About Us

Mission

The Jamestown Foundation’s mission is to inform policymakers and the broader community about events and trends in societies that are critical to the United States and its partners. Jamestown provides objective analysis and context, drawing upon indigenous and primary sources.

Programs

The Jamestown Foundation’s main publications are China Brief, Eurasia Daily Monitor and Terrorism Monitor. Click on the map below to explore them.

About Us

 

Origins

Founded in 1984 by William Geimer, The Jamestown Foundation made a direct contribution to the downfall of Communism through its dissemination of information about the closed totalitarian societies of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

William Geimer worked with Arkady Shevchenko, the highest-ranking Soviet official ever to defect when he left his position as undersecretary general of the United Nations. Shevchenko’s memoir “Breaking With Moscow” revealed the details of Soviet superpower diplomacy, arms control strategy and tactics in the Third World, at the height of the Cold War. Through its work with Shevchenko, Jamestown rapidly became the leading source of information about the inner workings of the captive nations of the former Communist Bloc. In addition to Shevchenko, Jamestown assisted the former top Romanian intelligence officer Ion Pacepa in writing his memoirs. Jamestown ensured that both men published their insights and experience in what became bestselling books. Even today, several decades later, some credit Pacepa’s revelations about Ceausescu’s regime in his bestselling book Red Horizons with the fall of that government and the freeing of Romania.

The Jamestown Foundation has emerged as a leading provider of information about Eurasia. Our research and analysis on conflict and instability in Eurasia enabled Jamestown to become one of the most reliable sources of information on the post-Soviet space, the Caucasus and Central Asia as well as China. Furthermore, since 9/11, Jamestown has utilized its network of indigenous experts in more than 50 different countries to conduct research and analysis on terrorism and the growth of al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda offshoots throughout the globe.

By drawing on our ever-growing global network of experts, Jamestown has become a vital source of unfiltered, open-source information about major conflict zones around the world—from the Black Sea to Siberia, from the Persian Gulf to Latin America and the Pacific. Our core of intellectual talent includes former high-ranking government officials and military officers, political scientists, journalists, scholars and economists. Their insight contributes significantly to policymakers engaged in addressing today’s newly emerging global threats in the post 9/11 world.

 

Nikolai Getman: The Gulag Collection

In 1946, an artist named Nikolai Getman was imprisoned in the Soviet Union’s GULAG, a system of forced labor camps across Siberia and the interior of the USSR. Upon his release in 1954, Getman commenced a public career as a politically correct painter. Secretly, however, for more than four decades, Getman labored at creating a visual record of the GULAG, which vividly depicts all aspects of the horrendous life (and death) so many innocent millions experienced during that infamous era. Getman’s collection is unique because it is the only visual record known to exist of this tragic phenomenon. In early 1997, The Jamestown Foundation learned of The Gulag Collection and that Getman was desperate to get the painting transported to the West; he feared that upon his death they would be destroyed. With the financial support of Jim Kimsey, The Jamestown Foundation brought the paintings to the United States, where in 1997 they were put on display in the U.S. Congress. The Collection remained with Jamestown until 2009, when it was permanently transferred to the Heritage Foundation, where it resides today (heritage.org).

 

Donor Privacy & Confidentiality Policy

Effective Date: January 2023

At The Jamestown Foundation, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our donors’ personal information. This Donor Privacy and Confidentiality Policy outlines our commitment to protecting donor data and privacy and describes how we collect, use, store, and share donor information. By interacting with our organization and providing your personal information, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

