Through May 3, 2013
Cambridge, MA
Co-sponsored by the Harvard University Asia Center
The Harvard University Asia Vision 21 annual conference series has been a concerted effort at analyzing long-term issues and developments in Asia while forging a vision of the region for the 21st century. It began as a response to the financial crises of 1997-1998 in which both the causes and some of the proposed solutions to problems in the region were examined. At the 2013 Asia Vision 21, discussion topics will include Asia and the world economy, domestic and regional security, the challenges of care giving for the elderly in China, and the geo-political impact of developing new sources of energy. More»
Tony Saich, Daewoo Professor of International Affairs & Meg Rithmire, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School
Monday, 4:10-5:30 p.m.
124 Mt. Auburn St., Suite 200-North
Co-sponsored by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School; East Asian Legal Studies, Harvard Law School; Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard; Harvard School of Public Health China Initiative; Harvard-Yenching Institute; Kennedy School Student Government; and the Social and Urban Policy Professional Interest Council
China's cities have reportedly been driving the country's decades-long economic miracle. But behind this veneer of economic stability lies a system of mass migration and debt that appears to be collapsing under the weight of its own success. Join us as Tony Saich, director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and Daewoo Professor of International Affairs, and Meg Rithmire, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, discuss the future of Chinese cities. More»
Thursday, April 25, 4:10 - 5:30 p.m.
Land Hall, 4th Floor, Belfer Building, HKS
Co-sponsored by the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University
At this seminar in honor of the late Richard Baum Matthew Baum, Marvin Kalb Professor of Global Communications and Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, will offer introductory remarks. Panelists William Alford, Henry L. Stimson Professor of Law, Harvard Law School and Director of East Asian Legal Studies; Joseph Fewsmith, Professor of International Relations and Political Science, Boston University and Director, Center for the Study of Asia; and Tony Saich, Daewoo Professor of Public Affairs and Director, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, will offer commentary, and William Kirby, Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies will moderate the discussion. More»
Thursday, 6-7:15 p.m.
Joseph Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville, John Mattingly, former commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, and Beth Blauer, former director of Maryland’s StateStat
Weil Town Hall, Belfer Building, Corner of JFK and Eliot Streets
Co-sponsored by the Kennedy School’s Regional, State, Local and Tribal (RSLT) Governance PIC and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston
"PerformanceStat" (aka Compstat, aka Citistat) has received considerable attention, nationally and at the Kennedy School, from public executives and policymakers interested in producing results by using data to analyze and motivate better performance. As with any promising leadership strategy, however, the challenge is implementation: How can leaders adapt PerformanceStat and make it work for their particular institution? Come get an unvarnished look at the promise and the pitfalls of PerformanceStat from leaders with first-hand experience implementing it in their city, state, or agency. Refreshments served. More»
Thursday, April 25, 4:10-5:30 p.m.
NYE ABC, 5th Floor Taubman
Co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean, HKS; Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy; and the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
Join Dean David Ellwood and David Gergen for a conversation with Eric Schmidt on his vision for the future, co-moderated by Ash-affiliated faculty member Archon Fung. RSVP here»
A Panel Debate on Philanthropy and Democracy
Rob Reich, Stanford University
Discussants: Eric Beerbohm, Frederick S. Danzinger Associate Professor of Government; Phil Buchanan, Center for Effective Philanthropy; Christine Letts, Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Land Hall, Harvard Kennedy School
Co-sponsored by the Ash Center, Boston Review Magazine, Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, and the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
Judge Richard Posner suggests that foundations are “total scandals” because they lack market or electoral accountability. Foundations also operate without significant transparency requirements, elevate the preferences of wealthy individuals across generations, and are recipients of generous tax breaks. In this final Democracy Seminar of the semester, Rob Reich will explore the role of foundations in democratic societies. He argues that foundations can gain legitimacy in spite of their plutocratic power, through their work in supporting pluralism and in long-run social policy innovation. Phil Buchanan, Christine Letts, and Eric Beerbohm will respond.
The Role of Change Management in Facilitating Innovation
Monday, 12 p.m. ET
Webinar - Register here
The Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School, the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Case Commons Inc. are excited to present a webinar on the role of change management in facilitating technology innovation in public human services. As demands on public human services continue to increase, technology is playing an increasingly vital role. Technological changes are also organizational changes, and effective change management is essential to ensuring that technology improvements are implemented successfully. More»
Mark H. Moore, Hauser Professor of Nonprofit Organizations
Wednesday, 4:10-5:30 p.m.
