Religion and Foreign Policy Year in Review

December 2016 Religion and Foreign Policy Bulletin

Religion and Foreign Policy Year in Review GARY HERSHORN/REUTERS The December Religion and Foreign Policy Bulletin highlights CFR analysis and commentary on foreign policy challenges of the past year. Read CFR Director of Studies James M. Lindsay’s perspective on the ten most significant world events of 2016, and consider how these issues will evolve in the year to come.

Will the Liberal Order Survive? The History of an Idea   In this Foreign Affairs article, Joseph S. Nye Jr. of Harvard Kennedy School examines America’s historic role in the liberal international order. He warns that the security and prosperity that the liberal order provides may disappear should the United States choose to back away from its global leadership role. Keep tabs on the world order with The World This Week » Preventive Priorities Survey: 2017   A serious military confrontation between Russia and a NATO member state or a crisis in North Korea are among top international concerns for 2017, according to the ninth annual Preventive Priorities Survey. Each year the Center for Preventive Action evaluates ongoing and potential conflicts in terms of their likelihood of escalating in the coming year and their impact on U.S. interests.  Explore this year’s findings » Why Trump Should Support a Probe Into Russia’s Hacking     STEVO VASILJEVIC/REUTERS   The president-elect’s foreign policy will likely make enemies abroad by the end of his first term, writes CFR’s Robert K. Knake. It would be in Trump’s best interest to conduct a thorough investigation into any Russian interference and respond forcefully before Trump himself becomes the target in 2020. Listen to experts discuss the president-elect’s priorities on Russia. » Confronting the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Putting Faith in Humanitarian Aid   Experts from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, HIAS, and Islamic Relief USA discuss the role of faith-based organizations in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis, as well as the challenges of aiding and resettling refugees in the United States and abroad. Examine this timeline of the Syrian Civil War » Repairing the U.S.-Israel Relationship   “The U.S.-Israel relationship is in trouble,” warn CFR’s Robert D. Blackwill and Philip H. Gordon in this new Council Special Report, where they offer six policy proposals to repair, redefine, and invigorate the relationship in both countries’ mutual interest. Read more » Ending South Sudan’s Civil War     MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH/REUTERS   Following its independence in 2011, three years of civil war have left South Sudan on the cusp of full-scale genocide and its sovereignty discredited and undermined by warring elites. Katherine Almquist Knopf of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies argues that an international transitional administration is the only viable solution. Read the report »

Religion and Foreign Policy Podcast Now on iTunes CFR’s Religion and Foreign Policy Conference Call series is now available for download on iTunes. Catch up on past conversations between faith leaders, religion scholars, and policy experts on timely issues at the intersection of religion and global affairs.

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