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The 2023 Sedona Forum

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The McCain Institute convened its 10th annual Sedona Forum on May 5-6, 2023, featuring lawmakers, journalists, military leaders, business executives, and more. The 2023 Sedona Forum theme, “Indispensable Power,” examined the diplomatic, military, and economic means employed to protect democracy, human rights, and the global competitive edge.

CBS News served as a broadcast media partner, and POLITICO served as a digital media partner.

3:00 PM – 3:10 PM:

Welcome

Governor Katie Hobbs
Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas
Rick Davis


3:10 PM – 3:45 PM:

Elevating Political Discourse, Finding Lasting Solutions & Renewing American Confidence in Democracy

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema
Margaret Brennan

VIEW REPLAY


4:00 PM – 4:40 PM:

Maintaining America’s Edge – A View From Arizona

Brette Steele
Gov. Katie Hobbs
Major Garrett


VIEW REPLAY


4:40 PM – 5:00 PM:

Courage and Leadership Award

Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas
Elisa Massimino
Lily Pourzand


VIEW REPLAY

5:00 PM – 5:15 PM:

Rethinking Humanitarian Response for Today’s World

Scott Nemeth
Nate Mook

VIEW REPLAY


6:30 PM – 8:30 PM:

The Sedona Leadership Dinner

Kissinger Fellowship Introduction: Minister Kono Taro
Keynote Conversation: Adm. John C. Aquilino

*The Sedona Leadership Dinner will not be livestreamed.
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2:40 pm - 2:50 pm

Welcome Remarks

• Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute
• Dr. Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University

image with no alt attributes Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas image with no alt attributes Dr. Michael M. Crow
2:50 pm - 3:05 pm

A View from Arizona

• Rick Davis, Partner, Stonecourt Capital & Chairman, Board of Trustees, McCain Institute
• Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s 24th Governor
• Scott Jablow, Mayor, Sedona

image with no alt attributes Rick Davis image with no alt attributes Gov. Katie Hobbs image with no alt attributes Scott Jablow
3:05 pm - 3:45 pm

Stirring Up Change in Africa and the Middle East

• Anaïse Kanimba, Human Rights Defender, World Liberty Congress
• Roya Mahboob, CEO, Afghan Citadel Software Company

Moderator:
Elisa Massimino, Executive Director, Human Rights Institute, Georgetown University Law Center

image with no alt attributes Anaïse Kanimba image with no alt attributes Roya Mahboob Sed-_0054_Elisa-Massimino Elisa Massimino
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm

Democracy Under Pressure

• Amb. David Pressman, Former United States Ambassador to Hungary
• Dr. Dan Twining, President, International Republican Institute
• Damon Wilson, President & CEO, National Endownment for Democracy

Moderator:
Ishaan Tharoor, Foreign Affairs Columnist, The Washington Post

image with no alt attributes Amb. David Pressman image with no alt attributes Dr. Dan Twining image with no alt attributes Damon Wilson image with no alt attributes Ishaan Tharoor
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm

American Power at Home and Abroad

• Sen. James Lankford, United States Senator, Oklahoma

In Conversation with:
• Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Former United States Senator, Arizona

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5:00 pm - 5:15 pm

Concluding Remarks

• Doug Ducey, Former Governor, Arizona

Sed-_0056_Doug-Ducey Gov. Doug Ducey
7:00 pm - 8:45 pm

The Sedona Forum Leadership Dinner

This portion of the program will not livestreamed.

Welcome remarks by Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute

Tribute video to Dikembe Mutombo

Presentation of the In The Arena Award
Presentation by Jack McCain, CEO, Blue Sky

• Michael Bidwill, Principal Owner, Arizona Cardinals

Keynote Program:

• Adm. Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

In Conversation With:
• Demetri Sevastopulo, U.S.-China Correspondent, Financial Times

Conclusion:
• Rick Davis, Partner, Stonecourt Capital & Chair, Board of Trustees, McCain Institute

image with no alt attributes Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas image with no alt attributes Jack McCain image with no alt attributes Adm. Sam Paparo image with no alt attributes Demetri Sevastopulo image with no alt attributes Rick Davis image with no alt attributes Michael Bidwill
8:30 am - 8:35 am

Opening Remarks

• Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute
• Rick Davis, Partner, Stonecourt Capital & Chair, Board of Trustees, McCain Institute

image with no alt attributes Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas image with no alt attributes Rick Davis
8:35 am - 8:50 am

Presentation of the Courage & Leadership Award

Presentation by Jimmy McCain, Director of Government Affairs, Hensley Beverage

• María Corina Machado, Leader of the Venezuelan Democratic Movement
• Ana Corina Sosa Machado, Chief of Staff to the President, Celonis

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8:50 am - 9:30 am

Eastern Frontlines: Russia, Ukraine, and the New World Order

• Rep. Jason Crow, United States Congressman, Colorado’s 6th District
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator, Minnesota
• Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader, Republic of Belarus

