Halifax International Security Forum invites subject experts with significant practical experience to volunteer their time throughout the summer months to discuss and debate ideas to be addressed head-on at Halifax in November. The guidance provided by the Agenda Working Group ensures that Halifax International Security Forum plays its part in shaping the coming year’s global security agenda.

Halifax International Security Forum is proud that the agenda presented to its participants each year is acutely relevant and reflects conversations that are happening in capitals around the world. In the cases where these issues are not yet top-of-mind for decision makers, Halifax International Security Forum is pleased to create those conversations that will gain attention and inspire international action.

Alyssa Ayres

Dean Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University

Johan Bergenas

Senior Vice President, Oceans World Wildlife Fund – US

Ian Brodie

Professor, Department of Political Science University of Calgary

Rosa Brooks

Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Policy, Georgetown University Law Center

Shari Bryan

Executive Director, Mines Advisory Group – US

Eva Busza

Regional Director, Eurasia Programs National Democratic Institute

Leslie Campbell

Senior Associate and Regional Director, National Democratic Institute

Comfort Ero

President and CEO, International Crisis Group

Dean Fealk

Managing Partner and Chair for Global Strategy & Innovation, DLA Piper

John Glenn

Senior Director, International Forum for Democratic Studies National Endowment for Democracy

Jerrold Green

Senior Fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations, Cedar Sinai Health System and UCLA

Heather Hurlburt

Associate Fellow, Chatham House

Rachel Kleinfeld

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

François Lafond

President, Blue Networks and Opportunities

Nancy Okail

President and CEO, Center for International Policy

C. Dixon Osburn

Executive Director, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Roland Paris

Director, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs University of Ottawa

Luis Rubio

Chairman, México Evalúa

Chris Sabatini

Senior Fellow for Latin America, Chatham House

Paul Salem

President and Chief Executive Officer, Middle East Institute

Randy Scheunemann

Strategic Counselor, HFX

Janice Stein

Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management and Founding Director, The Munk School, University of Toronto

Constanze Stelzenmüller

Director and Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic Relations, Center on the Unites States and Europe The Brookings Institution

Yun Sun

Director and Senior Fellow, China Program Stimson Center

Peter Van Praagh

President, HFX

W. Bruce Weinrod

Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University

Successfully advancing HFX’s mission to strengthen strategic cooperation among the world’s democracies requires leading international entrepreneurs getting more involved with HFX’s global network of democratic political and military leaders. As members of Club HFX: The Pro-Democracy Business Group, business leaders have an unmatched opportunity to inject new ideas into government policymakers’ calculations and simultaneously gain real understanding about how governments are thinking about the global security environment. 

Halifax International Security Forum is fortunate to benefit from supporting organizations that contribute to its mission of promoting strategic cooperation among the world’s democracies. The generosity of these organizations is instrumental to our success as we pursue the common goals of building democracy, creating opportunity and promoting peace.