MEMORANDUM

TO: Dr. Anwar Mohammed Garqash

FROM: David Rothkopf
CC: Amb. Yousef Al Otaiba
DATE: June 18, 2015
RE: CVE PeaceGame Reflections

Our fourth PeaceGame more fully than ever realized the promise and ambition we had for
this series when we created it. This memo offers a summary of the highlights of the event,
which was significantly higher profile, higher impact, and more compelling than any to
date. It was clear evidence that - following directly on the ideas you offered up at our last
discussion on this - weve hit on a winning formula: bringing together the leading minds in
foreign policy in a novel format, engaging unconventional partners, and tackling the most
pressing issues of the day.
The caliber of participants at this PeaceGame was our best yet. Everyone at the table
brought tremendous experience and expertise to the discussion, which was framed and
enriched by remarks from two former National Security Advisors: Tom Donilon and Steven
Hadley, top U.S. intelligence official and National Intelligence Council Chairman Greg
Treverton, and Prof. Graham Allison from Harvards Kennedy School. Throughout, we also
engaged the broader community of policymakers, thinkers, and media, starting at the
kickoff dinner which featured the powerful new virtual reality film Clouds over Sidra,
using this new technology to bring our guests into a Syrian refugee camp. The buzz
continued the next day, when an engaged audience of almost 200 at our venue and
thousands more online made #PeaceGame the top trending hashtag on twitter for
Washington DC during the morning of the event.
Ill also be co-authoring an article for Foreign Policy early next week with USIP President
Nancy Lindborg on the key lessons for policymakers in effectively countering violent
extremism. Well focus on three dichotomies that emerged in the discussion: the
importance of balancing and integrating hard and soft power solutions, the need to think
about violent extremism globally and locally, and the challenge of promoting collaboration
between the public and private sectors that ensures each plays the most appropriate role.
In addition to these three dichotomies, the event produced a number of critical insights for
policymakers that included:
New Approaches to Violent Extremism: The pervasive view on countering violent
extremism by combatting and poking holes in radical ideology is not enough. Going
forward, it must be paired with strategies to prevent violent extremism that address
conditions on the ground, and the development of new national narratives that strengthen
civil society and give young Muslims motivation to engage in their home countries
Developing New Strategies: There has been a profound failure, to date, to integrate hard
power strategies like military force in Iraq and Syria, with soft power tools that address the
root causes of radicalization. Governments need to learn from past mistakes to create
programs moving forward that are evidence based and data driven, and identify and target
key choke points, where small, concentrated action can have a widespread impact.
Localized, Targeted Action: Building on early successes in community-based CVE
programs, like the Danish Aarhus model, policymakers should focus on localized,
neighborhood-based action that delegates responsibility to local actors and facilitates
public-private partnerships. Efforts should be undertaken in the context of active
community building, rather than as standalone CVE strategies, to ensure buy in and trust
Dealing with Returning Extremists: The next great challenge is for countries to develop
strategies to deal with the inevitable return of extremists. This requires tailored strategies
to deal with the diversity of returnees, implement programs to mainstream them back into
society, require returnees to be ambassadors against extremism, and train politicians and
police forces to prepare for failures should returnees cause problems or engage in violence.

We have also begun work on the newest parts of the PeaceGame program, including an
event in Brussels (as you suggested) on September 10, briefing top EU policymakers and
influential thinkers on the conclusions of the June event. To enhance impact, we are also
instituting a series of high-level briefings for top US policymakers on the PeaceGames
conclusions and the questions it has raised. At the same time, Graham Allisons
involvement marked the beginning of Harvards role as a partner in PeaceGame and we
have meetings with them shortly to begin planning a national curriculum and essay contest
built around PeaceGame content. (As you and I also discussed, we expect to expand
Harvards role and dial back USIPs role over the months and years ahead.) Finally, we
have scheduled the next PeaceGame in Abu Dhabi for December 9-10. Needless to say, we
are looking forward to growing that program as well and your playing the expanded role
we discussed (while bringing in more high level participants from around the UAE, the
region, the US and the EU.)
In a very short period of time, this project has become a highly-respected, influential part of
the global discussion on these issues and we are confident we can continue our upward
trajectory and great collaboration with you in the months and years to come.
I look forward to answering any questions you may have and discussing next steps further.
Id be happy to do this via the telephone or in person should you either be visiting the U.S.
any time soon or should you wish me to come to meet with you in Abu Dhabi.
I hope you are well.
DJR