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| President's Letter |
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Dear Council Leaders, Friends and Supporters,
I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a safe and festive Fourth of July weekend. Before the holiday, the WACA Board held a productive meeting at the World affairs Council of Pittsburgh. I am pleased to introduce the FY2018 Executive Committee of the Board:
Ambassador Roman Popadiuk, WACA Chairman
Sylvia Fields, Vice-Chair (Executive Director, Eden Hall Foundation)
Donna Suddeth, Vice-Chair (Treasurer, Naples Council on World Affairs)
Nigel Sutton, Treasurer (Vice President, International Defense Systems, Orbital ATK)
Serge Tomassian, Secretary (Managing Partner, Tomassian, Throckmorton & Inouye LLP)
Noel Lateef, At-Large (President, Foreign Policy Association)
Roger Naik, At-Large (Executive Director, Alabama World Affairs Council)
Stephen J. Petras, Jr., At-Large (Board Member, Cleveland Council on World Affairs)
Jim Falk, Development Committee Chair (President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth)
Nancy Hamlin, Governance Committee Chair (Past President, World Affairs Council of Rochester)
Bill Clifford, WACA President and CEO (ex-officio)
It's a privilege to work with these dedicated leaders, and indeed all the members of our talented, diverse, and engaged National Board.
Next week, we will present the registration website for the WACA 2017 National Conference: The Future of American Leadership. The November 15-17 Conference will focus on the influence of President Trump's
America First philosophy on foreign policy and the current state of world affairs.
I am delighted that many of you have already registered and made hotel reservations at the Capital Hilton. Please be sure to share Conference details regularly with your Council members. The WACA Board and National Office staff will make this a most worthwhile event for you!
Yours,
Bill Clifford,
President and CEO
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Council of the Month: WAC Pittsburgh
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The WACA National Office is pleased to recognize
World Affairs
Council of Pittsburgh
as Council of the Month for hosting the Spring Leadership Meeting for Councils and and the National Board's Summer Meeting in June
.
Special thanks to WACA Vice-Chair
Sylvia Fields
, WAC Pittsburgh President and CEO
Angélica Ocampo
, and the entire WAC Pittsburgh team for their hospitality and for putting together such an engaging visit to their home city!
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| WACA 2017 National Conference |
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The Future of American Leadership
November 15-17
Washington, DC
Speakers Announced:
Rosa Brooks is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, a columnist for
Foreign Policy, and a law professor at Georgetown University. (
Full bio.)
Eliot A. Cohen is Robert E. Osgood professor at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). (
Full bio.)
Book your room at our special group rate now!
Staying at the Capital Hilton
We have secured a special group rate:
- 1 Queen/King bed Deluxe Room: $279/night (Single/Double Occupancy) plus tax
This distinguished hotel is located
in
the heart of our nation's capital -
just two blocks from the White House. Convenient to three Metro stations and Ronald Reagan National Airport, the hotel is within walking distance of museums, memorials,
shopping,
dining, nightlife, and more.
Further announcements on National Conference speakers and other program details will be made in the coming weeks.
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KNOW NOW Conference Call Series:
Susan Cohen
of Mintz Levin on the Travel Ban
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Susan Cohen
Founder and Chair, Mintz Immigration Practice
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On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court chose to hear the Administration's case on the proposed travel ban and to allow a limited travel ban to be imposed. While the court has yet to rule, many questions are emerging. How many will this effect? Does religion play a role in this ban? How will this shape U.S. relations with the countries in question?
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Mary Yntema President and CEO, WorldBoston |
Join Susan Cohen, F
ounder and Chair of Mintz Levin Immigration Practice
,
for a conversation with
Mary Yntema, President and CEO of WorldBoston
, about the background and context of the Supreme Court decision, and what we should expect to come next.
Wednesday, July 12, at 2:00 - 2:30 PM ET
KNOW NOW conference calls feature global thought leaders hosted by WACA, as well as local authorities in government, business, academia and cultural fields who are identified and moderated by local Councils.