Moderator:
• Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute

image with no alt attributes Rep. Jason Crow Sed-_0073_Amy-Klobuchar Sen. Amy Klobuchar image with no alt attributes Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya image with no alt attributes Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas
9:30 am - 10:10 am

Signal in the Noise: Cybersecurity, Intelligence, and Data

• Sue Gordon, Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence
• Sen. Mark Kelly, United States Senator, Arizona
• Frances Fragos Townsend, Former Counterterrorism & Homeland Security Advisor

Moderator:
• Shane Harris, Staff Writer, The Atlantic

image with no alt attributes Sue Gordon image with no alt attributes Sen. Mark Kelly image with no alt attributes Frances Fragos Townsend image with no alt attributes Shane Harris
10:25 am - 11:05 am

The New Industrial Stack: AI, Chips, and Energy as Strategic Assets

• Jeff Guldner, Former Chairman & CEO, Pinnacle West Capital Corp.
• Sec. Gina Raimondo, Former Secretary of Commerce, Former Governor of Rhode Island & Distinguished Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
• Ryan Tseng, Co-Founder, Shield AI

Moderator:
• Lev Gonick, Chief Information Officer, Enterprise Technology, Arizona State University

image with no alt attributes Jeff Guldner image with no alt attributes Sec. Gina M. Raimondo image with no alt attributes Ryan Tseng image with no alt attributes Lev Gonick
11:05 am - 11:45 am

American Economic Leadership

• Sen. Cynthia Lummis, United States Senator, Wyoming
• Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Former United States Senator, Arizona

Moderator:
• Eliza Collins, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

image with no alt attributes Cynthia Lummis image with no alt attributes Sen. Kyrsten Sinema image with no alt attributes Eliza Collins
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

“A Cause Greater Than” Lunch Discussion

Remarks and Introduction by Meghan Latcovich, Chief of Staff, World Food Programme

• Amb. Cindy McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme

In Conversation With:
• Kelly O’Donnell, Senior White House Correspondent, NBC News

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1:15 pm - 1:55 pm

Powering Partnerships: The Geopolitics of Trade and Energy

• Sen. Ruben Gallego, United States Senator, Arizona
• Rep. Craig Goldman, United States Congressman, Texas’ 12th District
• Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, United States Senator, Rhode Island

Moderator:
• Jon Decker, White House Correspondent & Senior National Editor, Gray TV & McCain Institute Media Fellow

image with no alt attributes Sen. Ruben Gallego image with no alt attributes Rep. Craig Goldman image with no alt attributes Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse jon Jon Decker
1:55 pm - 2:35 pm

The Great Wall of Influence: A Look Into China

Introduction by Elbegdorj Tsakhia, Former President & Prime Minister, Mongolia

• Liz Economy, Hargrove Senior Fellow & Co-Chair of the Program on U.S., China, and the World, The Hoover Institution, Stanford University
• Chris Johnson, President & CEO, China Strategies Group
• Andrew Shearer, Director-General of National Intelligence, Office of National Intelligence, Australia

Moderator:
• Josh Rogin, Lead Global Security Analyst, Washington Post Intelligence

image with no alt attributes Elizabeth Economy image with no alt attributes Christopher Johnson image with no alt attributes Andrew Shearer image with no alt attributes Josh Rogin image with no alt attributes Elbegdorj Tsakhia
2:50 pm - 3:30 pm

Muscle Memory: Military Power in the Middle East

• Gen. Frank McKenzie, Executive Director, Global & National Security Institute, University of South Florida
• Rep. Seth Moulton, United States Congressman, Massachusetts’ 6th District

Moderator:
• Courtney Kube, Correspondent, NBC News

image with no alt attributes Frank McKenzie image with no alt attributes Rep. Seth Moulton image with no alt attributes Courtney Kube
3:30 pm - 4:15 pm

Freedom on Trial

• Amb. Roger D. Carstens, John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Distinguished Senior Fellow, McCain Institute
• Vladimir Kara-Murza, Vice President, Free Russia Foundation
• Alsu Kurmasheva, Russian & American Journalist, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Moderator:
• Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, CEO, Knight Foundation

image with no alt attributes Amb. Roger D. Carstens image with no alt attributes Vladimir Kara-Murza image with no alt attributes Alsu Kurmasheva image with no alt attributes Maribel Pérez Wadsworth
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm

Politics as Usual or Politics Unusual?

• David Axelrod, Chief Political Analyst, CNN & Professor of Practice, Arizona State University
• Rick Davis, Partner, Stonecourt Capital & Chair, Board of Trustees, McCain Institute

Moderator:
• Major Garrett, Chief Washington Correspondent, CBS News

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5:00 pm - 5:05 pm

Closing Remarks

• Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute

image with no alt attributes Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas
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