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July 2013

 

In this Issue
News from the National Office
What's Happening in the Network
Available Authors
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2013 National Conference Sponsors

Our Sponsors

 

Akmaaq

 

Aviation Leasing

 

Barclays Capital

 

Booz Allen Hamilton

 

 1918 Society Members

 

Carnegie Corporation of New York

 

Cisco

 

Chevron

 

The Claremont Group

 

Duke Energy

 

El Paso Corporation

 

ExxonMobil

 

The Gambrinus Company

 

German Marshall Fund of the U.S.

 

Goldman Sachs

 

Heydar Aliyev Foundation

 

Hutchins Family Foundation

 

IRELI

 

Johnson + Sterling

 

Merrill Lynch -

Mr. Michael Phillip

 

NATO

 

Northrop Grumman

 

Raytheon

 

Steelcase, Inc.

 

Tomassian, Throckmorton & Inouye LLP

 

Thomson Reuters

 

Turkish Cultural Foundation

 

News from the National Office

 

   
The World Affairs Councils of America will host its 2013 National Conference, Six Top Issues for 2014November 13-15, 2013 at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel

 

Held annually for over two decades, the World Affairs Councils of America's National Conference engages our regional leaders and members drawn from the business, civic, and education communities with leading policy-makers and experts. The National Conference launches the National Network's year-long discussion of the Six Top Issues for 2014 selected by our network leadership across the country and helps plan our programming for the coming year. 

 

The Six Top Issues selected by the National Network's leadership as the most important national security issues for the coming year are: 

  • Cybersecurity
  • U.S. Energy Independence
  • Global Economic Realignment
  • Middle East
  • Global Environment Issues
  • K-12 Education 

Last year's conference kicked off with an exclusive, off the record discussion with then-CIA Director General David H. Petraeus at Wednesday evening's opening dinner. Past conferences have featured distinguished panelists including Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Singaporean Ambassador to the U.S. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley, and many more. Click here to see last year's speakers and agenda.

 

For more information on the WACA Annual National Conference, click here.

 

Please join us! Conference registration and hotel reservations are now open. 

  

Register for 2013 National Conference

  

Reserve Hotel Room at The Liaison

 

Special Early-Bird Rate for Members
Prices:
$455 World Affairs Council Member ($495 after September 1)
$545 Non-Member 
$430 World Affairs Council CEO/Staff/Board Member 

 

Staying at The Liaison 

We have secured a special group rate at The Liaison Capitol Hill of $225/night. 

 

To book rooms at this rate, click here or call 1-866-233-4642 and reference "National Conference - World Affairs."

 

The Liaison is the closest hotel to the U.S. Capitol. The Smithsonian, the National Mall, Union Station, and dozens of the country's most visited museums and monuments are within walking distance.

 

Celebrity chef Art Smith, who creates his award-winning Southern-modern "food for the soul" for the Liaison's restaurant Art and Soul, will be the chef for the National Conference. Perhaps best known as Oprah Winfrey's personal chef, Smith is well known for his fine-tuned, artisanal farm-to-table menu. First Lady Michelle Obama is known to have dined there with friends. 

 

Tentative Agenda

Wednesday, November 13

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM: Fall Leadership Meeting for Council CEOs and Staff/Annual Membership Meeting

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM: Opening Dinner  

 

Thursday, November 14

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Main Plenaries

5:30 PM - 8:00 PM: Embassy Receptions

 

Friday, November 15

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM: 1918 Society Breakfast

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Main Plenaries

Conference concludes at 3:00 PM 

 

Thank You to Our 2013 National Conference Sponsors
 
Raytheon
 

Welcome FY2014 WACA National Board

Today, July 1, marks the beginning of the new FY2014 board term. The World Affairs Councils of America would like to welcome its new and returning board members Dixie Anderson, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of Western Michigan; Jim Falk, President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth; Ward Fredericks, Chairman, World Affairs Council of the Desert; Nancy F. Hamlin, President World Affairs Council of Rochester; Lee Pasquarella, Board Member, World Affairs Council of Seattle; Donna Suddeth, Board Member Emerita, Naples Council on World Affairs; Ljubomir (LJ) Stambuk, President, World Affairs Council of Charlotte; Nigel Sutton, Director International Business Development, Raytheon Corporation; Patrick Terrien, President and CEO, Columbus Council on World Affairs; and Serge Tomassian, Managing Partner, Tomassian, Throckmorton & Inouye, LLP.

 

Also, a very special thank you to our outgoing board members Ken Furst, Board Member, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts; Claudia McBride, President, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia; and KJ Singh, Johnson & Johnson; for their time, dedication, and contributions to the World Affairs Councils of America.

 

Click here to see the full FY2014 WACA National Board. 

