August Cover to Cover; Star Speakers; WACA National Conference; WorldQuest Weekly Quiz; Council of the Month; Councils are Hiring; Council Highlights; & more!
August Cover to Cover with Mei Xu
Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2:00-2:45 PM ET
Mei Xu is a Chinese American entrepreneur leader with a proven track record of growing brands, driving change, and delivering superior financial performance. As the Founder & CEO of three global manufacturing companies – Pacific Trade International, BlissLiving Home, and Chesapeake Bay Candle – she has managed an international workforce of 1,400 employees, established four design, development, and manufacturing facilities in the US and Asia, and held full P&L management responsibilities for these multimillion-dollar companies. In 2017, Xu successfully negotiated the sale of Chesapeake Bay Candle to Newell Brands. She recently launched Yes She May, an e-commerce platform designed to elevate women-owned businesses focused on fashion, beauty, wellness, and home.

Burn is a memoir that shines fresh light on the American Dream, how companies and nations compete in the 21st century, and a businesswoman’s passion to make things or design-driven innovation and manufacturing. All are welcome to join this Zoom webinar this Wednesday, August 18 at 2:00-2:45 PM ET.
Star Speakers Around the Network
Tariq and Asma Farid
Edible Arrangements
Congresswoman Barbara Lee & Filmmaker Abby Ginzberg
Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo
and Dr. Vin Gupta
Amb. (Ret.) Pamela White
Fmr. Ambassador to Haiti
WACA 2021 National Conference:
Bridging Divides at Home and Abroad
November 16-19
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
Through the generous support of The Gambrinus Company and Mr. and Mrs. Carlos and Malú Alvarez, WACA will offer a limited number of scholarships for undergraduate students from the Council network to attend our 2021 National Conference.

The nominated student must submit their Application Form, their resume, and a 1-2 page Letter of Intent. The Council must submit the Nomination Form and a Letter of Recommendation from the Council head explaining why the student has been selected. We encourage Councils to publicize the undergraduate scholarship award as soon as possible, since the deadline for nominations and applications is Friday, September 17.

Thank you to our generous sponsor!
Register today for the WACA 2021 National Conference this November 16-19 at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, where we will celebrate our 35th Anniversary as a national association!

WACA is thrilled that the Middle East Institute (MEI) has confirmed will offer an exclusive briefing at MEI headquarters for a Conference cohort. Think tank briefings have been a very popular feature of the National Conference and we look forward to announcing other partners in the coming weeks. Sign-ups for specific think tank briefings will take place in October.

Be sure to take advantage of individual Early Bird discounts for the WACA 2021 National Conference, good through September 10!
WorldQuest Weekly Quiz
This week's WACA WorldQuest Weekly is out! Test your global affairs awareness and dive into news stories that represent a broad spectrum of developments of interest and importance. Most of the questions are drawn from both WACA's Weekly World News Update, and a curated news Twitter feed @TNWAC #WACquiz.

In partnership with WACA, WorldQuest Weekly is produced by the Tennessee World Affairs Council, which offers customized subscriptions to the quiz for Council members. Contact pat@tnwac.org or visit tnwac.org/quiz for details.

Last Week's Winners (10/10 Points):
Iqbal (Naples, FL), Victor (The Woodlands, TX), and Steven (Guatemala) - Congratulations!
Council of the Month: IRC Kansas City
The International Relations Council (Kansas City) is WACA's August 2022 Council of the Month! Each month, WACA features one of its 90 Councils, highlighting their accomplishments and top quality programming.

The IRC will hold the Your Global Future college and career fair this fall. The college and career fair is a chance for students to learn about the international opportunities that await them after high school. Over five consecutive days, the IRC will bring sponsoring speakers from a different international path to present directly to an auditorium full of students at a local high school, while also live streaming and recording the event for other teachers and students to access across the area. Learn more on IRC's website.
Member Councils Are Hiring!
Santa Fe Council on International Relations is hiring for an Executive Director. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of New Hampshire is hiring for an Events and Education Coordinator. Learn more.
Cleveland Council on World Affairs is hiring for a Program Associate, International Exchanges and an Office Coordinator. Learn more.
Columbus Council on World Affairs is hiring for a Program Manager and an Administrative & Office Assistant. Learn more.
Vermont Council on World Affairs is hiring for an Education Programs VISTA. Learn more.
All programs below are accessible online unless otherwise indicated.
 
Monday 8/16 

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Tahar Ben Jelloun, Moroccan-French novelist, poet, and essayist, to discuss his book Leaving Tangier. 

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts a panel of experts for “Quarantine Fatigue? Travel in a Post-Pandemic World.” 

Tuesday 8/17 

World Affairs Council of Connecticut and World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Tariq Farid, Founder and CEO for Edible Arrangements, and Asma Farid, Vice President & Partner for Edible Arrangements, for “Edible Arrangements: The Power of Entrepreneurial Spirit.” 

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Chung Min Lee, a Senior Fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, for “Great Decisions Lecture Series: The Korean Peninsula.”

Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts Former Governor Phil Bredesen for "Global Nashville: A Conversation About the Evolution of Japanese Economic Investment in Tennessee."

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Dan Schnur, a professor at USC, Pepperdine and UC Berkeley, for "Politics in the Time of Coronavirus."

World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts a panel of alumni for "Fulbright Alumni Panel."
 
Wednesday 8/18 

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Ron Granieri, Templeton Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, for "Perspectives on the Upcoming German Election." 

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Dr. Ken Burton, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Coordinator, for “Nuancing National Security: Biological and Agricultural Security.” 

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts a panel of experts for “2021 Annual Education Program Alumni Reunion.” 

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts Mitchell Orenstein, University of Pennsylvania, for “Putin and the U.S. Presidents: Twenty Years of U.S.-Russia Relations and What Comes Next?" 

Thursday 8/19 

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Abby Ginzberg, producer and director, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, 13th District of California, for “Barbara Lee Speaks for Me.” 

World Affairs Council of Maine hosts Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela White, former U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, for "Haiti: Member's Coffee & Discussion Group." (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Albuquerque hosts Ambassador (Ret.) Scot Marciel, former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar, for "Myanmar's Struggle for Peace and Democracy." 

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Vin Gupta, University of Washington, for "WACC Distinguished Speaker Panel." 

World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts Ambassador (Ret.) Gaddi Vasquez, former U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations Organizations in Rome, Italy, for “Fighting Global Hunger – A Matter of Life and Death.” (In Person) 

World Affairs Council of Sonoma Council hosts Thomas Fingar, a Shorenstein APARC Fellow at Stanford University, for “Does China Have a Grand Strategy?”  

Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts Libby Tronnes, Native American and U.S. History Specialist at Virginius H. Chase Special Collections Center at Bradley University, for “From Boarding Schools to Border Laws: How the Challenges of History Impact Contemporary Native Americans.” 

Friday 8/20 

World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Ambassador (Ret.) Earl Anthony Wayne, former Deputy Ambassador in Afghanistan, and Annie Pforzheimer, former Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and former deputy chief of mission in Kabul, for "Afghanistan's Collapse."