September 11, 2017
2017 National Conference
Future of Korea
#PeaceDayChallenge
Cover to Cover
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World Affairs Council Highlights
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UPS
Remembering Joan Russell
Dear Council Leaders, Friends, and Supporters:    

With great sadness, I write to share the news that Joan Russell, our dear friend and colleague at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, has passed away.

We send our heartfelt prayers and condolences to Joan's family, the Philadelphia Council, and to those of you in our beloved network who enjoyed Joan's company over the past 25 years.

If you would like to honor her legacy, WAC Philadelphia has set up the Joan Russell Travel Scholarship fund, to which you may 
contribute.

Sincerely yours,
 
Bill Clifford, President and CEO
Our Thoughts Are Also with Florida
The WACA National Office has been in touch with our six Florida Councils to share our concern and extend our support as they cope with Hurricane Irma and its aftermath. We are monitoring the situation with them, and we will keep you apprised of major developments while hoping for the best possible outcome for those impacted by the storm.
A Special Recognition: WAC San Antonio
We would like to recognize Leslie Palmer, Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio and her team, for donating the proceeds from their September 9 event, "An Evening of Art and Diplomacy," to American Red Cross Disaster Relief in the wake of Hurricane Harvey's destruction and the then-impending Hurricane Irma. 

"Pivoting this planned program, which we co-hosted with Musical Bridges Around the World, to benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief made such great sense. Our friends and neighbors to the south and east of us in Texas are really hurting, and now the struggle has expanded to due to Irma," said WAC San Antonio's Palmer. "We were so delighted to let music, art, and diplomacy tell the refugee tale and bring it all together to help others in need."


WACA 2017 National Conference
November 15-17
Washington, DC

We are thrilled that, as of the close of our Early-Bird promotion, we've recorded the highest level of paid registrations in a decade for WACA's flagship event - more than 150 of you so far!

Head to our WACA 2017 Conference website to purchase tickets, see speakers, book your hotel, and more!

AI and the Future of Work:


Anand Shah
Senior Vice President
Albright Stonebridge Group
India and South Asia

Prospects for Israeli-Palestinian Peace:


Mahmoud Jabari
Graduate Student, The Fletcher School
Alumnus, Seeds of Peace



Doron Shapir
Malkin Scholarship Recipient, Brandeis University
Alumnus, Seeds of Peace


WACA Conference Flyer  
New!



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.
Future of Korea 2017 Program

The Future of Korea 2017 program series, sponsored by the Korea Economic Institute, continues this week with World Affairs Council of Atlanta (WACA's Council of the Month). The September 12 program will feature the following panelists: Hohyun Jang, Minister of Economic Affairs, Embassy of the Republic of Korea; Zack Rosner, Korea Desk Policy Analyst, U.S. Dept. of State; and Mark Tokola, Vice President, KEI.  See details .
#PeaceDayChallenge 2017
International Day of Peace is September 21
The United States Institute of Peace's Peace Day Challenge exists to raise public awareness of the International Day of Peace and to affirm peace as a real and practical alternative to the violence we see in the news.
It is all about inspiring a day of action, focused on building peace through real-life activities, and then sharing on social media at #PeaceDayChallenge.
In the last two years, the Peace Day Challenge reached tens of millions of people around the world on social media, and last year alone recorded activities by schools, organizations, and communities in 41 U.S. states-a number of which were organized or promoted by local World Affairs Councils! 
Watch the Peace Day Challenge video:
Here is what you need to effectively participate in USIP's Peace Day Challenge this year:
Cover to Cover Author Series: October

Harvard Kennedy School professor and former  Washington  policymaker  Meghan O'Sullivan  ( full bio ) will discuss   Windfall: How the New Energy Abundance Upends Global Politics and Strengthens America's Power.   O'Sullivan's new book reveals how fe ars of energy scarcity have given way to the reality of energy abundance in the boldest profile of the world's energy resources since Daniel Yergin's The Quest.


Read O'Sullivan's recent article on the geopolitics of energy in Bloomberg View, and join us for  October's Cover to Cover   Thursday, October 5, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET .
Listen to WACA Podcasts!

Last week, Richard McGregor, author of Asia's Reckoning: China, Japan, and the Fate of U.S. Power, joined Bill Clifford for the September installment of WACA's Cover to Cover Author Series. Listen to the podcast .
World Affairs Councils Highlights

Monday, September 11

South Dakota World Affairs Council hosts Dr. Toshihiro Nakayama, Professor of American politics at Keio University in Tokyo and Adjunct Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, for "Japan's Foreign Policy Options in the Trump Era." Details

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Nicole Perlroth, New York Times Reporter, for "The Cyberthreat. " Details

World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay holds a discussion group on "Afghanistan/Pakistan: What's Next in America's Longest War?" Details

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts Michael Doran, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, and Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, for "America's Role in the World Under President Trump." Details

