SOUTH ASIA CENTER REPORT | 2011 CONTACTS | EVENTS | M E D I A SOUTH ASIA CENTER LEADERSHIP, STAFF, AND FELLOWS Senator Chuck Hagel, Chairman, Atlantic Council Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, Atlantic Council Shuja Nawaz, Director, South Asia Center, Atlantic Council Shikha Bhatnagar, Associate Director Herpreet Singh, Research Associate Mahbub Sarwar, Research Associate Barbara Slavin, Senior Fellow Mohan Guruswamy, Nonresident Senior Fellow Ayesha Jalal, Nonresident Senior Fellow Jonathan Paris, Nonresident Senior Fellow Atlantic Council South Asia Center • 1101 15th Street, NW • 11th Floor • Washington, DC 20005 USA ATLANTIC COUNCIL SOUTH ASIA CENTER REPORT | 2011 SOUTH ASIA CENTER REPORT 2011 CONTACTS | EVENTS | M E D I A ABOUT THE SOUTH ASIA CENTER The Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center was launched in 2009, under the leadership of Shuja Nawaz. The Center serves as the Atlantic Council’s focal point for work on greater South Asia1 as well as its relations between these countries, the neighboring regions, Europe and the United States. It seeks to foster partnerships with key institutions in the region to establish itself as a forum for dialogue between decision-makers in South Asia, the United States, and NATO, and continues to “wage peace” in the region. These deliberations cover internal and external security, governance, trade, economic development, education, and other issues. The Center remains committed to working with stakeholders from the region itself, in addition to partners and experts in the United States and Europe to offer comprehensive analyses and practicable recommendations for policymakers. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2011 The South Asia Center is now the only think-tank based program in Washington DC focused on the region as a whole. The Center’s commitment to substance and balanced viewpoints has increased its reputation as a source of up-to-date analysis on events pertaining to the region, and as a result, has strengthened its impact and influence in the US and abroad. Major highlights of 2011 include: Increase in quality and quantity of South Asia Center constituents and events Continuation and strengthening of existing projects and initiatives Development of new programs Greater diversification of funding, including multi-year support from Foundations Snapshots CONTACTS The Center, launched in 2009, has achieved rapid growth in its Total Contacts (Year End) constituency base – supporters, experts, and other 2500 stakeholders who are engaged in South Asia. At the end of 2140 2009, the South Asia Center database had approximately 2000 400 contacts, which quadrupled by the end of 2010, to over 1619 1600 contacts. At the end of 2011, the Center had over 1500 2100 contacts, a 43% percent increase over the previous year. In addition to adding to the quantity of contacts, the 1000 South Asia Center team has strategically focused on and 400 succeeded in increasing the number of experts across sectors 500 and issue areas, as well as those located within the South Asian region itself. This has allowed the Center to increase its 0 reach and influence, as well as solicit greater input from its 2009 2010 2011 audience of experts. 1 The South Asia Center’s scope includes the following countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Sikkim, Maldives and Bhutan. The Center also covers issues related to Iran and parts of Central Asia. Page 1 ATLANTIC COUNCIL SOUTH ASIA CENTER REPORT | 2011 SECTOR DIVERSITY Sector Representation 2011 With growth of its constituency, the Center has also broadened its reach across sectors, Media Academia 10% 11% most notably within the public sector, which includes US and foreign government representatives such as US Congressional NGO staff members, White House officials, and (including Government think tanks) (US & foreign ambassadors. The Center now has 23% Foreign) greater interaction with foreign 25% governments, which represent almost 50% of the Center’s government contacts. This Individuals includes foreign government representatives (not Private located in the United States. The Center has affiliated Sector also increased outreach efforts to US with orgs) 21% 10% Members of Congress through targeted invites to events, distribution of publications, the monthly newsletter, and in-person briefings. In 2011, Foreign Government Contacts Center Director, Shuja Nawaz, also South Asia Middle East Asia testified to the House Committee on (includes 4% (excluding Homeland Security and to the House Afghanistan) South Asia) Subcommittee on Oversight and 40% 8% Investigations, and met with House Canada Democratic leaders on issues 7% regarding US-Pakistan relations. The Center also showed an increase Europe in the number/proportion of 41% representatives from educational institutions in the United States and abroad, demonstrating an interest in the quality of our work by both South Asia practitioners and academics. Location of Contacts (including Afghanistan) REGIONAL INPUT 13% Location The South Asia Center remains Unknown committed to soliciting input from 5% outside the United States, particularly from European and North Middle East South Asian partners, to ensure that America 1% Asia analyses and recommendations (US/Canada) (excluding reflect on-the-ground realities. 