Events

Political and economic freedom has been a revolutionary development in society. There has been a misconception that liberty is natural and exists within a steady state. Historically, states have either been too weak to protect individuals or too strong for people to protect themselves from authoritarianism. Liberty emerges only when an intricate balance is struck between the power of the state and the power of the people, yet the corridor to liberty has become increasingly narrower in recent years. Join Institute Director and University Professor James Robinson for a discussion of how liberty flourishes in some states but falls to totalitarianism in others. Copies of his and Daron Acemoglu’s latest book, The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty will be available for purchase and signing from the Book Cellar.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

5:30 - 6:30 PM

Chicago Council on Global Affairs Conference Center; McCormick Foundation Hall; 130 East Randolph Street

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Today, over 800 million people around the world suffer from chronic food insecurity, many in need of lifesaving food assistance. The main driver of hunger today is man-made conflict, evident in humanitarian emergencies like Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and others. This talk will provide a snapshot of hunger today, outline how the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is addressing food insecurity in some of the toughest environments on the planet, and examine the ways that conflict drives hunger and new evidence on the ways food insecurity can be a driver of instability. Please join The Pearson Institute for the November edition of our Lunch and Learn series featuring Chase Sova, Senior Director of Public Policy and Research at World Food Program USA and Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Global Food Security Project.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

12:45-1:45 PM

Keller Center Sky Suite

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Please join The Pearson Institute for an edition of our Distinguished Speaker Series as we welcome former Colombian High Commissioner for Peace Sergio Jaramillo Caro for a conversation with Institute Director and University Professor James Robinson. In Colombia, a peace agreement was signed between the government and the FARC in 2016. But what are practical strategies for rebuilding legitimate authority from scratch? How long does it take, and what are the trade-offs? Mr. Jaramillo and Professor Robinson will reflect on these questions in the case of Colombia and beyond, as they discuss how to change a society.

Monday, November 11, 2019

12:30-1:30 PM

Keller Center Sky Suite

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