August 2014

In this Issue

National Conference

National Conference Scholarships

News from the National Office

WACs in the News

What's Happening in the Network

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Our Sponsors

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Carnegie Corporation of New York

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The Holmes Organisation

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Thomson Reuters

Turkish Cultural Foundation

Letter from the President

Dear Friends and Supporters:

We are excited by the immediate and enthusiastic response to last week's official opening of National Conference registration.

Now, the WACA National Board of Directors is proud to announce that we will once again offer 25 scholarships for college students to attend our America and the World 2015 Conference in November in Washington, DC.

I urge Councils to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to make the National Conference available to promising undergraduates. The scholarship covers registration fees and $1000 per student to be used towards travel and other costs (details below). My deep thanks to National Board Member Carlos Alvarez for making it possible for a truly multigenerational WACA audience, which includes students, to engage with distinguished conference speakers.

Two other notes of recognition -- the first quite personal, the second all-encompassing -- for the work that all of us do to engage our communities in public learning about world affairs:

Ethan Dombkowski, a social studies teacher, wrote to The Florida Times-Union of the impact and value that the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville has brought to him and his students. Congratulations to Trina Medarev and the Council she leads!

The World Affairs Councils of America has just been nominated for a 2014 Diversity and Inclusion (DANDI) Award in the International category. The DANDIs were established to honor those who truly make a difference toward creating a more diverse and inclusive world. See more on this below, and know that this recognition is for the values we share and the contributions each one of you makes.

Looking forward to seeing you at the National Conference!

Bill Clifford

President and CEO

2014 National Conference

Registration Now Open!

The World Affairs Councils of America will host its 2014 National Conference, America and the World 2015, on November 5-7 at The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel in Washington, DC.

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

Register Now

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION RATES

Non-Member: $495

World Affairs Council Member: $465

World Affairs Council Board Member : $435

World Affairs Council CEO: $435

World Affairs Council Staff (Non-Executive): $395

World Affairs Council Volunteer Executive: $395

(Early Bird Rate Expires Friday, September 5)

Confirmed Speakers to Date

Thomas C. Leppert

Chief Executive Officer, Kaplan Inc., and former Mayor of Dallas, TX

Kristen Looney

Head of Face to Faith, North America, and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation

Charles C. Haynes

Director, Religious Freedom Center, Newseum

Craig J. Perrier

High School Social Studies Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools

See 2013 National Conference Speakers

Confirmed Embassy Receptions

Staying at The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel

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

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

Superior Two Doubles: $254 per night (Single/Double Occupancy)

Reserve Room Here

The Fairfax at Embassy Row is a historic Washington, DC hotel is located in the Dupont Circle area. A Washington, DC landmark, the hotel has an intriguing history that spans more than 80 years.

When The Fairfax opened its doors in 1927, distinguished guests were instantly drawn to its stately elegance, and more than willing to part with the outrageous sum of $4.00 per day for a double occupancy suite with a parlor, bedroom, and full bath. Colonel H. Grady Gore and his wife purchased the historic D.C. hotel in 1932, and it was during this decade that congressman, senators, and ambassadors began to make the hotel their permanent residence. More Information

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors

National Conference Scholarships

The National Board of Directors of the World Affairs Councils of America is proud to announce that we will be offering 25 scholarships for college undergraduate students from our national network to attend the 2014 National Conference, America and the World 2015, November 5-7, 2014, in Washington, DC at The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel.

The National Board of Directors is offering these scholarships in order to fulfill our mission and responsibility as a national association dedicated to the education of the American public and to preparing our future leaders for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century. The National Conference promises to be a very special opportunity for our network of council leaders, members, and friends to engage in a discussion of the critical issues facing us as a nation with many of the leading policy makers and analysts in national security. The National Board of Directors wants to ensure that, in partnership with you, this opportunity is available to our future leaders.

We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to make our National Conference available to a very important audience: our young college undergraduate scholars. The scholarship includes the registration fee and $1000 per student to be used towards travel, lodging and/or incidentals. The scholarship will be implemented as follows:

Each Council Head may nominate one college undergraduate student, 18 years or older. High school and graduate students are not eligible.

Each nomination must be submitted with the nomination form and must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the council head explaining why the student has been selected for consideration for this scholarship. See Nomination Form

Nominations are due by Friday, September 12, 2014.

The students nominated by the council head will be selected by the National Office in consultation with the WACA National Board of Directors and will be announced no later than September 24, 2014.

The National Office will confirm the nominee's selection to the council and will register the nominee for the National Conference.

The National Office will then provide a scholarship check of $1000 per student participating, written to the council to help cover travel, lodging, and any other expenses for the scholarship winner. Councils are responsible for making these arrangements with/for the nominees and we hope that you will take advantage of the discounted block rate at The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel.

Please send all nomination materials to Ian J. Byrne at ibyrne@worldaffairscouncils.org.

We hope that you will participate in this important program and we also hope that, if you have not registered already, you and members of your council will attend the National Conference.

The Nomination Form is available here. Please direct all questions to Ian J. Byrne via email at ibyrne@worldaffairscouncils.org.

News from the National Office

August Cover to Cover

Join us for our August author series featuring Professor Barry R. Posen of MIT on his new book Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy. The call will take place on Tuesday, August 12, at 2:00 PM ET and be moderated by WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford.

Click Here to RSVP

The United States, Barry R. Posen argues in Restraint, has grown incapable of moderating its ambitions in international politics. Since the collapse of Soviet power, it has pursued a grand strategy that he calls "liberal hegemony," one that Posen sees as unnecessary, counterproductive, costly, and wasteful. Written for policymakers and observers alike, Restraint explains precisely why this grand strategy works poorly and then provides a carefully designed alternative grand strategy and an associated military strategy and force structure. In contrast to the failures and unexpected problems that have stemmed from America's consistent overreaching, Posen makes an urgent argument for restraint in the future use of U.S. military strength.

Barry R. Posen is the Ford International Professor of Political Science and director of the Security Studies Program at MIT. He is the author of The Sources of Military Doctrine: France, Britain, and Germany between the World Wars (winner of the Furniss Award and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award), Inadvertent Escalation: Conventional War and Nuclear Risks, and Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy. Full Bio

Our July monthly author series featured Anand Gopal, New America Foundation fellow and journalist, on his book No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes. Listen to the recording here.

World Affairs Councils in the News

World Affairs Council of Jacksonville

A Teacher Thanks World Affairs Council -- The Florida Times-Union

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh

Dozens of High-schoolers Attend Annual Seminar on Global Events -- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

World Affairs Council of Atlanta

Atlanta's World Affairs Council Chooses New President -- Global Atlanta

Minnesota International Center

Muslim Roots Run Deep in U.S. and in Minnesota and Muslim Legacy Flows from Slavery through Civil War to Today -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

World Affairs Council of Oregon

Lines Between Military and Civilian Drones are Blurring, says Stimson's Stohl -- The Oregonian

World Affairs Council of St. Louis

EHS Teacher Going Abroad -- The Edwardsville Intelligencer

World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio

Perrysburg Teacher Traveling Globe this Summer -- The Blade

What's Happening in the Network

There are over 40 World Affairs Council events scheduled this month across the country. Sign up for the WACA Weekly Digest to receive updates from around the network that include programs you can attend, participate in virtually, get ideas about speakers, or model format. Also be sure to check out travel programs offered by World Affairs Councils on our homepage. We encourage you to follow-up with the sponsoring council for more information. If we missed something or if you have a program that you would like highlighted on our website or in the WACA Weekly, please contact Ian J. Byrne at [email protected].

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