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The Sedona Forum 2017

View the Sedona Forum 2017 participant list

Friday, April 21

Rising Leaders: Maximizing Impact
Our opening panel brings together two young, powerful voices who have gathered significant momentum to generate change in their fields. Together, they will draw upon their experiences to discuss what skills, traits and values are required for today’s up-and-coming leaders to succeed.

  • Hadeel Ibrahim, Executive Director – Strategy and External Relations, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
  • Dr. Alaa Murabit, High-Level Commissioner and SDG Global Advocate, U.N., and Founder, The Voice of Libyan Women and The Omnis Institute
  • Moderator: Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Chief Executive Officer, E.L. Rothschild, and Chairman and Co-Founder, Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism
Victims of Putin’s Aggression

Introduction by Minister Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada

Vladimir Kara-Murza epitomizes what it means to have the courage to stand for one’s beliefs. After being poisoned in Russia, and seeing his mentor, Boris Nemtsov, gunned down in Moscow, Mr. Kara-Murza continued to work in Russia to fight for a democratic society. He has now survived a second poisoning attempt, and will share what he sees as the state of Russia today, and what Russian civil society needs from the West.

  • Vladimir Kara-Murza, Vice Chairman, Open Russia

Since Vladimir Putin’s rule began in 2000, opponents of the government have been killed or imprisoned; human rights and freedom of speech have been curtailed; elections have been rigged; and neighboring states have been invaded. Individuals from Syria to Ukraine to Russia itself will speak from firsthand knowledge about what it is like being on the receiving end of Putin’s aggression.

  • Mohammad Al Abdallah, Executive Director, Syria Justice & Accountability Center
  • Tanya Lokshina, Russia Program Director and Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch
  • Mustafa Masi Nayyem, Member of Parliament, Ukraine
  • Moderator: Amb. Paula J. Dobriansky, Senior Fellow, Future of Diplomacy Project, Harvard University, JFK Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs
The Sedona Leadership Dinner

In Conversation with Sen. John McCain
Sen. John McCain and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster engage in a wide-ranging conversation about global challenges, solutions and the role of American leadership.

Welcome:
  • Dr. Michael Crow, President, Foundation Leadership Chair, and Professor of Science and Technology Policy, Arizona State University
  • Sen. Jon Kyl, Senior of Counsel, Covington and Burling, LLP, and Visiting Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Conversation:
  • Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, USA, National Security Advisor, United States
  • Sen. John McCain, U.S. Senator, Arizona
Saturday, April 22
Russia: Response Required

A former head of Yukos who was imprisoned by Vladimir Putin for 10 years, Mikhail Khodorkovsky has become a leading voice for a democratic future in Russia. Here, he discusses the current state of Russia with Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

  • Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Founder, Open Russia
  • Moderator: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator, Minnesota
Global Threats

What are the top threats to the world in 2017, and what ought to be done to address them? The list never seems to grow shorter: terrorism, great-power conflict, cyberattacks, famine, disease, natural disasters, economic instability… the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats explores these issues and more in conversation with former Homeland Security Advisor, Frances Fragos Townsend.

  • Director Daniel Coats, Director of National Intelligence, United States
  • Moderator: Frances Fragos Townsend, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Government, Legal and Business Affairs, MacAndrews & Forbes Inc.
Leadership in Action

As the United Kingdom’s Chancellor of the Exchequer and a leading voice in support of the UK’s continued membership in the EU, George Osborne has dealt with the effects of populism on democracy and leadership firsthand. Now, as the McCain Institute’s inaugural Kissinger Fellow, he looks at the forces behind populist movements in Europe as well as the United States and offers his thoughts for political leaders of the future.

  • George Osborne, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom, and Kissinger Fellow, the McCain Institute for International Leadership
NATO 3.0

NATO was founded to defend transatlantic democracies against the Soviet Union. It has led operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Libya. But in an age of an aggressive Russia, global terrorism, a Middle East in turmoil, propaganda wars and cyberattacks, what is NATO’s role today? Is it adapting, or is it obsolete? And will Allies really pay more for national defense?

Introduction by Dael Dervishi, Next Generation Leader, Albania

  • Frank Archibald, Senior Advisor, Crumpton Group
  • Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, USA, Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe
  • Amb. Kurt Volker,Executive Director, the McCain Institute for International Leadership
  • Moderator: Sen. John Barrasso, U.S. Senator, Wyoming
Syria: The Road Ahead

Six years after the start of the Syrian war – a movement that began with peaceful protests before devolving into horrific bloodshed – peace and stability are nowhere in sight. Russia and Iran continue to back the Assad regime, which has itself used chemical weapons on civilian populations. With a new U.S. administration in office, is there new resolve to tackle the Syrian conflict? What should be done about Bashar al-Assad? What does justice look like for the Syrian people? And what are the implications for the wider region, for global terrorism and for Russia?

