All of us at TLC were delighted that Senator Lugar was asked to speak to CARE’s annual conference that also just happened to fall on International Women’s Day. Global development and the humanitarian work that organizations like CARE do have always been central to his thinking on how to build a more stable and prosperous world. Integrating women into development strategies is a critical component to making aid more effective. As the Senator pointed out during his speech, most of the world’s farmers are women. Reaching them with new technology, credit, and extension services are a necessary component to sustainably feeding the world. Senator Lugar also directly addressed the critical need for transparent development leadership by the U.S.... Read More

Tuesday night at the University of Indianapolis, former Senators Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn reflected on their experiences creating and sustaining the landmark Nunn-Lugar program. Responding to questions from moderator Steve Inskeep of National Public Radio, they also offered their views on numerous current global security issues, including the upheaval in Ukraine, efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and the future of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty).... Read More

The President’s 2015 budget is scheduled for release on March 4.  This marks another year that its release has been delayed despite provisions in the Budget Impoundment and Control Act of 1974 that designates the first Monday in February for its submission to Congress.  This year’s delay largely reflects late congressional action in completing the 2014 budget and appropriations processes. Of course, late budget releases inevitably contribute to the end of the fiscal year deadline (September 30) also being ignored.... Read More

Engaging with international statesmen; witnessing power and policy firsthand in a high-level internship; even surviving the first government shutdown in decades. The Lugar Center is proud to congratulate the inaugural class of UIndy Lugar Academy interns on a successful semester.... Read More

As we rang in the new year with parties and resolutions, 1.2 billion people across the globe woke up to 2014 living in extreme poverty which the World Bank defines as living on $1.25 a day. Many of these same people struggle with chronic hunger, disease and the ramifications of living under unstable, corrupt governments.... Read More

With the announcement of a first phase nuclear deal with Iran just before Thanksgiving, think tanks, academic institutions, and government offices alike sprung into action. The week of December 9th,, almost every national security-focused organization in Washington, D.C. held an event on Iran. Although I was coordinating The Lugar Center’s own Iran event last week, I made time to attend five others.... Read More

Last week I attended The World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa. Established in 1986 as a vision of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, The World Food Prize recognizes “the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.”... Read More

In just a six month period we have learned that two respected aid agencies will be merged into their foreign affairs ministries. There are varying opinions on whether this represents innovation or setback and, therefore it’s worth looking at the motivations and possible implications for U.S. aid agencies. My fear is that effectiveness is being sacrificed on the altar of efficiency.... Read More

This article originally was posted on the Center for Strategic and International Studies website here.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two and a half years since the first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) was released to much fanfare in December 2010. Yet, since the final product was a year and a half in the making, it’s time to begin the process anew. As Secretary of State John Kerry and his team prepare to make decisions regarding whether and how to repeat the effort, here are five lessons we took from the last go-round:... Read More

Almost 27 years ago, in the summer of 1986, President Ronald Reagan asked a bipartisan group of United States Senate leaders to attend meetings in Geneva, Switzerland. His hope was that formal negotiations between the former Soviet Union and the United States would commence and perhaps lead to a treaty on nuclear arms reduction that would come before the United States Senate for ratification and require a two-thirds majority vote. Formal arms control negotiations did not commence that year, and Senator Sam Nunn and I took the opportunity in subsequent years during visits to Europe to stay in touch with Russians we had met in Washington or during travels in Russia.... Read More