November 2025 Newsletter
McCain Institute and ASU Mechanics of Democracy Lab Host Panels on AI, Governance, and the Future of Politics
The McCain Institute partnered with Arizona State University’s Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory (MODL) to co-host an evening program that convened AI experts, election officials, and civic leaders to explore perspectives on principled leadership and creative AI applications and approaches.
November Highlights
U.S. Leadership on International Religious Freedom
McCain Institute Senior Program Manager Alexis Mrachek and Pepperdine University Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies Director Knox Thames highlight the McCain Institute’s recently published religious freedom report and how the U.S. can combat threats posed to religious freedom worldwide. Read more.
Asia and Oceania McCain Global Leaders Visit Taiwan to Learn About the Great Power Competition in the Asia-Pacific
The McCain Global Leaders visited Taiwan for an in-depth look into the great power competition in the Asia-Pacific by examining the various threats to economic and political stability that persist throughout the region. Read more.
ICYMI: McCain Institute’s Alexis Mrachek and Pedro Pizano Op-Ed in the Washington Examiner: “China Must Release Pastor Ezra Jin”
In a Washington Examiner op-ed, McCain Institute’s Alexis Mrachek and Pedro Pizano call for the Chinese Communist Party to release Pastor Ezra Jin and members of Zion Church who were targeted for being Christian. Their arrest has significant consequences for international religious freedom and U.S. national security. Read more.
ICYMI: McCain Institute’s Laura Thornton’s Op-Ed in Just Security: “After Another Sham Election in Georgia, the Country’s Citizens Persist”
McCain Institute Senior Director of Global Democracy Programs Laura Thornton highlights the deepening democratic decline in Georgia following the October 4, 2025, local elections in her most recent op-ed for Just Security. Read more.
Joint Statement on the International Day of Political Prisoners
The John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative led a group of more than 13 organizations in recognizing the International Day of Political Prisoners on October 30. Read more.
McCain Institute Executive Director Remarks on Anniversary of October 7 Hamas Terror Attack
McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas issued a statement on the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack, when Hamas terrorists, backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people, and seized more than 240 hostages in the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Read more.
Blog: Strength of Character – A McCain Leadership Experience
“To get things done, you need to be of unquestionable character.” In a new blog, McCain Global Leader Ajay Krishnan reflects on his MGL Leadership Experience. Read more.
McCain Institute & Human Rights Organizations Submit Case of Abducted Ukrainian Children to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
The McCain Institute and global partners have submitted the case of more than 20,000 abducted Ukrainian children to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Read more.
McCain Institute Congratulates Its Courage & Leadership Awardee for Receiving Nobel Peace Prize
The McCain Institute congratulates María Corina Machado, a fearless leader of Venezuela’s democratic movement, for being awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Machado was awarded the McCain Institute's Courage & Leadership Award at the 2025 Sedona Forum. Read more.
Blog: The State of Politics in the U.S. and the Role of Leadership in Polarized Times
McCain Global Leader Vira Konstantynova reflects on the 2025 Leadership Experience and the interconnectedness of Ukraine and the U.S. in a new blog. Read more.
Blog: Honoring McCain’s Legacy Through Leadership, Character, and Service
McCain Global Leader Lieutenant James Eggers reflects on Senator John McCain's commitment to service in a new blog. Read more.
November Media
On CNN, McCain Institute's Evelyn Farkas shared her thoughts on the latest movements in Russia's incursion on Ukraine.
McCain Institute's Alexis Mrachek spoke to the Baptist Standard about the McCain Institute’s recently published report on threats to religious freedom worldwide.
McCain Institute's Laura Thornton spoke at Open Society Foundation's OSEN Conference in Bucharest, and the Moldova Security Forum .
McCain Institute’s Evelyn Farkas joined CNN News Central to discuss likely motives of Hungary's prime minister's visit to the White House.
From her Hungarian roots to today's geopolitical struggles, McCain Institute Executive Director Evelyn Farkas draws on her decades of foreign policy experience to discuss these issues with The Long Brief.
The McCain Institute commends Senators Peter Welch and John Curtis, and Representatives Steve Cohen and Joe Wilson for their bipartisan letter calling on the United States to continue urgently working to free political prisoners in Belarus.
The McCain Institute—alongside its partners Freedom House and George W. Bush Presidential Center—hosted Russian human rights activist and inspiring advocate for political prisoners Evgenia Kara-Murza for a discussion on how pro-democracy advocates can amplify each other and respond to this year's emerging challenges.
"There will be no justice if we have an imperfect security settlement—there will be no justice, there will be no accountability, and that means there will be no lasting peace [in Ukraine]," said the McCain Institute's Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas on an Atlantic Council panel.
Director of the John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative at the McCain Institute, Pedro Pizano sat down with The Next Word to discuss submitting the case of 20,000+ abducted Ukrainian children to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
“This is about regime change,” McCain Institute’s Evelyn Farkas spoke to Bloomberg TV’s Balance of Power about growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
"If the U.S. government shuts down Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and RadioFreeAsia, authoritarian states will fill the void with propaganda," warns McCain Institute's Alexis Mrachek and Hudson Institute's Olivia Enos in a new report.
McCain Institute’s Evelyn Farkas joined CNN International to discuss the United States’ proposed ceasefire plan for Russia and Ukraine.
Events:
Register for the
Sedona Forum Livestream
Bringing Americans Home
On Wednesday, July 24, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) co-sponsored the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation’s release of its sixth annual edition of “Bringing Americans Home,” an independent research report that provides new information about the ongoing crisis of Americans taken hostage abroad by terrorists or wrongfully detained by nation-states.
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