Today the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) announced its 2023 Annual Luncheon speaker, Dr. Richard Haass, President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations and Senior Counselor, Centerview Partners. Dr. Haass is the author of The New York Times bestseller, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens. The luncheon will take place Friday, November 17, at 12 p.m. at the New Orleans Marriott hotel located at 555 Canal Street. Luncheon registration and cash bar open at 11 a.m.
Tables and tickets for the 2023 Annual Luncheon are now available for purchase through BGR, give.bgr.org/luncheon or (504) 525-4152 ext. 108.
Deadline to register is Friday, November 10th at 5pm.
Dr. Haass will discuss essential themes from The Bill of Obligations in his presentation to BGR, “Balancing Rights with Obligations: Rethinking Democracy and Citizenship.” His presentation is part of BGR’s Janet Howard Speaker Series in Governmental Research.
Dr. Haass, a veteran diplomat and respected scholar of international relations, writes in The Bill of Obligations that the most dangerous threat the United States faces comes “not from abroad but from within, from none other than ourselves.” His book explores the crisis created by political divisions in the U.S. and the roadblocks they present in addressing our economic, social, and political problems; articulating a coherent foreign policy to meet global challenges; and realizing our country’s potential. We as citizens must confront this crisis in our democracy, Dr. Haass says, and come to a new understanding of citizenship. The Bill of Obligations offers a bold challenge to re-envision citizenship not just as a package of rights, but of both rights and obligations. Among these obligations, Dr. Haass calls for citizens to “get involved,” “stay open to compromise,” “promote the common good” and – at the heart of BGR’s mission of providing the public and policymakers with independent, nonpartisan research – “be informed.”
“BGR is excited to have Richard Haass as our keynote speaker this year, and he continues our tradition of presenting some of the country’s most respected thought leaders at our Annual Luncheon,” said Rebecca Mowbray, BGR’s President and CEO. “Dr. Haass’ perspective on citizenship comes at an important time in our nation’s history and offers inspiration to all of us working daily to improve local governments and the communities they serve.”
Dr. Haass is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations after having served as CFR’s president for 20 years. CFR is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. It serves as a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. Founded in 1921, CFR takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.
In addition to his work at CFR, Dr. Haass chaired the multiparty negotiations in Northern Ireland in 2013 that provided the foundation for the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. For his efforts to promote peace and conflict resolution, he received the 2013 Tipperary International Peace Award.
From January 2001 to June 2003, Dr. Haass was director of policy planning for the Department of State, where he directed the policy planning staff and was a principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the rank of ambassador, Dr. Haass also served as U.S. coordinator for policy toward the future of Afghanistan and U.S. envoy to the Northern Ireland peace process.
Dr. Haass has extensive additional government experience. From 1989 to 1993, he was special assistant to President George H.W. Bush and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. In 1991, Dr. Haass was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for his contributions to the development and articulation of U.S. policy during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Previously, he served in the Departments of State (1981–1985) and Defense (1979–1980), and was a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate.
A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Haass holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and master’s and doctorate of philosophy degrees from Oxford University. He has written or edited 14 books on American foreign policy, one book on management, and one on American democracy. His latest book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, was published by Penguin Press in January 2023 and became a New York Times best seller. Dr. Haass was born in Brooklyn and lives in New York City.
BGR’s Annual Luncheon has a history of featuring high-profile speakers, such as Judy Woodruff, Darren Walker, Michael Lewis, Maureen Dowd, Steve Roberts and Jonathan Capehart.
This year’s luncheon is co-sponsored by Hancock Whitney and Luzianne Tea with a VIP reception sponsored by IMTT. Promotional support is provided by The Times-Picayune. The luncheon will begin at 12 p.m. on Friday, November 17, with registration and cash bar opening at 11 a.m.
To purchase a table or tickets, visit give.bgr.org/luncheon or contact Emily Remington at (504) 525-4152 ext. 108 or eremington@bgr.org.
Event seating is limited and will be allocated on a first-purchased basis. Proceeds from the event will support BGR’s core activities, which include government monitoring, policy analysis, publication of reports and post-publication implementation work.
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BGR would like to thank its 2023 table sponsors.
Richard C. Adkerson Family Foundation
Agenda for Children | LA Policy Institute
Anonymous
Anne P. Baños
Baptist Community Ministries
Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC
Bellwether Technology Corporation
Boysie Bollinger Fund
Melanie and Danny Bronfin
Canal Barge Company, Inc.
CAPTRUST
Chaffe & Associates, Inc.
The Ehrhardt Group
Ellevate Louisiana
First Horizon
Fishman Haygood
Ellie and Hardy Fowler
Richard W. Freeman, Jr.
Freeport-McMoRan Foundation
Hancock Whitney
The Helis Foundation
Gulf Coast Bank
IMTT
The Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation
Jones Walker
King & Jurgens, LLC
Laitram LLC
LCMC Health
Liberty Bank and Trust
Liskow
Luzianne Tea
Mark and Mindy Mayer
Anne and King Milling
New Orleans Saints
Noble Minds
R. Hunter Pierson Investments
Regions Bank
Stone Pigman
The Times-Picayune | nola.com
Tulane University
Mark VanLandingham
BGR is a private, nonprofit, independent research organization. Since its founding in 1932, it has been dedicated to informed public policy making and the effective use of public resources in the Greater New Orleans area. For more information, call (504) 525-4152 or visit BGR’s website, www.bgr.org.