Come to exchange views and analysis of significant current events, foreign and domestic. Some weeks, a pre-chosen topic will be discussed after an initiator launches the discussion with a brief (~5 minutes) framing of a topic, after which free-wheeling discussion follows. Other weeks, the discussion will revolve around what currently piques attendees’ interests. more info...
A delicious lunch with the choice of the special of the week or a vegetarian option. The meal also includes dessert, coffee/tea and House wine. Premium wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
Principal Horn of the Washington National Opera Orchestra, Mr. Pilkington will be joined by Sophia Kim Cook, piano, and Matt Pearce, tenor, in this second of the Dacor ‘Modernists Series’ to focus on the supreme mastery of one instrument to celebrate the season.
Featured will be a solo work, Concert Étude, by the conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, in which the horn is treated as a virtuoso instrument, capable of acrobatics and idiomatic melodic expression. Also on the program will be the Duo for horn and piano by Richard Strauss, whose father was a renowned hornist, an arrangement for horn, piano and tenor by Jules Massenet, and other pieces. Finally, the ensemble will showcase Schubert's beloved "Auf dem Strom" (On the River), a unique trio for horn, piano and tenor voice, composed in 1828, the last year of Schubert's short life.
Join us at DACOR Bacon House, festively decorated, to celebrate the holidays with music and mulled wine!! more info...
Enjoy a delicious buffet, including vegetarian and gluten free options. Self-serve coffee & tea included. Wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
If you have an interest in Africa or want to learn more, join DACOR members at the monthly Africa Discussion Group. Discussions are organized around theme, country, region or on a selected speaker’s interests. more info...
Happiness comes to all who attend our festive December Holiday Buffet Brunch! Bring visiting friends and family to our December Holiday Brunch for a delicious spread and great conversation. The buffet will feature a wide assortment of tasty dishes, including vegetarian and gluten free options. Be sure to save room for the dessert selection!
This event is so popular that we have two separate seatings. In-between the seating from 12 noon - 1 pm we will hold a caroling session. Please join us for Caroling whether you attend the 1st or 2nd seating, or just want to sing. A long-time annual DACOR tradition, help spread cheer as we sing a selection of winter songs. A good singing voice is not required – just enthusiasm! more info...
Come to exchange views and analysis of significant current events, foreign and domestic. Some weeks, a pre-chosen topic will be discussed after an initiator launches the discussion with a brief (~5 minutes) framing of a topic, after which free-wheeling discussion follows. Other weeks, the discussion will revolve around what currently piques attendees’ interests. more info...
A delicious lunch with the choice of the special of the week or a vegetarian option. The meal also includes dessert, coffee/tea and House wine. Premium wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
Enjoy a delicious buffet, including vegetarian and gluten free options. Self-serve coffee & tea included. Wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
Interested in keeping up with your French? Join the French Conversation Group!
Formed to help French-speaking members maintain their proficiency, the group meets monthly for lunchtime conversation involving foreign relations, diplomatic history, cultural activities, travel, and - of course! - French food and wine.
The DACOR cash bar opens at 12 noon and the group moves to a reserved table at Members' Buffet Lunch at 12:30 pm. Only French is spoken during lunch. more info...
Come to exchange views and analysis of significant current events, foreign and domestic. Some weeks, a pre-chosen topic will be discussed after an initiator launches the discussion with a brief (~5 minutes) framing of a topic, after which free-wheeling discussion follows. Other weeks, the discussion will revolve around what currently piques attendees’ interests. more info...
A delicious lunch with the choice of the special of the week or a vegetarian option. The meal also includes dessert, coffee/tea and House wine. Premium wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
One of the most extraordinary success stories of the United States is its rise from being a rebellious British colony to a world economic power in less than a century. From our largely agricultural base at the time of independence to today’s leadership forged in the challenging periods of the late 19th and 20th centuries, we are facing the need to once again redefine the American perspective on doing business in a global context.
Among the key questions to be explored are:
Historically, what are the lessons learned that may help guide US policy compete successfully in global markets?
What are the key principles that should form the basis for US trade policy going forward?
How are notions of “open trade,” “fair trade,” and “competition” being redefined in the global marketplace?
What are the contours of effective trade policy for the next decade as technology has changed ideas of value and services?
