Territory and Nationalism are Focus of Rising Leaders’ Dinner

On the evening of April 21, 2014, Meridian hosted its fourth gathering of the Rising Leaders Council, which convenes leaders from the foreign diplomatic community with DC-based professionals, for a salon dinner and substantive discussion. The topic of the evening — “Territory and Nationalism in the 21st Century” — was addressed by Harold Koh, Sterling Professor of International Law at Yale Law School and Former Legal Adviser to the U.S. Department of State. Ambassador Stuart Holliday, Meridian’s President and CEO opened the event, before turning the program over to Steering Council member, Ludovic Hood, to share welcome remarks.

As the evening’s featured speaker, Professor Koh shared framing remarks about the current pressing issues of territorial disputes — most notably, Crimea and the Law of the Sea treaty — over dinner, and then turned the topic over to guests to discuss further, with members of the Rising Leaders’ Steering Committee chairing each table’s discussion. Over dessert and coffee, Professor Koh took to the stage with Council Co-Chair Clara Brillembourg, who posed a series of questions to the legal expert, before opening the floor for audience engagement and questions.

The Council’s “salon style” dinner series offers guests the unique opportunity to explore key topical issues, share diverse perspectives, and strengthen relationships among this informed group. The Rising Leaders Council is co-chaired by Clara Brillembourg and Astri Kimball.

Project summary

Territory and Nationalism are Focus of Rising Leaders’ Dinner | April 2014
Number of Attendees:	54
Impact Areas:	Foreign Policy, Public Diplomacy, Security and Defense
Program Areas:	Diplomatic Engagement
Partners:	Individuals/Donors