Letter From the COO; WACA & WAC Dallas on The Man Who Ran Washington; WAC Dallas Is Hiring; New! WACA's Embassy Row; Engage America Returns; KEI Virtual Classrooms; Watch the International Labour Organization Webinar; Save the Date: National Conference; Sign Up for AWQ + more Highlights!
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Dear Colleagues, Supporters, and Friends:
Thanks so much to all who joined us to make last week's Conversations With the C-Suite: Powering Global Recovery and Change a big success! Over 15 CEOs from around the world engaged in informative and provocative discussions on topics such as aviation, entertainment, banking, work and talent, leadership, and innovation. If you missed any sessions or would like to re-watch one, all will be placed on WACA's YouTube channel shortly.
If you are able and feel so inclined, please support WACA for the work that went into producing this special forum with a tax-deductible donation. You can go here to donate, email Liz Brailsford, or call her at 202-818-9215.
Stay tuned for a dedicated recap newsletter later this week!
Next, we turn towards our next virtual event: our annual National Conference: New Frontiers in Diplomacy and National Security on November 16-20.
Sincerely,
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Liz Brailsford, Chief Operating Officer |
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How to Lead
Co-Founder
Co-Executive Chairman
The Carlyle Group
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Keys to Successful Supplier Diversity
President and CEO, CDW
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Future of Aviation,
Travel & Tourism
Chief Executive Officer
Qatar Airways Group
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Baker and Glasser on The Man Who Ran Washington
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The Man Who Ran Washington is the story of the amazing journey of a young, apolitical oil and gas lawyer from Houston who rose to become one of the most consequential secretaries of state in U.S. history. He served four U.S. presidents and helped a fifth one navigate a path from Florida to the Supreme Court and into the Oval Office. His Washington career was a triumph of what his biographers call “pragmatism over purity and deal-making over division, a lost art in today’s fractured nation.”
James Baker held the offices of Undersecretary of Commerce, White House Chief of Staff, Treasury Secretary and Secretary of State. The authors call this important biography, “A case study in the acquisition, exercise, and preservation of power in late twentieth-century America and the story of Washington and the world in the modern era - how it once worked and how it has transformed into an era of gridlock and polarization.”
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WAC Dallas/Fort Worth Is Hiring a New President and CEO |
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The Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth seeks a globally minded, dynamic, and innovative President and Chief Executive Officer who has the ability to connect to local, national, and global thought leaders - building on the Council’s decades of providing global education programs for its members, high school students, teachers, and the community at large.
Reporting to the WAC DFW Board of Directors, the President and Chief Executive Officer is responsible for ensuring that membership organization, volunteer board, and professional staff deliver on its mission of educating and engaging the local community in national and international affairs. The Council’s reputation and function as a neutral form for peer learning and civil discourse across disciplines, generations, and points of view requires careful attention and protection. The leader must be a creative thinker of significant intellectual curiosity and depth. The next President will inherit a strong organization with a healthy culture, a robust infrastructure, and an attractive programmatic agenda; and will have the opportunity to build on a premier brand and enhance the Council’s visibility. Read the full description and application details here.
The Council is seeking a new President and CEO as the incumbent Jim Falk is stepping down after 19 years of successful service that saw the membership grow from 350 to more than 4,000. WACA thanks Jim for his many years of leadership at WAC DFW and on the WACA National Board of Directors.
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WACA Embassy Row: Turkey and Its Relations With the World |
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WACA is pleased to announce its new Ambassador Embassy Row Series starting this Thursday, October 8 at 4:30 PM ET. For its inaugural session, WACA will host Turkish Ambassador, H.E. Serdar Kılıç, for Turkey and Its Relations With the World. In a fireside chat, we will discuss Turkey-U.S. relations and other important relevant foreign policy issues of the day. Join us!
