Join WACA Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 2:00-3:00 PM ET to hear her excellency, Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S., discuss the Russian-Ukraine conflict; their accession into NATO; Swedish-U.S. trade relations; workforce development; green innovation, and more. The conversation and Q&A session are open to our audience of Council members across the U.S., international partners, and the public at large. WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford will moderate the program.
 
Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter has been serving as the Ambassador of Sweden to the United States since 2017, being the first female to take up this posting. Ambassador Olofsdotter has long been a strong advocate for Swedish trade and diplomatic relations with the United States. Trade and economic growth remain top priorities for the Ambassador, along with defense cooperation, public diplomacy, and strong collaboration with the international community.
Jillian Haslam
Humanitarian and Author
A Voice Out of Poverty
Malcom Turnbull
Fmr. Prime Minister of Australia
Jake Sullivan
Assistant to the President
National Security Affairs
Nina Ansary
Historian, Author &
Director of WACA's
Global Women's Lecture Series
Wai Wai Nu, Rohingya Activist &
Former Political Prisoner
Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur for Myanmar
Alex Nowrasteh, Director of Economic & Social Policy Studies
CATO Institute
Katsuo Nishikawa, Director of Center for Int'l Engagement
Trinity University
WAC Connecticut CEO Megan Torrey was recently selected to participate in the U.S. Defense Secretary's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC 93) on October 23-29. The JCOC is DOD’s oldest and most prestigious public liaison program. Established in 1948, it is the only Secretary of Defense-sponsored outreach program that enables American business and community leaders to have a fully immersive experience with their military.

I am honored to be chosen for JCOC 93. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience firsthand the inner workings of all branches of our military. As a proud daughter of a Navy veteran, I am looking forward to participating and getting to know more about our military and to sharing my experience. “ – Megan C. Torrey

We congratulate Megan, who serves on the WACA Board of Directors for being one of 40 individuals selected from among nearly 200 nominees to participate in this highly competitive JCOC program. 
WACA 2022 National Conference
Navigating A Fractured World
November 15-18
NEW! Think Tank Off-Site Briefings
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS EXTENDED FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!

For a limited time only, we are extending Early Bird Discounts for the WACA Conference. Be sure to take advantage of low-priced registration and purchase your tickets by Friday, September 16! Visit the Conference website for regular agenda updates, distinguished speakers, and special activities.
Councils: Nominate Undergrad Students for Conference Scholarships!

The WACA Board has announced that 25 scholarships will be provided to undergraduate students to attend the 2022 National Conference: Navigating a Fractured World. Councils are welcome to solicit applications from today and nominate one scholarship candidate. The scholarship includes $1,000 per undergraduate student, to be used towards travel, lodging, and/or incidentals, plus complimentary registration. For details about eligibility, applications, and the nomination process please click here.
Join IRC (Kansas City) on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 12:00 PM CT, for launch of "Global Motivations". This new virtual series will paint a portrait of six world powers, their internal and external drivers, their evolving role in the community of nations, and what this means for the rest of the world. Erik Brattberg, SVP in the Europe practice of Albright Stonebridge Group is IRC's first featured speaker to look at the rebalance of power in Europe, and globally.

Members of other World Affairs Councils: Email Evan Verploegh for free access to the series!
WACA, is pleased to bring you this September's Cover to Cover webinar featuring author David B. Ottaway on Tuesday, September 20, at 2:00-3:00 PM ET
In the aftermath of President Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia in July Ottaway's book, Mohammed bin Salman: The Icarus of Saudi Arabia? allows us to ask ourselves: Who is MBS and how has he shaped Saudi-U.S. relations?
Register here for this virtual program. WACA President Bill Clifford will moderate.
In partnership with WACA, WorldQuest Weekly is produced by the Tennessee World Affairs Council, which offers customized subscriptions to the quiz for Council members. Most of the questions are drawn from both WACA's Weekly World News Update, and a curated news Twitter feed (@TNWAC). Contact pat@tnwac.orgor visit tnwac.org/quiz for details.

Last week's winners! (10/10)! John (Annapolis, MD), Suzanne (Traverse City, MI), Dixie (Dallas, TX), David (Sarasota, FL).
The official AWQ 2022-2023 Study Guide for the Carlos and Malú Alvarez AWQ National Competition is will be released this week!

Following are the 10 Academic WorldQuest Topics:
  • Securing the Future of the World's Wildlife
  • The Arctic Council: Frozen Cooperation
  • Atrocity Prevention and Accountability
  • Combating Global Food Insecurity
  • Economic Sanctions - A Double-Edged Sword
  • Great Decisions
  • Country in Focus: Ethiopia
  • The Future of Supply Chains
  • Battle of the Century: Autocracy vs. Democracy
  • Current Events
The World Affairs Council of the Desert, founded in the early 1970s as the “Desert Forum," served initially as a branch of the Los Angeles Council. By 1975, the organization had changed its name to World Affairs Council of the Desert, began to increase its membership, and established itself as a separate nonprofit corporation. Its primary missions are education outreach, promoting and providing interesting and affordable programs in a social setting, and covering a wide range of global topics.

