On February 20–21, 2025, the Mroz Global Leadership Institute hosted its 4th Annual Summit, “Diplomacy, Global Governance, and Transitional Justice.” We brought to campus diplomats, journalists, academics, and practitioners to explore the role of diplomacy in international dispute resolution, the role of international law in holding leaders accountable for crimes against civilians, and the importance of new international mechanisms in response to grand corruption.
The summit opened with a celebration of the life and legacy of Karen Linehan Mroz, whose vision and dedication were instrumental in founding the Institute. A passionate advocate for the College of Charleston students, Karen mentored many of them and championed work with women’s organizations and displaced persons in the Middle East. Her legacy was honored through heartfelt reflections from student mentees, members of faculty and administration who worked with her, and with a keynote address by Randa Fahmy, who shared personal stories of Karen’s work in the Middle East.
Our sessions included a fireside chat on El Salvador’s civil war, a panel discussion about Emily Whalen’s book on the EastWest Institute’s diplomacy efforts and its legacy, and talks by scholars and practitioners on international anti-corruption measures, peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes, and impunity of country leaders.
The recordings from previous summits are available on the Mroz Institute YouTube Channel. The recordings from this summit are coming soon.
- 2024 Summit on Conflict, Cooperation, and Diplomacy
- 2023 Food Security Summit
- 2022 Mroz Institute Inaugural Convening
Program
Thursday, February 20, 2025
- 3pm-3:50pm. Session 1: Karen Linehan Mroz and her impact on CofC and students“ – remarks by President Hsu, Provost Austin, Dean Arias, Dean Ganaway, Dr. Pehl, and Dean White.
- 4pm-4:50pm. Session 2: Fireside chat on El Salvador’s civil war through the lens of a photographer – with Robert Nickelsberg and Dr. John Thomas. Robert Nickelsberg worked as a TIME magazine photographer for 30 years, specializing in political and cultural change in South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. His recent book is “Legacy of Lies: Images From El Salvador’s Civil War.” Dr. Thomas is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the College of Charleston.
- 5pm-5:50pm. Session 3: “Mentor, Mother, and Middle East Maven: The Life and Legacy of Karen Mroz“ – Keynote Address by Randa Fahmy. Randa Fahmy is internationally recognized for her work in global government affairs, energy policy and national security with more than 30 years of legal and public policy experience, including service in the executive and legislative branches of the US government.
- 6:00 pm. Welcome reception
Friday, February 21, 2025
- 9am-9:50am. Session 4: Panel discussion with Dr. Emily Whalen about her book “A Better World: John Edwin Mroz and the EastWest Institute, 1980-2020, a Microhistory of Track II Diplomacy.” Dr. Emily Whalen is a historian of U.S. foreign policy and of the Middle East. She is a Senior Non-resident Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
- 10am-10:50am Session 5: “The Peaceful Resolution of Disputes” by Dr. Emilia Justyna Powell, Professor of Political Science and Law at the University of Notre Dame. Co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of Charleston.
- 11am-11:50am. Session 6. “From Impunity to Accountability: Grand Corruption and the Path to the International Anti-Corruption Court” by Ambassador Allan Rock, former Canadian Ambassador to the UN and a former Interior Minister of Canada. Currently, he is a member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity and a Senior Advisor to the World Refugee and Migration Council.
- Noon-12:50pm. Session 7: “Can Leaders Get Away with Mass Murder? Do Global Human Rights Norms Still Matter?” by Ambassador Stephen Rapp, US ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice (2009- 2015) and Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
