National Conference Student Scholarship deadline is approaching. WACA asks Councils to nominate unaffiliated undergraduate students for this highly competitive scholarship. The scholarship includes $1,000 per student, to be used towards travel, lodging, and/or incidentals, plus complimentary registration. We encourage Councils to take advantage of this opportunity to make the WACA 2022 National Conference available to a very important audience: our promising undergraduate scholars. Submit your Councils nomination by September 30, 2022.

WACA, is pleased to bring you this September's Cover to Cover webinar featuring author David B. Ottaway on Tuesday, September 20, at 2:00-3:00 PM ET

In the aftermath of President Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia in July Ottaway's book, Mohammed bin Salman: The Icarus of Saudi Arabia? allows us to ask ourselves: Who is MBS and how has he shaped Saudi-U.S. relations?

Register here for this virtual program. WACA President Bill Clifford will moderate.

IRC (Kansas City) Executive Director Matthew Hughes recently received the honor of being chosen as one of Association Forum’s 2022 Forty Under 40! The Forty Under 40 program is a prestigious competition that provides recognition to 40 accomplished association or non-profit professionals who are under than age of 40, demonstrate high potential for continued success in leadership roles and exhibit a strong passion for - and commitment to- the association management and nonprofit industries.

We congratulate Matthew Hughes, who serves on the WACA Board of Directors, for receiving this recognition.

The World Affairs Councils of America is proud to partner with the International Labour Organization Office for the United States and Canada for a WACA Engage America series in 2022.

WACA and the ILO US-CA launched our partnership two years ago for Academic WorldQuest, which is continuing with last years AWQ Study Guide topic a "Human-Centered Agenda for the Future of Work." In this Engage America Series, we aim to have expert speakers convey a multifaceted, in-depth understanding of key labor issues to communities across the United States.

Through the WACA-ILO Engage America series "Human-Centered Agenda for the Future of Work" Kevin Cassidy, Director and Representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations for the International Labour Organization for the U.S. and Canada, will speak at WorldDenver for, "The Future of Work: Toward a Greener, More Just and Equitable Global Economy" this Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:00 AM MT. He will continue to the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy for, "Maximizing the Social and Economic Opportunities of Climate Action" this Friday, Sept. 23 at 9 AM MT.

World Affairs Council of Connecticut presents The Global Security Forum (GSF) which convenes the nation's top leadership and experts to discuss security and strategy in an Age of Instability. GSF is an opportunity to engage the nation on global issues that impact us all. At the forum, policymakers meet with students, community leaders pose questions to generals, and business leaders can sit down with the world's top experts for coffee and conversation.

 Each year, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) asks individuals to take action for peace on September 21, the UN International Day of Peace, by participating in the #PeaceDayChallenge. In 2022, USIP’s call to action is ‘Say it. Do it. Share it.” This September 21, WACA encourages you to participate by: Saying what peace means to you. Doing something that demonstrates your commitment to peace, Sharing it on social media and inspiring others to do the same.

The Vermont Council on World Affairs will be observing the International Day of Peace on Thursday, September 22, 2022. They will offer a full day of programming featuring speakers such as, Lisa Grande, President & CEO of USIP.

For specific instructions on how to participate please visit USIP’s website.

WACA is delighted to announce that the AWQ Official Study Guide and Pledge Form have been released!

WACA is excited to share the Academic WorldQuest 2022-2023 Study Guide! This guide contains essential information for Councils, teachers, and students to prepare for all AWQ high school competitions this academic year. Key logistical information, rules and regulations, and curriculum content is contained in the guide.

To confirm your Council's participation in the Academic WorldQuest 2022-2023 program, please fill out and submit this Pledge Form by November 30, 2022.

Our flagship educational youth program, Academic WorldQuest, has returned for another exciting year. Join us on Thursday, September 29 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET to learn the ins and outs of starting an AWQ program within your community, how to attract donors and funding and the benefits of a long running educational program to your Council.

The session features Nikki Geiszler, Programs Director at Montana WAC, Priscilla Porter, Education Outreach Specialist at World Affairs Council of the Desert. and Catherina Rojas, Academic Chair at WAC Miami. The discussion will be moderated by Kaela Rider, Global Education Coordinator at WACA.

In partnership with WACA, WorldQuest Weekly is produced by the Tennessee World Affairs Council, which offers customized subscriptions to the quiz for Council members. Most of the questions are drawn from both WACA's Weekly World News Update, and a curated news Twitter feed (@TNWAC). Contact pat@tnwac.orgor visit tnwac.org/quiz for details.

Last week's winners! (10/10)! Bruce (Indianapolis, IN).

In March 2020 two objectives occupied WAC Desert’s leadership. First: surviving the Covid-19 crisis second: a strong sense of mission to ensure our Council would thrive in a yet-to-be-envisioned post-pandemic world. With in-person dinner/speaker programs suspended, the pivot to virtual programming was obviously essential. The problem was how to do so in ways that retained membership and sponsors:

Today, in-person dinner and luncheon events supplemented by virtual programs are under way. With memberships on the rise, sponsorships retained, financials solid, and WorldQuest’s future secured, our leadership’s fears from March 2020 have eased. Mission accomplished.

Embassy Row Live! with her excellency, Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S., has been rescheduled for Oct. 4, 2 PM ET. During which we will discuss the Russian-Ukraine conflict; their accession into NATO; Swedish-U.S. trade relations; workforce development; green innovation, and more. The conversation and Q&A session are open to our audience of Council members across the U.S., international partners, and the public at large. WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford will moderate the program.

New! World Affairs Council of Atlanta seeks a Program Manager

Applications will be reviewed as received.

