Welcome to the International Issue of the Carnegie Reporter

In her introduction to the issue, Dame Louise Richardson writes about the role of knowledge and understanding in international security and the importance of removing barriers between scholarship and policymaking

By Dame Louise RichardsonSeptember 14, 2023

Carnegie Reporter Fall 2023 Scholarship & Policy

Andrew Carnegie felt deeply about peace. He devoted his considerable energy, his connections, and his wealth to indefatigable efforts to avert war in the early 20th century. He never quite recovered from the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and the horrors of that cataclysmic war surpassed his worst fears.

Carnegie Corporation of New York today shares our founder’s commitment to advancing the cause of peace. It is one of the three pillars of our work. In this edition of the Carnegie Reporter, we will introduce you to the efforts of some of our grantees as we seek to support the development of knowledge toward a more secure world.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and strained relations between the U.S. and China have given these issues even greater salience today. It has never been more important to promote knowledge and understanding of international security issues, to forge global networks of scholars working in related areas, and to remove barriers between scholarship and policymaking.

My own academic career was devoted to the study of international relations. I was a student of the late, great Stanley Hoffmann, whose nuanced analysis of global affairs was unrivaled in its incisiveness. My first book, When Allies Differ, examined how allies managed crises in which their interests diverged, and for years I taught courses at Harvard on American foreign and security policy, before turning to the study of terrorism and counterterrorism.

While the all-consuming task of running major universities drew me away from the study of international security, I have recently been drawn back. In April this year, Ireland celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a rare successful case of conflict resolution. A major conference was held at Queen’s University Belfast, at which all the participants in the peace process as well as politicians and academics participated. I spoke on a panel with Secretary Clinton on women as peacemakers and on a panel with colleagues from the University of Chicago on the dynamics of peace and conflict, and gave a lecture on women’s leadership. There is much to be celebrated about the Good Friday Agreement and much to be learned that can be applied to other conflicts. Nevertheless, it is clear that while the agreement established peace, it has not yet effected reconciliation, and the institutions it created remain extremely fragile.

I was also asked by the Irish government to chair the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a great many countries in Europe, and beyond, to reevaluate their foreign, defense, and security policies. Of the five neutral countries in Europe, two, Sweden and Finland, asked to join NATO as a direct consequence of the conflict. Ireland has long treasured its military neutrality while being deeply engaged globally, both politically and economically. A country of five million people has welcomed more than 86,000 refugees from Ukraine. Families across the country, including mine, welcomed refugees into their homes. In light of these developments, the Irish government decided to host a national conversation about the future role of Ireland in the new geopolitical environment. I think this is a very enlightened approach to a complex and contested issue, and I am delighted to be a part of it.

With this background, it will come as no surprise that I am deeply committed to the international work of our foundation and very proud of what we have accomplished thus far.

In this edition of the Reporter, we revisit the speech given by trustee Leymah Gbowee on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace campaign that played a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s civil war. It is a powerful testament to the role individuals can play in peacemaking.

The war in Ukraine has raised the specter of the deployment of nuclear weapons in the public consciousness. Here we host a discussion among some of our grantees on global nuclear dynamics. In addition, we present the results of a Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey of public attitudes toward and knowledge of nuclear security issues alongside some creative visualizations by Mona Chalabi.

Deana Arsenian writes about our work supporting scholars and networks of scholars in Africa and the Middle East as well as scholarship on China and Russia. Stephen Del Rosso writes on the importance of bridging the gap between academia and policymakers and highlights cases of scholarship in action.

The Corporation has supported the work of Neta Crawford and colleagues in undertaking an examination of the costs of war post-9/11. The data on the human and budgetary costs is truly horrifying. I believe this to be critically important research that deserves to be widely disseminated.

The past president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass, is another grantee. We present an excerpt from his fascinating new book, The Bill of Obligations. Haass takes a cue from President Carter who said, “Our nation can be strong abroad only if it is strong at home. And we know that the best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation.” Haass argues, in essence, that foreign policy begins at home.

We at the Corporation are very sympathetic to this perspective, and it is one of the reasons why we will be increasing our grantmaking in the area of political polarization in the U.S. In June, we relaunched the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program. For the next three years, we will support the work of fellows who will help us to understand how the U.S. came to be so polarized, how this polarization is affecting our politics, and how we might strengthen the forces of cohesion in American society. We intend that, in turn, these recommendations will influence our future grantmaking in this area.

In addition to our international work, we continue our investments in education and democracy. You will have brief glimpses of these programs in the later pages as well as an insight into an important book by Marcia Chatelain, one of our fellows.

I hope that you find this edition of the Carnegie Reporter to be informative, stimulating, and enjoyable.

Dame Louise Richardson is president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. A widely recognized expert on terrorism and international relations, she previously served as vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford and of the University of St. Andrews, and as executive dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.