June 22, 2020
WACA Weekly
WACA Statement; June Cover to Cover on America's Alliances; WACA Co-Presented Events on Pride Month and Immigration; Star Speakers at Councils; WorldQuest Trivia National Competition; Council of the Month; WAC Dallas Global Classroom Training; plus more Council Highlights!
WACA Statement on Racial Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion:

The World Affairs Councils of America mourns the senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and far too many others who have been victimized by systemic racism and violence. Black lives matter.

WACA, as a civil society organization, stands in solidarity with those who peacefully demand justice and accountability and oppose prejudice and oppression. We re-commit ourselves to:
  • Listening to and engaging with communities of color and allies who can educate the public on building a more just and equitable country and world
  • Amplifying Black and other underrepresented voices of courage and insight on how to eradicate racism and discrimination
  • Ensuring that WACA - its national Board of Directors and Washington, DC headquarters staff - mindfully undertakes actions and supports our member Council affiliates nationwide to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Approved by the WACA National Board of Directors, June 11, 2020
June Cover to Cover : Mira Rapp-Hooper on America's Alliances
Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call tomorrow, June 23 at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Mira Rapp-Hooper, Stephen A. Schwarzman Senior Fellow for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and Senior Fellow at Yale's Paul Tsai China Center, on her new book Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances .

Mira Rapp-Hooper reveals the remarkable success of America’s unprecedented system of alliances developed during the Cold War. Today, China and Russia seek to break America’s alliances through conflict and non-military erosion. Meanwhile, U.S. politicians and voters are increasingly skeptical of alliances’ costs and benefits and believe we may be better off without them. But what if the alliance system is a victim of its own quiet success? Rapp-Hooper argues that America’s national security requires alliances that deter and defend against military and non-military conflict alike.
Vulnerability Amplified - A Special WAC Pride Month Event
Join WorldOregon,  WAC Pittsburgh, WAC Seattle, and the World Affairs Councils of America for a  special Pride Month program on Tuesday, June 23, at 3:00 PM ET (12:00 PM PT), spotlighting the groundbreaking work of OutRight Action International. OutRight recently released a pioneering report, “ Vulnerability Amplified: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBTIQ People,” documenting the effects of the pandemic on LGBTIQ people.

While the COVID-19 pandemic leaves no country and no individual unaffected, drawing on almost 60 rapid research interviews conducted with LGBTIQ people in all regions of the world, the report overwhelmingly shows that the challenges faced by LGBTIQ people as a result of the virus and surrounding containment measures are specific and amplified compared to the broader population.  Register here for the event to learn about OutRight’s research and response to COVID-19 and their 30-year history working for human rights for LGBTIQ people globally.

Featured speakers:
  • Jessica Stern, Executive Director, OutRight Action International
  • Neish McLean, Caribbean Program Officer, OutRight Action International
  • Luiza Drummond Veado, United Nations Program Officer, OutRight Action International
Columbus CWA and WACA Partner on June 25 Immigration Program
Columbus Council on World Affairs will present  Alfredo Corchado, Mexico City Bureau Chief of the Dallas Morning News, for " Immigration, COVID-19, and the U.S. Economy" on  Thurs., June 25, at 12:00 PM ET.

Due to the global pandemic, stay at home orders, quarantine, and social distancing practices are the new normal. Human movement around the globe has come to an almost screeching halt. While national governments threaten the complete suspension of migration, preventing people from moving across borders is not as obvious of a solution as it may seem - nor as beneficial.

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, with cases continuing to rise, supply chains around the globe are beginning to take a hit. Most notably the food supply chain is beginning to strain. The meatpacking industry, unable to accommodate proper social distancing protocol, is experiencing a severe hit to their workforce. Farmers and agricultural businesses are taking to the fields after the winter season and need an abundance of able-bodied workers. But who typically fills these roles? According to the Department of Agriculture, about half the country’s field hands, more than a million workers, are undocumented immigrants.

