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President's Letter
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As I depart tonight to join the WACA Leadership Mission delegation in Israel, I am reminded of the instability of politics and diplomacy around the globe.
After Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon resigned last week saying he was "fearful for Israel's future" because of the country's growing extremism, Prime Minister Netanyahu named hard-liner Avigdor Lieberman to replace him. Meanwhile, talk abounds about who will succeed the octogenarian Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict simmers while war and violence rage in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq - with repercussions in Europe, Africa, and of course in America.
Anxiety about America's future is reflected in the unfavorable ratings of the GOP presumptive nominee and the leading Democratic candidate. WACA plans to explore "America and Global Megatrends," the theme of our annual National Conference, in Washington, DC - the week after the U.S. Election.
I encourage you to reserve your accommodations at the Capital Hilton, using the link we present for the first time below. This will be an important conference with leaders and policy experts from both sides of the aisle, as well as from abroad, providing perspectives on the next administration and global challenges over the next 10 years. Do we have it in our power to create a more stable and peaceful world? You won't want to miss it!
Best wishes,
Bill Clifford
President and CEO
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WACA Israel Leadership Mission to Commence
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The WACA delegation to Israel is heading to Tel-Aviv for the
June 2-10
Leadership Mission
, in partnership with the
America-Israel Friendship League
. The mission will focus on a variety of contemporary issues, including Middle East regional affairs, Israeli politics and diplomacy, counter-terrorism, immigration and refugees, innovation and entrepreneurship (alternative energy, IT, health care), and religious diversity.
The following leaders from our network will represent the WACA delegation to Israel:
Mitchell Abrams, WAC Philadelphia
Karen Burghart, Colorado Springs WAC
Lise Falskow, Alaska WAC
Arun Joshi, WAC Oregon
Katherine Keck, Los Angeles WAC
Rajesh Naik, WAC Atlanta
Lee Pasquarella, WACA National Board
Robin Pasquarella, WAC Seattle
Michael Phillip, WAC California Central Coast
Serge Tomassian, WAC Orange County
Mary Yntema, WorldBoston
Bill Clifford, WACA National Office (Head of Delegation)
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2016 WACA National Conference
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Book Your Hotel Now!
The World Affairs Councils of America's 2016 National Conference will take place on November 16-18, at The Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.
Staying at The Capitol Hilton
We have secured a special group rate:
- Queen/King bed Deluxe Room: $279/night (Single/Double occupancy) plus tax
- Queen/King/Double bed Executive Floor: $349/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 and memorials, theaters and art galleries, 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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The Iran Nuclear Deal Program Series
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In partnership with The Iran Project
, WACA is pleased to introduce The Iran Nuclear Deal: Prospects for Cooperation, Competition and Confrontation as part of our WACA Engage America Series. The objective of this program is to deepen the understanding of implications of the U.S. policy towards Iran, the nuclear deal, and the Middle East. It is important to stimulate debate and air differences over U.S. dealings with Iran in Councils' nonpartisan forums. The centerpiece of the program is the panelists' presentations and audience Q&A.
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Cover to Cover Author Series
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Cover to Cover
in June will present author
Anja Manuel Anja Manuel is a Lecturer at Stanford University and a cofounder and partner with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in RiceHadleyGates LLC, a strategic consulting firm (
full bio
).
Cover to Cover in July will feature author Jennifer M. Harris on her new book War By Other Means: Geoeconomics and Statecraft
on
Wednesday, July 13, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET
. Harris is a
senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously served as the
lead architect of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Economic Statecraft agenda (full bio).
COUNCIL LEADERS: Please share these opportunities with your members and supporters as a free benefit! Contact the WACA office if you are interested in hosting these authors at your Council.
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LIVESTREAM: Amb. Ford on Syria's Future
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Robert Ford resigned in 2014 as his efforts to redirect U.S. policy toward achievable goals failed to produce a change of policy. He advised the President on U.S.-Syria policy through the most unstable period in the region's history. He broke with the Obama administration over its handling of the Syrian civil war, he is currently a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. Ambassador Ford also served in Algeria, Bahrain and Iraq. He is the recipient of U.S. State Department's highest award, as well as the annual Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston for his stout defense of human rights in Syria.
This is a unique opportunity to hear first hand about Syria President Assad's catastrophic handling of internal unrest and the resultant rise of ISIS.
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Future of Korea 2016
Selected Councils
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- Columbus Council on World Affairs
- North American Borderplex Council (El Paso, TX)
- Vermont Council on World Affairs
- World Affairs Council of Oregon
KEI, in consultation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Department of State, and the World Affairs Councils of America, b
ased its selection on a highly competitive application process. WACA will administer the grants for Future of Korea events to be scheduled this fall.
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Global I.Q. Minute with H.E. David Johnston
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Jim Falk, President and CEO
of the Council, discussed a range of topics from Canada's global role to the Canada-U.S. partnership.
Listen to the podcast
here
.
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IPSI's American Town Hall Initiative
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This Internet forum is open to all Americans, who can sign up to join the conversation at usatownhall.org. This is done by using a very interesting online tool from Ethelo that looks a bit like a survey instrument combined with a social media platform. The platform is designed to get people engaged in civil debates about specific questions, and the underlying technology is designed to find areas of agreement on those questions - it doesn't just report the polling results.
We encourage Councils to participate in and share the dynamic online forum and to consider co-hosting a public forum on foreign conflict issues in partnership with the hosts. You can also join the conversation
here:
@usatownhall
on Twitter.
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World Affairs Councils in the News
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World Affairs Council - DC
World Affairs Council of Seattle
World Affairs Councils of America
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Travel the World from WAC Philadelphia
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 Just Announced:
Council Leaders to Lecture on Travel the World tours from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia!
Ambassador Heather Hodges
, President & Ambassador-in-Residence, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Across Spain and Portugal: September 6 - 22, 2016.
Kay Maxwell
, Executive Director, World Affairs Forum, Stamford
, Journey through Vietnam: October 3 - 18, 2016.
Mimi Gregory, Vice President and Program Chairman, Naples Council on World Affairs, Cruising the Rivieras & Islands of France, Spain and Italy:
October 5 - 13, 2016.
Ambassador Sharon Wilkinson, former Board President, World Affairs Council of Arizona, Island Life in Cuba: October 23 - 31, 2016.
Dr. Carla Thorson, Senior Vice President of Programs, World Affairs Councils of Northern California, Tanzania: October 29 - November 8, 2016
Craig Snyder
, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Inside Oman, UAE and Qatar: November 2 - 16, 2016.
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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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