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Said@Duke: Fmr. Ambassador Frederick Barton on American Power

Part of the Said@Duke: 2019-2020 Series
“I would say that in every situation that I’ve been in, there is hope.  Whether we’ve seized on it as much as we could have or invested in it or celebrated it as much as we could have – there’s always been opportunity.” -- Fmr. Amb. Frederick Barton

Former Ambassador Rick Barton joined Duke political scientist Kyle Beardsley this week for a conversation about American power and the problem with peace. Barton teaches at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, where he is a co-director of Princeton's Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative and Ullman Fellowships.

Barton led conflict management initiatives in over 40 crisis zones across the globe, including Haiti, Iraq, Nigeria, Burma, Pakistan and Turkey. His roles included first assistant secretary of state for Conflict and Stabilization Operations (2011-2014), U.S. ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (2009-2011), and founding director of USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (1994-1999).

His 2018 book, "Peace Works: America's Unifying Role in a Turbulent World," uses a mix of stories, history, and analysis to offer an affirmative approach to foreign affairs through concrete and attainable solutions.

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