  1. Information Collection: We collect personal information from donors when they engage in activities such as making donations, signing up for our publications, newsletters, or participating in events. The information we collect may include:
    • Name, address, email address, and phone number
    • Donation history and contribution details
    • Payment information (credit card details, bank account numbers, etc.)
    • Communication preferences
  1. Use of Information: We use the collected donor information for the following purposes:
    • Processing donations and providing donation acknowledgements
    • Communicating with donors about our activities, events, and campaigns
    • Sending newsletters and other relevant updates
    • Conducting donor surveys and feedback requests
    • Internal record-keeping and analysis
  1. Data Security: We take reasonable measures to protect donor data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. We use industry-standard security practices to safeguard the information we collect, including encryption, secure networks, and access controls. However, please note that no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data.
  2. Third-Party Disclosure: We do not sell, trade, or rent donor information to third parties. However, we may share certain data with trusted service providers who assist us in carrying out our activities, such as payment processors or email service providers. These service providers are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of the data and can only use it for the purposes specified by us.
  3. Donor Rights: Donors have the right to:
    • Access their personal information held by us
    • Request corrections or updates to their information
    • Opt-out of receiving future communications
    • Request the deletion of their personal information, subject to legal obligations

To exercise these rights or for any questions regarding this policy, donors can contact us using the provided contact information.

8. Data Retention: We retain donor data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law. When donor information is no longer needed, we securely dispose of or anonymize it to prevent unauthorized access.

9. Policy Updates: We may update this Donor Privacy and Confidentiality Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We encourage donors to review this policy periodically for any updates. The revised policy will be effective immediately upon posting on our website.

 

George O’Conor

George W. O’Conor is founder and CEO of Chime Media and has written and spoken about water in China.

Carole A. O’Leary

Carole A. O'Leary is a Visiting Scholar at the Columbus School of Law's Program in Law & Religion within the Catholic University of America (CUA).

Brian O’Neill

Brian O'Neill is an independent political analyst based out of Chicago, and is a former reporter for the Yemen Observer.

Liselotte Odgaard

Liselotte Odgaard is an Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defence College. Her most recent book is China and Coexistence: Beijing’s National Security Strategy for... MORE

Lars Oehler

Lars Oehler holds a PhD from Copenhagen Business School and the Chinese Academy of Sciences and currently works for a European development finance institution.

C. Alexander Ohlers

C. Alexander Ohlers is a former senior analyst for the U.S. Department of State in Baghdad, Iraq, and holds a PhD from the London School... MORE

Guido Olimpio

Guido Olimpio is security correspondent for Corriere della Sera and has been a researcher on international terrorism for the past 20 years.

Ryan Oliver

Ryan Oliver is an officer in the U.S. Army National Guard.  His previous positions include working as a China specialist at U.S. Special Operations Command... MORE

Akpobibibo Onduku

Akpobibibo Onduku holds a PhD in Peace Studies specializing in International Politics and Security Studies from the University of Bradford, UK and Masters in Law... MORE

Matthew Oresman

Matthew Oresman is the Director of the China-Eurasia Forum and has published widely on China-Central Asia relations. More detailed recommendations of how the United States... MORE

Andrew L. Oros

Andrew L. Oros is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of International Studies at Washington College. In 2010-11, he was a visiting professor... MORE

Cholpon Orozobekova

Cholpon Orozobekova is a Kyrgyz researcher and journalist with 17 years of experience writing for various international media outlets, including the BBC, RFE/RL, the Diplomat,... MORE

Román D. Ortiz

Román D. Ortiz is Non-Resident Fellow at the Joint Special Operations University and Senior Analyst at the Center for International Security at the Francisco de... MORE

Kyle Orton

Kyle Orton is an independent researcher focused on the Syrian war. He tweets @KyleWOrton.

Colonel (ret.) Rich Outzen

Colonel (retired) Rich Outzen is a Jamestown Senior Fellow, geopolitical analyst and consultant currently serving private sector clients as Dragoman LLC. He served in the... MORE

Shaun Overton

Shaun Overton is an independent analyst specializing in the Arab World. He has just returned from nine months of research in Yemen.

Nihat Ali Ozcan

Dr. Nihat Ali Ozcan is a security policy analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) and a lecturer at the TOBB University... MORE

Necdet Ozcelik

Necdet Ozcelik is an independent security researcher on terrorism, insurgency and violent non-state actors.

Hasan Selim Özertem

Dr. Hasan Selim Özertem is an Ankara-based political analyst. He received his B.S. in Economics from Middle East Technical University, where he also completed his... MORE

Sine Ozkarasahin

Sine Ozkarasahin is an analyst in the security and defense program at the Istanbul-based think tank, the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM).... MORE