Qatar Essay/Video Contest Winners; AWQ Comes to DC This Weekend; Star Speakers at Councils; May KNOW NOW and
Cover to Cover
Calls; WACA's Newest Hire: Rachel Pastor; New Publication Discounts; Council Highlights + more!
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Announcing WACA's Qatar Essay/Video Contest Winners!
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Open to high school students across the country, the challenge was to submit an 800-word Memorandum OR a 5-minute Video to “Advise the Secretary of State: Measures to Strengthen the U.S.-Qatar Strategic Partnership.” A panel of educators and experts in student exchange programs judged the entries. The top 10 contestants are awarded an
all-expenses-paid Doha Study Tour on June 21-27, 2019. Contest winners are also eligible for
scholarships to attend the WACA 2019 National Conference in Washington, DC on November 6-8, 2019.
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The 2019 Winners:
Punahou School: Honolulu, HI
Springboro High School: Springboro, OH
Hathaway Brown School: Shaker Heights, OH
Lincoln High School: Portland, OR
Mt. Lebanon High School: Pittsburgh, PA
Mount Academy: Esopus, NY
Seneca Valley Sr. High School: Cranberry Township, PA
Simsbury High School: Simsbury, CT
Nova Classical Academy: St. Paul, MN
Standley Lake High School: Westminster, CO
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Hearty congratulations to the winners, and
thank you to all who participated!
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WACA's 2019 Academic WorldQuest National Competition in DC Is Here!
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We look forward to welcoming 275 students, teachers, advisers, parents, colleagues, and sponsors to
The
Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2019 Academic WorldQuest National Competition this weekend,
April 26-27, in Washington, DC.
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Friday, April 26
Time: 12:00 - 3:00 pm
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Transportation: DC Metro, Uber/Lyft, Taxis
Saturday, April 27
Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Transportation: Buses will pick up at 8:00 am SHARP from the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
There will be no buses from USIP back to the hotel after the competition is over.
Any teams that have not registered by this point may do so at the beginning of the competition.
Featured Speakers:
Championship Prize: The winning AWQ team will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Doha, joining the Qatar Essay/Video Contest winners (above).
Special thanks to our sponsors!
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Tennessee WAC Honors Fallen Diplomat
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The
Tennessee World Affairs Council named its flagship education program in honor of
Anne Smedinghoff, an U.S. diplomat killed in Afghanistan in 2013. In a ceremony last Monday, Council President
Patrick Ryan read a citation commemorating Smedinghoff’s service and sacrifice: “The Tennessee World Affairs Council proudly names the
Tennessee Academic WorldQuest program in honor of Anne Smedinghoff to inspire the next generation of students to seek to understand global affairs and to work to make the world a better place.” Read the full
press release.
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This Week in the WACA Network
Scroll down to the Council Highlights section for more speaker and topic ideas!
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Janet Napolitano
Former Secretary, Homeland Security
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Dana Tizya-Tramm
Chief, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
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Governor Doug Ducey
Governor of Arizona
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Dalia Dassa Kaye
Director, Center for Middle East Public Policy
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WACA's National Speaker Database Needs You!
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We have recently debuted WACA's
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.
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Council of the Month: WAC Central Florida's ESL Project
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The
World Affairs Council of Central Florida this week welcomes 10 exchange participants representing Ministries of Education from Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia for an
IVLP project on “Teaching English as a Second Language.” The project will focus on the role of teacher associations, ESL for adult learners and disenfranchised populations, and degrees for TESOL instructors.
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WACA Welcomes New Comms and Marketing Associate Rachel Pastor
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Rachel Pastor joined WACA this month as our Communications and Marketing Associate. Rachel is pursuing her MA at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. Previously she was the Events Graduate Assistant at GW. Read more about
Rachel.
We thank
Drew Lorelli, our Program and Administrative Associate, for his excellent work and dedication to WACA. Drew has moved on to the next era in his career and joins Parsons Corp. as their Program Assistant.
Welcome Rachel, and farewell, Drew!
