Is there a role for regional actors in undertaking humanitarian military interventions? What do citizens of different regions think about the criteria for such interventions in their regions? How can regional organizations help the United Nations protect civilians threatened by internal conflict?

On October 14 the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Fund for Peace cosponsored a Current Issues Briefing to explore the challenges of humanitarian intervention. Moderated by Michael Southwick, former deputy assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs and program officer in the Institute's Research and Studies Program, the session featured perspectives from a seasoned panel of experts on humanitarian intervention from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Held in conjunction with the release of a new report by the the Fund for Peace on humanitarian intervention, the presentations were followed by questions from the floor. [More about "Neighbors on Alert" and the Fund for Peace]

Speakers

• William L. Nash
  Director, Center for Preventive Action, Council on Foreign Relations; and Major General, U.S. Army. ret.
• Jason Ladnier
  Program Director, Regional Responses to Internal War, Fund for Peace
• Roland Eng
  Ambassador from Cambodia to the United States
• Francis Deng
  Director, Center for Displacement Studies, Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies; and former Senior Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Luis Bitencourt
  Director, Brazil Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Boudewijn J. van Eenennaam
  Ambassador from the Netherlands to the United States
• Michael Southwick, Moderator
  Program Officer, Research and Studies Program, U.S. Institute of Peace; and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs