Conference Programme

We are excited to invite you to register to attend all or part of the Next Century Foundation’s eight-day Healing the Nations conference this summer from Sunday, June 15th to Sunday, June 22nd 2025. 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 UNITED STATES: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East and Ukraine

Day 1: Sunday, 15th June 2025 from 3 pm to 5pm BST (10 am Washington D.C., EDT)

Opening Speakers:

• Daniel I. Gutierrez-Sandoval, Executive Director, Policy Studies Organization, Washington DC
• Entifadh Kamal Qandar, Arab-American Presidential Campaign Advisor to Donald Trump

This session will focus on the evolving role of the United States as a mediator in conflicts involving Israel, Ukraine, Russia, and Syria, and assess its broader foreign policy strategies under the new Trump administration.

This is the new Registration link for USA that you will need

IRAQ: Prospects for Political Stability

Day 2: Monday, 16th June 2025 from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm BST

Opening Speaker:

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

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 new Registration link for IRAQ that you will need

MIGRATION: Towards a fair approach that fosters stability

Day 2: Monday, 16th June 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm BST

Opening Speaker:

• HE Alastair King-Smith, former British Ambassador to Albania; Trustee The Next Century Foundation; co-coordinator of the new UK Soft Power Council
• Rev Larry Wright, Head of the Religious Affairs Advisory Council of the Next Century Foundation

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

This is the new Registration link for MIGRATION that you will need

AFGHANISTAN: Bringing Reform and Rapprochement

Day 3: Tuesday, 17th June 2025 from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm BST 

Opening Speaker and Chair:

• Hojat Fazly, the CEO of Harakat, one of the few NGOs that has successfully navigated the major political transition in Afghanistan since August 2021, and continues to play a pivotal role in the country’s economic landscape.
• 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 new Registration link for AFGHANISTAN that you will need

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS: Peace and Reconstruction for war torn Gaza

Day 3: Tuesday, 17th June 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm BST (5 pm Jerusalem, GMT+3)

Opening Speaker:

• Hillel Schenker, co-editor, The Palestine-Israel Journal

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 conflict.

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

YEMEN: Resolving the Political Paralysis

Day 4: Wednesday, 18th June 2025 from from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm BST 

Opening Speaker and chair:

• Principal 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
• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General, The Next Century Foundation (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 new Registration link for YEMEN that you will need

LEBANON: Regional Tensions with Syria and Israel

Day 4: Wednesday, 18th June 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm BST (5 pm Beirut, GMT+3)

Opening Speakers, statements and chair:

• Dr. Elias Jradi, independent Lebanese member of Parliament and ophthalmologist
• Jaafar el Ahmar, Former Senior Journalist with Al-Hayat Newspaper; head of the Next Century Foundation in the United Kingdom

Lebanon’s internal challenges are deeply intertwined with the regional conflicts involving Syria and 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

SYRIA: Democratisation and Reconstruction in a Divided Nation

Day 5: Thursday, 19th June 2025 from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm BST (12.30 pm Damascus, GMT+3)

Opening Speaker:

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

Chair:

• Dr Neil Partrick, Senior Fellow, The Next Century Foundation

This session will examine the prospects for democratization 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

HONOUR IN WAR: The Outlook for a more principled approach to conflict

THIS SESSION IS ON THE RECORD

Day 6: Thursday, 19th June 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm BST 

Opening Speakers:

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

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

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

UKRAINE: The Outlook for a Durable Peace

Day 6: Friday, 20th June 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm BST (5 pm Moscow and Kyiv, GMT+3)

Opening Speakers:

• Professor Sergei Medvedko, Moscow University
• Valery Morozov, former Kremlin adviser

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 7: Saturday, 21st June 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm BST (4 pm Khartoum, GMT+2)

Opening Speaker:

• Ms Kholood Khair, Sudanese political analyst and the founding director of Confluence Advisory

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

HUMAN RIGHTS: Ranking Human Rights across the Mid East

THIS SESSION IS ON THE RECORD

Day 8: Sunday, 22nd June 2025 from 3 pm to 5 pm BST 

Opening Speakers and Chair:

• William Morris LL.D., Secretary General, The Next Century Foundation
• Jaafar el Ahmar, Former Senior Journalist with Al-Hayat Newspaper; head of the Next Century Foundation in the United Kingdom

This session will explore current ranking for human rights in Mid East Nations, and assess action that needs taking. Currently the nations with the poorest human rights rankings in the Middle East include Afghanistan, Israel, Syria, Libya, and Iran – and those with the best ranking include Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Tunisia. See full listings on this link

This is the new Registration link for HUMAN RIGHTS that you will need