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Top Six Reasons to Come to the
2013 National Conference (1min 22s)
Still need a reason to come to the 2013 National Conference? We've got six of them.
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Announcing New Confirmed Speakers
The World Affairs Councils of America will host its 2013 National Conference, Six Top Issues for 2014, November 13-15 at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel. See below for the newest additions to our confirmed speaker lineup.
Michelle A. Rhee
Former Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools, and Founder and CEO of StudentsFirst, on U.S. education
Ambassador Marc Grossman
Former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and former Chair, WACA National Board of Directors, on making our democracy work
Massimo Cirasino
Manager, Financial Infrastructure Service Line, The World Bank, on the virtual economy
Sarah O. Ladislaw
Co-Director & Senior Fellow, Energy & National Security Program, CSIS, on U.S. energy security
Click here to see the list of confirmed speakers
Councils, a flyer is available for your use to promote the National Conference to your members. Download Flyer
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
- U.S. Education
Register for 2013 National Conference
Reserve Hotel Room at The Liaison
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
- Embassy of Canada
- Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco
- Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
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 generous sponsors: Chevron, NATO,
The Gambrinus Company, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, Duke Energy, Goldman Sachs, and Coca-Cola
Deadline for Proposals: Today, September 16
Engage America Series: European Union
The World Affairs Councils of America has been invited by the Delegation of the European Union to the U.S. to submit a national bid for a grant for an Engage America Program designed to raise awareness about the EU and the EU-U.S. relationship. More Information
The events will take place on or around Europe Day, May 9, 2014. We are requesting councils to propose events to be included in this national grant proposal to the Delegation. Proposals are due today, Monday, September 16, 2013.
DC Recap in Virtual Library: Focus on Syria
The World Affairs Councils of America's National Office aims to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the situation in Syria and will be updating the WACA Virtual Library as things develop over the next few weeks.
Syria
U.N. Report on Chemical Weapons
The U.N. chemical weapons report is pretty damning for Assad -- Washington Post
U.S., Russia agree to framework on Syria chemical weapons -- CNN
Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons -- U.S. Department of State
Visit the WACA Virtual Library
Academic WorldQuest 2014: Study Guide Released
The 2014 Academic WorldQuest National Competition will take place Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, DC. Read about the 2013 Academic WorldQuest National Competition here.
The 2013-2014 Study Guide has been released, as well as information and resources for councils and teachers. 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 Foundation. Click here to see the participating councils. This month's events include:
September 24 -- Dayton Council on World Affairs
September 25 -- World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana
September 29 -- Tennessee World Affairs Council
Spotlight on Turkey
The Spotlight on Turkey program, sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America and the Turkish Cultural Foundation, has entered Phase III of the 2013 program. Participating councils will be holding programs throughout the fall showcasing Turkish art, culture, and cuisine. More Information
Programs scheduled for September include:
September 17 -- World Affairs Council of Connecticut
Taiwan Leadership Mission
The World Affairs Councils of America's Leadership Delegation returned safely over the weekend from their Leadership Mission to Taiwan, September 7-14, 2013. Stay tuned for a country report. To learn more about WACA Leader Missions, visit our website.
From the Network
At the 4% Growth Project Energy Conference at the Bush Institute on Thursday, Canada's veteran Minister of Finance James Flaherty had a wide-ranging discussion with World Affairs Council President and WACA National Board Member Jim Falk in a special Global I.Q. Minute. Listen to a Recording of the Conversation Here
Syria: The World's Red Line and the President's Challenge, September 4, 2013, by Dr. Lori E. Murray, Distinguished Chair for National Security, U.S. Naval Academy, and President Emeritus, WACA -- Huffington Post
The hard part's not over in ridding Syria of chemical weapons by Jack Segal, Chair, International Affairs Forum -- Detroit Free Press
Reflection: From September 11th To Syria, featuring Joyce Davis, WACA National Board Member, and President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Harrisburg -- The Marc Steiner Show
Denotes programming that focuses on one of the World Affairs Councils of America's Six Top Issues for 2013.