The 32nd Annual Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy featuring the Honorable Samantha Power
The Honorable Samantha Power, an Irish-American journalist, diplomat, and government official, will headline the 32nd Annual Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy, hosted by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, part of the Keough School of Global Affairs.
In her talk, "Aid, Alliances, and Advantage: The Case for Self-Interest, Rightly Understood," Ambassador Power will make use of Alexis de Tocqueville’s concept of “self-interest, rightly understood” to examine the United States’ recent turn away from foreign assistance, European alliances and other traditional mainstays in U.S. foreign policy.
Drawing on her experience as Administrator of USAID (2021–2025) and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2013–2017), Power will argue that self-interest need not be zero-sum. She will mine previous historical debates about U.S. foreign assistance and alliances to show how domestic political concerns can be addressed and a conception of enlightened self-interest can be advanced. Even in our politically polarized era, she will argue that “self-interest, rightly understood” should be revived as a guiding principle for U.S. foreign policy in an increasingly interconnected and perilous world.
Asher Kaufman, John M. Regan, Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute and a professor of history and peace studies, will offer the welcome and background about the long-running Hesburgh Lecture series. Richard (Drew) Marcantonio, assistant professor of environment, peace and global affairs, will introduce Ambassador Power, and Tracy Kijewski-Correa, William J. Pulte Director of the Keough School's Pulte Institute for Global Development, a professor of global affairs, and the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Structural Engineering and Hazard Resilience, will facilitate a Q&A with the audience and offer closing remarks.
The lecture will take place in person in McKenna Hall, Rms. 215-216, and large bags and backpacks must be checked pre-event and will be held in a roped-off area until the event is over.
The event will also be livestreamed. To attend virtually, register here.
The annual Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy, established by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in 1995, honors the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of Notre Dame, a global champion of peace and justice, and the founder of the Kroc Institute. Each year a distinguished scholar, policymaker, and/or peace advocate is invited by the Kroc Institute director to deliver a major lecture on an issue related to ethics and public policy in the context of peace and justice.