Calendar of Events - DACOR
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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.

The DACOR cash bar opens at 12 noon and the group moves to a reserved table at Members' Lunch at 12:30 pm. Attendees have the option of participating in the Members' Lunch for $35, or joining the discussion group without eating (no charge). Registrations are required for all participants. 

Members' Lunch for $35 includes a biscuit/bread, two courses, and a cup of coffee/tea. Wine and other beverages may be purchased at the bar or at the table.

more info...
3/19/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
3/19/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Starting in 2024, every Wednesday there will be a soup & salad communal lunch served for a special price. The event offers open seating on the Gallery and attendees will have a choice between two soups and two salads. Members are welcome to invite their accompanied guests. Registration is required - please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest. Registrations and cancellations may be made up to 12 noon the day before the event.

(Please note that the special is not applicable to private tables or rooms.)

more info...
3/20/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


On the third Thursday of the month, we hold a Welcome to DACOR lunch for new members. All members are encouraged to come and meet the newest members of our community over a communal lunch.

Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (starting in 2024, a glass of wine is not included; wine and other drinks may be purchased). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancellations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
3/21/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Conflict in Gaza, a Ceasefire, Beyond. Jewish-Islamic dialogue offers a distinct "frame" on the topic and the Salon, a setting for an evening of free-flowing, face-to-face exchange. For a seat at the table, sign up now.

Religion is a powerful force in the lives of individuals and peoples across the globe. It expresses their highest aspirations and motivates their most generous and humanitarian actions. All too often, however, it appears to be the source of some of the most intractable conflicts, ones that include those that periodically erupt in violence. Such conflicts consume efforts at peacemaking and diplomacy at many levels and in many venues.

The many foreign affairs professionals in DACOR will welcome discussing the approach to peacemaking and dialogue that our Salon presenter in March, Dan Spiro, has pursued for many years.

Daniel Spiro wears many hats. He is a practicing attorney who has devoted virtually his entire career to investigating and litigating against corporate fraud. He coordinates the Washington Spinoza Society. In addition to serving as the President and a co-founder of the Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington, he is active in other Jewish-Islamic partnerships in the D.C. area. He is the author of numerous essays and three published books, including Liberating the Holy Name, which is a work of theology, and Moses the Heretic, a novel that focuses largely on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Mr. Spiro has been active for years in the movement for peace in the Middle East and his desire to help foster peace between the Jews and Palestinians was one of the reasons that inspired him to found JIDS back in 2008.

Some of the key issues for the Salon discussion include:
  • Is religion truly the basis for conflict between peoples who identify themselves by their religious affiliation?  In such conflicts, is religion just a “conflict marker” or does religion count as a root cause and driver of conflict?   Does a “belief” and practice that strongly unites people inevitably and perniciously divide them?
  • How important is it for peacemakers of all kinds to understand the role of religions in conflict?  In the view of the presenter and participants in the Salon discussion, do credentialed diplomats perhaps count religion for too little in their activities?  Or, again in the view of our group, does religion count for too much?
  • What has been the record of “grassroots peacemaking” of the kind that our presenter has practiced for nearly two decades?  What may all of us in the Salon conclude from that account?

more info...
3/21/20246:30pm to 9:00pmDACOR Programs


Please note this is a hybrid event - you have the option to attend in person or virtually. Registrations are required for all attendees. For in-person attendees, the event will run from 12 - 2 pm and will include lunch. The live stream will begin at 1:10 pm (virtual attendees will be sent a link for the event via email).

Join us for a discussion of the Indonesian General Elections with Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., Senior Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Climate, McLarty Associates, an Ankura Company.

Ambassador Blake served for 31 years in the State Department in a wide range of leadership positions. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, where he focused on building stronger business and educational ties between the U.S. and Indonesia. In this role, he worked with the CEOs of Indonesia’s largest palm oil producers to develop a major sustainable palm oil initiative to reduce Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions. He also served as Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy
for Climate John Kerry to help conclude a Just Energy Transition Partnership with Indonesia in 2022. In 2009, he was nominated by President Obama to be Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, serving from 2009 to 2013, for which he was awarded the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award. From 2006 to 2009, he served concurrently as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in India from 2003 to 2006, where he was named the worldwide DCM of the Year by the State Department.