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May KNOW NOW: After the Arctic Ice Melts
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Register now for WACA's
KNOW NOW conference call on
Tuesday, May 7, at 2:00-2:30 pm ET, featuring
Hon. Fran Ulmer, Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
The Arctic has been warming almost twice as quickly as the rest of the planet, and the consequences are global. Join WACA for a conversation with Ulmer and
Alaska WAC CEO
Lise Falskow about the Arctic, climate change, and the intersections of environmental science and policy.
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May
Cover to Cover
: Enemy of the People
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Don't Miss the Council Leadership Meeting in Kansas City!
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The World Affairs Councils of America will convene its semi-annual
Council Leadership and WACA Board Meetings in Kansas City, MO on
June 13-15. Thank you to the
International Relations Council for hosting.
This event is free for Council staff and board members!
The Working Agenda (
subject to change
) is now available! Please see it on our website
here or download a
copy.
WACA has
secured a discounted hotel block at the beautiful
Ambassador Hotel
in downtown Kansas City. Register
here to attend the Meetings.
Click
here to see the meeting flyer for more details and other special opportunities!
Check back periodically for the latest updates.
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Check Out WACA's Member Council Publication Discounts!
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Featured Benefit:
The Foreign Service Journal turned 100 in March. In celebration of this milestone, the American Foreign Service Association is offering WACA members a special discount of 40 percent off the regular subscription price. For $30, you will receive 10 issues by mail, and the publication is also available online along with an archive of all 100 years of Journals.
The FSJ covers foreign affairs from an insider’s perspective, and provides thought-provoking articles on international issues, the practice of diplomacy, and the U.S. Foreign Service. Sign up to receive this special discount rate for your subscription
here.
To note eligibility, just write “WACA” after your name on the form.
To learn more about these Member benefits, click
here
.
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WAC New Hampshire Hosts Governor Bill Weld
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WAC Dallas/Forth Worth's Jim Falk in
The Arab Weekly
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Jim Falk, President and CEO of the
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, recently visited Tunisia. An
article published in
The Arab Weekly offers his impressions and hopes for the country eight years after the 'Jasmine Revolution' as it faces its future and the upcoming elections later this fall.
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Global I.Q. Minute Highlights Two Branches of Government
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Last week,
Peter Baker of the
New York Times gave an insider's perspective of what it's like to work in the White House Press Corps, as well as his personal experiences reporting on the impeachment trials of President Bill Clinton.
Listen to both podcasts
here.
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WorldOregon Presents International Speaker Series
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WorldOregon welcomes
Jaha Dukureh to the Portland'5 Newmark Theatre on
Tuesday, May 14, as part of the 2019 International Speaker Series. The Council began its 2019
Welcome to the World International Speaker series last month featuring the
Hon. Julian Castro. Next up are:
Farah Pandith and
Erica Fernandez.
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Monday 4/22
Sarasota World Affairs Council hosts Ambassador
Barbara Stephenson, President of the American Foreign Service Association, for “What U.S. Diplomats Do, and Why It Matters.”
Details
San Diego World Affairs Council hosts Foreign Service Officer
Sue Saarnio for “U.S.-Mexico Relations and Transborder Issues.”
Details
Tuesday 4/23
Global Ties Arizona hosts Arizona Governor
Doug Ducey for “14th Annual International State of the State Address.”
Details
World Affairs Council of the Quad Cities hosts
Kylie Gottschalk, Community Engagement Associate at American Civil Liberties Union, for “Fairness for All: Immigrants' Rights.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts
Allan Stam, Dean at the University of Virginia, for “Leadership: The Art of Getting Things Done.”
Details
Dayton Council on World Affairs hosts
Bridget Federspiel, Director of the Dayton Junior Council on World Affairs, for “Global Views/Local Brews Vol. 2 - Vietnam Since 1975.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Austin hosts author
Tyler Johnson for “World Spins Series: Thinking About Doing Business in China?”
Details
World Affairs Council Upstate hosts a panel of experts for “Global Fluency 2.0: Workshop and Panel Discussion for Business.”
Details
Wednesday 4/24
World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts
Dana
Tizya-Tramm, Chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, for “First Nations: Going Global for the Environment.”
Details
International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts
Daniel Mahanty, Director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict, for “25 Years After Rwanda: Atrocity Prevention and U.S. Policy.”
