Join YPFP NY and the EastWest Institute as we spend an evening speaking with Joshua Keating, author of the new book Invisible Countries: Journeys to the Edge of Nationhood, as he asks what is a country, and in what ways traditional concepts of statehood are changing.

Keating spent time working to understand the self-proclaimed countries of Abkhazia, Kurdistan, Somaliland, a Mohawk reservation straddling the U.S.-Canada border, and an island nation where the land is likely to disappear because of climate change. These four fascinating places challenge the tacit rules of what makes a country a country. Through stories about these would-be countries’ efforts at self-determination, as well as their respective challenges, Keating shows that there is no universal legal authority determining what a country is.

Join us for this incredible event from 6:30-8pm on Thursday, September 6th. Wine and light hors d'oeuvres will be served. RSVP now to reserve your spot!

About Joshua Keating:

Joshua Keating is a staff writer and editor at Slate focusing on international news, U.S. foreign policy and the intersection of politics and social science. His first book, Invisible Countries, an exploration of border changes, the creation of new countries, and the future of the world map, was published by Yale University Press in 2018. Before coming to Slate, he was an editor and writer for six years at Foreign Policy. He has reported from countries including Iraq, Somalia, Russia, China and Haiti. His work has also been published by the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Smithsonian Magazine and Roads & Kingdoms, and he has been featured as a commentator on international affairs on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, the BBC and Al-Jazeera. A native of New York City and a graduate of Oberlin College, he now lives in Washington, D.C.

SPEAKERS:

Joshua Keating
Staff Writer, Slate

Cameron Munter
CEO, EastWest Institute

Image: "Berlin. World map" (CC BY 2.0) by Oh-Berlin.com