This panel focuses on the ongoing struggle between Islamists and liberals in capturing the heart of the Arab revolutions. The discussion highlights key questions, such as: What is democracy in the Middle East? How can countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya reconcile pluralism with liberalism? Has the Arab Spring really been the "Islamist Spring?" Speakers: Madeleine K. Albright, Richard Haass, Mona Eltahawy, Andrea Mitchell

From The Iliad to Dispatches to Black Hawk Down, books about wars determine how they are viewed for generations. What are the rules of writing about war, and who should shape the story? Those who serve? Those who observe? Can a novelist ever tell us things a forward-deployed officer cannot? And what of timing? When is it too soon to draw conclusions about a war? Three novelists and a journalist discuss the challenges of writing about America's wars. Lea Carpenter Ben Fountain Karl Marlantes...

The biggest threat to the United States comes not from abroad but from within. This is the provocative, timely, and unexpected message of Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass. Richard Haass Andrea Mitchell

For 50 years, Lester Crown, a revered American business leader and renowned philanthropist, has been one of the most important leaders of the American Jewish community and one of America's staunchest supporters of Israel. In this candid conversation, he will discuss where things have gone right in Israel and where they've gone wrong. Speakers: Lester Crown, Jeffrey Goldberg

The changing face of diplomacy in the 21st century is driven by new tools of statecraft: soft power, economic support, access to technology, and public-private partnerships. Why will these be successful? Speakers: Madeleine K. Albright, David Ensor, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Richard Wilhelm

Charged with overseeing Israel's war on terror—both Palestinian and Jewish—the head of the Shin Bet, Israel's secret service, is present at the crossroads of every decision made. For the first time ever, six former heads of the agency agreed to share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions. The Gatekeepers offers an exclusive account of the sum of their successes and failures. It validates the reasons that each man individually and the six as a group came to...

Why the effects of drought have so much to do with the revolutionary inclinations of a frustrated populace. Is climate a cause of the Arab Spring? Speakers: Solly Granatstein, Thomas L. Friedman

How domestic politics affect Middle-East peacemaking. Speakers: Jeremy Ben-Ami, Jane Harman, Jeffrey Goldberg, David Weigel, Richard Haass

For decades, liberal democracy has been extolled as the best system of governance to have emerged out of the long experience of history. Today, such a confident assertion is far from self-evident. Democracy, in crisis across the West, must prove itself. Nicolas Berggruen, investor and leader of a non partisan think tank focused on good governance, shares his views regarding what we need to think about in the 21st century with The Atlantic's national correspondent, James Fallows. Speakers:...

From Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins comes Girl Rising, an innovative feature film about girls around the world who are striving beyond circumstances and pushing past their limits. Their remarkable stories affirm the power of education to change a girl — and the world. Underwritten by Booz Allen Hamilton Speakers: Richard E. Robbins, Tom Yellin, Pamela Reeves, Mona Eltahawy, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, Peggy Clark

Underwritten by Booz Allen Hamilton Speakers Nicholas Burns, Amos Yadlin, and Jeffrey Goldberg discuss diplomacy.

This panel will explore the current state of female empowerment in the Arab world in the wake of the Arab revolutions. The Arab revolutions had the potential to offer women in the region new opportunities for political, social, and economic empowerment. Have the region’s transitions delivered on that potential? What are the obstacles that remain? Speakers: Mona Eltahawy, Monique Villa, Farahnaz Ispahani, Shiza Shahid, Nadia Al-Sakkaf

Underwritten by Booz Allen Hamilton Speakers: Nicholas Burns, Amos Yadlin, Jeffrey Goldberg

With the accelerated US drawdown of forces in Afghanistan, what lies ahead for Pakistan? What remain the greatest threats to stability in Pakistan? How can the international community play a positive role in Pakistan's economic development and political stability? Is there a substantial role for the United States? Speakers: Stanley A. McChrystal, David Ignatius, Husain Haqqani Underwritten by Booz Allen Hamilton

Barham Salih, David Ignatius, and Jeffrey Goldberg are featured here discussing Iraq and the future of the Middle East.

Shabana Basij-Rasikh, Nadia Al-Sakkaf, Farahnaz Ispahani, and Toni Verstandig are featured on this panel to discuss raising women in the Middle East.