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Public Libraries Excellence, education and innovation The DREAM Act Some states say yes to the DREAM Mind the Gap The nexus of policy and scholarship Next Gen Nonproliferation Training the best and brightest to stop the spread of WMDs Spring 2012 CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK vol. 6/no. 4 Working-CS5.5.indd 1 5/8/12 11:53 AM Preventing Afghanistan from Becoming a Narco-State by V ARTAN GREGORIAN, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York Editor’s Note: Vartan Gregorian, former president and professor emeritus of history at Brown University, is the author of The Emergence of Modern Afghanistan: Politics of Reform and Modernization 1880-1946, which, when it was published in 1969 by Stanford University Press, was hailed as the definitive history of the rise of modern Afghanistan. The book will be reissued in November 2012 with a new introduction by the author who, over the years, has Continued to study the turbulent developments in Afghanistan. In this essay, he addresses one of the most pressing problems currently facing that country and its people. The year 2014 is These challenges are arising in the midst of a global eco- fast approaching and nomic slowdown that is making it difficult for even those na- with it, the end of the tions rich with resources to chart a reliable course for their fu- allied forces mission ture. Economic uncertainties have added to the growing call in Afghanistan. At in the U.S. and other NATO countries to end the allies’ pres- the close of that year, ence in Afghanistan—and hence, the enormous cost in terms as President Obama of lives lost and dollars spent—even sooner than planned. For PHOTO BY MICHAEL FALCO con firmed in his re- Afghanistan itself, which despite some $18 billion in U.S. aid cent speech from Bagram Air Force Base, the U.S. and NATO alone over the past decade2 remains one of the poorest coun- will hand over responsibility for the security of Afghanistan tries in the world on the UN´s Human Development Index to its own forces. But in the meantime, events on the ground (registering 174th out of 178 countries), the economic outlook are conspiring against some of the long-term policy goals remains bleak. Add in a growing Taliban insurgency against that the allied nations who committed troops to Afghanistan the allied powers along with ethnic, religious and tribal con- had hoped would bring peace and stability to that country. flicts and tensions as well as interference from neighboring The recent burning of Qur’ans as well as the massacre of countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and India who support their civilians, not to mention U.S. troops urinating on enemy proxies inside Afghanistan and what’s brewing is a recipe for corpses, posing for photos with the remains of Taliban insur- disaster on many fronts, particularly in regard to the Afghan gents and similar inflammatory actions have contributed to economy once the U.S. and NATO have largely departed. anti-American and anti-NATO sentiments in Afghanistan as Though in his speech from Afghanistan announcing a well as in neighboring countries, especially Pakistan. Given pact that spells out the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan these developments, President Karzai, in an effort to prove over the neXt decade President Obama promised U.S. aid to his nation that above all he is an Afghan nationalist and in developing the Afghan economy, no specifics were given guardian of Afghan sovereignty, has often been forced to and no plan was announced. Hence, there is little reason to publicly distance himself from America, making demands believe that the economic situation in Afghanistan will con- such as that U.S. forces be confined to their bases and with- tinue to be anything but precarious. Indeed, according to draw completely from Afghanistan by the end of 2013. In official Afghan sources, 80 percent of Afghanistan’s national addition, the Afghan government has insisted that NATO budget is constituted by international aid from 62 different forces stop “night raids” on suspected insurgents’ hideouts, donor countries, more than a dozen large international orga- which recently resulted in an agreement that should give nizations, and about 2,000 international and national NGOs. Afghan authorities veto over controversial special operations There is no assurance that these countries and organizations raids. For its part, the Pakistani parliament has demanded a will continue their assistance over the neXt ten years. In halt to all U.S. drone flights over border areas that provide light of all these factors, the economic chaos that is likely to safe haven and supply routes for the Taliban.1 Further, the descend upon