A Conversation with Richard Haass: The State of World Affairs and Obligations of Good Citizens

Richard Haass

Dr. Richard Haass, a veteran diplomat and respected scholar of international relations, is senior counselor with Centerview Partners, an international investment banking advisory firm. He is also president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).  Haass previously served as CFR’s president for twenty years, in the State Department under Presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, at the White House under George H.W. Bush, and at the Pentagon under Jimmy Carter. He was US envoy to the Cyprus negotiations and the Northern Ireland peace process, and after 9/11 was US coordinator for the future of Afghanistan. Haass is the author or editor of fourteen books on American foreign policy, one book on management, and one on American democracy. His latest book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, was published by Penguin Press in January 2023 and became a New York Times best seller. He also authors a weekly newsletter, Home & Away, available on Substack. A Rhodes Scholar, Haass holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, the masters and doctorate of philosophy degrees from Oxford University, and numerous honorary degrees. He is the recipient of the State Department's Superior Honor Award, the Presidential Citizens Medal, and the Tipperary International Peace Award, as well as the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit from the Government of South Korea and the Order of the Rising Sun from the Government of Japan.

Dr. Haass, who was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island, lives with his wife in New York City.

David Westin

David Westin is the anchor of “Bloomberg Wall Street Week.”

Westin was president of ABC News from 1997 through 2010. He oversaw the network’s global coverage including the 2008 economic crisis, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath.

Before taking the helm at ABC News, Westin was President of the ABC Television Network and General Counsel of the parent company, Capital Cities/ABC. He was a partner and associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington and, immediately after law school, clerked for J. Edward Lumbard on the Second Circuit and for Lewis F. Powell on the Supreme Court. He serves on the boards of Riverdale Country School and Yonkers Partners in Education.

During Westin’s tenure at ABC News, the organization earned 11 George Foster Peabody Awards, 13 Alfred I. DuPont Awards, four George Polk Awards, more than 40 News & Documentary Emmys and more than 40 Edward R. Murrow Awards. He is the author of “Exit Interview,” which was published in 2012 and tells the story of what went on behind the scenes at ABC News in covering the biggest global news events.

Westin graduated from the University of Michigan with a Philosophy degree with honors and distinction. He went on to earn a JD degree summa cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School.

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