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{{Short description|American think tank focusing on backchannel diplomacy}}
{{Short description|Defunct American think tank}}
{{Distinguish|East–West Center|East-West Group}}
{{Distinguish|East–West Center|East-West Group}}
{{Infobox organization
{{Infobox organization
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| image = EWI 35th Anniversary Logo.png
| image = EWI 35th Anniversary Logo.png
| caption = 35th Anniversary Logo
| caption = 35th Anniversary Logo
| motto = Building Trust, Delivering Solutions
| formation = {{start date and age|1980}}
| formation = 1980
| founder = [[John Edwin Mroz]]<br>[[Ira D. Wallach]]
| dissolved = {{end date and age|2021|01|31}}
| type = Public policy think tank
| type = Public policy think tank
| tax_id = 13-3091844
| tax_id = 13-3091844
Line 15: Line 16:
| leader_name = Bruce W. McConnell
| leader_name = Bruce W. McConnell
| website = [http://www.eastwest.ngo eastwest.ngo]
| website = [http://www.eastwest.ngo eastwest.ngo]
| President = Bruce W. McConnell (July 2020 - Present)
}}
}}


The '''EastWest Institute''' ('''EWI'''), originally known as the '''Institute for East-West Security Studies''' and officially the '''Institute for EastWest Studies, Inc.''', was an international not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank focusing on international conflict resolution through a variety of means, including [[track II diplomacy|track 2 diplomacy]] and track 1.5 diplomacy (conducted with the direct involvement of official actors), hosting international conferences, and authoring publications on [[international security]] issues. The organization employed networks in political, military, and business establishments in the [[United States]], [[Europe]], and the former [[Soviet Union]].
The '''EastWest Institute''' ('''EWI'''), originally known as the '''Institute for East-West Security Studies''' and officially the '''Institute for EastWest Studies, Inc.''', was an international not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank focused on international conflict resolution through a variety of means, including [[track II diplomacy|track 2 diplomacy]] and track 1.5 diplomacy (conducted with the direct involvement of official actors), hosting international conferences, and authoring publications on [[international security]] issues. EWI employed networks in political, military, and business establishments in the [[United States]], [[Europe]], and the former [[Soviet Union]].


EWI was founded by [[John Edwin Mroz]] in 1980 as an independent, global organization that promotes peace by creating trusted settings for candid, global discourse among leaders to tackle intractable security and stability challenges. Mroz served as president and CEO of the institute for 34 years until his death, in 2014. EWI has a long-standing track record of convening dialogue and backchannel diplomacy to develop sustainable solutions for major political, economic and security issues. The organization’s initial success was rooted during the Cold War—in fact, EWI hosted the first ever military-to-military dialogue between NATO and Warsaw Pact countries. From its roots as a European-American initiative to bridge the divisions between Europe and Eurasia, Mroz built the institute into one of the world’s pre-eminent non-governmental change-agent institutions.
EWI was founded by [[John Edwin Mroz]] and [[Ira D. Wallach]] in 1980 as an independent, global organization that promotes peace by creating trusted settings for candid, global discourse among leaders to tackle intractable security and stability challenges.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ira D. Wallach † {{!}} EastWest Institute|url=https://www.eastwest.ngo/profile/ira-d-wallach-%E2%80%A0|access-date=2021-09-10|website=www.eastwest.ngo}}</ref> Mroz served as president and CEO of the institute for 34 years until his death, in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EWI mourns the loss today of Founder and CEO John Edwin Mroz {{!}} EastWest Institute |url=https://www.eastwest.ngo/john |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=www.eastwest.ngo}}</ref>


After four decades of distinctive service, the organization discontinued operations effective January 31, 2021. This decision was taken at the conclusion of a four-month strategic assessment in light of increasing challenges resulting from the global pandemic and related financial challenges facing many nonprofit organizations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The EastWest Institute Transitions for Post-COVID World|url=https://www.eastwest.ngo/idea/eastwest-institute-transitions-post-covid-world|url-status=live|website=EastWest Institute}}</ref>
The organization discontinued operations effective January 31, 2021. This decision was taken at the conclusion of a four-month strategic assessment in light of increasing challenges resulting from the global pandemic and related financial challenges facing many nonprofit organizations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The EastWest Institute Transitions for Post-COVID World|url=https://www.eastwest.ngo/idea/eastwest-institute-transitions-post-covid-world|url-status=live|website=EastWest Institute|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107150025/https://www.eastwest.ngo/idea/eastwest-institute-transitions-post-covid-world |archive-date=2021-01-07 }}</ref>