76% South Asia) Nearly 20% of the Center’s contacts 1% are located abroad. Europe 4% Page 2 ATLANTIC COUNCIL SOUTH ASIA CENTER REPORT | 2011 MEDIA & OUTREACH Media & Outreach Foreign In 2011, the South Asia Center Government Print*, 31, strengthened its role as the as “the go to” Interactions, 16% source in Washington DC for input and 20, 10% US analyses on South Asia. This included Other Government Interactions** speaking engagements, mentions in print Interviews, 32, 16% , 8, 4% media, TV/radio interviews, foreign and Corporate US government briefings, and outreach to Briefings, 6, the private sector. 3% Media Speaking Backgrounder Engagements, s, 5, 3% EVENTS 35, 18% TV/Radio Other, 2, The South Asia Center provides a forum for Interviews, 1% public and private gatherings of 58, 29% policymakers, regional experts, thought leaders, and others to discuss critical issues on South Asia. In 2011, the Center remained active, with over 40 events, which included off-the-record discussions, large public events, and roundtables with key experts. The Events Annually Center hosted an average of three events per month, with an average of 43 attendees at each 40 42 event, and hosted global leaders, senior government officials, and former heads of state. The Center also hosted experts from across sectors, including military and business leaders, scholars, economists, and 20 political activists. Events covered a range of important and relevant topics such as US-Pakistan relations, India’s increased demand for energy, and Iran’s nuclear capabilities. (For a detailed list of 2011 events, see Appendix.) 2009 2010 2011 NEW AND CONTINUING PROJECTS The South Asia Center continued to build on its record of substance and practicability by launching new initiatives and strengthening existing programs. CURRENT KEY PROJECTS: Iran Task Force India-Pakistan Military Track 2 Dialogue India-Pakistan Water Conflict Engaging Young Pakistani Leaders of Tomorrow The Center is also continuing its briefings and seminars for key officials and government agencies that are seeking to strengthen their understanding of the dynamics within South Asia. FUNDING DIVERSITY The Center has greatly increased its funding from foundations, strengthened relationships with government agencies (US and foreign), and continues to cultivate individual and corporate donors. Page 3 ATLANTIC COUNCIL SOUTH ASIA CENTER REPORT | 2011 Moving Forward As the Center moves into its third year, it will be important to scale up efforts, build capacity, identify new opportunities, and strengthen existing relationships. It will seek to deepen and diversify its funding base. While expanding its project portfolio and maintaining quality and relevance of its programming will certainly present challenges to the South Asia Center, the program is well-positioned to meet these challenges and achieve ambitious goals for 2012, through staff expansion and Fellow recruitment. Afghanistan Ambassador Eklil Hakimi after his talk at the Council, August 2011 Key goals for 2012 include: Achieving 50-75% growth in the number of South Asia Center constituents. Maintaining strong government, media, and corporate outreach, but placing priority on building connections with media. Strengthening representation of regional stakeholders. 13% of the South Asia Center’s contacts are located within South Asia. While Washington/North America remain a major area for outreach, the Center seeks to achieve a medium-term goal of 25% of total contacts located in South Asia. For 2012, the goal is to increase this proportion to 18%. The Center will also try to increase its representation of Europe-based stakeholders to 10%, with guiding input from the Atlantic Council’s strong Europe-based constituency. Increasing quality of events. In 2012, the Center will maintain the current number of events, while strengthening quality and relevance. This will be achieved through better strategic planning of the events calendar, strengthened diversity of events and speakers, and improved attendance. Expanding programming. The South Asia Center will seek to build upon past and current projects through events, conferences, and publications, with an additional focus on events located within the region and in the US, outside