Today the World Affairs Council of the Desert boasts over 200 members and serves the area of Southern California known as the Coachella Valley, which extends from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea.
WACD's two primary missions are:

  • To be "The Desert's Voice of Global Affairs" through our Headliner Dinner/Speaker events which are held monthly, November through May, on Sunday nights at the historic Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

  • In addition, WACD has participated for almost two decades in the Academic WorldQuest program, supported by sponsors and in particular, Priscilla and Chuck Porter, founders of our AWQ Endowment Fund. Our teams have had extraordinary success in WACA's national AWQ competitions.

The Council's weekly newsletter will share more about the AWQ program and how WACD successfully survived the pandemic.
Nikki Geiszler
Programs Director
Montana WAC
Priscilla Porter
Education Outreach Specialist
WAC of the Desert
Catherina Rojas
Academic Chair
WAC Miami
Our flagship educational youth program, Academic WorldQuest, has returned for another exciting year. Join us on Thursday, September 29 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET to learn the ins and outs of starting an AWQ program within your community, how to attract donors and funding and the benefits of a long running educational program to your Council.

The session features Nikki Geiszler, Programs Director at Montana WAC, Priscilla Porter, Education Outreach Specialist at World Affairs Council of the Desert. and Catherina Rojas, Academic Chair at WAC Miami. The discussion will be moderated by Kaela Rider, Global Education Coordinator at WACA.
New! Colorado Springs World Affairs Council seeks an Executive Director. Applications will be reviewed as received.
WorldOregon seeks a Development and Communications Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.
Montana World Affairs Council seeks a Development Coordinator.
Applications will be reviewed as received.
Global Santa Fe seeks to hire multiple positions, a Marketing and Membership Coordinator Applications will be reviewed as received.
World Affairs Council of New Orleans seeks to hire a Board Member/Fellow. Applications will be reviewed as received.
International Institute of Buffalo seeks to hire multiple positions, a Director of Finance, a Business Leader Interpreting and Translation, an Operations Leader, a Bookkeeper, and a Case Manager: Human Trafficking Services. Applications will be reviewed as received.
Columbus World Affairs Council seeks to hire a Development Manager and Youth Programming Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh seeks to hire a Development Manager and a Youth Programming Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.
Vermont Council on World Affairs seeks to hire an AmeriCorps Vista Youth Program Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.
Monday 9/12
Worcester World Affairs Council hosts William Rapp, Major General (Ret.) and former Lecturer in Military Affairs at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, for “Civil-Military Relations in the U.S. and Other Countries” (In Person)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) presents “Southeast Asia and Oceania Roundtable Meeting” (Virtual)

World Affairs of Greater Houston presents “Fall Season Kickoff” (In Person)

Tuesday 9/13
World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts Jerrold Green, President & CEO of Pacific Council on International Policy, for “Confronting Serious Challenges to U.S. National Security” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Connecticut presents “Welcome Meet and Mingle with UCONN LLMs” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Central Illinois hosts Robert Goeckel, Professor at the State University of New York and former co-director of the SUNY Center for the Study of the U.S. and Russia at Moscow State University, for “The War in Ukraine: Russian Context, Western Policies, and International Implications” (In Person)

Indiana Council on World Affairs presents “International Adventures” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana presents “Global Trivia @TEN20 Craft Brewery” (In Person)

Global Minnesota hosts former U.S. Foreign Service Officer Tom Hanson, Diplomat in Residence at the Alworth Institute for International Affairs at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, for “Global Networking: Navigating Business Relationships in China” (In Person)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Francisco Seixas da Costa, retired Portuguese diplomat, and Steven Simon, Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow in International Affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute, for “Big Ideas. Big Challenges: What’s America’s Global Endgame?” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Jillian Haslam, humanitarian and award-winning author of A Voice out of Poverty: The Power to Achieve Through Adversity, for “WACC Speaker Series with Jillian Haslam” (In Person)

Cleveland Council on World Affairs presents “Working Intentionally: Global Competency for Business” (In Person)

WorldOregon hosts Nawzad Othman, author of The Architect, for “Nawzad Othman: The Architect” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head hosts James Borton, author of Dispatches from the South China Sea, for "James Borton: Dispatches from the South China Sea" (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston presents “Jordan: Travel Info Session” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts George Beebe, Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute, and Steven Pifer, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and Senior Fellow at Brookings, for “How Does This End? War and Peace in Ukraine” (Hybrid)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts a panel of experts, for “Clean Tech in Asia: Opportunities and Challenges” (Virtual)