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WACA's Engage America Speaker Series Begins Again! (Virtually)
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After a brief hiatus of Engage America Speaker Series programming due to the uncertainly of covid and implications of the pandemic, WACA returns this fall with regular Engage America events, all virtual. |
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WACA is pleased to announced the continuation of its partnership with the Goethe-Institut for a Wunderbar Together USA 2020 grant series. The aim of this series is to convene high-level speakers for public forums on " Engage America: What 30 Years of a Reunited Germany Means for Transatlantic Relations and the World."
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WACA is pleased to expand its partnership with the United States Institute of Peace for a 2020-2021 virtual speaker series. This program will explore peacebuilding as a top U.S. national security interest.
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The World Food Program Engage America Speaker Series is dedicated to fostering deeper understand of issues and priorities of WFP USA, such as Climate Change & Hunger; Women & Hunger; and Hunger & Food Waste. These forums afford citizens and local community leaders the opportunity to engage with experts in these areas. The following Councils have been selected for participation.
Coming soon!
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Our long-running annual program The Future of Korea sponsored by the Korea Economic Institute resumes this year. This series focuses on broadening and deepening public understanding of Korea and the U.S.-Korea relationship in this deep dive into politics, trade, and diplomacy.
Coming soon!
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The U.S.-Japan alliance plays a vital role in the Asia-Pacific region to defend the interests and values of the United States and its allies. “ The Alliance Working in America” program by WACA and Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, which targets certain audiences within the U.S. who are interested in world affairs but may not focus on U.S.-Japan relations specifically, seeks to achieve broader awareness and engagement.
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(Access Passcode: Jm08VQ0?)
Coming soon!
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Bringing KEI to Virtual Classrooms! |
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As students and instructors across the U.S. return to an online or otherwise modified classroom, WACA partner, the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) is extending its offer of having one KEI staff member speak with students virtually. This opportunity comes at no cost, and KEI experts are well-versed in a variety of topics related to the Korean Peninsula; including security, politics, economics, and culture as well as broader trends in the Indo-Pacific region.
This is one of the many ways KEI is adapting its outreach and programs to promote a better understanding of the U.S.-Korea relationship during these uncertain times. As a reminder, all of KEI's publications and events are freely available on the KEI website, including Korea View, the weekly newsletter about developments in South Korea, and the new “Conversation” series.
If you are interested in having KEI visit your virtual classroom, please email kf@keia.org. Please be sure to include the title of the class, possible dates and times, topics to be addressed, the class size and composition (undergraduate or graduate), as well as any speaker preferences. |
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Watch the ILO and the Human-Centered Approach Webinar! |
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In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the founding vision and values that gave birth to the International Labour Organization (ILO) will be relevant more than ever as higher unemployment, rising poverty, inequalities, and injustice risk wiping out decades of development progress and threaten global peace and shared prosperity. WACA hosted a Fireside Chat Webinar on September 22 with Kevin Cassidy, Director of the ILO’s Office of the United States (ILO USA) and ILO Representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations, for " A Human-Centered Approach to Building A Better Future of Work." The webinar was moderated by Liz Brailsford, WACA Chief Operating Officer. |
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Save the Dates! WACA 2020 National Conference: November 16-20
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WACA will host its annual National Conference on Nov. 16-20, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 National Conference: New Frontiers in Diplomacy and National Security will be held virtually via Zoom webinars.
Keep checking WACA newsletters and the National Conference page on the WACA website for all 2020 Conference announcements regarding topics, speakers, working agenda, and other important information. We look forward to "seeing" you in 2020! |
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Announcing the Academic WorldQuest 2020-2021 Topics! |
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- Global Protests
- Shifting Sands: The Arab Spring 10 Years On
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- The U.S. Foreign Service in the 21st Century
- Great Decisions
- Country in Focus: Uzbekistan
- Exploring Peace in a World of Conflict
- Fraying Alliances
- Looking to a Post-Pandemic Economy
- Current Events
Hotel Block
WACA has arranged a group hotel block at The Westin DC City Center (1400 M St. NW, Washington, DC). See the reservation link here to book your discounted room(s). The hotel block deadline is Monday, March 29, 2021.
