The Remembrance Society

08/10/2026

No 512-mile border with Iran, no trillion dollars-worth, bastions of concrete, steel and intel gathering (Forward Operating Bases) to use against Iran, no potential for infiltration of Iranian resistance fighters/"boots on the ground" -- that is the result of America's ill-conceived, militarily counter-intuitive, withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Freedom everywhere is paying the price!

08/10/2026

"Afghanistan: America's Lost Leverage – Russia Meddles – China Takes – Iran Benefits”

The Remembrance Society was honored to co-host a panel discussion on Friday evening, bringing together distinguished military leaders, diplomats, and scholars to examine Afghanistan's enduring geopolitical significance and the lessons that continue to shape today's geopolitical environment.

A central theme of the evening was that the American presence in Afghanistan with a trillion dollars worth of forward operating bases, and a 512 mile border with Iran, allowing for Iranian resistance boots on the ground, would have markedly affected the U.S. ability to win the war with Iran.

Dr. Anna Borshchevskaya opened the evening by examining how the Soviet invasion and occupation laid the foundation for many of Afghanistan's enduring challenges. She also analyzed Russia's evolving relationship with the Taliban, explaining how Moscow's current approach differs from its Cold War posture and advances Russian interests while challenging those of the United States and its allies.

Ambassador Ali Ahmad Jalali provided a comprehensive assessment of Afghanistan's political and strategic evolution, discussing the Soviet legacy, Pakistan's role in cultivating the Taliban, and the strengths and shortcomings of the post-9/11 reconstruction effort.

Lt. Gen. Haibatullah Alizai offered firsthand insight into the operational realities faced by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. He highlighted the critical role of the Afghan Special Forces in leading combat operations, discussed the factors behind the rapid collapse of the ANDSF, and examined Pakistan's influence during the Taliban's final offensive.

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Arnold Fields reflected on the unprecedented scale of international reconstruction efforts over two decades, evaluating both the achievements and unintended consequences of billions of dollars in development assistance. His remarks highlighted how significant economic progress was accompanied by systemic corruption and structural weaknesses that ultimately undermined sustainability.

Moderated by former Congressman and Chairman of The Remembrance Society Don Ritter, the discussion emphasized that America's withdrawal from Afghanistan represented more than the end of a twenty-year conflict—it marked the loss of significant strategic leverage in a region where great-power competition continues to intensify, with consequences that are still unfolding.

The Remembrance Society extends its sincere appreciation to our co-host Senate Square Society, distinguished panelists, moderator, and attendees for contributing to an engaging and substantive discussion.

07/04/2026

As America marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, our TRS Director of Education Programs David Satter examines why the Declaration's principles remain vital not only for the United States, but also for Russia's future.

As David writes, "The authors of the Declaration of Independence understood that only a government that acknowledges a source of legitimacy over and above politics can protect the individual from the state. If men are 'endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,' no collective entity has a right to total domination."

Drawing on the history of the Decembrists, the Soviet dissident movement, and the Helsinki Groups, David argues that Russia's path to freedom depends not simply on political change, but on embracing the enduring principles of inherent human dignity, individual liberty, and unalienable rights embodied in the Declaration of Independence.

Read the full essay in The Wall Street Journal:

Defeat in Ukraine could be a fresh start—a chance to embrace the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

06/18/2026

In his latest commentary for The Sunday Guardian, former Congressman and The Remembrance Society Chairman Don Ritter examines the strategic, political, and historical implications of a potential U.S. conflict with Iran—asking what lessons have (and have not) been learned from Afghanistan and other past interventions. A timely reflection on war, diplomacy, and America's role in the world.

If Afghanistan had remained a strategic partner of the United States until today, what would the U.S. war with Iran have looked like? A sustained and active U.S.…

06/09/2026

On June 3rd, the National Endowment for Democracy convened an event to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen Massacre and to explore the democratic aspirations that were taking place throughout areas of the PRC in 1989.

Chinese and Hong Kong democracy activists, Tibetan and Uyghur advocates, and others reflected on their enduring struggle for freedom and the importance of preserving the truth of June 4, 1989.

Fengsuo Zhou gave a keynote address, in which he noted, "...the lesson of Tiananmen remains clear. In 1989, Chinese students and citizens risked everything not for authoritarianism, not for strongman rule, but for democracy, freedom, and human dignity. They understood something that remains true today: democracy is worth defending."

37 years after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the images of the lone man who faced down a line of tanks, continue to remind us that repression cannot extinguish the human desire for liberty.

Join the National Endowment for Democracy to commemorate the victim...

05/11/2026

Memorial currently recognizes 1,534 people as political prisoners in Russia, including 469 imprisoned for supporting Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that around 7,000 Ukrainian citizens were being held in Russian prisons.

“He dreamed, like everyone, of living in a free country,” Valentina Shapyrko said of her son, Ukrainian soldier Pavlo Artemenko, who is imprisoned in Russia.

04/16/2026

Last night The Remembrance Society marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Helsinki Commission at our symposium, “The Enduring Legacy of the Helsinki Process and its Continued Importance for the Future of Freedom.” In our opening remarks and also from our partner Memorial and the Ambassadors of Finland Leena-Kaisa Mikkola and Switzerland Ralf Heckner to the United States, and Mykola Horbal, former Chair of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, we recognized the remarkable bi-partisan work that the Commission has done over the past five decades advancing human rights and freedom. We honored the U.S. Helsinki Commission with our 2026 Resistance and Solidarity Award, accepted on behalf of the Commission by Chairman Senator Roger Wicker and the former Democratic Chairman Congressman Steny Hoyer. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we also honored the Chairman of The Remembrance Society, Don Ritter, with the 2026 Resistance and Solidarity Award for his lifelong dedication to resisting totalitarian tyranny and standing in solidarity with those struggling for liberty. Our tremendously distinguished panelists Vladimir Kara-Murza, Kyle Parker, Amb. Martin Palous, David Satter, Jamie Fly, Amb. James Gilmore, spoke about the great dissidents of the decade of the 1980s and how the Final Act influenced their activities, about the dissidents who have been murdered in the post-Soviet Putin era, and the role of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and the United States in advancing the principles of the Helsinki Accords, then and now, and how those principles can continue to promote freedom and peace in Europe in light of Russia’s war against Ukraine and beyond. Thank you to our colleagues in Congress and the State Department and across the diplomatic, policy, think tank and human rights communities for joining us for this very special evening! Senator Roger Wicker Steny Hoyer Freedom House Free Peoples of Russia House

03/25/2026

It was an honor for The Remembrance Society to host such a distinguished group last night for the release of Jan Jekielek's important new book, "Killed to Order: China’s Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America’s Biggest Adversary" in cooperation with Blanquita Cullum and The Epoch Times.

We heard powerful opening remarks from Ambassador Sam Brownback, co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit, Mary Vigil on behalf of Congressman Chris Smith, Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, Grace Jin Drexel, daughter of detained Pastor Ezra Jin who is the founder of one of China’s largest underground house-church networks, and William Huang, survivor of the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong.

Jan gave a compelling presentation about the practice of this horrific human rights crime being committed by the Chinese Communist Party and what it tells us about the nature of the CCP and the implications for US policy. For far too long, the international community has turned a blind eye to this urgent human rights issue, and Jan's book is a powerful call to action. We encourage you to read it!

Photo credit: James Cullum

02/04/2026