Richmond World Affairs Council hosts Harry Harding, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Virginia, for "Taiwan's Challenges for Three Presidents: Trump, Tsai, and Xi Jinping." Details

Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council hosts Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, independent scholar and author for "Inheriting the Flame: A Century of Gender Equality Activism in Ireland." Details

Tuesday, September 12

Alabama World Affairs Council hosts Jack Matlock, Ambassador in Residence at Troy University, for "Russia." Details

World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts P.J. Crowley, former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of State, for "American Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics." Details

WorldDenver hosts a panel of experts for "UN Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger and Food Security." Details

World Affairs Council - DC hosts Dan Plesch, author, to discuss his book, "Human Rights After Hitler: The Lost History of Prosecuting Axis War Crimes." Details

World Affairs Council of Central Illinois hosts Dr. Frank Argote-Freyre, Assistant Professor at Keane University, for "Cuba and the United States - Neither Friend nor Foe." Details

Cleveland Council of World Affairs hosts Abigail R. Esman, award-winning journalist, for "Beyond ISIS: Addressing Terrorism at Home and Abroad." Details

Santa Fe Council on International Relations holds a screening of "Last Train Home." Details

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Timothy Edgar, Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, for "Are We Being Spied On? The NSA and Mass Surveillance." Details

World Affairs Council of South Texas hosts Sarwat Hussain, former Head of Communications in Agriculture Global Practice at the World Bank, for "Securing Sustainable Development." Details

Wednesday, September 13

World Affairs Forum hosts Ambassador Joseph Detrani, former Special Envoy for Six Party Talks with North Korea, for "Dealing with North Korea." Details

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Brad Roberts, Director of the Center for Global Security Research at the Livermore National Laboratory, for "The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century." Details

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Scott Siegel, Assistant Professor of International Relations at San Francisco State University, for "German Elections: Merkel's Fourth Term?" Details

Global Minnesota hosts Ross Wilson, Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council, for "Geopolitics of Energy. " Details

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts Dr. James Forest, Director of Security Studies at University of Massachusetts Lowell, for "Trust, Travel Bans, and Homeland Security: Counter-Terrorism Today" Details

World Affairs Council of Austin hosts Alexander Dixon, Senior Director of Finance, Investment, and Trade at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, for "America's Global Leadership." Details

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Dr. David Titley, Founding Director of Penn State's Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk, for "Climate Change Erodes National Security." Details 

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Christopher Sabatini, Executive Director of Global Americans, for "Doomed: Why Regional Efforts Fail to Solve Venezuela's Crisis." Details

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts a panel of experts for "The U.S.-Japan Partnership on Energy, Business, and the Challenges of China and North Korea." Details

World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts Rolando Pablos, Texas Secretary of State, for its Annual Meeting. Details

Thursday, September 14

Foreign Policy Association holds its 2017 World Leadership Forum Dinner, honoring Arne M. Sorenson, President and CEO of Mariott International, Inc., and Rocco B. Commisso, Chairman and CEO of Mediacom Communications Corporation. Details

San Diego World Affairs Council hosts David Murphy, Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee of San Diego, for "International Rescue Committee (IRC) - Flight of Immigrants."  Details

Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Dr. Katie Ringsmuth, Owner of Tundra Vision, and Dr. Paul Dunscomb, History Department Chair at University of Alaska Anchorage, for "Many Traditions, One Alaska: Teaching Alaska's History." Details

World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts Dr. Marco Cupolo, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of Hartford, for "Venezuela in Crisis: How Did We Get Here?" Details

World Affairs Council of Tacoma holds its 28th Annual Consular Association Reception. Details

Friday, September 15

Windham World Affairs Council hosts Ida Meftahi, Professor at the Roshan Institute for Persian Studies at the University of Maryland, for "Understanding Iran through Film." Details
Travel the World from WAC Philadelphia

Travel with Council Leaders - hear them lecture on Travel the World tours from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia!

2018 travel schedule includes trips to: 
  • Dr. Carla Thorson, Senior Vice President, Programs, World Affairs Council Northern California, Southern Africa: Feb. 10-Mar. 5
  • Kay Maxwell, Executive Director, World Affairs Forum (Stamford), Ancient Kingdoms of China: May 5-19
  • Patrick Ryan, President, Tennessee World Affairs Council, Tuscany: May 29-Jun. 6
  • Jim Falk, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Cruise the Rhine, July 11-29
  • Anna Berry, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, Cambridge, Oxford, and the Cotswolds: July 20-28
  • Derrick Olsen, President, World Affairs Council of Oregon, Treasures of Ecuador: Aug. 27-31
  • Megan Torrey, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of Hartford, Himalayan Kingdoms, Sept. 11-25
  • Mimi Gregory, Vice President of Programs, Naples Council on World Affairs, Inside Botswana: Oct. 4-16
Contact www.wacphila.org/travel  or call 1-800-942-5004 , ext.  209  or 217 .

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