Speaking Engagements
Explore a collection of Hafed Al-Ghwell’s speaking engagements, in which he offers nuanced perspectives and engages in discussions on the Middle Eastern and North African region.
Libya in Focus: Conflict Resolution and the Path Forward
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), alongside the Atlantic Council, hosted a roundtable discussion with a group of Libyan representatives from the Coordination Committee of Parties, made up of over 50 political parties and NGOs.
Discussants proposed creating a mechanism for fair elections through a comprehensive plan grounded in popular support. The initiative aims to tackle the roots of the Libyan crisis through economic, political, security, and social reconciliation pathways, aiming for state-building rather than power-sharing. The new proposal may also be taken forward for consideration by the UN Security Council.
Notable delegates included NAI Executive Director and FPI Senior Fellow, Hafed Al-Ghwell, the former Health Minister, Naji Barakat, and the former Head of the Constituent Assembly, Ali Tarhouni, who engaged with Washington-based political experts, politicians and diplomats specializing in Libyan affairs.
Building Sustainable Peace in North Africa
The North Africa Initiative (NAI) at the Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) were honored to host a panel of experts to discuss the institutionalization of peace in North Africa. The event included the Honorable Ben Cardin, US Senator from Maryland; Evan Patterson, from the staff of US Representative Jim Baird; Giordano Segneri, Governance and Peacebuilding Team Leader for Arab States, UNDP; and Regan Durkin, Director of HWPL in Washington, DC, with FPI Senior Fellow Hafed Al-Ghwell as moderator. The panelists discussed and evaluated solutions and policies to sustain peace. The solutions identified will be incorporated into a report to be submitted to the United Nations to further aid in peace-obtaining efforts in the North African Region.
Watch the event on YouTube.
Qatar: A Strong Mediator and Its Strategic Role in the Middle East
The Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University hosted Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar and Advisor to Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, in a conversation on ‘Qatar: A Strong Mediator and its Strategic Role in the Middle East.’ The Dialogue is moderated by Hafed Al-Ghwell, Senior Fellow at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute (FPI).
Watch the event on YouTube.
Current Challenges in Tunisia and in US-Tunisian Relations and the Way Forward
The discussion, moderated by Hafed Al-Ghwell, Foreign Policy Institute’s Senior Fellow and Executive Director of the North Africa Initiative, and William Lawrence, Professor at American University’s School of International Service, welcomed a select group of participants from the State Department, USAID, SAIS faculty and students, ATA board members, and policy experts. The conversation covered a wide range of critical topics, including democratic institution building, the U.S.-Tunisia relationship, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Tunisia, educational and exchange programs, and the Gaza situation.
Find out more via the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute website.
Countering Human Trafficking and Transnational Crimes in North Africa
On September 21, the North Africa Initiative of the Foreign Policy Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Middle East Institute Switzerland (MEIS) co-hosted a hybrid roundtable discussion titled “Countering Human Trafficking and Transnational Crimes in North Africa.” The discussion featured Othman Belbeisi and Alissa Pavia and was moderated by Hafed al-Ghwell and Andrea Cellino.
Watch the event on YouTube.
U.S Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability and the GFA
The North Africa Initiative (NAI) of the JHU SAIS Foreign Policy Institute hosted Anne Witkowsky, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization at the U.S. State Department, for a Conversation on the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, the innovative strategy for fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in states struggling with instability.
Watch the event on YouTube.
China’s Growing Footprint in North Africa
In this discussion, Hafed serves as a moderator and speakers shared their insights and analyses of the emerging partnerships between China and the Maghreb countries by examining the complexities and realities of Beijing's presence in this part of the world through the lens of its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). They examined how a growing Chinese presence in the Maghreb can feasibly advance the sub-region's economic development while safeguarding China's strategic interest in being a developer, collaborator and accelerator of South-South cooperation. Between receding American engagement and a deeply fragmented Europe, discussants assessed the West's potential responses (or lack thereof) and their likely impact on fostering security, democratization, stability, development, and intra-regional cooperation in the Maghreb.
Watch the event on YouTube.
Economic Integration in North Africa: Landscape & Challenges
The North Africa Initiative hosted a roundtable discussion moderated by the Former UN Senior Advisor on Libya Stephanie Williams on “Local Governance as an Essential Tool for State Building in Libya”. The event featured Mohamed Khaled Elghuel, presidential candidate in Libya's elections and former Deputy Minister and Hafed Al-Ghwell, Senior Fellow and Executive Director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) at SAIS.
What could the real devolution of power from the center to the so-called periphery look like in Libya, a rentier state which has experienced a mostly failed approach towards administrative decentralization since the 2011 uprising? Can a ground-up approach which empowers citizens and their elected representatives at the provincial and municipal level help address the absence of state and institution building in Libya? Can this community level effort help to tackle the proliferation and consolidation of armed groups in the country?
Egypt's COP27: Sustainable Development and the Energy Transition in MENA
North Africa Initiative of the JHU SAIS Foreign Policy Institute and the SAIS Student MENA Club hosted a roundtable discussion on Egypt’s COP 27: Sustainable Development and Energy Transition in North Africa.
Moderator
Hafed Al Ghwell Senior Fellow and Executive Director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Speakers
Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud, Senior Fellow and Director of the Climate and Water Program, Middle East Institute (MEI)
Dr. Paul Noumba Um, Regional Director, MENA Infrastructure, World Bank
Concepcion Aisa Otin, Senior Financial Officer for the World Bank Treasury