Details
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts
Matt Beech, Director of the Centre for British Politics, for “Understanding Brexit.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay hosts
Barry Bedwell, President of California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, for “The Impact of California Agriculture in the International Arena.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Foreign Service Officer
Lawrence Cohen for “Tegucigalpa to Texas: Crisis in Immigration Policy.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Tacoma hosts Father
Zvonko Martic for “Travel Talk: Interreligious Dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Details
Richmond World Affairs Council hosts
Robert Sutter, Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the Elliott School of George Washington University, for “The U.S. Whole-Of-Government Hardening Against China’s Challenges: Status, Outlook, and Implications.”
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts
Michael Mandelbaum, Christian A. Herter Professor Emeritus of American Foreign Policy at The Johns Hopkins SAIS, for “The Rise and Fall of Peace on Earth.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Detroit journalist and author
Anna Clark for “Learning from the Flint Water Crisis.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts
New York Times columnist and author
David Brooks to discuss his book,
The Second Mountain.
Details
Thursday 4/25
World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts
Janet Napolitano, former Secretary of Homeland Security, for “Homeland Security Since 9/11.”
Details
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts
Dalia Dassa Kaye, Director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy, for “The Trump Disruption: U.S. Policy in the Middle East.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Ambassador
Juan B. Sosa, Consul General of Panama for Houston, for “Explore and Learn: Panama 2020.”
Details
Foreign Policy Association hosts
Francis Fukuyama, Director of the Center on Democracy at Stanford University, for “Identity and the Rise of Global Populism.”
Details
World Affairs Council of St. Louis hosts
Costas Azariadis, Professor of Economics at Washington University in St. Louis, for “The Rise of Populism in Europe.”
Details
Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council hosts
Stephen Walt, Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, for “America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy.”
Details
Columbia World Affairs Council hosts
Matthias Matthijs, Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at Johns Hopkins SAIS, for “Brexit and the Future of European Integration.”
Details
Savannah Council on World Affairs hosts
Christopher Bolan, Professor of Middle East Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College, for “U.S. Strategy in the Middle East: Confronting an Uncertain Future.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts
Brenda Jordan, Professor, Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh, for “What Is a Japanese Garden?”
Details
Friday 4/26
World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts
William Pomeranz, Director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center in DC, for “Inside Putin’s Russia.”
Details
Alaska World Affairs Council hosts ethnographer and independent scholar
Iklim Goksel for “Sexuality and Womanhood in the Middle East and North Africa Region.”
Details
Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts former Drug Enforcement Administration agent
Mike Vigil for “The Trial of El Chapo Guzman.”
Details
Saturday 4/27
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts
Matthew Rooney, Director at the George W. Bush Institute, and
Robert Manogue, Director of the Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs, for “Council Conversations: Trade Policy 101.”
Details
World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts a screening of “For Sama.”
Details
Pacific & Asian Affairs Council hosts first annual “Student Showcase.”
Details
Sunday 4/28
World Affairs Council of Maine hosts
Sarah, a Saudi high school exchange student, for “From Saudi Arabia to Maine: A Young Woman's Story.”
Details
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Travel the World with WAC Philadelphia
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Travel with Council Leaders - hear them lecture on Travel the World tours from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia!
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2019 travel schedule includes trips to:
- Michelle Harpenau, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, Springtime in Provence & Burgundy: May 15-23, 2019
- Dr. Carla Thorson, Senior Vice President of Programs, World Affairs, Northern California, Arctic Expedition: June 21 - July 1, 2019
- Dr. Jerry Leach, President Emeritus, WACA, Journey Through Britain: Sept. 7-20, 2019
- Mimi Gregory, Vice President and Program Chairman, Naples Council on World Affairs, Sicily by Sail: Oct. 10-18, 2019
- Derrick Olsen, President, WorldOregon, Trade Routes of Coastal Iberia: Oct. 13-21, 2019
- Jacqueline Miller, President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Seattle, Passage Along the Danube River: Oct. 12-24, 2019
- Craig Snyder, President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Exploring Saudi Arabia & Qatar: Nov. 7-17, 2019
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World Affairs Councils of America | 202-833-4557
1200 18th Street NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036
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