kevin jennings. [applause] >> good morning. the former teacher in the loves that. very good. parent organization of the opportunity nation campaign, i am very aware that today is the result of the hard work of a lot of folks, and i would like to first of all say thank you to mark edwards, who over the last two years has created this campaign out of thin air. please give mark a round of applause. [applause] luckily for mark, we have an incredible team at the the change of staff members and board members, and i would like all the staff and board to stand up so that they can get the recognition that they deserve. thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you do. [applause] and, of course, our co-conveners today have been critical in bringing to get to this event, and i would welcome them to join us at this time. president of the board foundation. [applause] representing the united way board member and partner, rodney slater. the president of the aarp foundation, joanne jacobs. [applause] and the managing editor of "time" will put together that incredible cover story you all

kevin jennings. [applause] >> good morning. the former teacher in the loves that. very good.arent organization of the opportunity nation campaign, i am very aware that today is the result of the hard work of a lot of folks, and i would like to first of all say thank you to mark edwards, who over the last two years has created this campaign out of thin air. please give mark a round of applause. [applause] luckily for mark, we have an incredible team at the the change of staff members and board members, and i would like all the staff and board to stand up so that they can get the recognition that they deserve. thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you do. [applause] and, of course, our co- conveners today have been critical in bringing to get to this event, and i would welcome them to join us at this time. president of the board foundation. [applause] representing the united way board member and partner, rodney slater. the president of the aarp foundation, joanne jacobs. [applause] and the managing editor of "time" will put together that incredible cover story you all

after charles, we have kevin harris, the jennings randolph peace scholar at the u.s. institute of peace. we will turn to kevin to talk a little bit about the impact of sanctions themselves. obviously, sanctions have been a critical element to the western efforts to try to turn off the iranian nuclear program. they have so far not yet succeeded in that, but certainly, there are arguments on both sides as to whether or not they have succeeded in accomplishing other goals, whether they might succeed in the future, whether we are just around the corner from success. we'll ask kevin to bring us up- to-date on where things are and talk a little bit about the impact of sanctions on iran. finally, on my far left, your far right, we will turn to someone who all of you know is a senior fellow at the council on national foreign relations and we will ask him to appear inside the black box of the iranian foreign leadership and talk a little bit about what is going on there as best we understand it. the motives of the regime, the divisions, the infighting -- everything that captures