Ambassador Blake held a wide variety of key State Department positions as well, including Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs from 2001 to 2003, Deputy Executive Secretary for the Department of State from 2000 to 2001, and Senior Desk Officer responsible for economic and political relations with Turkey from 1998 to 2000. He has also served in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and Nigeria.

He is currently Chairman of the Board of the U.S.-Indonesia Society, is a member of the board of the Asia Foundation, and serves on the Global Leadership Council of the World Resources Institute and the National Committee of the World Wildlife Fund.

Ambassador Blake holds a BA from Harvard College, and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.

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3/22/202412:00pm to 2:00pmDACOR Programs


The monthly get-together of our affinity group Unaccompanied DACORians, this luncheon gathers members who are widows, widowers, divorcees and other singletons together for camaraderie and discussion over lunch.

The DACOR cash bar opens at 12 noon and the group moves to a reserved area at Members' Lunch at 12:30 pm. Lunch costs $35/person and includes a biscuit/bread, two courses, and a cup of coffee/tea. Wine and other beverages may be purchased at the bar or at the table. Registrations are required for all participants.

Unaccompanied DACORians provides members of DACOR, who are single, a group where they feel comfortable and valued as members. Anyone who is single can join, to find friendship, and feel comfortable as a DACOR member through varied activities at DACOR and elsewhere including a monthly luncheon on the 4th Tuesday of the month at DACOR.

more info...
3/26/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
3/26/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Starting in 2024, every Wednesday there will be a soup & salad communal lunch served for a special price. The event offers open seating on the Gallery and attendees will have a choice between two soups and two salads. Members are welcome to invite their accompanied guests. Registration is required - please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest. Registrations and cancellations may be made up to 12 noon the day before the event.

(Please note that the special is not applicable to private tables or rooms.)

more info...
3/27/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Please note that while this is an in-person event only for resident members, non-resident members have the option to attend virtually. Registrations are required for all attendees. For in-person attendees, the event will run from 12 - 2:30 pm and will include lunch. The live stream will begin at 1:30 pm (virtual attendees will be sent a link for the event via email).

Join us for a special 3-course luncheon program with wine with Alex Prud’homme, great nephew of Julia Child. At this event, Prud’homme will discuss DACOR member Julia Child and gastronomy as a diplomatic tool.

Alex Prud'homme became a writer the old-fashioned way. In 1985 he embarked on a three-month trip to India, Nepal, and Japan, after which he planned to return to the States to study architecture. Only, he didn’t return. Prud'homme traveled for nearly two years and eventually made his way around the world. Scaling the Himalayas, crossing the USSR on the Trans-Siberian Railway, working as a fisherman in Australia, an English teacher-actor-hostel keeper in Japan, and as a janitor in Paris, he kept a journal. This daily recording of experience eventually led to his career as a writer.

In 1988 Prud'homme joined New York magazine as a fact-checker. He wrote many short articles and freelanced on the side, producing stories like “Slave,” a New Yorker piece about an irascible soup maven (later made famous by Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” episode). In the 1990s he moved to BusinessMonth, where he profiled business leaders, to Time, where he covered national affairs, and to People, where he wrote crime and human-interest stories. In 2001 Prud'homme joined Tina Brown at Talk magazine, where his article “Should Johnny Paul Penry Die?,” about the debate over executing mentally retarded criminals, was anthologized in The Best American Crime Writing.

In 2003 Prud'homme co-wrote the book Forewarned, about terrorism and security in the post-9/11 world, with Michael Cherkasky, the CEO of Kroll.

In 2002 Vanity Fair published his article “Investigating ImClone,” which was anthologized in the Best Business Crime Writing anthology. In 2004, Prud'homme expanded the story into The Cell Game, a book about the intersection of biotech, celebrity, finance, and white-collar crime. He covered Martha Stewart’s trial on charges of insider trading of ImClone stock for TV news shows, and The Cell Game was optioned for a movie.

In 2004 Prud'homme helped Julia Child write her memoir, My Life in France, about her “favorite years” — 1948-1954 — when she and her husband Paul lived in Paris and Marseille. (Paul was Prud'homme's grandfather’s twin brother; Prud'homme grew up listening to the Childs’ adventure stories around the dinner table.) In France Julia experienced “a flowering of the soul” and discovered her raison d’etre in cooking. Julia and Prud'homme worked together for eight months, until Julia died in her sleep two days shy of her 92d birthday. Prud'homme spent another year finishing the book, which Alfred A. Knopf published in 2006. In 2009, it inspired half of Nora Ephron’s film “Julie & Julia,” which starred Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Adams. Prud'homme consulted on the script, coached Tucci on playing Paul Child, and was an extra in the movie. The book reached #1 on The New York Times best-seller list.

Shifting his focus to the environment and energy, Prud'homme wrote The Ripple Effect: the Fate of Freshwater in the Twenty-First Century, published in 2011 by Scribner; and Hydrofracking: What Everyone Needs to Know, published by Oxford University Press in 2013. In 2011, Participant Media produced “Last Call at the Oasis,” a documentary film about the global water crisis, made by Jessica Yu and Elise Pearlstine, and inspired by The Ripple Effect.

In 2014, a decade after writing My Life in France, Prud'homme circled back to answer a few lingering questions about Julia Child: How did she appear on Public Television in 1963, win her first Emmy and make a documentary about a state dinner at the White House by 1967? What led her to Dan Aykroyd’s “Save the Liver!” skit on “Saturday Night Live,” working with other chefs such as Jacques Pepin, Emeril Lagasse, and Lidia Bastianich, and to the height of her fame on “Good Morning America” in the 1970s and 80s?

Prud'homme thought he could answer these questions in a magazine article. But he uncovered a hidden history of Julia in midlife, a dynamic period when she dropped the French Chef persona, began to perform as Julia Child, embraced recipes from around the world, contended with health issues, and fashioned herself into America’s first true celebrity chef. Inspired by Julia’s self-reinvention, Prud'homme wrote The French Chef in America: Julia Child’s Second Act. (He also narrated the audiobook.) It is dedicated to Julia’s lifelong editor, Judith B. Jones, and Knopf published it in 2016.

That book continues to resonate. In 2022, Prud'homme participated in the documentary “Julia,” by filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen (best known for RBG). And he was a Consulting Producer on the acclaimed Warner/ HBOMax streaming series “Julia.” Both “Julia” projects drew from The French Chef in America.

In 2017, Thames & Hudson published France is a Feast: Paul and Julia Child’s Photographic Journey, a book of Paul Child’s photographs taken in France in 1948-1954. Prud'homme wrote the text, which tells their love story from Paul’s perspective, while Katie Pratt edited Paul’s evocative black-and-white images.

In 2023, Knopf published Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House. This book traces the central role food has played in American political history, from George Washington starving at Valley Forge to FDR’s terrapin soup, Reagan’s jellybeans, Trump’s burgers, and Kamala Harris’s masala dosas. The book looks at the American story through a culinary lens, and asks: how did we get from there (hoecakes, squirrel stew) to here (veganism, artificial meat)? What does that arc tell us about the food of politics and the politics of food, our leaders, and how the nation’s diet reflects its evolution? Dinner with the President includes sixteen pages of color illustrations and ten presidential recipes.
 

more info...
3/27/202412:00pm to 2:30pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
3/28/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


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' Lunch at 12:30 pm. Only French is spoken during lunch. Attendees have the option of participating in the Members' Lunch for $35, or joining the conversation group without eating (no charge). Registrations are required for all participants. 

Members' Lunch for $35 includes a biscuit/bread, two courses, and a cup of coffee/tea. Wine and other beverages may be purchased at the bar or at the table.
 

more info...
4/2/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/2/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Starting in 2024, every Wednesday there will be a soup & salad communal lunch served for a special price. The event offers open seating on the Gallery and attendees will have a choice between two soups and two salads. Members are welcome to invite their accompanied guests. Registration is required - please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest. Registrations and cancellations may be made up to 12 noon the day before the event.

(Please note that the special is not applicable to private tables or rooms.)

more info...
4/3/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Please note this is a hybrid event - you have the option to attend in person or virtually. Registrations are required for all attendees. For in-person attendees, the event will run from 4 - 5:30 pm followed by a happy hour from 5:30 - 7 pm featuring drinks and light hors d'oeuvres. For virtual attendees, the livestream will be held from 4:10 - 5:30 pm (virtual attendees will be sent a link for the event via email).

Join us for an in-person and virtual event on the critical importance of supporting and safeguarding health workers on Wednesday, April 3rd at the historic DACOR Bacon House from 4-5:30 PM EST followed by a networking happy hour. Hear from globally recognized thought leaders on how frontline health workers are critical to the achievement of every global health goal and how the spaces where they work are increasingly targeted during conflict. Discussion will also focus on ways to further advance individual and institutional support for health workers throughout the health system. Keynote remarks and a high-level panel discussion on health workers’ role in various settings will be followed by a networking happy hour. 

This event is part of advocacy efforts by the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, Project HOPE, the Global Health Council and other partners during World Health Worker Week (WHWW) on April 1-7, the theme for which is Safe and Supported: Invest in Health Workers. It is the largest global campaign on health workers and WHWW has reached more than 15 million in the past years. This Washington, DC event will be a highlight in the week’s activities to elevate support for line health programs and the global frontline health care workforce.

Keynote Speaker
Dr. Atul Gawande
is the Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. He is a renowned surgeon, writer, and public health leader. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, he was a practicing general and endocrine surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He was founder and chair of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation, and of Lifebox, a nonprofit organization making surgery safer globally. He also co-founded CIC Health, a public benefit corporation supporting pandemic response operations nationally, and served as a member of the Biden transition COVID-19 Advisory Board. He was previously CEO of Haven, the Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase healthcare venture. 

Speaker
Leonard Rubenstein
is a lawyer whose work focuses on health and human rights, especially the protection of health in armed conflict and the roles of health professionals in human rights. A core member of the Berman Institute of Bioethics, he has a joint appointment in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he is Director of the Program on Human Rights, Health and Conflict at the Center for Public Health and Human Rights and a core faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health. He previously served as Executive Director and then President of Physicians for Human Rights, as a Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, and as Executive Director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.

Panelists
Anuradha Gupta is a global development leader currently serving as the President of Global Immunization at Sabin Vaccine Institute. As former deputy CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, she executed successful global initiatives to improve the health of women and children and harness the full power of vaccines. She is globally acclaimed for her efforts to center Gavi policies, programs, and partnerships around vaccine equity, gender and communities. She also pioneered the concept of zero-dose children to focus on children who have not received even a single dose of the most basic vaccines, especially in conflict zones and drought-afflicted areas. She previously joined the pre-eminent Indian Administration Service in 1981 and held leadership positions in a wide range of areas including health, education, nutrition, women empowerment, urban development, poverty alleviation, public finance, and internal security.

Dr. Jennifer Kates is senior vice president and director of the Global Health & HIV Policy Program at KFF, where she oversees policy analysis and research focused on the U.S. government’s role in global health and on the global and domestic HIV epidemics. Widely regarded as an expert in the field, she regularly publishes and presents on global health and HIV policy issues and is particularly known for her work analyzing donor government investments in global health; assessing and mapping the U.S. government’s global health architecture, programs, and funding; and tracking and analyzing major U.S. HIV programs and financing, and key trends in the HIV epidemic, an area she has been working in for close to 30 years.

Margaret McDonnell is the Executive Director of United to Beat Malaria, a global grassroots campaign of the United Nations Foundation that advocates for increased bipartisan leadership and funding for global malaria programs such as The Global Fund, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and the UN. Previously, Margaret ran strategic partnerships and helped lead the grassroots engagement and advocacy portfolio with the ONE Campaign, covering a wide range of global health and poverty issues. She worked with UNICEF in Botswana to develop media and civil society engagement strategies to further children’s rights within the context of the HIV epidemic and as a consultant for the U.S. Coalition for Child Survival to identify and implement advocacy and coalition-building best practices. 

Algene Sajery is a foreign policy strategist with experience in legislative, political affairs, and public service. As the founder and CEO of Catalyst Global Strategies, LLC, she focuses on helping advance, fund, and scale policies and initiatives that improve the lives and livelihoods of people in the developing world. Appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration, Algene also served as Vice President of the Office of External Affairs at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. She notably served as senior foreign policy and national security advisor to U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and was the democratic policy director of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Throughout her congressional tenure, she co-led efforts to enhance diversity in the federal foreign policy and national security workforce, spearheaded food aid reform, and played a key role in drafting significant legislation addressing human rights, national security, and foreign policy.

Moderator
Jed Meline is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Project HOPE where he oversees all engagement at the national and global level on health and humanitarian assistance policy. Previously, he was a career USAID Foreign Service Officer with almost 25 years of service in Washington and overseas.  Most recently, he served as Deputy U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator at the U.S President’s Malaria Initiative. His diverse assignments in Washington also include service as the Director of Health and Humanitarian Assistance at the White House National Security Council, a Brookings Fellowship with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a tour as staff on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Other positions include Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance and Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.

MC
Elisha Dunn-Georgiou is Global Health Council’s President and Executive Director. Elisha is a lifelong advocate with a passion for improving the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in the U.S. and globally. She has spent more than 20 years advancing political will and increasing resources for policies and programs to improve the health of communities worldwide. As an executive leader, Elisha has a demonstrated track record in strategic planning, program design, advocacy, and new business development. She has strong organizational and financial management acumen, with experience building empowered, goal-oriented, and cohesive organizational and program teams for global impact in public health policy and international development.

more info...
4/3/20244:00pm to 7:00pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/4/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Since our "Cocktails on the Patio" events in the warmer months are so popular, we are introducing monthly "Cocktails in the House" during the cooler months. Join us on the first Thursday of each month for this member favorite!

Featuring a cash bar and a laid-back ambiance, DACOR's happy hours are being held the first Thursday of each month until "Cocktails on the Patio" begin on May 2nd. Join us for refreshing drinks and great camaraderie in our beautiful house.

Cocktails in the House does not require reservations. Non-DACOR members of the foreign affairs community are invited to join our members. Members are also encouraged to bring prospective members to enjoy a lovely evening at the DACOR Bacon House!

If you would like to bring a larger group, please let staff know so we can be prepared with enough drinks for everyone!

more info...
4/4/20245:30pm to 7:30pmDACOR Programs


Please note this is a hybrid event - you have the option to attend in person or virtually. Registrations are required for all attendees. For in-person attendees, the event will run from 11:45 am - 2 pm and will include lunch. The live stream will begin at 12:55 pm (virtual attendees will be sent a link for the event via email).

Join DACOR and UAA for a conversation with Dr. Homi Kharas on his latest book The Rise of the Global Middle Class. The middle class is the most successful group in world history. Sometime before 2030 the fifth billionth person will join the middle class. What started a little over two hundred years ago as a search for a better life has fueled unprecedented global transformation. In his new book Homi Kharas looks at how this powerful dream captivated generations through history, but its demands have led younger generations to ask if it is all worth it. Can the middle class continue to thrive, or will it falter under the stresses of automation, consumerism, pollution, and political strife?

The Rise of the Global Middle Class traces the history of the middle class from its origins in Victorian England to present day India. Along the way we meet knocker-uppers who have been displaced by alarm clocks. We learn how the Chinese Communist Party drew legitimacy from its ability to enlarge the Chinese middle class.

Kharas proposes a new middle-class manifesto that addresses the pressing issues of inequality, climate change, and technological advances.

Homi Kharas is a senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development, housed in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings. In that capacity, he studies policies and trends influencing developing countries, including aid to poor countries, the emergence of the middle class, and global governance and the G-20. He previously served as interim vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program.

He has served as the lead author and executive secretary of the secretariat supporting the High Level Panel, co-chaired by President Sirleaf, President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Cameron, advising the U.N. Secretary General on the post-2015 development agenda (2012-2013). The report, “A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development,” was presented on May 30, 2013.

His most recent co-authored/edited books are “The Rise of the Global Middle Class” (Brookings Press, 2023), “Breakthrough: The Promise of Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development” (Brookings Press, 2022), “Leave No One Behind” (Brookings Press, 2019), “From Summits to Solutions: Innovations in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals” (Brookings Press, 2018), “The Imperative of Development” (Brookings Press, 2017), “The Last Mile in Ending Extreme Poverty” (Brookings Press, 2015), “Getting to Scale: How to Bring Development Solutions to Millions of Poor People” (Brookings Press, 2013), “After the Spring: Economic Transitions in the Arab World” (Oxford University Press, 2012), and “Catalyzing Development: A New Vision for Aid” (Brookings Press, 2011). He has published articles, book chapters, and opinion pieces on global development policy, global trends, the global food crisis, international organizations, the G20, the DAC, and private philanthropy.

He has served as a member of the High Level Panel on the Reform of the Development Assistance Committee (2017); the International Panel Review Committee on Malaysia’s economic and governance transformation programs (2012); the post-Busan Advisory Group to the DAC co-chairs (2011); the National Economic Advisory Council to the Malaysian Prime Minister (2009-10); and a member of the Working Group for the Commission on Growth and Development, chaired by Professor A. Michael Spence (2007-10).  He was a nonresident fellow of the OECD Development Center (2009). He has consulted for various organizations including the government of Sweden; World Bank Group; the United Nations; the International Fund for Agriculture Development; the OECD; the Japan International Cooperation Agency; the Global Fund Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the Qatar National Research Fund; and the Centennial Group. He acts as an adviser to a number of organizations.

Prior to joining Brookings, Dr. Kharas spent 26 years at the World Bank, serving for seven years as Chief Economist for the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific region and Director for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, Finance and Private Sector Development, responsible for the Bank’s advice on structural and economic policies, fiscal issues, debt, trade, governance, and financial markets.

more info...
4/5/202411:45am to 2:00pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/9/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Starting in 2024, every Wednesday there will be a soup & salad communal lunch served for a special price. The event offers open seating on the Gallery and attendees will have a choice between two soups and two salads. Members are welcome to invite their accompanied guests. Registration is required - please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest. Registrations and cancellations may be made up to 12 noon the day before the event.

(Please note that the special is not applicable to private tables or rooms.)

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4/10/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


All those interested in Latin America and the Caribbean are welcome to attend LAC Luncheons. Discussions are organized around theme, country, region or on a selected speaker’s interests and occur monthly. The DACOR cash bar opens at 12 noon and the group moves to a reserved room at 12:30 pm. The luncheon served with the event costs $35. Registrations are required for all participants. 

March's topic is "Transnational Crime:  How is it impacting the region and how can the United States tackle this challenge while protecting human rights?" with Ambassador Todd D. Robinson, Assistant Secretary of the State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement; Mr. Gaston Schulmeister, Director of the OAS's Department Against Transnational Crime; and other special guests!

Ambassador Todd D. Robinson was sworn-in as the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs on September 30, 2021. Ambassador Robinson last served as the Director of the International Student Management Office at the National Defense University. Prior to his assignment at NDU, he served as Senior Advisor for Central America in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs in Washington, DC. Ambassador Robinson was previously Chargé d’Affaires in Caracas, Venezuela from December 18, 2017 to May 22, 2018, when he was expelled by President Maduro. He was previously U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala from September 16, 2014, to September 20, 2017. Ambassador Robinson is a career diplomat with the rank of Career Minister.

Ambassador Robinson previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. From 2009 until 2011, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala. Prior to that, he was Consul General and Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Barcelona, Spain and Chief of the Political and Economic Section in the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania. Other overseas postings include the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Vatican City, Italy, El Salvador, and Colombia. In Washington, DC, Ambassador Robinson served in the Department’s Operations Center and as a Special Assistant to former Secretary of State Albright. He is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award and two Department Superior Honor Awards.

A native of New Jersey, Ambassador Robinson was a professional journalist before joining the Foreign Service. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Class of 1985.

Mr. Gastón H. Schulmeister is currently the Director of the Department against Transnational Organized Crime of the Organization of American States (OAS DTOC). OAS DTOC was created in 2016 and its main purpose is to provide technical and legislative assistance to OAS Member States to confront and respond to Transnational Organized Crime in its different manifestations across the Western Hemisphere.

Prior to this assignment, Mr. Schulmeister served as National Director of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Security of the Argentine Republic. In addition, as per his background with International Organizations, Mr. Schulmeister worked on technical assistance and security investment projects, where he performed as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Argentina and Paraguay; for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Paraguay; and for the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) in Mexico. Earlier in his career, Mr. Schulmeister also got experience managing the police force in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

Mr. Schulmeister has a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and Master’s in International Studies from the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

To develop his specialization in security affairs, Mr. Schulmeister has been awarded fellowships from the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University in Washington DC; the Chevening Program of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the University of Bradford; and the Fulbright Program of the United States Department of State at the University of Delaware.

