It is our pleasure to welcome you to Columbia University Partnership for International Development’s (CUPID) Annual Conference: “In a State of Transition: Locating the Role of the International Community.” This year’s spring conference focuses on the role of the international community in transitioning states, which are undergoing a process of change from authoritarian to citizen-lead governance. This is a subject under intense debate given the recent events of 2011 and current ongoing crises in the Middle East. By bringing together a host of leading scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from the field of international development we wish to address a key question of inquiry: Where does the power of international actors end and national sovereignty begin? In an attempt to address this question we hope that CUPID’s 2012 conference will be a forum of lively debate and discussion around the topics of concern, such as transitional justice, gender rights and ethnic tensions. We welcome the general public to engage with scholars and practitioners in a multidisciplinary dialogue concerning the challenges faced by international actors, such as multilateral organizations and NGOs on this critical subject. Currently, confirmed speakers include: - Benny Dembitzer, Visiting Lecturer at University of Greenwich, London. - Mary Hope Schoebel, US Institute of Peace. - Linda Bishai, US Institute of Peace.