BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.3//EN TZID:America/Detroit X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Detroit BEGIN:VEVENT UID:37274@arabamerica.com DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T123000 DTSTAMP:20260918T232458Z URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/after-sovereignty-a-diplomats-view- of-kurdish-governance/ SUMMARY:After Sovereignty: A Diplomat's View of Kurdish Governance DESCRIPTION:American University\, School of International Service\, Founder s Room\n\n4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW\nWashington\, DC 20016\n\n \;\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSIS Founders Room\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout This Event:\n\nPart One of Models of Kurdish Governance and Participation in the Middle East\ , a series examining how Kurds should take part in political and economic life across the region.\n\nThe Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at SIS is pleased to host a conversation with Ambassador Joey Hood on the future of Kurdish political\, economic\, and social participation in the Middle E ast.\n\nThe Kurds are often described as one of the world's largest statel ess peoples\, a condition that has shaped the politics of Iraq\, Syria\, T urkey\, and Iran for the better part of a century. It raises a question th at grows more pressing as the region shifts: if Kurds cannot have a sovere ign state\, what are the alternatives? This first conversation approaches that question from the standpoint of diplomacy and statecraft.\n\nEvents a cross the region have lent the question new urgency. Turkey has opened a p eace process with the PKK. In Syria\, Kurdish gains have experienced setba cks as Damascus is assembling a new political order whose contours remain unsettled. In Iraq\, the federal government and the Kurdistan Region remai n in tension over the terms of federalism. In Iran\, Kurds face growing pr essure. In each setting\, long-standing debates over political and economi c participation\, self-governance\, and autonomy are being actively renego tiated.\n\nModerated by Yerevan Saeed\, Barzani Scholar-in-Residence and D irector of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at the School of Intern ational Service\, American University\, the discussion draws on Ambassador Hood's extensive diplomatic experience in Iraq\, and across the Middle Ea st to consider what federalism\, decentralization\, power-sharing\, and lo cal governance can contribute to a durable peace\, and what role the Unite d States might play in supporting it.\n\nWe invite you to join us for this timely and substantive conversation.\n\nFood will be provided at the end of the event.\n\nBios:\n\nAmbassador Joey Hood served as an American diplo mat for over 25 years across the Middle East and North Africa\, as well as in Washington\, DC. Since retiring in February 2026\, he comments daily o n Arabic- and Kurdish-language media\, writes frequent editorials\, and ad vises companies interested in entering or expanding in MENA markets. Befor e his diplomatic career\, Ambassador Hood was a Fulbright Scholar in Burki na Faso\, and conducted research on religious figures in Senegalese societ y.\n\nDr. Yerevan Saeed is the Barzani Scholar-in-Residence in the Departm ent of Politics\, Governance &\; Economics at American University's Sch ool of International Service in Washington\, where he also directs the Glo bal Kurdish Initiative for Peace. His research focuses on political econom y\, energy politics\, conflict resolution\, and Kurdish studies\, with par ticular attention to Iraq\, Turkey\, Iran\, and the Gulf states. His schol arship and policy analysis examine regional security\, governance\, and th e evolving dynamics of state and non-state actors across the Middle East.\ n\nHe is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He has previ ously served as Lecturer at the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr\, Associat e Fellow at the Middle East Research Institute\, and Visiting Scholar and Nonresident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Earlie r in his career\, he was a Middle East Specialist at Stratfor and worked a s a journalist and translator across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region\, contr ibuting to The New York Times\, NPR\, The Wall Street Journal\, the BBC\, and The Guardian.\n\nHis analysis has appeared in publications of the Wils on Center\, the Quincy Institute\, the New Lines Institute\, the Middle Ea st Institute\, The Hill\, The National Interest\, NBC News\, and Al Jazeer a\, among others. He is frequently cited by international media\, includin g Voice of America\, CNN\, and S&\;P Global\, and regularly presents at international conferences and high-level policy forums.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPark ing Information:\n\nParking is available at the School of International Se rvice Garage.\n\nParking rates are $2.00 per hour or $16.00 per day\, and are paid via the Pay-As-You-Go Machines located in the elevator lobbies or in the front of the parking lot and require your license plate number. Fi nd more information here.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClose LOCATION:American University\, School of International Service\, Founders R oom\, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW\, Washington\, DC\, DC\, 20016\, United S tates GEO:38.935893;-77.090812 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW\ , Washington\, DC\, DC\, 20016\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE= American University\, School of International Service\, Founders Room:geo: 38.935893,-77.090812 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR