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2014 National Conference
Future of Korea
Academic WorldQuest
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America and the World 2015
Register Now! 
Held annually for over two decades, the Conference engages our national network's leaders and members drawn from the business, civic, and education communities with leading policy-makers and experts.

The 2014 National Conference Agenda will examine: China, the U.S., and Asia; Russia/Eurasia; Cybersecurity; Future of Education; Youth, Jobs, and Social Unrest; Food and Water; Global Economic Realignment; Future of Energy; Africa; and Climate Change. More Information

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Newly Confirmed Speakers



Editor, POLITICO Magazine



Alice Madden
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Intergovernmental & External Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy


Director of Resources, Center for Energy Economics and Policy, Resources for the Future

 

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We have secured a special group rate at The Fairfax at Embassy Row: 

 

Superior King: $234 per night (Single/Double Occupancy)

 

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Future of Korea 2014-2015
KEI We are pleased to announce continued collaboration with the Korea Economic Institute of America on the Future of Korea program series. The speaker program focuses on the economic and political situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as U.S.-Korea relations. 

All councils may submit applications; up to eight councils will be selected to participate. Applications are due Wednesday, September 24.

About the Program
The centerpiece of the program is a panel discussion consisting of one representative each from the U.S. Department of State, the Korean Embassy, KEI, or other relevant institutions. The panel participants typically offer a general overview presentation (approximately 60-90 minutes in length), followed by a Q&A period. The speakers address political, security, economic and financial issues pertaining to the Korean Peninsula and U.S.-Korea relations. 

Besides the mandatory Future of Korea panel program, there are usually ancillary activities surrounding the main event. Local councils can choose from the following options. All four are strongly encouraged, depending on the needs and capacity of the local council. Ancillary events include:
  • Business meeting, such as with the local chamber of commerce
  • Student meeting, such as a university/high school forum
  • Community leader meeting, such as a meeting with local political/business leaders
  • Media meeting, such as an interview with local media outlets or editorial board
The Future of Korea program will be conducted through June 2015. Interested councils are asked to include several preferred dates or date ranges in their proposals. Exact dates will be determined in collaboration with the Korea Economic Institute.
Academic WorldQuest 2014-2015
The World Affairs Councils of America National Office has released the topics and study guide for the 2014-2015 Academic WorldQuest program.

2014-2015 Academic WorldQuest Topics
Russia / Eurasia; Human Trafficking; Youth, Jobs, and Social Unrest; Future of Energy; Millennium Development Goals: 2015 and Beyond; Food and Water; Asia and the New Global Economy; Great Decisions; Africa Rising; and Current Events.


National Competition
The 2015 Academic WorldQuest National Competition will take place Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, DC.

News from the National Office
September 
Cover to Cover
The World Affairs Councils of America's September author series will feature Dr. Mathew J. Burrows, Director of the Atlantic Council's Strategic Foresight Initiative in the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, and author of The Future, Declassified: Megatrends That Will Undo the World Unless We Take Action. The call will be held Wednesday, September 17, at 2:00 PM ET and be moderated by WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford.

Mathew Burrows is the director of the Atlantic Council's Strategic Foresight Initiative. He has served as the National Intelligence Council's counselor and director of analysis and production for the last decade. He served as the intelligence advisor to Richard Holbrooke when he was the US Ambassador to the UN. After 9/11, he became deputy national security advisor to US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. Full Bio

Minnesota International Center Award

The Minnesota International Center has received an award recognizing its Great Decisions program. President Carol Engebretson Byrne will be inducted into the Foreign Policy Association's Council of Ambassadors at its World Leadership Forum Dinner on September 25. MIC is the only World Affairs Council to host an annual Great Decisions conference, has a monthly partnership with The Star Tribune newspaper, and a monthly "Global Conversations" series with the Minneapolis Central Library based on Great Decisions topics. Congratulations to Carol and to MIC for their great work!

 

Combating Human Trafficking 

Carlson & The Carlson Family Foundation renewed funding of the World Affairs Councils of America's national program on combating human trafficking. More than 30 World Affairs Councils participated in the 2013 program, which featured screenings of the documentary film Not My Life. The 2014 program features discussion forums as well as film screenings.