EWI's initiatives focused on a number of different areas including [[computer security|cybersecurity]],<ref>[http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/be-smart-online-at-your-peril.html "Be ‘smart’ online at your peril"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624015801/http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/be-smart-online-at-your-peril.html |date=2016-06-24 }}. ''The Pioneer'', 18 December 2015 | Vineeta Pandey | Wuzhen (Shanghai, China)</ref> [[preventive diplomacy]], strategic trust-building (which encompasses [[Russia-United States relations]] and [[China-United States Relations]]), Economic Security, and Regional Security (focusing on specific areas such as [[Southwest Asia]]).
EWI's initiatives focused on a number of different areas including [[computer security|cybersecurity]],<ref>[http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/be-smart-online-at-your-peril.html "Be ‘smart’ online at your peril"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624015801/http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/be-smart-online-at-your-peril.html |date=2016-06-24 }}. ''The Pioneer'', 18 December 2015 | Vineeta Pandey | Wuzhen (Shanghai, China)</ref> [[preventive diplomacy]], strategic trust-building (which encompasses [[Russia-United States relations]] and [[China-United States Relations]]), Economic Security, and Regional Security (focusing on specific areas such as [[Southwest Asia]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=EastWest Institute {{!}} Building Trust. Delivering Solutions. |url=https://www.eastwest.ngo/pillars/global-security |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=www.eastwest.ngo}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
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After the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]] and the eruption of conflicts in Southeastern Europe, EWI worked to foster economic stability in the region, encouraging cross-border cooperation and training leaders for democratic states. In the 2000s (decade), EWI's operations expanded geographically to [[China]], Southwest Asia and the [[Middle East]], focusing on issues like cybersecurity, economic security, and countering [[violent extremism]].
After the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]] and the eruption of conflicts in Southeastern Europe, EWI worked to foster economic stability in the region, encouraging cross-border cooperation and training leaders for democratic states. In the 2000s (decade), EWI's operations expanded geographically to [[China]], Southwest Asia and the [[Middle East]], focusing on issues like cybersecurity, economic security, and countering [[violent extremism]].


Since 2008, EWI has partnered with the [[China Association for International Friendly Contact]] to organize forums, termed the U.S.-China Sanya Initiative, between retired [[People's Liberation Army]] officers and retired U.S. military personnel.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cavanaugh|first=Joshua|date=June 3, 2020|title=U.S.-China Sanya Initiative Dialogue: Report from the 11th Meeting|url=https://www.eastwest.ngo/idea/us-china-sanya-initiative-dialogue-report-11th-meeting|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905224025/https://www.eastwest.ngo/idea/us-china-sanya-initiative-dialogue-report-11th-meeting|archive-date=2020-09-05|access-date=2020-09-05|website=EastWest Institute}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Wortzel|first=Larry M.|author-link=Larry Wortzel|date=March 1, 2014|title=The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Information Warfare|publisher=[[Strategic Studies Institute]]|pages=33–34|jstor=resrep11757}}</ref> The Sanya Initiative is supported by the [[China–United States Exchange Foundation|China-United States Exchange Foundation]] (CUSEF), a Hong Kong-based nonprofit established by billionaire [[Tung Chee-hwa]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Allen-Ebrahimian|first=Bethany|date=November 28, 2017|title=This Beijing-Linked Billionaire Is Funding Policy Research at Washington’s Most Influential Institutions|work=[[Foreign Policy]]|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/11/28/this-beijing-linked-billionaire-is-funding-policy-research-at-washingtons-most-influential-institutions-china-dc/|url-status=live|access-date=September 5, 2020|archive-date=August 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831001044/https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/11/28/this-beijing-linked-billionaire-is-funding-policy-research-at-washingtons-most-influential-institutions-china-dc/}}</ref>
Since 2008, EWI has partnered with the [[China Association for International Friendly Contact]] to organize forums, termed the U.S.-China Sanya Initiative, between retired [[People's Liberation Army]] officers and retired U.S. military personnel.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cavanaugh|first=Joshua|date=June 3, 2020|title=U.S.-China Sanya Initiative Dialogue: Report from the 11th Meeting|url=https://www.eastwest.ngo/idea/us-china-sanya-initiative-dialogue-report-11th-meeting|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905224025/https://www.eastwest.ngo/idea/us-china-sanya-initiative-dialogue-report-11th-meeting|archive-date=2020-09-05|access-date=2020-09-05|website=EastWest Institute}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Wortzel|first=Larry M.|author-link=Larry Wortzel|date=March 1, 2014|title=The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Information Warfare|publisher=[[Strategic Studies Institute]]|pages=33–34|jstor=resrep11757}}</ref> The Sanya Initiative is supported by the [[China–United States Exchange Foundation|China-United States Exchange Foundation]] (CUSEF), a Hong Kong–based nonprofit established by billionaire [[Tung Chee-hwa]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Allen-Ebrahimian|first=Bethany|date=November 28, 2017|title=This Beijing-Linked Billionaire Is Funding Policy Research at Washington's Most Influential Institutions|work=[[Foreign Policy]]|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/11/28/this-beijing-linked-billionaire-is-funding-policy-research-at-washingtons-most-influential-institutions-china-dc/|url-status=live|access-date=September 5, 2020|archive-date=August 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831001044/https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/11/28/this-beijing-linked-billionaire-is-funding-policy-research-at-washingtons-most-influential-institutions-china-dc/}}</ref>


