Good afternoon, welcome to the center for international studies. Im the director of the Human Rights Initiative im delighted to be cohosting todays event with the diversity in Leadership International Affairs Program here at c it and the support of our Employee Resource Group on this topic. It is one difficult to see so many people in person in the Building Back at csis. We also welcome those who are joining us via the livestream. We host todays event on the advancement of the rights of lgbtq i a plus people through u. S. Foreign policy at an interesting moment. A moment of great dichotomy. Through the inference of advocates and the support of governments, protection of rights around the world is increasing in many places. We have seen many bright spots that stand out as a testament to efforts by those advocates and activists over the past year. In december, parliament overwhelmingly passed a samesex marriage bill. The 31st country in the world to do so. Just this month, the cabinet en
Principles internationalism. Im delighted to be cohosting todays event with the diversity in leadership program. And with the support of our Employee Resource Group on the topic. It is wonderful to see so many of you here in person at csis. I we host todays event for lgbtqai plus lgbtqia people at a moment of great dichotomy. Through the support of advocates, protection of rights around the world is increasing in many places. We have seen bright spot that stand out as a testament to those activists over the year. In december, the Chilean Parliament passed a samesex bill, the 31st country in the world to do so. This month, the thai cabinet endorsed a Civil Partnership bill. Argentina, colombia and the u. S. Government now recognize nonbinary identities. The Kuwait Constitutional Court struck down a law used by Security Forces to enable abusive transgender individuals. But for every bright spot, we see many continued attacks on lgbtqia plus rights, we see what in ghana, and in places lik
As you prepare your mission, how do you assess the threat on the ground and going back to your earlier comment about crises can spread and erupt and shift quickly. What have you do in new kinds of training or threat on the ground that you encounter in the new normal environment . Thanks. As far as the responsibility and the principle responsibilities we had that were related toward u. S. Government facilities, missions as well as personnel. We tended focus our efforts toward those. Some of the areas youre talking about. The bands youre talking about and the threats that operate down there. Our force has the capability its on the selfprotection capability when it is employed. If we were employed in to some of those regions, we bring our own organic selfdefense and capability in order to accomplish toes those missions. Most notably some of the wide open areas. Recovery of aircraft or personnel. We have worked through the process what the situation would like like on the ground and how we
World bank, others, obviously china, but the u. S. Government can have a major, major impact in this sector, supporting those countries and businesses. I can emphasize supporting the countrys own strategies is that or it that as word has to start. Figuring out a way to plug into thoses participating. And there are a number of plans that have come forward on this. So power africa in our view is a fantastic start. Fantastic start. Able to announcement, but also what can only be a start. So it is very ambitious in its scale and scope, but compared to the need, the demand, it remains a very small piece of what has happened. Abuse in their many players in the space. Everyone has a role to play. But as of the actors and participants choose to up our africa focus on the execution of the next 18 months. You heard in the city that making sure that they have some wins under their belt is absolutely usage of golf course. So while the u. S. Government and others move to execution mode to make sure
Gets more lifethreatening and expensive. A lot of good things are going to happen. We are the last industrialized nation in the world to have National Healthcare policy. What i have preferred a public option . Yes. But the system we have got is the best that we have ever devised. Started it iny massachusetts. It will help america, it and for many americans, we have got great health for people who can afford it. For or people, they do not have access to doctors living in the innercity. That needs to change. On twitter from jack who writes do you think the Founding Fathers back in 1776 envisioned a secret fisa as key to a thriving democracy . Dont know what they were thinking, and certainly they did not think about the fisa court. 1776really did not see in the first 10 amendments, the bill of rights did not come until later. The Founding Fathers were great. But they were not infallible. They were certainly wrong about women, who did not have the right to vote, and they were certainly wro