  

Upcoming events include:

 

September 15 -- WorldBoston

 

September 16 -- Alaska World Affairs Council, International Center of the Capital Region (Albany, NY), and World Affairs Council of Connecticut

 

September 18 -- World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio

 

September 19 -- World Affairs Council of Austin


Google - Freedom and Power in the Digital Age 

The World Affairs Councils of America and Google continue the Freedom and Power in the Digital Age program. Eight councils were selected to host the program, which features notable Google experts as speakers and is supported by a grant from Google. The program also includes an Educators Seminar with a separate team of Google experts who will address how teachers and students can best leverage the tools of the new digital age to further their educational missions. More Information

  

This week's programs include:

 

September 15 -- The Minnesota International Center hosts Ben Blink, Senior Public Policy Analyst, Google 


1918 Society Conference Call
The World Affairs Councils of America hosted Karen Alderman Harbert, President and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, on September 9. The call was moderated by WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford.

 

Karen Alderman Harbert is president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy. Harbert leads the Institute's efforts to build support for meaningful energy action nationally and internationally through policy development, education, and advocacy. Under Harbert's leadership, the Energy Institute has evolved into a premier national and international organization dedicated to advancing a constructive energy agenda with the business community, policymakers, and consumers. Harbert frequently testifies in front of Congress and provides analysis to the media, policymakers, and industry leaders. Full Bio

Interested in joining the 1918 Society? Click here to learn more.
Weekly Highlights

Monday, September 15

WorldBoston hosts a screening of Not My Life. This program is sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America and made possible by a generous grant from Carlson and the Carlson Family Foundation. Details

 

The World Affairs Council of Houston hosts Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Director, Peace Corps, for "Private Partnerships for Global Health Delivery." Details

 

The San Diego World Affairs Council hosts Prof. Cameron Brown, Tel Aviv University, for "Why Has Peace Become So Elusive?" Details

 

The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts author Donald E. Markle for "The Fox and the Hound: The Birth of American Spying." Details
 

The World Affairs Council of Central Illinois hosts Amb. Ian Kelly, former Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, for "The U.S., Russia, and Bridging the East-West Divide." Details

 

The World Affairs Council of Northern California hosts General Anthony Zinni, former Commander of U.S. Central Command, for "Before the First Shots Are Fired." Details
 

The World Affairs Council of Northern California's Sacramento chapter hosts Cynthia Lee Storer, Lecturer, Coastal Carolina University, and former CIA Senior Analyst, for "From Analyst to Hero: How Big Data Led to Bin Laden." Details

 

The World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts its annual Founders Day reception. Details
 

Tuesday, September 16

The Alaska World Affairs Council hosts "Not My Life: Human Trafficking at Home and Abroad." Details

 

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts "Not My Life Film Screening & Workshop." Details

 

The World Affairs Council of Jacksonville hosts Amb. Michael McFaul, Stanford University, and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, for "Confronting Putin's Russia: Long-Term Economic and Foreign Policy Implications." Details 

 

The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Major General (Ret.) James Williams for "A Conversation on Iraq, Afghanistan, the Islamic State, and Beyond." Details 
 

The Worcester World Affairs Council hosts Amb. Ronald E. Neumann, President, American Academy of Diplomacy. Details 

 

The World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts author Lawrence Wright for "Camp David's Complex Peace." Details   
 

The World Affairs Council of Northern California hosts "Big Data and Genomics: Revolutionizing the Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease" as part of its Business Forum series. Details

 

The Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy hosts Chris Young, Executive Director, CIFAL Atlanta, for "Fixin' What's Broke: The Post-2015 UN Development Agenda." Details
 

The Colorado Foothills World Affairs Council hosts Lt. General Ervin J. Rokke, Senior Scholar in Residence, USAF Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development, for a dinner lecture. Details
 

The World Affairs Council of Northern California hosts "International Forum Film Night: 'A People Without a Land.'" Details

 

The World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts its monthly Spanish conversation group. Details

 

Wednesday, September 17
The Minnesota International Center hosts "Freedom and Power in the Digital Age." This program is sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America and made possible by a generous grant from Google, Inc. Details

The World Affairs Council of Northern California hosts journalist and author Ramita Navai for "In the Shadows of Modern Tehran." Details

WorldBoston hosts Major General (Ret.) Yaakov Amidror, former National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel, for "Israel's Security Challenge." Details
 
The Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts Anand Gopal, Schwartz Fellow, New America Foundation, and former Afghanistan Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, for "No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes." Details 

The World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts James Olson, former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence, for "Ethics and Espionage: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying." Details

The World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts hosts a panel on "The Refugee Experience in Western Massachusetts." Details

The World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Simon Moore, International Director, Confederation of British Industry, for "The UK Political, Economic, and Business Environment." Details

The World Affairs Forum (Stamford, CT) hosts Howard French, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, for "China's Second Continent." Details

The World Affairs Council of Charlotte's Young Professionals group, The Magellan Society, hosts "Adventures in Dining: Cooking Class." Details 

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts a screening of "The Refugees of Shangri-La." Details

The World Affairs Council of Atlanta's Young Professionals Program hosts "Investing in Atlanta" as part of its Global Executive Dialogue Series. Details

 

Thursday, September 18

The Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts James Clad, Center for Naval Studies, and Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), for "The World Politics of a Changing Energy Landscape." Details

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts Amb. Jack Matlock, former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, for "Turbulent Times for East and West from a U.S. Ambassador's Perspective." Details

The Savannah Council on World Affairs hosts Prof. Hal Brands, Duke University, for "What Good is Grand Strategy?" Details 

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts David Neeleman, global airline entrepreneur, as part of their Global Connections Lunch series. Details

The International Relations Council Kansas City hosts "New Trends in Shadow States: How ISIS Could Reshape the Middle East." Details 

The Columbia World Affairs Council hosts Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford, British Consul General of Atlanta, for "British Economy and Transatlantic Partnership." Details  

The World Affairs Council of Houston hosts a young professionals program with Dhruva Jaishankar, Fellow, German Marshall Fund's Asia Program, on "India & Its Future with Modi." Details 

The Olympia World Affairs Council hosts Prof. Rob Smurr, The Evergreen State College, for a discussion on Ukraine. Details 

The World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts "The Scenario: Year 2025 - Climate Refugees in the Pacific Northwest." Details

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts "Travel Tales: True Stories from First-Time International Travelers." Details

The World Affairs Council of Maine hosts "The 2014 International & Multicultural Student Reception." Details 

The Arizona Center for International Visitors hosts India Night. Details

Friday, September 19
The World Affairs Council of Austin hosts a screening of Not My Life. Details 

The Columbia World Affairs Council hosts "Taiwan Today: Business and Culture." Details 

Saturday, September 20
The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts Karen Harbert, President and CEO, Institute for 21st Century Energy Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for a KQV Global Press Conference on "Understanding the Global Energy Market." Details 

Sunday, September 21
The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts Dr. David Titley, Rear Admiral (Ret.), U.S. Navy, and Director of the Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk at Pennsylvania State University, for a KQV Global Press Conference on "Climate Change: An Unconventional Threat to National Security." Details 

Council leaders to lecture on Travel the World tours from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia:

  

Ambassador Marilyn McAfee, Chair, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, Inside Iran: October 5 - 19.

  

Ambassador Heather Hodges, President and Ambassador in Residence, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, South American Tapestry: October 16 - November 2.

  

Ambassador Mark Johnson, Founder, World Affairs Council of Montana, Landscapes of the Mediterranean: October 23 - November 6.

  

Maria Wulff, President, World Affairs Council of Oregon, Best of Tanzania: November 1-11.

  

Maria Zammit, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, Sri Lanka: February 4-18.

  

L.J. Stambuk, President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Charlotte, Mysteries of Myanmar: February 20-March 5.

  

Contact www.wacphila.org/travel or call 800-942-5004 x209 or x217.
 

The World Affairs Councils of America 

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