In May 2009, EWI released its [http://issuu.com/ewipublications/docs/jta?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true Joint Threat Assessment on Iran], produced by senior U.S. and Russian experts convened by the institute. The assessment, which concluded that the planned system would not protect against an Iranian nuclear threat,<ref>Ellen Barry, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/world/europe/20start.html "U.S. and Russia Begin Arms Talks With a December Deadline"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615033821/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/world/europe/20start.html |date=2018-06-15 }}, ''The New York Times'', May 19th, 2009</ref> helped inform the Obama administration's decision to scrap the ballistic missile defense plan proposed by the Bush administration and replace it with a plan of its own.<ref>Peter Spiegel, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125314575889817971 "U.S. to Shelve Nuclear-Missile Shield"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206095058/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125314575889817971 |date=2020-02-06 }}, ''The Wall Street Journal'', September 17th, 2009</ref>
In May 2009, EWI released its Joint Threat Assessment on Iran, produced by senior U.S. and Russian experts convened by the institute. The assessment, which concluded that the planned system would not protect against an Iranian nuclear threat,<ref>Ellen Barry, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/world/europe/20start.html "U.S. and Russia Begin Arms Talks With a December Deadline"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615033821/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/world/europe/20start.html |date=2018-06-15 }}, ''The New York Times'', May 19th, 2009</ref> helped inform the Obama administration's decision to scrap the ballistic missile defense plan proposed by the Bush administration and replace it with a plan of its own.<ref>Peter Spiegel, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125314575889817971 "U.S. to Shelve Nuclear-Missile Shield"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206095058/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125314575889817971 |date=2020-02-06 }}, ''The Wall Street Journal'', September 17th, 2009</ref>


In 2016, the Institute helped set up an information portal which allows operators of [[critical infrastructure]] to share security information internationally.<ref>[http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/new-portal-launched-for-ics-scada-threat-intelligence-sharing-among-nations/d/d-id/1324931 "New Portal Launched For ICS/SCADA Threat Intelligence-Sharing Among Nations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510181141/http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/new-portal-launched-for-ics-scada-threat-intelligence-sharing-among-nations/d/d-id/1324931 |date=2016-05-10 }}. ''Information Week Dark Reading'', 3/31/2016 Kelly Jackson Higgins</ref>
In 2016, the institute helped set up an information portal which allows operators of [[critical infrastructure]] to share security information internationally.<ref>[http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/new-portal-launched-for-ics-scada-threat-intelligence-sharing-among-nations/d/d-id/1324931 "New Portal Launched For ICS/SCADA Threat Intelligence-Sharing Among Nations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510181141/http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/new-portal-launched-for-ics-scada-threat-intelligence-sharing-among-nations/d/d-id/1324931 |date=2016-05-10 }}. ''Information Week Dark Reading'', 3/31/2016 Kelly Jackson Higgins</ref>

==Initiatives==
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}

===Strategic Trust-building===

EWI's Strategic Trust-building Initiative includes its work with Russia, China, and the United States. Through its work with Russia, EWI has sought to "build a sustainable relationship of trust between Russia, its G-8 partners, and the world’s new rising powers." This program was responsible for establishing the 2009 Joint Threat Assessment on Iran. The China program, which was initiated in 2006, seeks to foster China's integration into the international sphere as a productive partner. An example of EWI's China work is the establishment of annual three-party talks between [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], and [[Communist Party of China|Chinese Communist Party]] leaders.