 

WACA Executive Committee Elected for FY2014

The World Affairs Councils of America's National Board elected the following Executive Committee slate:

 

Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, Chair
Dixie Anderson, Vice Chair
Alex Lari, Vice Chair
Ward Fredericks, Treasurer
Bill Clifford, Secretary
Diana Sedney, At-Large
Noel Lateef, At-Large
Joyce Davis, At-Large

Sky Foerster (Governance) 

 

The National Board of Directors also endorsed the recommendation made by outgoing Director and Development Committee Chair Ken Furst that the Chair of the Development Committee be added to the Executive Committee as a member. The proposed change to the national bylaws is now out to network members for comment due July 15. 

 

Taiwan Leadership Mission: Deadline July, 19

The World Affairs Councils of America is pleased to announce that The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office has agreed to host a Leadership Mission to Taiwan from September 7-14, 2013.

 

Note: Flights will leave on September 7, arriving in Taipei on September 8. Upon return, flights will depart on September 14 and arrive back in the U.S. on the same day. 

The Leadership Mission will include 8-10 delegates. We are currently accepting applications for participants. The deadline to apply is July 19, 2013. Click here for more information

 

Accepting Applications for President & CEO

The World Affairs Councils of America is seeking nominations and applications for the position of President & CEO, a full-time position based in Washington, DC. As you know, the President & CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America plays a leading role in strategically planning, creatively steering and energetically implementing and expanding the national association's educational mission of engaging the American public on global issues.

 

The WACA National Board and the WACA Search Committee, chaired by Dixie Anderson, Vice Chair of the National Board and Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, plan to proceed in a way that is transparent, expeditious and brings us the best candidate.  

 

Since the WACA Network is national, we have concluded that we should start our search with a focus on the WACA network as our most logical group of potential candidates. Therefore, we would like to present the opportunity to the WACA network to express an interest in the position of WACA national president.

 

Although you all know the general outlines of the job, I thought it would be helpful to include a detailed position description here

 

We are asking for expressions of interest from the WACA National Network by July 12, 2012. Please include: a cover letter and resume/CV. Send submissions to Dixie using this email: info@worldmichigan.org. Of course, all submissions will be treated confidentially.

 

If you have any questions and would like to discuss the position in more detail, please contact Dixie at (616) 776-1721 or da@worldmichigan.org

 

CONTEXT: Egyptian Protests: Will the Military Step In?

Widespread and intense protests in Egypt raise serious questions about the stability and future of President Mohamed Morsi's government. To gain insight into the situation, we spoke with a former Washington Post Cairo Bureau Chief about the current crisis and its implications for future democratic reforms. Click here to watch.

 

WACA-U.S. Department of State Partnership 

The World Affairs Councils of America is partnering with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to provide exciting opportunities for World Affairs Councils members and their families to promote relationships between the United States and other countries of the world. Enrich your family and community by joining our "C2C" - Culture2Culture, Country2Country and Community2Comunity initiative. Volunteer to host an international exchange student starting this fall.

 

Many people ask what they can do to make things better for themselves, their children, their communities, and the world. By sharing your home and heart with an international high school exchange student, you will make a difference. What begins as an exchange of kindness, customs and culture within a family extends throughout a high school and community to touch thousands of lives. The Department of State needs host families from all over the U.S. - from large cities to small towns. If you or someone you know would be interested in hosting a student, please visit http://hosting.state.gov for more information and to fill out a short form so that a local representative can contact you.

  

Spotlight on Turkey Study Tours 

The first group of teachers participating in this year's Spotlight on Turkey program are on the ground participating in a study tour of the country. Teachers from the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Forth Worth, Peoria Area World Affairs Council, Santa Fe Council on International Relations, World Affairs Council - Washington, DC, WorldDenver, Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, and World Affairs Council of Jacksonville are currently traveling in Turkey and will return July 11. More Information

 

Not My Life Programs Underway

Our newest national program series focusing on human trafficking and modern-day slavery is underway. The program features screenings of the documentary film Not My Life by Robert Bilheimer and Worldwide Documentaries at over 35 World Affairs Councils. The program is made possible by a generous grant from Carlson & The Carlson Family FoundationClick here to see the participating councils. This month's events include:

 

July 9 -- Santa Fe Council on International Relations

 

July 10 -- San Diego World Affairs Council

 

July 17 -- International Relations Council Kansas City 

 

July 17 -- World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

 

July 27 -- San Diego World Affairs Council

 

Broadcast of The 16th Report of the Secretaries of Defense on PBS -- Hosted by the Southern Center for International Studies
The Southern Center for International Studies hosted former Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Cheney, Frank Carlucci, and James Schlesinger for a panel moderatored by CNN's David Gergen titled The 16th Report of the Secretaries of Defense: Advice to the American PeoplePBS stations across the country will be airing the program. Please check your local listings and contact your local PBS affiliate to find out when the program is airing.

