David C. Speedie

Founder and Former Director, U.S. Global Engagement Program

David Speedie is the founder and former director of the Council's program on U.S. Global Engagement. He is a founding member of The American Committee for East-West Accord.

In 2007–2008, Speedie was also a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Speedie worked at Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1992 to 2007. He joined the Corporation as a program officer in the cooperative security program and was appointed program chair in March 1993, a position he held for almost 12 years. In 2004, he was appointed to serve as special advisor to the president and director of the Corporation's project on Islam.

He was recruited from the W. Alton Jones Foundation where he was codirector of the secure society program and directed, over a five year period, programs in the arts, urban affairs, and the environment. In the 1980s, Speedie was a consultant to nonprofits in management, marketing, and fund-raising as well as director of cultural affairs for Mayor Bill Green in Philadelphia. He also served as the bicentennial liaison officer at the British Embassy in Washington.

For three years, Speedie was a professor of English and drama at the University of St Andrews in his native Scotland. Speedie holds an Honours M.A. [First Class] in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Studies and an M.Litt. from the University of St Andrews. He was a visiting research fellow as a Kennedy scholar at Harvard University from 1971–1973. He has been a book editor and writer for the National Endowment for the Arts' Community Vision, a freelance journalist on politics for The Scotsman, and most recently, a reviewer for the International Journal of Middle East Studies. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Featured Work

FEB 2, 2009 Article

Letter from the United States to Iran

In a possible letter from the United States to Iran, David Speedie writes of the two nations' shared interests, the causes that divide them, and ...

DEC 22, 2008 Podcast

A Conversation on NATO

The post-Cold War NATO has expanded, both in mission and membership. In each instance, problems have arisen with Russia. What are the lessons to be ...

NOV 21, 2008 Podcast

Iran and the United States: David Speedie Interviews Gary Sick

The Bush administration has been toying with the idea of talking to Iran for the last two years. With the arrival of Obama, now the ...

NOV 14, 2008 Podcast

David Speedie Interviews Ted Sorensen

"A president who doesn't go to war may show more courage than one who does," said JFK. In a wide-ranging conversation, Sorensen discusses JFK, Cuba, ...

OCT 29, 2008 Podcast

Russia and Georgia: How Did We Get There and What's Next? David Speedie Interviews Oksana Antonenko

This conflict started from the ethnic conflict between the Georgians and South Ossetians, which has a long history, and it also started with Georgian aggression.

Map of Georgia

OCT 24, 2008 Podcast

Russia and Georgia: How Did We Get There and What's Next?

Georgia and Russia expert Oksana Antonenko discusses the history behind the headlines, and what the future may bring to this troubled region.

Flags of Russia and Georgia

AUG 13, 2008 Article

Russia and Georgia: A Collision Waiting to Happen

In the war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia the inevitable inclination is to assign black and white, blame and innocence. The truth is ...

AUG 6, 2008 Podcast

David Speedie Interviews Susan Eisenhower

Senior Fellow David Speedie interviews Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Eisenhower and USSR and Russian specialist, about Russia's current place in the world and its ...

JUL 11, 2008 Podcast

The Rise of the Rest II: How the Ascent of Russia and China Affects Global Business and Security

From economic growth to cultural exports, the global distribution of power is shifting from "the West" to the rest of the world. This panel addresses ...

U.S. State Department

MAY 29, 2008 Article

AN ENGAGING OUTLOOK: A New Foundation for U.S. Foreign Policy

A new U.S. foreign policy based on cooperation and engagement is not just morally appealing, but strategically smart, declares David Speedie.