The Strategic Trust-building Initiative also incorporates EWI's work in Weapons of Mass Destruction issues. The WMD program, which began in 2006, aims to reduce political obstacles to the elimination of the threat of nuclear weapons. EWI organized a series of events and meetings in 2007 and 2008 to address stalled arms discussions in the international community.

===Regional Security===

This program addresses specific regional problems requiring the attention of the international community. Current issues include: security and stability in [[Afghanistan]] & Southwest Asia, and Euro-Atlantic security. Regional Security is directly involved with the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention—a network, founded by EWI in October 2008, that has since grown to include 150 parliamentarians from more than 50 countries. Members of the network work to translate ideas into policy as well as advocate for a greater allocation of resources for preventive action.

In 2010, EWI created the Amu Darya Basin Network, which links experts, researchers and policy makers from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Europe to create a place for key stakeholders to discuss trans-boundary water issues, forge agreements and share knowledge. The Amu Darya Basin Network highlights the need for local ownership and input in the management of shared waters, and for engagement in the region in more concrete ways.

In addition, the regional security program initiated the Abu Dhabi Process, a set of meetings focused on regional cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The process emphasised that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and has seen meeting take place in Abu Dhabi, Kabul and Islamabad among places.

===Economic Security===

EWI's Economic Security Initiative, launched in fall 2011, focuses on increasing resilience and response capabilities in regions threatened by water, food and energy scarcity. This program works with global investors to address dilemmas of growth and sustainability, and also focuses on the security of the digital economy. An example of this work includes the annual Worldwide Security Conference, first held in 2003, which assembles experts from governments, the private sector, NGOs, and academia to explore issues such as countering violent extremism, securing infrastructure, and energy security.

The Worldwide Cybersecurity Initiative is a part of the ESI. It aims to reduce vulnerabilities in governmental and private cybersecurity policies by developing consensus proposals for new agreements and policy reform. The institute's chief method of achieving this goal has been the hosting of the Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit, an annual meeting of governmental and corporate actors in the field, first held in May 2010 at [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], which established policy recommendations for securing international cyber infrastructure.


==Publications==
==Publications==

Latest revision as of 14:33, 26 September 2024

Not to be confused with East–West Center or East-West Group.
EastWest Institute
Institute for EastWest Studies, Inc.
Formation1980; 44 years ago (1980)
FounderJohn Edwin Mroz
Ira D. Wallach
DissolvedJanuary 31, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-01-31)
TypePublic policy think tank
13-3091844
Headquarters10 Grand Central, 155 E. 44th Street, Suite 1105
Location
President
Bruce W. McConnell
Websiteeastwest.ngo

The EastWest Institute (EWI), originally known as the Institute for East-West Security Studies and officially the Institute for EastWest Studies, Inc., was an international not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank focused on international conflict resolution through a variety of means, including track 2 diplomacy and track 1.5 diplomacy (conducted with the direct involvement of official actors), hosting international conferences, and authoring publications on international security issues. EWI employed networks in political, military, and business establishments in the United States, Europe, and the former Soviet Union.

EWI was founded by John Edwin Mroz and Ira D. Wallach in 1980 as an independent, global organization that promotes peace by creating trusted settings for candid, global discourse among leaders to tackle intractable security and stability challenges.[1] Mroz served as president and CEO of the institute for 34 years until his death, in 2014.[2]

The organization discontinued operations effective January 31, 2021. This decision was taken at the conclusion of a four-month strategic assessment in light of increasing challenges resulting from the global pandemic and related financial challenges facing many nonprofit organizations.[3]

EWI's initiatives focused on a number of different areas including cybersecurity,[4] preventive diplomacy, strategic trust-building (which encompasses Russia-United States relations and China-United States Relations), Economic Security, and Regional Security (focusing on specific areas such as Southwest Asia).[5]

History

[edit]