World Affairs Councils in the News

World Affairs Council of Charlotte

Mexican ambassador asks Charlotte to focus on trade -- Charlotte Observer

 

South African ambassador urges closer business ties with Charlotte -- Charlotte Observer 

 

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh

Economy, education -- not terrorism -- major issues for Peter Bergen -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

 

World Affairs Council of Connecticut

Reid will received Global Educator Award -- Hartford Business Journal 

 

World Affairs Council of Atlanta

Second annual summit on global health helps solidify Atlanta's role -- Saporta Report

 

U.S.-EU Trade Pact: Motivated by Self-Interest and Global Benefits -- Global Atlanta 

 

Ambassadors visiting Atlanta say that Europe is on the economic rebound -- Saporta Report 

 

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

Bain & Co.'s chairwoman drives corporate culture message to Dallas -- Dallas Business Journal

 

Worcester World Affairs Council

Worcester native thrilled with role as US ambassador -- Telegram & Gazette  

 

World Affairs Council of Houston

Junior Fellows meet advisor to the presidents -- The Huntsville Item 

 

WorldDenver

Turkish ambassador uses visit to Denver to support his government -- Denver Post 

 

Juneau World Affairs Council

Parnell Looks To Europe For Insight On Oil Tax Policy -- Alaska Public Media 

 

World Affairs Council of Maine

Sen. Collins calls NSA surveillance effort fair, useful -- Kennebec Journal 

What's Happening in the Network 

There are over 70 World Affairs Council events across the country scheduled in July. Visit News from the National Network on our homepage for updates from around the network that include programs you can attend, participate in virtually, get ideas about speakers, or model format. Also be sure to check out travel programs offered by World Affairs Councils on our homepage. We encourage you to follow-up with the sponsoring council for more information. If we missed something or if you have a program that you would like highlighted on our website or in the WACA Weekly, please contact Ian J. Byrne at ibyrne@worldaffairscouncils.org.

Available Authors
The World Affairs Councils of America works with publishers and has prepared a list of authors on the WACA Leadership Network who are available to receive invitations from World Affairs Councils around the country.

Among the latest additions to Available Authors is:

Jean Beno�t Nadeau and Julie Barlow's The Story of Spanish (May 2013)
Just how did a quirky, obscure dialect spoken by a remote tribe of cattle farmers in northern Spain grow to become the common tongue of 450 million people in 22 countries, and the unofficial second language of the United States?
 
Thoroughly researched and enlivened with stories and anecdotes, The Story of Spanish explains the origins and spread of modern Spanish from its roots n Roman Hispania to its fascinating, global preeminence today.

Full of surprises and honed in Nadeau and Barlow's trademark style combining personal anecdote, reflections and deep research, The Story of Spanish is the first full biography of a language that shaped the world we know, and the only global language with two names - Spanish and Castilian.

Through characters like Queen Isabella, Christopher Columbus, Cervantes and Goya, The Story of Spanish shows how Spain's Golden Age, the Mexican Miracle and the Latin American Boom shaped the destiny of the language, as well as more somber episodes like the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of Spain's Jews, the destruction of native cultures, the political instability in Latin America and the dictatorship of Franco.

The Story of Spanish shows there is more to Spanish than tacos, flamenco and bullfighting. It explains how the United States developed its Hispanic personality from the time of the Spanish conquistadors, to Latin American immigration and telenovelas. It also shows how fundamentally Spanish many American cultural artifacts actually are, like the dollar sign, cowboy culture and more. Passionate and intriguing this is a chronicle of a vibrant language that thrived through conquests and setbacks to become the tongue of Pedro Alm�dovar, Gabriel Garc�a M�rquez, of tango and ball room dancing, of millions of Americans, and of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world.

The authors, Julie Barlow and Jean-Beno�t Nadeau, are two trilingual Canadian writers, winners of dozens of journalism and literary prizes and well known as regular contributors to Quebec's public affairs magazine, L'actualit�. Their best-selling books on France and the French language have established them as experts in explaining cultural differences in the era of globalization.

To contact the authors, please contact publicist Mary Bisbee-Beek at mbisbee.beek@gmail.com.
Be Part of the WACA Newsletter!

If you would like to highlight an upcoming program, email Ian J. Byrne at ibyrne@worldaffairscouncils.org with the relevant information (a description of 200 words or less). Of course, if there is anything else we can do to help promote your programs within the network, please let us know.

The World Affairs Councils of America 

1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036

Phone (202) 833-4557  Fax (202) 833-4555

Email waca@worldaffairscouncils.org Website www.worldaffairscouncils.org