On Monday, June 9th, the Institute of Diplomacy hosted Senior Vice President of External Affairs of the World Bank and former Jordanian Foreign Minister, Dr. Marwan Muasher. He spoke to the new diplomatic attachés about his new book "The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation". Dr. Muasher said that most people don't think there is a center in the Arab World. The book, he said, is a firsthand account of his own experience and the efforts of the Arab center to bring about a peaceful end to the Arab-Israeli conflict over the last 20 years or so. This center, according to Muasher, is not holding precisely because it is focused only on the peace process. Moderates on peace are not moderates on other issues of concern to Arab citizens, such as political reform, governance, and cultural diversity, and moderates on reform are not also always moderates on peace. For the Arab center to hold, Muasher added, it needs to apply moderation across the board.

Foreign Minister Salah Al Basher, the Institute's President Husssein Hammami and others attended Dr. Muasher's lecture.