreshingly open about the reality of life in the Foreign Service.

On Fatherhood, Friendship, and Fine Living with Dr. Corey Holmes

Dr. Corey Holmes is a diplomat, an academic, a father, an author, a friend. He is here to talk less about his achievements (there are many!) and more about the questions, observations, and new discoveries that are shaping this chapter in his life. We discuss male friendships and vulnerability, the divine (and exhausting) experience of fatherhood, the exercise of writing, and the moments that shift your course in life. His book (Golf, Cigars, and Scotch: Balancing Fatherhood, Friendship, and Fine-Living) is a tribute to his friends and a gift to his son. It's available through Kindle Unlimited, and in Paperback and Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Golf-Cigars-Scotch-Fatherhood-Fine-Living/dp/1535601418 [https://www.amazon.com/Golf-Cigars-Scotch-Fatherhood-Fine-Living/dp/1535601418]

On Democracy and Subnational Diplomacy with Jon Temin

Jon Temin works across government, research and the non-profit sector to advance democracy, good governance, conflict resolution, and US-Africa relations. He is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute, where he is researching the future of U.S. democracy assistance. Previously, he was the Director of the Africa programs at Freedom House and at the US Institute of Peace, a member of the US Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff, and Vice President of Policy & Programs at the Truman National Security Project. He shares his thoughts on what makes good writing, what we should know about truth and reconciliation, why the crisis in Sudan has not received the attention it deserves, and why he's spending his time thinking about sub-national diplomacy and democratic resilience.

On History and Context with Amanda Van Dort

Amanda Van Dort is a McCain Institute American Democracy and Technology Fellow, and an Adjunct Professor for Johns Hopkins and GWU teaching undergraduate and graduate courses on issues related to Women, Peace, and Security. She's also a former diplomat, most recently serving the Department of State as Chief of Staff in the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues, building on her background advancing the rights of women globally and addressing the needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Amanda is spending her post gov era hitting the books and thinking big thoughts on the roots of American democracy, revisiting documents drafted by the founding fathers, and studying their cultural influences to better understand not just what they said, but what they meant. We're talking about her path into government service, her thoughts on what it means to go "back to basics," her elevator pitch for why gender matters, and our shared assessment of whether the public education system prepares kids to engage with the most critical questions of our time. Links to a few of Amanda's top reads: First Principles by Thomas Ricks: Buy on Thriftbooks [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/first-principles-what-americas-founders-learned-from-the-greeks-and-romans-and-how-that-shaped-our-country_thomas-e-ricks/27401121/?srsltid=AfmBOorAdmeeHAGP1Kky1KEx20-EF1hnuMf3eAn9qXuwBDX3LQCKKE2s#edition=59841117&idiq=54545175] Our Declaration by Danielle Allen: Buy on Thriftbooks [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/our-declaration-a-reading-of-the-declaration-of-independence-in-defense-of-equality_danielle-s-allen/3054506/?srsltid=AfmBOoqkIZ487KCqoT5MGSFH8o_NzK1AotSeuPrKPe0y9kxxWRu2XKfp#edition=9178702&idiq=13684102] Sex and the Constitution by Geoffrey Stone: Buy on Thriftbooks [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/sex-and-the-constitution-sex-religion-and-law-from-americas-origins-to-the-twenty-first-century_geoffrey-r-stone/11604740/?srsltid=AfmBOooKQ4yoKPSe5CEbzEY89_28F_lRjpriD3LBq1thY1_iVMpxAdNr#edition=11160667&idiq=25438181]