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Cover to Cover Author Series
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Earth will have more than 9.6 billion people by 2050. With resources already scarce, how will we feed them all? Journalist Lisa Palmer (full bio.) has traveled the world for years documenting the cutting-edge innovations of people and organizations on the front lines of fighting the food gap. Palmer breaks down this difficult subject and paints a hopeful picture of both the world we want to live in and the great leaps it will take to get there.
Join us for
July's Cover to Cover
conference call series
Tuesday, July 18, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET
.
Once the world's bastion of liberal, democratic values, Europe is now having to confront demons it thought it had laid to rest. August's Cover to Cover will feature James Kirchick (full bio.) on his new book, The End of Europe: Dictators Demagogues and the Coming Dark Age on Thursday, August 10, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET. Based on extensive firsthand reporting, this book is a provocative, disturbing look at a continent in unexpected crisis.
 Geopolitical cracks are widening in a region that has flourished under an American security umbrella for more than half a century. The toxic rivalry between China and Japan is threatening to upend the peace underwritten by Pax Americana since World War II. September's Cover to Cover will feature Richard McGregor (full bio.) on his new book, Asia's Reckoning: China, Japan, and the Fate of U.S. Power on Tuesday, September 5, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET. Richard McGregor's book takes us behind the headlines of his reporting as the Financial Times Beijing and Washington bureau chief to show how American power will fare in Asia.
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America's Diplomats WACA Program Series Recap
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America's Diplomats was undoubtedly a success; see below for local feedback, op-eds by some of the diplomats, and mentions of the program in the media!
WAC Greater Cincinnati
"We were honored to host Ambassador Gordon Gray along with the America's Diplomats film. The public even drew new audiences from around the region, including other foreign diplomats" -- Michelle Harpeneau, Executive Director, WAC Greater Cincinatti
Institute of World Affairs in Milwaukee
Dayton Council on World Affairs
"We enjoyed the DCOWA luncheon immensely. The round-table with Ambassador Blake was an open, thought provoking, and informative event. We gained great insight into the mission and inner-workings of our State Department. Ambassador Blake was an extraordinary representative of American global outreach."
-- Peggy Adams, community activist and
America's Diplomats
program event attendee
Peoria Area WAC
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| WACA and Councils Are Hiring! |
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Global I.Q. Minute with Jim Falk
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World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
's
Global I.Q. Minute
most recently featured
Manal al-Sharif, Saudi women's rights activist and author of Daring to Drive
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n this episode with Jim Falk, the al-Sharif discusses not only "driving while female", but also the Islamic "male guardian" system that controls female lives in Saudi Arabia. She says the oppression mirrors the cultural attitudes that launched the American Civil Rights Movement. She sees change coming in the Kingdom.
Listen to the
podcast
and be sure to rate on iTunes
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In Memoriam - Founder of World Affairs Forum (CT)
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It is with sadness that the
World Affairs Forum of Stamford, Connecticut notes the death of their founder, Dr. Wilbur H. Miller
, at the age of 102. In 1946, Miller realized his vision to muster support for the United Nations and its peacekeeping efforts. The organization kicked off with a three-day seminar of heavy-hitting speakers, including Eleanor Roosevelt, and has been expanding awareness of global affairs and America's role in the world ever since.
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World Affairs Councils in the News
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World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council
World Affairs Council of Charlotte
World Affairs Council of Maine
Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council
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Travel the World from WAC Philadelphia
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 Travel with Council Leaders - hear them lecture on Travel the World tours from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia!
2017-2018 travel schedule includes trips to:
- Kay Maxwell, Executive Director, World Affairs Forum (Stamford), Silk Road Odyssey: Oct. 3 - 19
- Dr. Jerry Leach, former President, World Affairs Councils of America, Inside Morocco: Oct. 20 - Nov. 2
- Dr. Carla Thorson, Senior Vice President, Programs, World Affairs Council Northern California, Southern Africa: Feb. 18-Mar. 5
- Patrick Ryan, President, Tennessee World Affairs Council, Tuscany: May 29-Jun. 6
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| The World Affairs Councils of America 1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036 Phone (202) 833-4557 Fax (202) 833-4555 Email [email protected] Website www.worldaffairscouncils.org |
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