Afghanistan in the absence of either a stable Pakistani government has blockaded the flow of U.S. mate- central government or the realistic prospect of a peaceful riel supplying American troops in Afghanistan. (Continued on page 49) Reprinted from US News & World Report, May 2, 2012. http://tinyurl.com/75dx9jh Spring 2012 CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK vol. 6/no. 4 2 2 Today’s Public Libraries: Public Places of Excellence, Education and Innovation 10 Mind the Gap: Why Policymakers and Scholars Ignore Each Other, and What Should be Done About It 18 Next Gen Nonproliferation: Training the Best and Brightest to Stop the Spread 18 of WMDs 28 Creating New Designs for New Schools 33 Philanthropy’s Most Celebrated Award 34 The DREAM Act: Some states say yes to the DREAM 44 Recent Events 34 46 Foundation Roundup 48 The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb 52 International News Coverage: A Vanishing Species? About the cover: The Salt Lake City, Utah, public library, designed by Moshe Safdie. Photo by Andy Cross, The Denver Post. A Note About This Issue We are particularly creasing numbers of immigrants—and even B. Steinberg, on how policymakers and aca- proud to bring you this new ways of reading books. We also have demics do—and do not—successfully inte- edition of the Carnegie an article about the DREAM Act, which is grate their ideas about pressing international Reporter because it fo- meant to help undocumented students access challenges. An article by Karen Theroux, the cuses on many of the is- higher education. This type of legislation Corporation’s staff writer, examines how a sues that Carnegie Corporation of New York may have failed on the national level but is new cadre of young, thoughtful, and highly is deeply concerned with. The Corporation’s gaining traction in many states where citi- trained specialists are confronting the ques- mission, which is the legacy of our founder, zens, governors and others have concluded tion of how to stop the spread of weapons of Andrew Carnegie, is to “promote the ad- that educating young men and women who mass destruction. In addition, the president of vancement and diffusion of knowledge and have a stake in the progress of American the Corporation, Vartan Gregorian, considers understanding,” and there is perhaps no society and are committed to the nation’s how to prevent Afghanistan from devolving institution so representative of that ideal than future is a worthwhile goal. Education, par- into the chaos of a narco-state that is mortgag- a public library. The Reporter’s lead story ticularly new designs for new schools, is ing its future on the trade in opium poppies. focuses on how America’s public libraries also highlighted in an interview with Leah Of course, there are other features in these are not only the treasure houses of knowl- Hamilton, Carnegie Corporation Program pages as well. We welcome you to enjoy edge that are foundational to the strength of Director, New Designs for K-16 Pathways. them all. our democracy but are also evolving to meet In terms of our work in the realm of inter- the 21st century challenges of new tech- national peace, we are featuring an essay by E LEANOR LERMAN, Director, Public nologies, new library patrons—including in- two noted experts, Francis J. Gavin and James Affairs and Publications Working-CS5.5.indd 1 5/8/12 11:53 AM ANDY CROSS, THE DENVER POST The main section of the Anythink Brighton (Colorado) library is seen though multicolored glass panels in the children’s area. The building is the first “carbon neutral” library in the U.S. TODAY S ’ by DANIEL AKST Libraries: Public Places of Excellence, Education and Innovation In our digital age, public libraries are not only thriving but serving new purposes and new populations. Working-CS5.5.indd 2 5/8/12 12:13 PM nowledge was hard to come many reasons, but the most important both materially and intellectually. It’s By in the 19th century, when have to do with a couple of ideas that an idea redolent of Ben Franklin and Andrew Carnegie began fund- might sound archaic to modern ears, Samuel Smiles, Horatio Alger and even ing libraries all over America. People perhaps Because in reality what they Dale Carnegie. didn’t have much money, schooling are is enduring. We’re supposed to know Better, was limited, and leisure for learning The first is the notion of place, a somehow, today. The idea of progress was scant. thing the Internet was supposed to have isn’t so universal any more. But if you Today, of course, things are differ- obliterated. Yet a funny thing happened think self-improvement is dead, or ent. The average American is awash in on the way to the digital future: place is only the kind of thing people do at information, more and more of it pour- kept mattering.