Event Details
The national competition is attended by 200-250 of the nation's most promising high school students each year, along with their parents, teachers, and chaperones. The 4-hour AWQ competition is a unique opportunity for students to visit the nation's capital, perhaps for the first time. A weekend of substantive programming is included to enhance the experience.
Pledge a Team Now
To confirm your Council's participation in the 2020-2021 AWQ season, please fill out and submit this Pledge Form by November 30, 2020. Stay tuned for the official AWQ 2020-2021 Study Guide!
Start a Local Academic WorldQuest Program This Season!
WACA encourages all Councils to host a local Academic WorldQuest program for high school students in your area. Please read WACA's 2021 Operations Paper to learn more about launching an AWQ competition. Additionally, please use these materials to promote the AWQ program to teachers, students, and sponsors for the 2020-2021 AWQ season: Teacher's Guide and AWQ Flyer. There is no minimum or maximum number of teams that are required for local AWQ competitions, and WACA encourages Councils to engage as many regional high schools as possible. |
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WACA's National Speaker Database Needs You! |
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WACA is continuing to upgrade and expand our Speaker Database 2.0. In this new iteration, we have expanded our list of speakers and made it easier than ever for you, as Council staff and board members, to engage with it. We want your speakers! Please submit your speakers through the " Submit Your Speakers" button on our website.
You need to have an account through our website in order to view and interact with the database and submit your speakers. To check if you have an account, please visit your Council Member page on the WACA website and see if you are listed as a staff or board member. If you are not, you will not be able to interact with the database yet. If you do not have an account or are having issues accessing the website and/or the Speaker Database, please email Rachel Pastor.
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Northern Nevada International Center
Foreign Policy Association
World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
Peoria Area World Affairs Council
Alaska World Affairs Council
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The World Affairs Councils of America is an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to engaging the public and leading global voices to better understand the world, America’s international role, and the policy choices that impact our daily lives and our future.
Your generous contributions will strengthen our capacity to support the World Affairs Council Network through educational and civic initiatives - any amount helps.
Your donation goes to:
- Academic WorldQuest Endowment
- Our flagship youth education program. We are 23% away from achieving our $1M goal!
- New Horizons Councils Fund
- Any monies donated to this fund are set aside only for World Affairs Councils' use
- New Horizons General Operations
- Help support WACA carry out its educational mission with initiatives such as the National Conference, Cover to Cover and KNOW NOW monthly conference calls, the Engage America Speaker Series, and general office operations
You can give in one of several ways:
- Pay with your credit card via the donation buttons at the bottom of this page
- Mail a check to the WACA National Office (1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 516, Washington, DC 20005)
- Make a gift of appreciated stock
- Request a distribution from your Donor Advised Fund
- Check with your employer to see if they will match your gift!
With the passing of the CARES Act, most individual taxpayers will become eligible for significant tax benefits for charitable contributions made this year. Two of these benefits will be:
- A $300 Above-the-Line Charitable deduction, meaning that individuals who do not itemize their deductions will be eligible to claim up to $300 of charitable deductions in 2020, on top of the standard deduction
- Modified Limitations on Cash Charitable Contributions - for 2020, the 60% AGI limitation on cash contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations, such as WACA, is suspended
Click on the categories below to make a donation and view more information about the benefits of your contribution. We thank you for your support!
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Access Council Virtual Programming via WACA's Members-Only Portal |
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WACA is busy preparing a number of additional resources for the Members-Only section! WACA strives to provide Councils with easy access to tools, guidelines, events, and more that add value to our Members both personally and professionally, to our Councils' overall operations, and to the Network as a whole. This is a top priority for the National Office, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. That is why we've added two resource sections dedicated to COVID-19 related information and digital programming available to the public by Councils.
The goal is to make the Members-Only section a one-stop shop for all Council needs. However, these sections are only as good as the information contained within, so we are calling on all Councils to please submit any documentation per the categories below, or any other information helpful to the Network.
The Members-Only section is a private benefit for our Council Members. Please contact Rachel Pastor at rpastor@worldaffairscouncils.org for login details and account creation. |
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1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 516, Washington, DC 20005
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