The conference features discussions on diplomacy, food security and unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones. Each panel or presentation highlights local and global trends related to these pressing issues.

The morning keynote features Ambassador Gary Grappo, former Head of Mission for the Office of the Quartet Representative Tony Blair, in Jerusalem.

A food-security panel will provide聽local insights on the issue from Gabriela Othon Lothrop, market director for East End Market, a neighborhood market and food hub in the Audubon Park Garden District of Orlando; national insights from Ricardo Salvador, director, Food and Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists; and global insights from Jonathan Foley, director, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota.

The panel on unmanned aerial vehicles will be moderated by John C. Bersia, special assistant to the president for Global Perspectives at 麻豆原创, and includes local perspectives on the issue from Lt. Chris Francisco, Emergency Management/Homeland Security Section, High Risk Incident Command Division, Orange County Sheriff鈥檚 Office; and national and global insights from Bernard Finel, associate professor of National Security Strategy, National War College.

The luncheon keynote will feature Tamara Wittes, senior fellow and director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution.

麻豆原创 students, faculty and staff, and Central Florida community members are invited to attend but advance registration is required. Registration is provided at no cost, thanks to the event鈥檚 sponsors. To register, or for more information, email global@ucf.edu.

In addition to Global Perspectives, sponsors and partners of the event include the 麻豆原创 Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies, The India Center at 麻豆原创, 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Studies, 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, 麻豆原创 China-Taiwan Cross-Strait Program, 麻豆原创 Kurdish Political Studies Initiative, 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Human Trafficking Awareness Program, 麻豆原创 Isle of Man Small Countries Program, Chastang Charitable Foundation, The India Group, Orange County Sheriff鈥檚 Department, 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

Associate Professor Bernard Finel of the National War College told a 麻豆原创 audience Tuesday that the U.S. has reached a stalemate.

鈥淲e are no closer to 鈥榲ictory鈥� after ten years,鈥� he said. 鈥淪uccesses are matched by reversals. As one country gets better, another gets worse.鈥�

Finel鈥檚 presentation, which was organized by 麻豆原创鈥檚 Global Perspectives Office, drew more than 150 students, faculty and members of the community. The forum was part of the office鈥檚 2010-2011 programming theme 鈥淕lobal Peace and Security.鈥�

Finel, an adjunct fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan think tank American Security Project, authors ASP鈥檚 annual report, 鈥淎re We Winning? Measuring Progress in the Struggle Against al-Qaeda and Associated Movements.鈥�

ASP鈥檚 annual report aims to quantify America鈥檚 progress in the Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism, or the Long War. Based on 10 categories, which include terrorist incidents, al-Qaeda leadership and state sponsorship of terrorism, the report provides measurable results to gauge U.S. progress.

Finel discussed the latest report鈥檚 findings and broader implications during his presentation at 麻豆原创. The bottom line, he said, is that the U.S. is at a deadlock.

Finel said incidents of Islamist terrorism have increased, and domestic attitudes have become more radicalized with the recent anti-mosque movement at Ground Zero. Though al-Qaeda鈥檚 popularity seemed to wane in the last few years, affiliated movements are now thriving in Yemen and Somalia, he said.

What is worse, he added, is that Muslim attitudes about the U.S. are as poor as ever. Any 鈥淥bama effect鈥� that might have improved the U.S. image abroad has been dampened by the continued support of Israel or military presence in Afghanistan.

It is difficult to 鈥渄rain the swamp鈥� of support for terrorism if the U.S. cannot first win hearts and minds, Finel said.

Citing the tremendous human and financial costs of the Long War, Finel asked if the audience was satisfied with the war鈥檚 progress, productivity and cost.

He argued that the U.S. is engaged in a long war, but fighting as if it were a short battle. Managing the terrorist threat until the next generation can displace current Islamist extremism is where the U.S. stands to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

In addition to the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, sponsors included the Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, LarsonAllen LLP, the 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, the 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Terrorism Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

Finel鈥檚 presentation, 鈥淎re We Winning? Measuring Progress in the Struggle Against Terrorism,鈥� will begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, in the Key West Ballroom of the Student Union. The event is free and open to the public.

Finel is an associate professor of national security strategy at the U.S. National War College and an adjunct fellow at the American Security Project, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.

He is the lead author of the ASP鈥檚 annual report, 鈥淎re We Winning? Measuring Progress in the Struggle against Violent Jihadism.鈥� Finel previously served as a senior fellow at the ASP, where he focused on counter-terrorism and defense policy.

Finel was a professor of military strategy and operations at the U.S. National War College from 2004 to 2006. From 1994 to 2004, he held various positions at Georgetown University, most notably executive director of the security studies program and Center for Peace and Security Studies.

Sponsors of Finel鈥檚 presentation include the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, The Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, LarsonAllen LLP, the 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, the 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Terrorism Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

To learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit or follow the office on Twitter at .