Conference Programme

We are excited to invite you to register to attend all or part of the Next Century Foundation’s five-day Healing the Nations conference this summer from Monday, July 13th to Friday, July 17th 2026.

This conference is held in cooperation with The POLICY STUDIES ORGANIZATION Washington.

All times noted are in British Summer Time (BST). Those sessions that will be ON THE RECORD are clearly indicated, but all other sessions will be OFF RECORD. There will be no charge for those who wish to attend. Sessions will be conducted via Zoom. There are separate links for each session. Please refer to the links under each section for registration and attendance. Each conference session will last two hours. We anticipate a productive, open discussion. You will need to register in advance for these meetings and identify the sessions you wish to attend. The following are the sessions confirmed thus far.

THE ENVIRONMENT: Is the USA’s environmental Policy destroying the world?

THIS SESSION IS ON THE RECORD

Day 1: Monday, 13th July 2026 from 6 pm to 8 pm BST (1 pm Washington D.C., EDT)

Briefing:

• Samuel Lewis, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speakers:

• Dr Sam Ben-Meir is a philosopher and educator whose work focuses on political philosophy, ethics, and contemporary political issues, serving as an adjunct professor of philosophy at the City University of New York
• Professor Frithjof C. Kuepper FRSB, Chair in Marine Biodiversity, University of Aberdeen

Chair:

• Odessa Grove, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation 

This session will focus on the evolving role of the United States as a lead nation on the environment, and assess its broader self-promoting strategies under the Trump administration.

This is the Registration link for the Environment that you will need

IRAQ: Prospects for Political Stability

Day 2: Tuesday, 14th July 2026 from 12 noon BST for two hours (7 am Washington D.C., EDT and 2 pm Baghdad)

Briefing:

• Camilla Barker, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speakers:

• Dr Ali al Mamouri, Research Fellow at Deakin University. Previously, a strategic communication advisor to the Iraq prime minister from 2020 to 2022
• Karrar Noori Hammed, Tikrit University

Chair:

• Jaafar El Ahmar, head of the Next Century Foundation in the United Kingdom

The focus of this conference session will be to examine the current stability of Iraq and explore potential pathways towards a more promising future.

This is the Registration link for IRAQ for those not already registered

SYRIA: Democratisation and Reconstruction in a Divided Nation

Day 2: Tuesday, 14th July 2026 from 3 pm BST / 10 am EDT for two hours

Briefing:

• Saskia Perez Cooke, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speaker:

• Ammar Waqqaf, Founder and Director of Gnosos (@TheGnososView), an Organisation Expressing Stakeholder Opinion in Syria and the Middle East

Chair:

• Jaafar El Ahmar, head of the Next Century Foundation in the United Kingdom

This session will examine the prospects for democratisation in Syria following President Al-Sharaa’s assumption of leadership and discuss the challenges of rebuilding the nation amidst ongoing sectarian conflict.

This is the Registration link for SYRIA for those not already registered

THE USA AND IRAN: Prospects for Rapprochement

THIS SESSION IS ON THE RECORD

Day 2: Tuesday 14 July 6.00 pm BST London / 1 pm EDT Washington

Briefing:

• Alice Rampton, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speakers:

• Dr Elham Kadkhodaee, Assistant Professor of West Asian Studies at the Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran
• Gregory Clay Ramsay, Senior Research Associate at the Centre for International and Security Studies, University of Maryland
• Daniel I. Gutierrez-Sandoval, Executive Director, Policy Studies Organisation, Washington, DC

Chair:

• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General. The Next Century Foundation

This session will explore current prospects for stability and rapprochement between the USA and Iran.

This is the Registration link for USA and Iran that you will need

A PEACE PROCESS for ISRAEL and PALESTINE: Can there be Peace for Gaza and the West Bank

Day 3: Wednesday 15 July 12.00 noon London / 7 am Washington / 2 pm Jerusalem

Briefing:

• Odessa Grove, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speakers:

• Adel al Zanoun, Agence France Press, Head of the Next Century Foundation in Gaza
• Hillel Schenker, co-editor, The Palestine-Israel Journal

Chair:

• Shristi Sharma, Research Officer for Saudi Arabian Affairs, The Next Century Foundation

This session will examine the prospects for governance in Gaza following the war and discuss the challenges of rebuilding the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the conflict.

