By: Maddie Day ~Staff Writer~

As the conversation about the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, occupies international attention, the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue is partnering with various organizations for a special dinner and dialogue.

The Brueggeman Center for Dialogue is partnering with Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council, the National Security Network and the Foreign Policy Leadership Council (FPLC) to sponsor a reception, dinner and dialogue to discuss the emergence of ISIS.

Since mid-2014, ISIS militants have gained control over major portions of Iraq and Syria. The United States and other allies have launched airstrikes in Syria to combat ISIS, which has been responsible for the killings of journalists and aid workers.

The upcoming event at Xavier will feature Major General Paul D. Eaton, who currently serves as Senior Advisor at the National Security Network, a non-profit policy organization.

The organization specializes in addressing and communicating national security policy solutions. Eaton will lead the event’s dialogue and address several issues, including the state of foreign policy in 2015, the new Congress, the rise of ISIS and U.S. counterterrorism efforts.

“We have all been watching the situation in the Middle East, particularly with the emergence of ISIS, with a sense of confusion and helplessness,” Dr. James Buchanan, director of Xavier’s Brueggeman Center for Dialogue, said. “The FPLC event will give us an opportunity to think about these issues with an expert and each other.”

Eaton is a veteran who was in the U.S. Army for more than 30 years. He served in Iraq, Bosnia and Somalia.

In 2003 and 2004, Eaton trained and equipped the armed forces for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the Interior Ministry. Prior to that, he served as the Chief of Infantry for the Army.

Eaton has appeared on multiple news and television programs and also advised candidates during the 2008 presidential campaign season.

Eaton earned his undergraduate degree from West Point, and earned a Master’s in French political science from Middlebury College in Vermont.

The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 in the Schiff Conference Center at Cintas Center and will cost $30 for FPLC members, $35 for non-members and $15 for students.

To RSVP, students should contact kstrunk@fbtlaw.com or call 513-651-6166. Admission can be paid on the day of the event.