Proxy Violence and War in Today’s World

CNS Global Summit: Consquences and Policy Challenges

In April 2018, The Center on National Security hosted a Global Summit, “Proxy Violence and War in Today’s World: Consequences and Policy Challenges” at Mohonk Mountain House in upstate New York. The Summit was part of an ongoing project on Proxy Violence, made possible with the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Our aim with this off-the-record, private symposium was to gather a diverse group of international voices and apply their knowledge, experiences, and insights to the specific challenges raised by proxy violence for international diplomacy, counterterrorism, statecraft, and policymaking.

The Summit addressed a broad range of issues:

  • Has the nature, pace and impact of proxy violence changed in recent times?

  • How is proxy seen from the lens of different conflicts? What role does sectarianism play in the use of proxy violence?

  • How has proxy violence affected the course of events and the nature of foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond?

  • What is the impact of proxy violence on the spread of radicalization and the spread of ideology?