DINNER SERIES

GBNN dinner discussions provide an opportunity for small groups of Georgetown students to have “off-the-record” conversations and make meaningful connections with sector experts. Previous dinner topics have included: bipartisan legislative negotiations, the Iran nuclear deal, police-community partnerships, and more.

FEATURED DINNERS

VENEZUELA'S REGIME AND ITS IMPACT IN THE REGION

December 2019

David Smolansky, OAS Secretary General Envoy for Venezuelan Migration and Refugee Crisis, talked about the root causes of Venezuela's humanitarian crisis and how he is working in exile to assist refugees through OAS.

FBI HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS: HOW TO LEARN THE MOST IN TIMES OF TRAUMA

October 2019

At our first dinner series event of the year, Timothy Healy, FBI Supervisory Special Agent in the Crisis Negotiation Unit highlighted the importance of empathy in navigating hostage, barricade, and kidnapping incidents both in the US and abroad.

FROM KAVANAUGH TO KHASHOGGI

November 2018

We welcomed Karoun Demirjian, a reporter for the Washington Post who covers national security policy. Karoun shared her journey from graduate school to working at the Post. Student attendees described the conversation as “candid, open, and refreshing.”

HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION & “FRINGE” DIPLOMACY

October 2018

Richardson Center Vice-President Mickey Bergman, who has over 15 years of experience in strategic diplomacy, coined the phrase “fringe diplomacy,” and dealt directly with senior North Korean officials engaged in a conversation about the complexities of working in high-stakes settings.

NEGOTIATING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ATROCITIES IN SYRIA

April 2018

Executive Director of the Syria Justice & Accountability Centre, Mohammad al Abdallah, and the First Secretary of the Political Department at the Netherlands Embassy, Timor El-Dardiry, led the dinner in a stimulating conversation surrounding events in Syria.

POLICE-COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

March 2018

Guest speakers Megan G. Johnston, Executive Director of Northern Virginia Mediation Service, and Cary Petrovitch, Fairfax County Police Department Master Police Officer, discussed a local collaboration between police, nonprofits, schools, and court partners to repair harm from juvenile crimes.