In May 2017, Mr. Schulmeister was awarded by the President of the Italian Republic with the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia; for the contributions and work on international cooperation against Organized Crime, during his period as an officer of the government of the Argentine Republic.
 

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4/10/202412:00pm to 2:00pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/11/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Please note this is a hybrid event - you have the option to attend in person or virtually. Registrations are required for all attendees. For in-person attendees, the event will run from 6:15 - 8:30 pm and will include hors d'oeuvres and drinks. The live stream will begin at 7 pm (virtual attendees will be sent a link for the event via email). This event is co-sponsored by DACOR Bacon House Foundation & Supreme Court Historical Society.

Melville Fuller was chief justice during a turbulent and dynamic era in the history of the United States. Not stinting his flaws or some of the controversial decisions of his court, the new biography of Fuller, Calm Command, the first in 70 years, takes note of his internationalist work and the compelling insular cases in which his dissents are unexpected. Author Douglas Rooks also emphasizes Fuller's unstinting efforts to unite the court and streamline its decision-making and case load. Join us for an evening program and reception (featuring hors d'oeuvres and drinks) with Douglas Rooks in conversation with DACOR Bacon House Foundation Trustee and lawyer Harry Baumgarten. 

Douglas Rooks, a lifelong journalist, has been an editor at three Maine and New Hampshire daily and weekly newspapers, and an opinion columnist for more than 40 years. His three previous books are Statesman: George Mitchell and the Art of the Possible; Rise, Decline and Renewal: The Democratic Party in Maine; and First Franco: Albert Beliveau in Law, Politics, and Love.

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4/11/20246:15pm to 8:30pmDACOR Programs


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.

The DACOR cash bar opens at 12 noon and the group moves to a reserved table at Members' Lunch at 12:30 pm. Attendees have the option of participating in the Members' Lunch for $35, or joining the discussion group without eating (no charge). Registrations are required for all participants. 

Members' Lunch for $35 includes a biscuit/bread, two courses, and a cup of coffee/tea. Wine and other beverages may be purchased at the bar or at the table.

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4/16/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/16/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Starting in 2024, every Wednesday there will be a soup & salad communal lunch served for a special price. The event offers open seating on the Gallery and attendees will have a choice between two soups and two salads. Members are welcome to invite their accompanied guests. Registration is required - please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest. Registrations and cancellations may be made up to 12 noon the day before the event.

(Please note that the special is not applicable to private tables or rooms.)

more info...
4/17/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


On the third Thursday of the month, we hold a Welcome to DACOR lunch for new members. All members are encouraged to come and meet the newest members of our community over a communal lunch.

Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (starting in 2024, a glass of wine is not included; wine and other drinks may be purchased). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancellations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/18/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


The monthly get-together of our affinity group Unaccompanied DACORians, this luncheon gathers members who are widows, widowers, divorcees and other singletons together for camaraderie and discussion over lunch.

The DACOR cash bar opens at 12 noon and the group moves to a reserved area at Members' Lunch at 12:30 pm. Lunch costs $35/person and includes a biscuit/bread, two courses, and a cup of coffee/tea. Wine and other beverages may be purchased at the bar or at the table. Registrations are required for all participants.

Unaccompanied DACORians provides members of DACOR, who are single, a group where they feel comfortable and valued as members. Anyone who is single can join, to find friendship, and feel comfortable as a DACOR member through varied activities at DACOR and elsewhere including a monthly luncheon on the 4th Tuesday of the month at DACOR.

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4/23/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/23/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Starting in 2024, every Wednesday there will be a soup & salad communal lunch served for a special price. The event offers open seating on the Gallery and attendees will have a choice between two soups and two salads. Members are welcome to invite their accompanied guests. Registration is required - please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest. Registrations and cancelations may be made up to 12 noon the day before the event.

(Please note that the special is not applicable to private tables or rooms.)

more info...
4/24/202412:00pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/25/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Heralding its first appearance at Bacon House is the woodwind quintet, Ensemble Bambou, with leader Maude Fish, bassoon. Joining her are Nicolette Oppelt, flute,  Katherine Caesar-Spall, oboe,  Cheryl Hill, clarinet, and Alan White, French horn. 