  • Sen. John McCain, U.S. Senator, Arizona
  • Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA (Ret.), Member, KKR, and Chairman, KKR Global Institute
  • Moderator: Sen. Ben Sasse, U.S. Senator, Nebraska
Announcement of McCain Institute 2017 Courage awardees

Introduction by 2016 Courage Award Honoree Dikembe Mutombo, Chairman and President, Dikembe Mutombo Foundation

Honoring Kayla Mueller, humanitarian worker from Prescott, Ariz.
Donald E. Brandt, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and Arizona Public Service Company

Honoring the White Helmets, the Syria Civil Defence
Amb.David Pressman, Partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP

The Sedona Humanitarian Focus – The Fight Against Human Trafficking
Each year, the Sedona Forum highlights the experience of individuals who have stepped forward to take action to protect lives, provide relief and restore hope. A conversation with Cindy McCain and leaders in the fight against human trafficking.

  • Nick Grono, CEO, Freedom Fund
  • Kevin Hyland, United Kingdom Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
  • Cindy McCain, Chair, the McCain Institute Human Trafficking Advisory Council
  • Moderator: Ernie Allen, Principal, Allen Global Consulting LLC
Hacking the Conversation: Beyond Fake News

Fake news is only one weapon being used in today’s information warfare. As in physical warfare, the real danger comes when weapon systems are combined for effect. What does this look like online? Scott Carpenter will give us a snapshot.

  • Scott Carpenter, Managing Director, Jigsaw at Google
Fake Facts

We have entered an age of unlimited access – but to what? Can we trust the news, the tweets and the soundbites streaming across our screens? What does it mean for democracy, when facts are no longer facts? And what can be done now to restore that lost trust?

  • Leslie Moonves, Chairman and CEO, CBS Corporation
  • Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator, Rhode Island
  • Moderator: Jeff Cunningham, Professor of Global Leadership, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University
Leadership in Sports

The challenges of leadership and success in sports are a reflection of the struggles of humanity. Notable figures from the world of sports draw from their experiences on and off the field and ice as they share insights about what they have learned about leadership.

  • Shane Doan, Captain, Arizona Coyotes
  • Larry Fitzgerald Jr.,Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
  • Luis Gonzalez, former Outfielder and Senior Advisor to the President and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Moderator: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, U.S. Senator, North Dakota
A View from Asia

Asia is the global epicenter of economic change, urbanization, technology manufacturing and trade. Yet, its political, economic and security challenges are far from settled. Singapore sits at the heart of all this: one of the most vital trading routes in the world, the nexus between India and China. Arizona State University is America’s most innovative university, with a major footprint in Asia. Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean discusses the challenges Asia faces today with ASU President Dr. Michael Crow.

  • Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Republic of Singapore
  • Dr. Michael Crow, President, Foundation Leadership Chair, and Professor of Science and Technology Policy, Arizona State University
VIDEO: Secretary Kissinger on China

Over 40 years ago, Secretary Henry Kissinger orchestrated a dramatic shift in American foreign policy: the opening to China under President Richard Nixon. Since then, China has risen to become a major regional power with global ambitions and the second largest national economy after the United States, resulting in a complicated relationship between the two countries that ranges from competition to occasional partnership. Via video message, Dr. Kissinger shares his insight on China’s growing global role and what U.S. strategy should be toward China today.

China: Partner, Competitor?

As China’s regional and global influence continues to grow, questions remain about whether it can sustain this growth, and whether it will increasingly become a stakeholder in the global liberal order or become a nationalist power. Political, military and business leaders discuss their various perspectives on how China is evolving, and what strategy should guide U.S. policy toward a rising China.

Introduction by Narges Khoramshahi, Next Generation Leader, Iran

  • John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco
  • Adm. Harry Harris, USN,Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
  • Sen. Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senator, Alaska
  • Moderator: Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO, GE
Sunday, April 23

Informal Networking Breakfast

The McCain Institute wishes to acknowledge and thank the following contributors for their generous support of The Sedona Forum 2017

  • GE Foundation
  • APS Foundation
  • Burton Family Foundation
  • Daimler
  • Freeport-McMoRan
  • PetSmart
  • Pivotal Foundation
  • Quarles & Brady LLP
  • Salt River Project
  • Greater Phoenix Economic Council
  • Greater Phoenix Leadership