Our speaker will be Dr. Charles Boustany, Jr., a former Congressman (R-LA) and prominent heart surgeon, who, during his 12 years in Congress, served on the influential House Committee on Ways and Means, where he was Chairman of the Subcommittees on Tax Policy, Oversight, and Human Resources. As a Ways and Means Committee member, Dr. Boustany established himself as an expert and leader on tax, trade, health care, and entitlement policy. Dr. Boustany is a leader in trade assistance and enforcement issues and has led seminars on the conduct of legislative oversight for members of parliament from emerging democracies. He has authored numerous opinion pieces on health care, energy, trade and foreign policy in Politico, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, and in the peer-reviewed journal Asia Policy.
He served as chairman of three Ways and Means subcommittees on Tax Policy, Oversight, and Human Resources. He was co-chair of the US-China Working Group, the US-Japan Congressional Caucus, and the founder and co-chair of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Caucus.
Dr. Boustany is a Counselor and Senior Adviser at the National Bureau of Asian Research, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Washington International Trade Association; on the Advisory Board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and recipient of the Trade Congressional Leadership Award in 2014. more info...
Dr. Chris Ford was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation on January 9, 2018. Before coming to ISN, Dr. Ford served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Weapons of Mass Destruction and Counterproliferation at the National Security Council.
Dr. Ford began his public service in 1996 as Assistant Counsel to the Intelligence Oversight Board and then served on several Congressional staffs, including the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. In 2003, he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Verification and Compliance (now the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance). In 2006, he was named U.S. Special Representative for Nuclear Non-Proliferation, where he was responsible for U.S. diplomacy with respect to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. From 2008 to 2013, Dr. Ford was a Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute, a foreign affairs and national security think tank. In 2013, he returned to Congress where he served on the Senate Committee on Appropriations; the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He also served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, receiving an Honorable Discharge at the rank of Lieutenant Commander. more info...
Enjoy a delicious buffet, including vegetarian and gluten free options. Self-serve coffee & tea included. Wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
On January 11th, Taiwan voters will go to the polls to elect a president and all the members of the legislature. President Tsai Ing-wen is running for re-election and, somewhat surprisingly, has a comfortable lead in the polls. The outcome of the legislative elections, and whether Taiwan will have unified or divided government, is uncertain. China favors Tsai’s opponent whereas the Trump administration has worked with her and her team. Richard Bush, Taiwan specialist at the Brookings Institution, will asses the results of the elections and their implications.
Dr. Bush is also the holder of the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies. He came to Brookings in July 2002 after nineteen years working in the U.S. government, including five years as the Chairman and Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan. In July 1995, Dr. Bush became National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, in charge of the analytic work of the intelligence committee concerning Taiwan, China, and other countries. He became chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan in September 1997. As chairman he played a key role in the conduct and articulation of U.S. policy towards Taiwan, particularly in the transition of power to President Chen Shui-bian and the Democratic Progressive Party after fifty-five years of KMT rule. more info...
Come to exchange views and analysis of significant current events, foreign and domestic. Some weeks, a pre-chosen topic will be discussed after an initiator launches the discussion with a brief (~5 minutes) framing of a topic, after which free-wheeling discussion follows. Other weeks, the discussion will revolve around what currently piques attendees’ interests. more info...
Enjoy a delicious buffet, including vegetarian and gluten free options. Self-serve coffee & tea included. Wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
If you have an interest in Africa or want to learn more, join DACOR members at the monthly Africa Discussion Group. Discussions are organized around theme, country, region or on a selected speaker’s interests. more info...
Come to exchange views and analysis of significant current events, foreign and domestic. Some weeks, a pre-chosen topic will be discussed after an initiator launches the discussion with a brief (~5 minutes) framing of a topic, after which free-wheeling discussion follows. Other weeks, the discussion will revolve around what currently piques attendees’ interests. more info...
A delicious lunch with the choice of the special of the week or a vegetarian option. The meal also includes dessert, coffee/tea and House wine. Premium wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
Join us for a delightful evening honoring the beloved poet's life and work. Since 1801, Scots and friends of the Scots have held this traditional celebration around the world. This now annual DACOR event will feature:
Traditional Scottish Music
Poetry & Toasts
A Scottish Feast
Dramatic Stabbing of the Haggis
Scotch Whisky
Fun & Camaraderie
The original Robert Burns supper occurred in 1801 when the Scottish poet’s friends marked the fifth anniversary of his death. They celebrated his life with recitations of his poetry, a speech in his honor and a delicious meal. This became an annual tradition that has now migrated around the world.