124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200-North
Introduction & Moderation: Tony Saich, Ash Center Director
Respondents: Tiziana Dearing, CEO of Boston Rising; and Stephen Goldsmith, Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government
Reception to Follow
Co-sponsored by the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management
In his newly published Recognizing Public Value, Mark Moore focuses on helping public managers develop and use performance measurement and management systems to help animate and guide their value-creating efforts. The book introduces readers to two new key instruments—the Public Value Account and the Public Value Scorecard. The Public Value Account is designed to help public managers construct something like the private sector’s financial “bottom line” for empirically capturing the “public value” that is being created (or lost) by a public agency. The Public Value Scorecard is designed to help managers keep their attention focused on the concrete tasks that have to be undertaken in both the world of political mobilization and operational management to execute a future-oriented strategy for a government agency. The concepts are illustrated with cases from policing and crime control, the management of urban services, tax collecting, contracting for welfare to work programs, solid waste management, the promotion of economic competitiveness, and child protective services. More»
Friday, 9:00 a.m.
124 Mount Auburn Street, Suite 160, Room 105
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS CLOSED. Those selected to participate through the lottery will be notified by email.
Crises are sudden and disruptive. They are complex and characterized by uncertainty as well as high velocity. In this workshop, Ambassador Christian Dussey, most recently head of the Crisis Management Center of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will present several instruments leaders can use to bring a sense of order and lead his/her team through these challenging events. He will then facilitate a crisis simulation during which participants will work in groups of 3 or 4. The last hour will be dedicated to discussing the results of the group work. To participate, please enroll here»
Through April 13, 2013
The InterÂnaÂtional DevelÂopÂment ConÂferÂence at HarÂvard Kennedy School of GovÂernÂment is a yearly student-organized, student-run conÂferÂence dedÂiÂcated to fosÂterÂing a conÂstrucÂtive diaÂlogue between leadÂing acaÂdÂeÂmics, pracÂtiÂtionÂers, polÂicymakÂers, and stuÂdents conÂcerned with creÂatÂing a betÂter world. The ConÂferÂence is hosted at the Kennedy School and is a joint effort between stuÂdents at HarÂvard and Carnegie MelÂlon UniÂverÂsity. The Ash Center was a co-sponsor of the 2013 event. More»
Joseph Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville, MA; Brad Lander, Council Member, New York City; and Hollie Russon-Gilman, Ash Center
Wednesday, 4:10-5:30 p.m.
Starr Auditorium, Belfer Building, 2nd Floor, HKS
Co-sponsored by the Regional, State, Local & Tribal Governance Public Interest Council, HKS
What would happen if citizens got together to decide collectively how budgets are spent? Participatory budgeting began in Brazil, where it is used in more than 100 cities, and has just recently spread to the United States. Council Member Brad Lander helped to spearhead the efforts of eight New York City council members to put their capital budgets, totaling around $10 million, up to this democratic process. He will speak about the vision, the benefits, and the challenges of this exciting new experiment in urban democracy. More»
Wednesday, 1:10-2:30 p.m.
Taubman 401
A light lunch will be served
Applications to the Innovation in American Government Awards program have provided a forum for the nation’s public sector innovators to tell their stories: stories of persistence, controversy, and vindication. Sandford Borins has used those stories to create databases to characterize the nature and evolution of innovative programs and characteristics of successful innovations. Replicating his path-breaking research of the early nineties (published in his 1997 book Innovating with Integrity), Professor Borins has just completed his analysis of applications to the 2010 Innovations in American Government Awards. He will present both qualitative and quantitative research to account for the persistence of innovation and its necessary transformations. More»
David Karpf, School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University
Wednesday, 4:10 - 5:30 p.m.
124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200-North
Co-sponsored by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy
Online politics is neither limited to "clicktivism" nor comprised of "organizing without organizations." In David Karpf's new book, he presents evidence that the new media environment has given rise to a new generation of political advocacy groups. These organizations have redefined membership and fundraising regimes. They have established novel tools for gauging supporter opinion and pioneered nimble mobilization tactics that keep pace with the accelerated media cycle. These tactical innovations have not spread equally to older interest groups. Nor have they spread equally across the political spectrum—"netroots" political organizations are much stronger on the left than the right. In Karpf's research presentation, he will highlight key findings and ongoing puzzles regarding the nature and scope of the "MoveOn Effect" in American politics. More»
Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.
Belfer L-4, Hauser Center Conference Room
Co-sponsored by the Program on Crisis Leadership, the Black Policy Caucus, the Crisis Management Student Group, and the Regional, State, Local and Tribal Governance PIC
Refreshments Served
A book about collective resilience, We Shall Not Be Moved tells the stories of five New Orleans neighborhoods—Broadmoor, Hollygrove, Lakeview, the Lower Ninth Ward, and Village de l’Est—as residents rebuild in the years after the levee failures. In this presentation, Harvard author Tom Wooten will focus on the potential and limits of community-based recovery efforts. He will also highlight the role that Kennedy School students and faculty played to support Broadmoor's recovery effort. More»
The Second Annual Thailand @ Harvard Lecture
Apiwat Ratanawaraha, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Friday, 6-7:30 p.m.