Colorado Springs World Affairs Council seeks an Executive Director. Applications will be reviewed as received.

WorldOregon seeks a Development and Communications Coordinator. Applications end September 29

Montana World Affairs Council seeks a Development Coordinator.

Applications will be reviewed as received.

Global Santa Fe seeks to hire multiple positions, a Marketing and Membership Coordinator Applications will be reviewed as received.

World Affairs Council of New Orleans seeks to hire a Board Member/Fellow. Applications will be reviewed as received.

International Institute of Buffalo seeks to hire multiple positions, a Director of Finance, a Business Leader Interpreting and Translation, an Operations Leader, a Bookkeeper, and a Case Manager: Human Trafficking Services. Applications will be reviewed as received.

Columbus World Affairs Council seeks to hire a Development Manager and Youth Programming Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh seeks to hire a Development Manager and a Youth Programming Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.

Vermont Council on World Affairs seeks to hire an AmeriCorps Vista Youth Program Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.

Foreign Policy Association hosts speaker William Dalrymple, historian and author of The Company Quartet, for “The Elbrun Kimmelman Distinguished Lecture On U.S. – India Relations” (In Person)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts “East Asia Roundtable Meeting” (Virtual)

Columbia World Affairs Council hosts Tamta Muradashvili, Georgian attorney at the European Court of Human Rights, for “The Fight For Media Freedom In Georgia (The Case of Mtavari Channel)” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Lila Abed, Deputy Director of the Mexico Institute, and Salomon Chertorivski Woldenberg, Secretary of Economic Development of Mexico City, for “Focus on Mexico-Challenges and Opportunities Ahead” (Virtual)

Montana World Affairs Council hosts Heather Ashby, Senior Program Office at the U.S. Institute of Peace, for “DSP Missoula: Ukraine War: A Watershed Moment for the World” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts, Mike Echols, CEO of The International Association of Certified ISAOs, and Shawn Wioria, Co-Founder and CEO of Maxxsure, for “Managing Global Cyber Risks and Insurance” (In Person)

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Alex Chow, Board President for the Hong Kong Democracy Council, and Anna Kwok, Strategy and Campaign Director for the Hong Kong Democracy Council, for “Hong Kong: A Democracy Movement in Exile” (Virtual)

Colorado Springs World Affairs Council hosts Schuyler Foerster, founding Principal of CGST Solutions, for “Ukraine: Update and Prospects” (In Person)

WorldBoston hosts Serhii Plokhy, Professor and Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University and author of Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters, for “Chat and Chowder with Serhii Plohky” (Hybrid)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston presents “Fall 2022 - Global Affairs & U.S. Foreign Policy Institute” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Harrisburg presents “The Art of Healing” (Virtual)

Montana World Affairs Council hosts “Teach Support for EconoQuest and GeoQuest Platforms” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council Upstate presents, “International Women’s Group: Coffee at Panera” (In Person)

The World Affairs Council of Seattle Fellows Program hosts Ryan Crocker, distinguished former U.S. Ambassador and Senior Fellow , for “September Fellow Breakfast with Ambassador Ryan Crocker” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia presents David Bier, Associate Director of Immigration Studies at the CATO Institute, and Kent Smetters, Professor of Business Economics & Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, for “Honoring the Spirit of America: A Conversation About Immigration” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay hots William B. Taylor, Vice President, Russia and Europe, at the U.S. Institute of Peace, and former Ambassador to Ukraine, for “Russia’s War on Ukraine” (In Person)

Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council hosts Carl Zimmer, science writer, author, and New York Times science columnist, for “Science and Research During the Pandemic: Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” (Hybrid)

World Affairs Council Upstate hosts Kate Kaup, Professor of Asian Studies/Politics and International Affairs at Furman University, for “Lunch and Learn: Beyond the Headlines - Trajectory of China and Taiwan’s Rising Tension” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Christian Peterson, Professor at Ferris State University, for “The Prospects for Peace in Ukraine with Christian Peterson” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Connecticut presents “Global Security Forum 2022” hosts Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations (In Person)

Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. and John Herbst, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, for “War in Ukraine: A Path Toward Peace?” (In Person)

Vermont Council on World Affairs hosts a panel of experts, for “2022 International Day of Peace” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Meenakshi Ahamed, freelance journalist, for “A Matter of Trust: Indian-U.S. Relations from Truman to Trump” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Raymond Chen, Deputy Head of investment promotion at Invest Hong Kong, for “Business Luncheon - Topic: Hong Kong, The Magnet for Global Business” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Michael Marsicano, President and CEO of Foundation of the Carolinas, for “WACC CEO Series with Michael Marsicano” (In Person)

Institute of World Affairs (Milwaukee) hosts, Greg Borowski, Deputy Editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bret Schafer, Senior Fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, and Maria Haigh, Associate Professor and UW- Milwaukee School of Information Studies, for “Disinformation and Democracy: How Information Environment Impacts Our Elections” (In Person)

Colorado Spring World Affairs Council presents “2022 High School Symposium – Challenges to Democracy: A Global Perspective” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Austin presents “Globalist Coffeehouse: A Cross-Cultural Look At Smoking - Traditions and Etiquette Around the World” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts Sherry Dowlatshahi, Chief Diplomacy & Protocol Officer for the City of San Antonio, for “Around the World With World Affairs Council of San Antonio” (In Person)

Global Minnesota presents “Global Social with International Journalists and Humphrey Fellows” (In Person)

World Affairs (Northern California) presents “2022 Bay Area Youth Climate Summit” (In Person)

Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy hosts “International Youth Summit” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Orange County presents “Annual Trustee Luncheon” (In Person)