With administrations pushing for decreased migration across borders and the food industry pushing for more workers, where does that leave the undocumented immigrant?
Star Speakers This Week on Councils' Virtual Programming
The Hon. LaJune Thomas Lange, Hon. Consul, South Africa, and Zintle Koza, Dir. of Int'l Org., National Treasury
Admiral William McRaven
Former Commander
U.S. Special Ops. Command
Eric Schelling
Global Head of Talent Acquisition The Home Depot
Kayoko Fukushima
Consul General of Japan in Nashville, Tennessee WAC - Thurs., June 25
Reva Goujon
Vice President, Global Analysis
Stratfor
*Scroll down to the Council Highlights section to view all programs from Councils this week!
WorldQuest: A Global Pop Trivia Challenge National Competition Winner
The World Affairs Councils of America, in conjunction with the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire and other Councils across the country, presented WorldQuest: A Global Pop Trivia Challenge, during the weeks of May 18 - June 15. Thank you and congratulations to all those who participated in this program - it was fabulous!

Last week's National Competition was so much fun and we were impressed by everyone's knowledge. A big congratulations to the WorldQuest trivia champion Donna Crane from the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire. Donna is the lucky winner of a free ticket to the WACA 2020 National Conference! Watch the Nat'l Competition recording here. 
Members of all World Affairs Councils of America are invited to attend WorldDenver's Virtual Speaker Series events, including this week's presentation on U.S.-Iran relations from Ambassador (ret.) Thomas Pickering and world-renowned Middle East expert Dr. Roxanne Farmanfarmaian. By attending virtual events, WACA members support WorldDenver's international exchange programs, which bring more than 600 students, business leaders, and elected officials to Denver every year.

Future speaker events will include Ambassador Bill Taylor in July and Ambassador Charles Ray from the Association of Black American Ambassadors in August. Keep up to date on WorldDenver's upcoming events by signing up for their newsletter or following the event calendar on their newly revamped website. 
WAC Dallas Presents the 2020 Digital Global Classroom Workshop
Due to COVID-19, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth presents the 2020 Global Classroom Workshop virtually Tues., July 7-Thurs., July 9.

Global Classroom is an annual summer educator workshop that aims to provide a global component to teachers' current curriculum through discussion, speaker sessions, and group activities. As a part of the workshop, we provide teachers with a multitude of printed and digital resources from organizations and institutions that provide free international education resources to educators. The purpose of Global Classroom is to help North Texas educators make connections between local and global issues by navigating the plethora of global resources available to them.

This workshop is open to 3-12 grade educators of any subject who reside in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, but is most beneficial for secondary educators. Each participant will receive 12 CPE hours provided at no cost. Sessions will be provided by National Geographic, Population Connection, World Savvy, Apple Education, Dallas Holocaust/Human Rights Museum, and Brown University. Register here.
In Remembrance
WACA was saddened to learn of the passing of H.B. “Bartell” Zachry, Builder, Community Leader, and Philanthropist. Zachry was a Founder and Board Member of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio, and was honored with the International Citizen of the Year Award in 1989. Please read Robert Rivard’s tribute to Zachry.


WACA joins the Indiana Council on World Affairs in the sense of loss with the passing of Carl Gahwiler, past President of Indiana CWA. Please read Gahwiler's obituary in the Indianapolis Star.

"It was at Carl’s invitation that I joined ICWA and later the board. I am sure that he would want us to continue our efforts to educate and inform in the spirit of understanding and appreciating the issues that affect people around the world." - Larry Cimino, President of Indiana CWA
Monday 6/22 
 
World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts three-time Pulitzer Prize-Winner Barton Gellman for “ Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State.” 
 
Global Minnesota hosts former judge LaJune Thomas Lange, Honorary Consul for the Republic of South Africa in Minnesota, and Zintle Koza, Director of International Organizations at the National Treasury, for “ Race and Responsibility in the 21st Century - What We Can Learn from South Africa.” 
  
Tuesday 6/23 
 
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Ambassador (ret.) Anthony Quainton, Diplomat in Residence at American University, for “ Keeping the Government Honest in a Changing World.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay hosts Admiral William McRaven, former Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, for “ Leadership from the Battlefield to the Boardroom.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts three-time Pulitzer Prize-Winner Barton Gellman for “ Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Shane Stephens, Consul General of Ireland in Atlanta, and William De Baets, Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta, for “ A Farewell to the Irish & Belgian Consuls General to the Southeast.” 
 
WorldOregon hosts a panel of experts for “ Vulnerability Amplified: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBTQ People.” 
 
Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts a panel of experts for “ Global Nashville.” 
 
Wednesday 6/24 
 
WorldDenver hosts Ambassador (ret.) Thomas Pickering, Vice Chairman of Hills and Company, for “ Oil, Sanctions, and COVID-19: Iran and the U.S.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Eric Schelling, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at The Home Depot, for “ The 2020 Volatile Job Market.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts Joxel Garcia, 14th U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, for " Building a Resilient World."

Global Minnesota hosts author Susan Sloan, Associate Regional Director for a global nonprofit advocacy organization, for “ Woman in Diplomacy.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Sarwar Kashmeri, Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, for “ Is the U.S.-China Cold War Heating Up? Why It Matters.” 
 
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts former diplomat Elizabeth Shackelford for “ The Collapse of American Diplomacy.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts hosts attorney Mahsa Khanbabai for “ Can the Coronavirus Cure a Broken Immigration System?” 
 
Colorado Springs World Affairs Council hosts assistant professor Edin Mujkic, University of Colorado, for “ The Balkans: “Mysterious” Success in Containing COVID-19 and the Preservation of Democratic Institutions.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts assistant professor Chris Miller, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, for “ Russia and the 2020 Elections - What Is Putin’s Game Plan?” 
 
Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts a panel of experts for “ The Institutional & Global Origins of Inequality on the African Continent.” 
 
Thursday 6/25 
 
Columbus Council on World Affairs hosts Alfredo Corchado, Mexico City Bureau Chief of the Dallas Morning News, for “ Immigration, COVID-19, and the U.S. Economy.” 
 
World Affairs Council of the Desert hosts Reva Goujon, Vice President of Global Analysis at Stratfor, for “ Our Post-Pandemic World: The Geopolitical and Economic Aftermath.” 
 
Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts Kayoko Fukushima, Consul General of Japan in Nashville, for “ IBC Global Update.” 
 
International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Karl Klause, Head of the Economic Section of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the U.S., for “ Innovating Cooperation: COVID, Germany, and the U.S.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts John Selden, General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, for “ Traveling Post COVID-19: What to Expect.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Ben Hubbard, Beirut Bureau Chief for the New York Times, for “ MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman.”  
 
Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts professor Dan Schnur, University of Southern California, for “ Politics in the Time of Coronavirus.” 
 
San Diego World Affairs Council hosts former foreign service officer Ed Stafford for “ Turkey and U.S. Relations.” 
 
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts a panel of experts for “ How Will the Global Economy Be Different After COVID-19?” 
 
Global Minnesota hosts a panel of experts (in Spanish) for “ Refugee Voices: Venezuela.” 
 
 
Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts a panel of experts for “ How Might Foreign Intelligence Services Best Exploit the Current Situation in the U.S.?” 
 
World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts a panel of experts for “ Restarting the Engine: Regional Cooperation Between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.” 
 
Friday 6/26 
 
International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Ambassador (ret.) Allan Katz, Founder of Katz, Jacobs, and Associates LLC, for “ International Career Series.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts John Gans, Director of Communications and Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House Global Policy Center, for “ White House Warriors: How the National Security Council Transformed the American Way of War.”  
 
Colorado Springs World Affairs Council hosts Peace Corps volunteers Jacob Savoy and Samantha Mareno for “ U.S. Peace Corps Paused.” 
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.

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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!
Access Council Virtual Programming via WACA's Members-Only Portal
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.
COVID-19 Updates & Tracker

Health & Wellness

Educator Resources
  • Ohio Council for the Social Studies Resource Document -- Bill Hilt, President/CEO, WAC Northwest Ohio
  • To help alleviate some of concerns with distance learning and explaining the current health crisis, the list is a compilation of K-12 Social Studies lessons, activities, and resources. It also has guidelines for explaining COVID-19 to young people.
  • Zoom CEO announcement of free platforms for K-12 schools

WACA Updates: Messages from President and CEO Bill Clifford

*To view Council Member Resources on the WACA website, you must be a Council leader, staff, or board member and have an account

Please contact Rachel Pastor at rpastor@worldaffairscouncils.org if you don't have an account.
WACA's National Speaker Database Needs You!
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.

If you do not have an account or are having issues accessing the website and/or the Speaker Database, please email Rachel Pastor.