Wednesday 9/14

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts Jake Sullivan, assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, for “Revitalizing Democracy at Home and Abroad” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Jacksonville hosts Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister of Australia, for “China: The Asia-Pacific Struggle for Control” (In Person)

WorldBoston presents “13th Annual Consuls Reception” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts Andrew Adams, Director of the Department of Justice’s Kleptocapture Task Force, for “Kleptocapture” (Virtual)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Erik Brattberg, Senior Vice President in the Europe practice at Albright Stonebridge Group, for “Global Motivations: European Union” (Virtual)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Maor Elbaz-Starinksy, Consul General of Israel in Miami, for “What’s Happening in Israel” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Albuquerque hosts Douglas Paal, former Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase International and former member of the National Security Council under the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, for “China, Taiwan, and the U.S.” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Randy Newnham, Professor at Berks College of Penn State, for “How the War in Ukraine has Changed the World with Dr. Randy Newnham” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts General In-Bum Chun, retired Lieutenant General in the South Korean Army, for “The Woodlands: General In-Bum Chun: North Korea, China & How the U.S. & South Korea Strategize for War” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Harrisburg hosts Dr. Denise Johnson, Pennsylvania Physician General, Dr. Melissa Brown, Psychologist, Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi, Infectious Disease Specialist at Penn State, for “Back to School: Public Health Webinar” (Virtual)

Thursday 9/15

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Dan Schnur, professor at USC, UC Berkeley, and Pepperdine University, and Conan Nolan, NBC4 Chief Political Reporter and Anchor of ‘News Conference’, for “Fall Election Kickoff: What We Should Expect in the Midterm Elections this November” (In Person)

San Diego World Affairs Council hosts Richard Feinberg, adjunct professor at the University of California, San Diego, and former Diplomat at the White House, Department of State and Department of the Treasury, and the Peace Corps in Chile for “Challenges to Biden in Our Hemisphere The Summit of the Americas: Insights Into What’s Working and What’s Not” (In Person)

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Issac Stone Fish, former Asia Editor of Foreign Policy, for “The Cost of Doing Business With China” (In Person)

WorldDenver hosts Nina Ansary, Director of the World Affairs Council's of America Global Women’s Lecture Series and Director of the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum Women’s Leadership Initiative at the University of Cambridge, for “The Future of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: One Year After the Taliban Takeover” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Miami hosts Mike Driquez, Deputy Consul General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for “Miami as a Global Gateway; Next Stop, Israel” (In Person)

Savannah Council on World Affairs hosts Douglas Silliman, retired US Ambassador to Iraq and Kuwait and President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, for “The United States, Joe Biden, and the Changing Landscape of the Middle East” (In Person)

Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs hosts Tom Andrews, UN special rapporteur for Myanmar, and Wai Wai Nu, Rohingya Burmese activist and former political prisoner, for “Myanmar’s Agony Since the Coup” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Maine hosts Ryan Hass, Michael H. Armacost Chair in the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institute, for “Taiwan and U.S.-China Relations” (In Person)

International Affairs Forum (Traverse City) hosts Erica Frantz, Associate Professor at Michigan State University, for “Democracy vs. Autocracy” (Hybrid)

World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts Alex Nowrasteh, Director, Economic and Social Policy Studies at the CATO Institute, Dr. Katsuo Nishikawa Director, Center for International Engagement at Trinity University, and moderator Henry Sauvignet, Vice President of IBC Bank, for “Immigration in the Modern Age” (In Person)

Olympia World Affairs Council hosts Dr. Thomas B. Rainey, Emeritus Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Evergreen State College, for “Russia and Ukraine: Foundations of Putin’s Domestic Power and His Ideology of Empire” (In Person)

Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy hosts Dodge Billingsley, subject matter expert and analyst for the U.S. Army, for “America’s Continuing Entanglement with Afghanistan: Why We Should Care” (In Person)

Friday 9/16
World Affairs Council of Maine presents “Coffee and Discussion: Current Events at the Falmouth Memorial Library” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth presents “Meridian: Young Professionals at Addison Oktoberfest” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston presents “Following the Silk Road: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, & Kyrgyzstan” (In Person)


Saturday 9/17
World Affairs Council of Harrisburg hosts Joe Hewitt, Vice President of the U.S. Institute of Peace, for “2022 International Peace Symposium | People Under Siege” (In Person)

World Pittsburgh presents "Rhythm of the Trails Community Bike Ride" (In Person)

Sunday 9/18
Indiana Council on World Affairs presents “Festival of Faiths” (In Person)