Why is DACOR particularly suited to celebrate this tradition? The land we sit on used to be owned by a Scottish fellow and the last private owner of the house, Mrs. Bacon, was a descendant of the 4th Earl of Dunmore, a Scottish peer and royal governor of Virginia. And, quite a few members enjoy scotch.
This event is expected to sell out so sign up now! more info...
Enjoy a delicious buffet, including vegetarian and gluten free options. Self-serve coffee & tea included. Wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
AFSA President Eric Rubin will speak on the state of the Foreign Service and its future. Taking over the leadership of AFSA this year, confronting what he describes as “probably the most significant set of challenges our service and our institution have ever faced," he and his new board have appealed to fellow foreign service officers to stay in the service and pledged to defend its people and its institution.â
Ambassador Eric Rubin comes to AFSA from his most recent posting as U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria, where he has served since 2016. His previous positions include Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, Consul General in Chiang Mai, Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Assistant White House Press Secretary and NSC Director for Public Affairs, and Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Ambassador Rubin joined the Foreign Service in 1985 and is a Career Minister in the Senior Foreign Service. In 1994, he was a recipient of a group William R. Rivkin Award for Constructive Dissent by Mid-Level Officers for his work on the Bosnia crisis.
Ambassador Rubin is a former member of The Foreign Service Journal's editorial board and a career-long AFSA member. He has declared his commitment to defending the Foreign Service and all AFSA members at a time of unprecedented challenges and threats to our people and our profession.
Come to exchange views and analysis of significant current events, foreign and domestic. Some weeks, a pre-chosen topic will be discussed after an initiator launches the discussion with a brief (~5 minutes) framing of a topic, after which free-wheeling discussion follows. Other weeks, the discussion will revolve around what currently piques attendees’ interests. more info...
A delicious lunch with the choice of the special of the week or a vegetarian option. The meal also includes dessert, coffee/tea and House wine. Premium wine, beer and soft drinks are available for purchase at the table. more info...
Honoring USAID "Sammie" Award Winner Ryan Shelby: Rebuilding Haiti Join DACOR and UAA as we honor the prestigious Service to America Medal’s (Sammies) 2019 Winner for National Security and International Affairs: Ryan Shelby.
In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti as a Category 4 hurricane, affecting more than 2 million residents, killing 546 people and causing an estimated $2 billion in damage. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Build Back Safer II initiative, Ryan Shelby, a foreign service engineering officer worked with his team to support reconstruction efforts, leading to the rebuilding of nearly 5,000 homes and roofs in southern Haiti since July 2018. Instead of simply replacing concrete blocks and metal roofs, Shelby has worked with communities to build disaster-resistant structures with materials from local sources and trained more than 2,000 community members on incorporating new building materials.
But navigating the complex Haitian political system to initiate the building and training process was no easy task for Shelby and his colleagues. While USAID had a national agreement to work in Haiti, Shelby had to get buy-in from local leaders. Alongside the Organization of American States and the Pan American Development Foundation, Shelby’s team hosted engagement sessions with mayors, business owners and community members to establish trust and involve them in the rebuilding efforts. Building rapport within communities enabled Shelby to manage material shortages and theft. The team had to move building materials from Port au Prince down to the southern part of Haiti, a five-hour drive. Once they arrived, there were no secure buildings for storing the supplies. Because of their prior engagement efforts, local mayors allowed Shelby’s team to use their offices for storage and safekeeping and took the lead on monitoring and distribution. The process Shelby implemented helped the project continue through unexpected circumstances, including political unrest in Haiti during the past year. By investing in local contractors, Shelby ensured the roofs were built.
In addition to storm-proofing houses, Shelby is working on expanding electricity access in southern Haiti, as well as working with schools and cholera clinics to address sanitary conditions. So far, the Build Back Safer II team has rehabilitated public toilets, latrines and handwashing stations at 12 schools and four cholera clinics. more info...
