Stimson Center Honors Nokia and James Stavridis with Pragmatist + Idealist Awards Nov. 15

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Stimson Center will honor Nokia Corporation and retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis – now dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University – with the Center's annual Pragmatist + Idealist Awards on Friday, Nov. 15.

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The honorees are being recognized for their work to strengthen international security by helping countries in the developing world improve the lives of their people.

The annual awards will be presented at the Embassy of Finland at an evening gala hosted by Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde. The gala will follow a session at Stimson from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on the topic of "Bridging the Divide Between Security and Development."

The morning session will feature a conversation between Stimson Chairman Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr. and Stavridis, along with two panel discussions on the topics of "Interagency Responses to the Security/Development Divide" and "The Role of the Private Sector in Meeting Global Challenges."

Additional participants in the morning event will include: U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator for Africa Earl W. Gast; New York Times Reporter Eric Schmitt; Nokia Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs Leo Fitzsimon; Palantir Technologies Philanthropy Engineer Zach Romanow; Facebook Public Policy Manager Matt Perault; and Stimson Managing Director Brian Finlay.

The day's events will highlight the work of Stimson's Managing Across Boundaries Initiative, headed by Finlay. The Initiative works to develop innovative and pragmatic public-private responses to transnational challenges including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illicit trafficking, terrorism, the spread of disease, the counterfeiting of intellectual property, and environmental crimes.

"Nokia is a leader in corporate social responsibility and has a long record of promoting security and development through innovative public-private partnerships around the world," Bloomfield said. "Nokia shows that the private sector can play an important role in advancing development as part of a successful business model."

Nokia, based in Finland, is a global leader in mobile communications. The company is known for its pioneering work in bringing mobile phone technology to millions of people in the developing world.

"James Stavridis understands that security and development are intertwined, and knows you can't have one without the other," said Stimson President and CEO Ellen Laipson. "He's known for stressing the need for partnerships with other nations, between agencies and with the private sector to strengthen both development and security."

Stavridis was supreme allied commander of NATO from 2009 until his retirement from the Navy this year. He served as commander of U.S. Southern Command, with responsibility for all military operations in Latin America, from 2006-2009.

Among earlier assignments, Stavridis led the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group from 2002 to 2004, conducting combat operations in the Persian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He also served as executive assistant to Navy Secretary Richard Danzig during the Clinton administration and as a senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

The Stimson Center is a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank that seeks pragmatic solutions for some of the most important peace and security challenges around the world. Stimson was recently honored with a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

SOURCE Stimson Center