*State Capacity in Times of Unrest: State Response to Violence, Insurgency & Drug Trade from the Caucasus to Afghanistan*

The Social Science Research Council invites you to attend the second in a series of webinars on timely issues relevant to Eurasia. These quarterly discussions bring a range of specialists together for a comprehensive analysis of specific topics on changing resources in Eurasia. The webinar will begin with presentations by specialists followed by a Q&A session. Our distinguished panelists include:

*DR. JASON LYALL* is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Yale University. His research focuses on the dynamics of violence and sources of military effectiveness in insurgencies. He has conducted fieldwork in Russia and, most recently, Afghanistan.

*DR. ERICA MARAT* has analyzed a wide range of Eurasian issues, including labor migration, transnational organized crime & state capacity. Her recent work focuses on how the relationship between organized crime and the state have weakened political institutions, engendered violence, and sustained impoverishment of populations.

*JOSHUA FOUST* is a military intelligence analyst who specializes in the socio-cultural dynamics of irregular warfare. He has served as a defense and intelligence consultant for the U.S. government; his recent work focuses on how commercial, off-the-shelf technologies are exploited by insurgency movements.

Panelists will cover key issues including:
• How has organized crime penetrated Central Asian state structures? What is the impact of this phenomenon on the state’s ability to serve its citizens?
• How does low state capacity fuel the burgeoning opium trade in Afghanistan? What is the larger impact on Russia and the Central Asian states?
• How does the prolonged insurgency in the Caucasus affect Russia and its neighbors?


Dr. Alexandra Vacroux, Program Officer of the SSRC Eurasia Program will moderate the event.

This webinar is supported by the Department of State Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

*Title:*
/State Capacity in Times of Unrest: State Response to Violence, Insurgency & Drug Trade from the Caucasus to Afghanistan/    

*Date:*
Monday, December 14, 2009   

*Time:*
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

*System Requirements:*
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

*Space is limited.*
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/901362770

*Questions?*

Please contact the SSRC Eurasia Program at eurasia@ssrc.org