This is the Registration link for GAZA for those not already registered

UKRAINE, RUSSIA AND USA: The Outlook for a Durable Peace

THIS SESSION IS ON THE RECORD

Day 3: Wednesday 15 July 3 pm BST / 10 am EDT: UKRAINE, RUSSIA AND USA

Briefing:

• Celeste Barnett-Trier, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speakers:

• Valery Morozov, former Kremlin insider, author, and intelligence expert
• Daniel I. Gutierrez-Sandoval, Executive Director, Policy Studies Organisation, Washington, DC
• Maria Sapozhnikova, The Next Century Foundation’s Senior Advisor on Russian Affairs

Chair:

• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General. The Next Century Foundation

The war in Ukraine continues to pose significant threats to regional and global stability. Peace continues to elude us. This session will discuss possible avenues for achieving a durable peace.

This is the Registration link for UKRAINE for those not already registered

SUDAN: Grappling with Fragility and Division

Day 3: Wednesday 15 July 6.00 pm BST London / 1 pm EDT Washington: SUDAN

Briefing:

• Kayla Junior, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speakers:

• Mr Khalid Omer Yousif, Rapporteur, The Somoud Alliance.
• Cynthia Farahat, Egyptian-American author, columnist, political analyst, counterterrorism expert, and fellow at the Middle East Forum

Chair:

• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General. The Next Century Foundation

With a conflict spanning more than four decades, Sudan’s long-standing turmoil raises questions about its potential resolution. This conference session aims to analyse Sudan’s delicate political situation and explore tangible measures that can be taken to pave the way for lasting peace.

This is the Registration link for SUDAN for those not already registered

AFGHANISTAN: Bringing Reform and Rapprochement

Day 4: Thursday 16 July 12 noon London / 7 am Washington / 3.30 pm Kabul: AFGHANISTAN

Briefing:

• Zena Elbeyaly, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening speaker:

• HRH Prince Namir Naim of Afghanistan 

Chair:

• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General, The Next Century Foundation

This event will look deeper into the issue of political malaise in Afghanistan. There is still no international rapprochement with the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and the people of Afghanistan continue to face severe economic and humanitarian challenges.

This is the Registration link for AFGHANISTAN that you will need

LEBANON: Regional Tensions with Israel

Day 4: Thursday 16 July 3 pm BST / 5 pm EDT: LEBANON

Briefing:

• Written by Lucien Akle, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation, Read by Odessa Grove, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation.

Opening Speaker:

• Dan Meridor, formerly Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence in Israel’s Government

Chair:

• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General, The Next Century Foundation

Lebanon’s internal challenges are deeply intertwined with the regional conflicts involving Israel. This session will examine Lebanon’s precarious position amidst these tensions and consider prospects for stability.

This is the Registration link for LEBANON for those not already registered

YEMEN: Resolving the Political Paralysis

Day 4: Thursday 16 July 6.00 pm BST London / 1 pm EDT Washington: YEMEN

Briefing:

• Manisha Shrivastava, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation

Opening Speaker:

• Dr Abdul Galil Shaif, the chairman of FOSY (Friends of South Yemen) and the former chairman of the Aden Free Zone Public Authority in Yemen

Chair:

• Daniel I. Gutierrez-Sandoval, Executive Director, Policy Studies Organisation, Washington, DC (Chairperson)

This event will look deeper into the issue of political malaise in Yemen. There is still no international rapprochement with the various parties that are responsible for the governance of Yemen, and the people of Yemen continue to face severe economic and humanitarian challenges.

This is the Registration link for YEMEN that you will need

HONOUR IN WAR / RIGHTS OF THE SEA: a more principled approach to conflict

THIS SESSION IS ON THE RECORD

Day 5: Friday 17 July 12 noon London / 7 am Washington: HONOUR IN WAR / RIGHTS OF THE SEA

Opening Speakers:

• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General, The Next Century Foundation
• Cristina De Leo, United Nations Liaison Officer, The Next Century Foundation

Chair:

• Alice Rampton, Research Officer at The Next Century Foundation 

A meeting to discuss the issue of honour in war, including collateral damage and terrorism, targeted assassination and the use of drones.

This is the Registration link for HONOUR IN WAR for those not already registered