Upcoming Cover to Cover Programs; The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel; Star Speakers; WACA National Conference; WorldQuest Weekly Quiz; Council of the Month; Councils are Hiring; Council Highlights; & more!
Register Now for Cover to Cover Author Conversations
The Washington Post's Craig Whitlock on Afghanistan
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2:00 PM ET
WACA's Cover to Cover webinar on Tuesday, August 31 at 2:00 PM ET features Craig Whitlock, a reporter for The Washington Post and a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

The Afghanistan Papers contains startling revelation after revelation from people who played a direct role in the war, from leaders in the White House and the Pentagon to soldiers and aid workers on the front lines. In unvarnished language, they admit that the US government’s strategies were a mess, the statistics were distorted, the nation-building project was a colossal failure, and that drugs and corruption gained a stranglehold over their allies in the Afghan government.
Financial Times' Philip Stephens on Brexit
Thursday, Sep. 9, 2:00 PM ET
WACA's Cover to Cover webinar on Thursday, September 9 at 2:00 PM ET features Philip Stephens, Director of the Editorial Board and Chief Political Commentator at Financial Times.

Britain Alone is a story of a nation's attempt to reconcile its past and present in a confident national identity—in the description of the American statesman Dean Acheson, to find a role after the end of empire. It is a story of inflated ambition rubbing up against its diminished circumstance, of a glorious past and an unforgiving present, and ultimately of Britain’s effort over many decades to come to terms with its place as an important, but second rank power.
The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel
Wednesday, September 15 at 9:00 AM PDT (Note Time Change)
The Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall presents "The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel" as part of WACA's Wunderbar Together 2021 Engage America Series on "Germany's Elections and the Future of Transatlantic Relations."

Join acclaimed biographer Kati Marton, author of The Chancellor, and current Chairman of the American Council on Germany John B. Emerson. The two experts will weave together decades of German political history to wrestle with the pressing question of where Germany is headed in a post-Merkel era. 

In 2005, Angela Merkel made history as the first woman to be elected chancellor of Germany. Over the 16 years she’s served, Merkel has undeniably established Germany as a preeminent leader in Europe and the world. However, when Germany holds its federal elections this September, Merkel has confirmed she will not be running for re-election. As Germany enters its final weeks before the election, this will be a timely conversation to unpack Merkel’s legacy and look towards the future of German politics. 
Star Speakers Around the Network
HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud
Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the U.S.
Carrie Lee
U.S. Army War College
Jon Keen
COO, City of Atlanta
Amb. (Ret.) Christopher Hill
Professor at Columbia SIPA
Reed Schuler, Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and Irina Karmanova, USDS
Amb. (Ret.) David Rank
Fmr. U.S Ambassador to China
Amb. (Ret.) Ryan Crocker
Fmr. U.S. Ambassador
Amb. (Ret.) David Pearce
Special Envoy for Afghanistan
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):
Carol (Worcester), Mary (Cleveland), Clarice (Indianapolis), Carole (Portland), Claudia (Boston), Suzanne (Charlotte), Paul (Louisville), Franz-Josef (Germany), and Abigail (Bermuda Dunes) - 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 is preparing to announce a special series of programs on Women in Global Leadership for October and November. The IRC is proud to present a six-week series of insightful conversations with women in positions of global leadership. They will explore the opportunities and challenges female leaders face in an international landscape and the outlooks and insights that have made the difference for them and their sector. They will speak with women working in the arts, international business, international reporting and journalism, finance and economics, international NGOs, and foreign policy. Stay tuned to the our newsletter and IRC updates for more information.
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.
All programs below are accessible online unless otherwise indicated.
 
Monday 8/23 

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, for “From Saudi Arabia’s Perspective.” 

Tuesday 8/24 

World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Professor Carrie Lee, U.S. Air War College, and Jon Keen, COO City of Atlanta, for “Afghanistan in Context.” 

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Robert Kaplan, bestselling author and Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, to discuss his book The Revenge of Geography. 

Wednesday 8/25 

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Reed Schuler, Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and Irina Karmanova, Public Affairs Officer in the Office of Public Liaison in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs at the USDS, for “Assessing Biden's Climate Policy: With the Presidential Envoy for Climate Senior Advisor.” 

WorldDenver hosts Ambassador (Ret.) Christopher Hill, former U.S. Ambassador and Professor at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, for “Member Reception with Ambassador Chris Hill.” (In Person) 

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Kyleanne Hunter, Marine Corps combat veteran, Assistant Professor at the United States Air Force Academy and the co-director of the Athena Leadership Project, for “Nuancing National Security: The 21st Century Military.” 

Thursday 8/26 

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston host Ambassador (Ret.) David Rank, former U.S. Ambassador to China, for "China, the US and Who Will Lead the World." 

World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Jason Elliott, Director of Emergency Response at MAP International, and a Representative from USAID for "Haiti: No End to Suffering."

World Affairs Council of South Texas host Roy Casagranda, Austin Community College, for "U.S. Pullout & Afghanistan: Consequences on Middle East and the West." 

Global Ties Arizona hosts Juan Saldaña, the Binational Liaison for Comite de Turismo y Convenciones de Tijuana, for “Destination Series: Baja California.”
 
World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Luis David Fuentes, Publisher and Editor for El Kentubano, for “Crisis in Cuba: What Does the Future Hold?” (In Person) 

Santa Fe Council on International Relations host a panel of experts for "The State of the State Department." 

Friday 8/27

World Affairs Council of Maine will host Ambassador (Ret.) Ryan Crocker, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, and Ambassador (Ret.) David Pearce, Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and Acting U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan for a "Special Webinar on Afghanistan with Ryan Crocker."