The Institute for East-West Security Studies was founded in 1980, when then CEO John Edwin Mroz and Ira D. Wallach set out to study means of addressing areas of political dispute across the Iron Curtain.[6]

In 1984, EWI hosted the first track 2 military-to-military discussions between the NATO and Warsaw Pact countries. These talks, focusing heavily on the establishment of confidence-building measures (CBMs) between the two parties, ultimately resulted in an agreement requiring each side to alert the other of troop movements.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the eruption of conflicts in Southeastern Europe, EWI worked to foster economic stability in the region, encouraging cross-border cooperation and training leaders for democratic states. In the 2000s (decade), EWI's operations expanded geographically to China, Southwest Asia and the Middle East, focusing on issues like cybersecurity, economic security, and countering violent extremism.

Since 2008, EWI has partnered with the China Association for International Friendly Contact to organize forums, termed the U.S.-China Sanya Initiative, between retired People's Liberation Army officers and retired U.S. military personnel.[7][8] The Sanya Initiative is supported by the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), a Hong Kong–based nonprofit established by billionaire Tung Chee-hwa.[9]

In May 2009, EWI released its Joint Threat Assessment on Iran, produced by senior U.S. and Russian experts convened by the institute. The assessment, which concluded that the planned system would not protect against an Iranian nuclear threat,[10] helped inform the Obama administration's decision to scrap the ballistic missile defense plan proposed by the Bush administration and replace it with a plan of its own.[11]

In 2016, the institute helped set up an information portal which allows operators of critical infrastructure to share security information internationally.[12]

Publications

[edit]
  • Peter Rutland; EastWest Institute (New York, N.Y.) (1998). The Challenge of Integration. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-0359-3.
  • Jonathan P. Stein; EastWest Institute (New York, N.Y.) (2000). The Politics of National Minority Participation in Post-communist Europe: State-building, Democracy, and Ethnic Mobilization. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-0-7656-0528-3.
  • A. M. Lavrov; Alexei G. Makushkin; EastWest Institute (New York, N.Y.) (2001). The Fiscal Structure of the Russian Federation: Financial Flows Between the Center and the Regions. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-0713-3.
  • Oleksandr Pavli͡uk; Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze; EastWest Institute (New York, N.Y.) (2004). The Black Sea Region: Cooperation and Security Building. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-1225-0.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ira D. Wallach † | EastWest Institute". www.eastwest.ngo. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  2. ^ "EWI mourns the loss today of Founder and CEO John Edwin Mroz | EastWest Institute". www.eastwest.ngo. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  3. ^ "The EastWest Institute Transitions for Post-COVID World". EastWest Institute. Archived from the original on 2021-01-07.
  4. ^ "Be ‘smart’ online at your peril" Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine. The Pioneer, 18 December 2015 | Vineeta Pandey | Wuzhen (Shanghai, China)
  5. ^ "EastWest Institute | Building Trust. Delivering Solutions". www.eastwest.ngo. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  6. ^ Richard E. Quandt (20 June 2002). The Changing Landscape in Eastern Europe: A Personal Perspective on Philanthropy and Technology Transfer. Oxford University Press. pp. 336–. ISBN 978-0-19-534912-2.
  7. ^ Cavanaugh, Joshua (June 3, 2020). "U.S.-China Sanya Initiative Dialogue: Report from the 11th Meeting". EastWest Institute. Archived from the original on 2020-09-05. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  8. ^ Wortzel, Larry M. (March 1, 2014). "The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Information Warfare". Strategic Studies Institute: 33–34. JSTOR resrep11757. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Allen-Ebrahimian, Bethany (November 28, 2017). "This Beijing-Linked Billionaire Is Funding Policy Research at Washington's Most Influential Institutions". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  10. ^ Ellen Barry, "U.S. and Russia Begin Arms Talks With a December Deadline" Archived 2018-06-15 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, May 19th, 2009
  11. ^ Peter Spiegel, "U.S. to Shelve Nuclear-Missile Shield" Archived 2020-02-06 at the Wayback Machine, The Wall Street Journal, September 17th, 2009
  12. ^ "New Portal Launched For ICS/SCADA Threat Intelligence-Sharing Among Nations" Archived 2016-05-10 at the Wayback Machine. Information Week Dark Reading, 3/31/2016 Kelly Jackson Higgins
[edit]
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