AMPLIFY SPOTLIGHT: LILA GREEN
U.S. national security policy has barely changed since WWII and not changed at all since 9/11. On the heels of everything from the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, to the Russian/Ukrainian war, it’s clear that we have to come up with new ways to handle the challenges out there. My intention is to see a day when the global defensive posture norm is security through peace. I am motivated by the desire to work myself right out of a job. I envision this as being possible only through a new approach to problem solving, policy creation, and active operationalization. Resilience can only go so far: let’s create something for a post-resilience world. Let’s aim for true, achievable peace.
What I will achieve through the Amplify Fellowship is this: a novel organization which brings together governmental and security leadership with artists of all kinds in a live space to dynamically solve the most urgent issues facing local, regional, national, and global policy makers.
I call this “The Particle Accelerator.”
Particle accelerators smash atoms together in a large, high speed environment with the intention of creating an entirely new element. This scientific practice inspired me many years ago when I was an artist in the entertainment field. Cut to now, when I am a security professional, I am still compelled by this kernel of thought: what if we had a physical space that, in the spirit of Andy Warhol’s Factory, brought a wide swath of visionaries together from disparate communities in this unique, secure space to create something new that could change the world? What level of progress could we achieve by trying a new way to approach old and destructive social problems? To meet this goal, we would require a functional space that physically brings together these groups to do the following:
• Create solutions for complicated policy issues, civil-social problems, and national/international security concerns.
• Create more engaging media to educate the public on political and security agendas, issues, developments, etc.
• Help develop compassion and influence a more balanced view-point in our governmental leadership.
• Develop achievable schedules, bound in a sacrosanct commitment, for the implementation of these solutions.
• Have a space where the two groups are motivated and inspired by each other while independently working.
Where you can be fundamentally helpful is to invest in the start up of this project, so we can dive right into solving these issues with our full infrastructure ready to go.
As a single mother, to quote the masterwork musical Chicago, “I just can’t do it alone.” ou can help bring the Particle Accelerator to life by funding the project, and with this, you will play a fundamental role in a more secure, safe, and happy life for all people. Ever since the atom was first split in 1932, a new era of destruction began. Let’s make 2022 the year we bring atoms together for a new world of reconciliation.
Lila Green is a 2022 AMPLIFY Fellow.
Connect with her on Instagram.
Lila Green has served as President of Women in International Security, Western Region (WIIS West), since June 2018. As President of WIIS West, she has been hosted at the United Nations in New York and has spoken with delegations from the U.S. Department of State. During the pandemic, Lila expanded the digital footprint of WIIS West significantly, most notably with the podcast Show of Force, which she hosts, writes, edits, and produces (*as of March 2022, she now shares the presidency with Dr. Lisa Berkeley).
Lila also works in Global Trade Compliance at Autodesk, famous for software products such as AutoCAD, Revit, and Maya, amongst 200+ more. As a GTC professional, Lila has been regularly invited to participate in Strategic Trade Control roundtables at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). Prior to her career in national and international security, Lila was an actor, dancer, director, and producer in the theatre and film industries.
As an AMPLIFY fellow, Lila seeks to amplify the voice of single mothers in the security sector and government, who's contributions are historically woefully under-acknowledged. She believes that the only way to achieve the global objectives of safety and security for all is through proportional representation across the entire gamut of races, religions, ages, genders, and life experiences.
She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), a certified Export Compliance Professional (ECoP), and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA. Lila holds a B.F.A. in Theatre from DePaul University and an M.A. in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies, focusing on Financial Crimes Management from MIIS. She speaks professional German, passable Russian, and a smattering of phrases in a variety of other languages.
The Pacific Council on International Policy launched AMPLIFY in February 2022 as a leadership development program that provides learning and networking opportunities to early to mid-career professionals who have traditionally been underrepresented in foreign affairs. Through AMPLIFY, the Pacific Council aims to cultivate local-to-global leaders, strengthen diversity in foreign policy, and be an accelerator for local-to-global initiatives from the western United States.
UPDATED: AUGUST 2022