February 16, 2021
New Cover to Cover and Embassy Row Live! Programs; Bill Gates This Week; Star Speakers Across the Country; Council Highlights; and more!
February Cover to Cover

Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order
Thursday, February 18 | Live Online
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
In Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order, Stanford Professor Kathryn Stoner shows that Russia is neither as weak as we think, nor as strong as its leadership would like it to be viewed. From Russia's seizure of Crimea to its military support for the Assad regime in Syria, the country has reasserted itself as a major global power. Dr. Stoner offers an eye-opening reassessment of the country, identifying the actual sources of its power in international politics and why it has been able to redefine the post-Cold War global order.
March Cover to Cover: Charles Kupchan on Isolationism
Wednesday, March 3 | Live Online
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET

WACA presents Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World featuring Charles Kupchan, Professor of International Affairs in the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University, and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Learn more and register!
Star Speakers at Councils This Week
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
& Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
Amb. Michael McKinley
Former U.S. Ambassador
Mohit Joshi
President, Infosys Ltd.
Paige Alexander
CEO, The Carter Center
Martha Minow
Fmr. Dean, Harvard Law School
Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ)
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Council of the Month: Los Angeles WAC & Town Hall
Thursday, Feb. 19: Bill Gates and Don Cheadle
Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall, Writers Bloc, and the World Affairs Councils of America are proud to present Bill Gates and Don Cheadle for a live virtual discussion on Gates' new book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need on Friday, February 19, 2021.

*Your ticket purchase includes a hardcover copy of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.
Tahrir Square and the Arab Spring 10 Years On

On Wednesday, February 24, at 2:00 PM ET, the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall will host Linda Robinson, Director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy, and Paul Amar, Director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, to discuss what movements burgeoned, which ideas took hold, where things failed and how the outlook is as we step into the Biden era 10 years on from the Arab Spring. Register here!
WACA's Embassy Row Live! with Haiti's Amb. Edmond

Haiti: The Path to a Stronger Democracy
Tuesday, February 23 | Live Online
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Join us for WACA's fourth Embassy Row Live!: Conversations That Bring Diplomacy Directly to You. This new platform spotlights distinguished diplomats discussing new ideas, policy developments, and possible solutions to critical international challenges.
WACA's Engage America Speaker Series
Korea Economic Institute

Opportunities for Diplomacy: The United States and the Future of the Korean Peninsula
Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6:00 PM ET
Young Han
 Desk Officer
U.S. State Department
Kyle Ferrier
Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs, Korea Economic Institute
Yangmo Ku (Moderator)
Professor of Political Science
Norwich University
United States Institute of Peace

Options for Peace and U.S. Policy: Findings and Recommendations of the Afghanistan Study Group
Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 PM ET
Michael Phelan
Senior Advisor, Africa and Asia
USIP
EU Medium-Term Economic Outlook

Vaccine and New Policy Developments Fuel Optimism
Thursday, February 25 | Live Online
1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
As the global economy emerges from the pandemic, the EU has launched an ambitious Recovery Plan that will underpin strong growth and a green, digital transformation.

With the pace of vaccine distribution set to increase steadily over the coming months and a Brexit deal on the books, there is good reason to be optimistic about the future. Although the second wave of the pandemic will inevitably delay the recovery of the EU economy, green shoots are beginning to show and the outlook for the second half of 2021 looks rosy.
AWQ National Competition
The Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2020-2021 Academic WorldQuest National Competition is scheduled to be held virtually on April 16-17, 2021.

AWQ Administrators
The National Competition will utilize MyQuiz.org and Zoom breakout rooms. More technical details on the National Competition format to be announced.

2021 New Guideline!
Due to the AWQ National Competition being virtual in 2021 and endeavoring to be as inclusive as possible, each Council may bring up to three teams to the National Competition - whether you have a local competition or not. Even if your Council joins another Council's competition remotely, each Council may bring up to three teams to WACA's virtual National Competition in April.

If you have questions about AWQ, please email Laura Duncan at lduncan@worldaffairscouncils.org.
Monday 2/15

World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay hosts Bruce Jones, Director of the Project on International Order and Strategy at The Brookings Institution, for “The Long Crisis of Order.” 

World Affairs Council of Palm Beach hosts Frank Cilluffo, Director of Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, for “Cybersecurity and Countering Terrorism.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Andrew Natsios, Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, for “Have We Learned Anything About This Pandemic?” 

Tuesday 2/16

World Affairs Forum (Stamford) hosts Greg Medcraft, Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs as OECD, for “Building Trust in a New World.” 

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, for “Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future.” 

San Diego World Affairs Council hosts David Pasquini, Consul for the Government and Business Affairs UK Government Office, for “The United Kingdom: A Year of Global Leadership.” 
 
Seattle World Affairs Council hosts Dr. James Walters, Founding Director of the London School of Economics Faith Centre, for “Conversation with LSE Faith Centre Director.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Austin hosts UK Consul General Richard Hyde and Chad Costello, General Counsel for WP Engine, for “UK Fireside Chat Series.” 
 
Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, for “Immigration and Refugees in Tennessee, Global Nashville Talks with TIRCC.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Hon. Zhao Jian, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago, for “A Conversation with Consul General Zhao Jian.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts author Elaine Sciolino to discuss her book The Seine: The River That Made Paris.
 
Global Minnesota hosts a panel of experts for “SDG Roundtable.” 

Wednesday 2/17

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, for “The Importance of Bipartisan Policy Making in a Hyper-Partisan Era.” 

World Affairs Council of Inland Southern California hosts Ambassador Michael McKinley, Senior Counselor at the Cohen Group, for “U.S. Soft Power in Foreign Policy.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Alan Steinberg, Chief Executive Officer for West Houston Association, for “Conversations with a Conscience: Civic Engagement.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts Heather Fischer, Senior Advisor at The Howard Buffett Foundation, for “Combating International Human Trafficking.” 
 
Worcester World Affairs Council hosts Paul Fagan, Director of Human Rights and Democracy programs at the McCain Institute, for “Human Rights in Africa.” 
 
Foreign Policy Association hosts Dr. Peggy Hamburg, VP for Biological Programs and Policy at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, for “A Global Response to Covid-19.” 
 
Global Minnesota hosts Heather Conley, Director of the Europe Program at CSIS, for “The Coldest War: Great Power Competition in the Artic.” 
  
Thursday 2/18

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Mohit Joshi, President of Infosys, for “The Role of Tech in the Post-Pandemic Recovery of the Financial System.” 

World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Paige Alexander, CEO of The Carter Center, for “The Power of Pioneering Women.” 

World Affairs Council of Rhode Island hosts Martha Minow, former Dean of Harvard Law School, for "The 75th Anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials: Assessing the Global Path Between Vengeance and Forgiveness."

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts reporter Nicole Perlroth, The New York Times, and David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent for The New York Times, for “SolarWinds and the Art of Cyberwar.” 
 
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Pedro Aleman-Perfecto, an immigration advocate, for “International Career Mentor Webinar.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts Professor Michael Beckley, Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, for “U.S. as a Future Rogue Superpower.” 
 
Olympia World Affairs Council hosts David Fenner, Faculty of the University of Washington, Jackson School of International Studies, for “Challenges to Democracy: Citizen Responses to Rising Authoritarianism.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Sharon Nazarian, Senior Vice President of International Affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, for “The Rise of Antisemitism Around the World.”  
 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Amelia Pang, award-winning investigative journalist, for “Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods.” 
 
Savannah Council on World Affairs hosts Ednilson Bernardes, Global Supply Chain Management Program Coordinator at West Virginia University, for “Supply Chains in the Age of COVID.” 
 
Pacific & Asian Affairs Council hosts Patrick Sullivan, Founder of Oceanit, for “Building a Better Future with Education and Imagination.” 
 
Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts Amb. Craig Allen, President of USCBC, for “U.S.-China Relationship in Illinois: What Every Business Should Know.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Central Illinois hosts Dr. Rajesh Govindaiah, Senior Vice President at Memorial Health System, for “Viruses, Vaccines, and Vaccination: Bringing an End to a Global Pandemic.” 
 
Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts Ian McIntosh, Founder of the Sacred Journeys Project, for “Pilgrimage Diplomacy and International Relations.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Kendall Boyd, Chief Equity Officer for Louisville Metro Government, and Clare Hart, Vice-President of Le Refuge, for “Perspectives on Social Change.” 
 
International Affairs Forum (Traverse City) hosts Karen Greenberg, Director of Center on National Security at Fordham University, for “Outlooks on U.S. National Security.” 
  
Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts a panel of experts for “Weapons, Drugs, and Dirty Money: Mexico and the United States.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Sonoma County hosts a panel of experts for “The Iran Deal Redux: Do We Want War or Diplomacy?” 
 
Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts a panel of experts for “Workplace Automation: Opportunities, Ethical Challenges, and Brave New World.” 

Friday 2/19

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Kelly Zuniga, CEO of the Holocaust Museum Houston, for “Global Connections.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Hilton Head hosts Ambassador Joseph Yun, Senior Advisor to the Asia Program at USIP, for “Biden Administration’s Approach to Asia.” 

Saturday 2/20

Institute of World Affairs (Milwaukee) hosts Elana Haviv, Founder and Director of Generation Human Rights, and Felisa Tibbitts, Co-Founder and Director of Human Rights Education Associates, for “unMASKing: The Pandemic Curriculum Project.” 

Sunday 2/21
 
World Affairs Council of New Jersey hosts U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski, Vice Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, for “New Priorities for U.S. Foreign Policy?” 

World Affairs Council of the Desert hosts Adam Davidson, Creator of NPR’s Planet Money podcast, for “The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century.”

Windham World Affairs Council hosts Rev. Scott Couper, minister and teacher of Centre Congregational Church, for “A New Pattern for Democracy.”