“Umoja,” the Kwanzaa theme of Unity, opens the program, by Valerie Colman, the flutist and Grammy-winning black composer named one of the outstanding women composers of her generation. Besides this signature work we’ll also hear a younger contemporary of Ravel and Debussy, Mlle Claude Arrieu (1903-1990), our second distaff composer. The works by these two stellar composers will be leavened by several classics: Beethoven’s (d. 1827) Op. 71 Quintet, a piece by Zemlinsky (1871-1942), and ending with the rhythmic Suite Espagnole by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909).

Join us for this exciting international roster of composers inaugurating Ensemble Bambou’s quintet of woodwinds in performance at Dacor. Tea & sherry are served at intermission. Children under 18 years accompanied by an adult are admitted free.

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4/28/20243:00pm to 5:00pmDACOR Programs


Members are welcome to make reservations for Members' Lunches and invite their accompanied guests. Please note that DACOR now requires reservations for members lunch. Please be sure to reserve a spot for each member/guest.

Members' Lunch includes an entree, a dessert, and a cup of coffee/tea per patron (please note that starting in 2024 a glass of wine is no longer included; wine and other drinks may be purchased at the bar). A cash bar opens at 12 noon and lunch is served at 12:30 pm.

Pre-payment is preferred. Reservations should be made no later than 2:00 pm the business day before the Members' Lunch. Cancelations made after 10 am the business day before your reservation will result in a charge.

Members' Lunches are held at communal tables. If you would like a private table or room, please contact events@dacorbacon.org instead of registering here.

more info...
4/30/202412:30pm to 1:30pmDACOR Programs


Join DACOR and AFSA for a special Spring Reception the evening before Foreign Affairs Day. The perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones - don't miss out on delicious food, drinks, a special wine tasting and live music. We will also be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Rogers Act.

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5/2/20245:30pm to 7:30pmDACOR Programs

Historic Congressional Cemetery: Stories among the Stones
Please note this is a hybrid event - you have the option to attend in person or virtually. Registrations are required for all attendees. For in-person attendees, the event will run from 12 - 2 pm and will include lunch. The live stream will begin at 1:10 pm (virtual attendees will be sent a link for the event via email).



Join us for a presentation by the President and Director of Public Engagement of Congressional Cemetery. Find out about the cemetery's history, notable interred residents, including those with connection to the DACOR Bacon House, the nonprofit side of the cemetery, and the ways in which they engage the community now. 



Jackie Spainhour serves as the President of Congressional Cemetery. She is a writer, researcher, nonprofit professional, and special needs mom. She is an alumnus of Old Dominion University and sits on the Board of Directors for the Victorian Society in America. Her first book, Gilded Age Norfolk, Virginia: Tidewater Wealth, Industry, and Propriety was published in 2015 by the History Press. She serves as the chair of the VSA Book Awards Committee and the copy editor for the VSA’s peer-reviewed journal Nineteenth Century. A life-long lover of historic places, she spent over a decade on staff and as the Director of the Hunter House Victorian Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. Her second book, Museums and Millennials: Engaging the Coveted Patron Generation, was published in October 2019 through the American Association of State and Local History. She has given numerous presentations on the local and national level and her third book, A History Lover’s Guide to Norfolk, was published in 2021. In her spare time, she uses her voice as an advocate for the creation of a more inclusive world for people living with autism and other disabilities in honor of her son Declan. Away from the cemetery, you can find her digging her nose into the worn-out pages of old books, sipping a latte at a corner café, or brewing a fresh pot of tea to pour into her extensive teacup collection. She never misses a good British drama and is a huge fan of the show Supernatural. She lives on the Hill with her husband David and her two sons.

  

A.J. Orlikoff, the Director of Public Engagement, is a dedicated and passionate historian, educator, and writer. After graduating with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in History from Old Dominion University, A.J. worked at Hampton Roads Naval Museum as an Educator and at the National Museum of the United States Army as an Education Specialist- Lead before joining the staff at Historic Congressional Cemetery. He is the author of “The Navy’s City: Norfolk’s Military History” in A History Lover’s Guide to Norfolk and is a contributor to Washington History Magazine. He is extremely passionate and enthusiastic about all things history and is always eager to share the amazing stories of the past.  He specializes in American military history, with a particular focus on the American Civil War and World War II. He lives in Centreville, Virginia with his wife Raven and his cat Reina.

 

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