Former State Department Official to Speak on “Geoeconomics & Statecraft” in Old Lyme

WATERFORD, CT – The Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) announced today that former State Department official Jennifer M. Harris – now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations – will deliver remarks based on her most recent book (coauthored with Robert Blackwill), “War by Other Means: Geoeconomics & Statecraft” at Old Lyme Country Club on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Harris’ address will provide critical insights into how governments use “geoeconomics” – economic instruments such as financial aid, trade and sanctions – to strategically accomplish their geopolitical objectives; explain why the U.S. has been losing ground as a world power; and suggest steps the country can take to reverse the trend, according to a release.

Tickets are $20 for the general public and free for area college and high school students. The $20 cost can subsequently be applied towards a SECWAC membership.

The event will take place at 6 pm, Tuesday, December 6, at Old Lyme Country Club in Old Lyme. It will be preceded by a 5:30 pm reception and followed by a book signing.

To round out the evening’s focus on international affairs, immediately following the book signing, a small group of SECWAC members will reconvene for dinner ($35, reservation required) at the country club to hear remarks from Chris George, executive director of the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, a nonprofit helping refugees start new lives in Connecticut.

Harris is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing timely, insightful analyses of international events and trends to its members, elected officials, corporations and educators.

Prior to joining the Council, she worked at the U.S. Department of State where she served as the lead architect for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s economic statecraft agenda. Prior to that, she worked for the U.S. National Intelligence Council.

Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Washington Quarterly and World Economic Forum. A Truman and Rhodes scholar, she holds degrees in economics and international relations from Yale Law School, the University of Oxford and Wake University.

The presentation is a part of the SECWAC Speaker Series. SECWAC is a regional, nonprofit, membership organization affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America. Through its annual Speaker Series, SECWAC arranges up to 10 presentations a year that provide a public forum for dialogue between its members and experts on foreign relations.

Membership information is available at www.secwac.org.

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