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Determined to Reach a Common Objective

“We knew at the outset that the task would be difficult. We acknowledged that publicly and privately. We knew this would be a road with many bumps— and there have been many bumps—and that continues to this day. But we are not deterred. We are, to the contrary, determined more than ever to proceed to realize the common objective, which we all share, of a Middle East that is at peace with security and prosperity for the people of Israel, for Palestinians, and for all the people in the region. We will continue our efforts in that regard, undeterred and undaunted by the difficulties, the complexities or the bumps in the road.”—George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace, remarks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, September 29, 2010

Middle East Analysis

Upcoming Events

The U.S. Agency for International Development and Conflict: Hard Lessons from the Field

May 17, 2011, 12:00pm – 1:15pm

From Afghanistan and Iraq to Pakistan, Somalia, and South Sudan, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, is engaged daily in trying to help some of the most troubled nations on the planet make a lasting transition to stability, open markets, and democracy. Few areas of the agency’s work are more challenging or more controversial.

Join us for remarks by, and a roundtable with, the deputy administrator of USAID, Ambassador

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James Pickup

Jim Pickup is a partner at DLA Piper, an international law firm, and president of the Middle East Investment Initiative (MEII), a unique public/private partnership designed to foster economic activity, create new jobs and help people in the Palestinian territories and elsewhere in the Middle East build a more secure and prosperous future. He also serves on the board of directors of the Iraq Middle Market Development Foundation (IMMDF), which is working across Iraq to provide large commercial loans to private Iraqi businesses, and as an adviser to the Center for American Progress, a progressive U.S. think tank, for its work in the Middle East.

In 2000 and 2001, Mr. Pickup served as Sen. George Mitchell’s representative when the senator chaired the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, an international committee established by the United States, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union and the United Nations to examine the crisis between the Israelis and Palestinians and make recommendations to prevent its recurrence. Mr. Pickup played a significant role in the committee’s activities and the drafting of its report, which has become known as the Mitchell Plan.

Mr. Pickup serves as outside general counsel to the Aspen Institute and its Board of Trustees, is a member of the Aspen Institute Middle East Strategy Group, and was an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow. In 2007, he was named by DLA Piper as the firm’s national pro bono partner of the year.

Mr. Pickup graduated magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center; received a Master in International Affairs degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs; and graduated with honors (M.A. hons.) from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.