Sixth Annual Security and Strategy Writing Workshop Conference: A Weekend of Testimony, Scholarship, and Strategic Dialogue

This past weekend, the Alexander Hamilton Society (AHS) and the Public Interest Fellowship’s Security and Strategy Seminar (SSS) fellows and alumni gathered for the sixth annual Writing Workshop Conference — a time for collaboration, engagement, and impactful discussion. 

Panel discussions featured distinguished speakers including Ambassador J. Peter Pham, Ambassador Mark Green, Eli Lake of The Free Press, and Josh Christenson of the New York Post, who shared their insights on today’s evolving geopolitical landscape. The conversations were shaped by decades of experience at the intersection of policy and practice.

“I was very impressed by the caliber of fellows at the Alexander Hamilton Society’s Security and Strategy Seminar Conference,” said Ambassador Pham. “The seriousness with which they approached the issues considered, combined with their commitment to the American experiment and enthusiasm for U.S. leadership, reassured me that they will more than rise to the challenges ahead.”

A highlight of this year’s conference was the Freedom Under Threat briefings. These sessions highlighted the voices of individuals directly impacted by America’s adversaries. SSS alumna Grace Drexel gave a courageous account of her father, Pastor Ezra Jin, who was taken prisoner by the Chinese Communist Party — a firsthand window into state-directed religious persecution and its toll on families. Ilona Sviezhentseva, a Ukrainian scientist, journalist, and mother, described sustaining her leukemia research amid active war, and recalled the weight of doing so while her husband fights on the front lines. Emily Damari, a former Hamas hostage, delivered a harrowing testimony of her 471 days in captivity in Gaza following the October 7 attacks, and the resilience that carried her through unimaginable hardship.

“We are deeply grateful to Grace, Ilona, and Emily for sharing their harrowing accounts, and to our fellows whose year of dedicated study made this program so impactful,” said AHS Deputy Executive Director Molly Tobin. “Bringing together these perspectives lies at the heart of what makes this weekend a defining moment for the SSS program.”

The work produced at this gathering will be published in the sixth edition of the Security and Strategy Journal, set for release in summer 2026. You can learn more about the Security and Strategy Seminar and explore past journal editions here.