Starr Auditorium, Harvard Kennedy School
Co-sponsored by Harvard University Asia Center, Harvard-Yenching Institute, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and the Ash Center
Recognized as one of the most prolific Thai urban planners in his generation, Professor Apiwat Ratanawahara will discuss multiple challenges facing the futures of Thai cities in the next two decades. These challenges include population aging, foreign migration, economic integration with other Southeast Asian countries and China, large-scale infrastructure investment, and political, as well as administrative decentralization. The particular attention will be paid to the social and spatial implications of such trends, as well as the prospects for urban planning and advocacy in the country. More»
HE Dr. Dino Patti Djalal, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States
HKS Professors Nicholas Burns, discussant, and Anthony Saich, moderator
Thursday, 12-1:30 p.m.
Fainsod Room, Littauer 3rd Floor, HKS
Lunch will be served
Co-sponsored by the Center for International Development
Dr. Dino Patti Djalal is Indonesia’s ambassador to the United States, career diplomat, presidential speech writer, youth activist, academic, and author of a national best seller. He is known in Indonesia as special staff for international affairs and presidential spokesperson for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono – a position he held for 6 years from October 2004 to October 2010. As Ambassador, Djalal has spearheaded a number of initiatives including the advancement of the US – Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. More»
Corey Brettschneider, Professor of Political Science, Brown University
Wednesday, 4:10-5:30 p.m.
124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200-North
How should a liberal democracy respond to hate groups and others that oppose the ideal of free and equal citizenship? The democratic state faces the hard choice of either protecting the rights of hate groups and allowing their views to spread, or banning their views and violating citizens' rights to freedoms of expression, association, and religion. Avoiding the familiar yet problematic responses to these issues, political theorist Corey Brettschneider proposes a new approach called value democracy. More»
Through March 14, 2013
Given the power of the media, colleges and universities are more cognizant of the threat of potential crises. However, as much as institutions can prepare, the unexpected can still happen. As a campus leader, knowing how to act quickly and effectively in the wake of a crisis can protect your students and your institution’s reputation. Since relatively mundane events can quickly turn into crisis events, it is important to understand how to successfully plan for, manage, survive and recover from unexpected events such as disorderly protests, hostage situations and outbreaks of violence. More»
Kay Schlozman, J. Joseph Moakley Professor, Boston College; Sidney Verba, Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor Emeritus, Harvard University; Henry E. Brady, Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy
Thursday, 4:10-5:30 p.m.
124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200-North
In this seminar, co-authors Professor Schlozman, Professor Verba, and Dean Brady will discuss The Unheavenly Chorus, the first book to look at the political participation of individual citizens alongside the political advocacy of thousands of organized interests--membership associations such as unions, professional associations, trade associations, and citizens groups, as well as organizations like corporations, hospitals, and universities. Drawing on numerous in-depth surveys of members of the public as well as the largest database of interest organizations ever created--representing more than 35,000 organizations over a 25-year period--they conclusively demonstrate that American democracy is marred by deeply ingrained and persistent class-based political inequality. More»
Tuesday, 6 p.m.
JFK Jr. Forum, Harvard Kennedy School
Ticketed event
Co-sponsored by the Ash Center's Program on Crisis Leadership
This JFK Jr. Forum event will feature Dr. Michèle Pierre-Louis, prime minister of Haiti (2008-09), IOP Fellow (Fall ’10), and president, FOKAL Foundation; Sean Penn, founder, J/P Haitian Relief Organization, and ambassador at large for Haiti; and Lieutenant General Ken Keen, commander, Joint Task Force Haiti - Operation Unified Response, and military deputy commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Florida. The event will be moderated by Mary Jo Bane, Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management, HKS. More»
Nicholas J. Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California
Wednesday, 4:10-5:30 p.m.
Co-sponsored with the Harvard Seminar on History and Policy
124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200-North
Nicholas J. Cull is professor of public diplomacy and director of the Master's Program in Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. He received both his bachelor's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Leeds. While a graduate student, he studied at Princeton as a Harkness Fellow of the Commonwealth Fund of New York. From 1992 to 1997 he was a lecturer in American history at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. More»
Film Screening & Panel Discussion
Esraa Abdel Fattah, Egyptian Democratic Academy; Ben Moses, Director; Will Dobson, Slate Magazine, and Tarek Masoud, HKS
Monday, January 28, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Co-Sponsored by the Middle East Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Wiener Auditorium, Taubman Building, HKS
A Whisper to a Roar tells the heroic stories of courageous democracy activists in five countries around the world – Egypt, Malaysia, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. From student leaders to prime ministers and heads of state, these activists share their compelling personal stories of struggle, past and present, with their countries’ oppressive regimes. Shot over three years and finalized in July 2012 by award-winning filmmaker, Ben Moses, the film was inspired by the work of Stanford University’s Larry Diamond, author of The Spirit of Democracy and Director of Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. More»