Congratulations to the 168 high school students from 27 states who participated Saturday, April 30, in the Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2002 Academic WorldQuest National Competition!
 
This was a special edition of WACA’s flagship education program – the 20th anniversary of our National Competition was also the first hybrid effort, with 36 teams taking part in person at the United States Institute of Peace’s iconic headquarters in DC and 6 teams playing virtually from locations around the country.

WACA is proud to announce the top three teams, who distinguished themselves with their high scores in the 100-point contest that tests knowledge of world affairs in 10 topic categories. (Final scores will be sent to all competing teams soon.)
Keystone’s championship team, with Carlos and Malú Alvarez, the team's chaperone Bill Spedding, and WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford
1st Place: Keystone School, WAC San Antonio, TX

2nd Place: Plano West High School, WAC Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

3rd Place: Palm Desert High School, WAC of the Desert, CA

We are grateful to the teachers, chaperones, and parents who accompanied students during the two-day AWQ program. On Friday, April 30, two representatives from the Mexican Embassy -- Carmen Morales and Blanca Gaviño-Arvizu -- spoke to our students and chaperones about climate change and migration -- one of the 10 topics the students had to study for AWQ this year.

On the day of the AWQ National Competition USIP President Lise Grande was the luncheon keynote speaker and Kevin Cassidy, Director of the International Labour Organization Office for the U.S. and Canada made opening remarks.

WACA is grateful also to our sponsors -- Carlos and Malú Alvarez, ILO Office for the U.S. and Canada, the U.S. Institute of Peace, Johnson and Sterling, and the Foreign Policy Association -- as well Foreign Policy, for contributing to our prize package and providing each student with the latest copy of their magazine!
The World Affairs Councils of America's National Office is delighted to invite Member Council executives, staff, and board members to this year's Spring Leadership Meeting. Thanks to Tracey Johnson, Executive Director of the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, and Karen Burghart, Emeritus Director, we are bringing the Spring Council Leadership & WACA Board of Directors meetings to beautiful Colorado Springs on June 9-11, 2022.

This year's Leadership Meeting will open with an opening event on Thursday, June 9 at 5:00 PM MT.

On  Friday, June 10, following professional development workshops, WACA will host a dinner with a VIP speaker.

The WACA Board of Directors meets Saturday, June 11 at 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM MT (10:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET).

Hotel Block Ends Monday, May 9!

The room block at The Antlers Hotel will close on May 9. We are offering a rate of $199/night. Book your room today!
Amb. Esteban Moctezuma
Mexico's Ambassador to the U.S.
Amb. Chantale Wong
U.S. Exec. Director
Asian Development Bank
Jonathan Barr
Pacific Northwest Laboratory
Hiwot Tesfaye
Technical Advisor for Microsoft
Jill Tiefenthaler
CEO National Geographic Society
Angela Stent
Nonresident Senior Fellow
Brookings Institution
Pierson Claire
Managing Director
Kroll's Cyber Risk
On May 4 at 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM ET, the International Labour Organization Office for the U.S. and Canada and the Bush School of Government and Public Service will host a hybrid event on "Improving Working Conditions in Supply Chains."

The event will feature Ambassador Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative, in conversation with Kevin Cassidy, our partner and Director and Representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations at the ILO Office for the U.S. and Canada.

Thea Lee, Deputy Under Secretary for International Labor Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, will deliver a keynote address. Several other experts in the field will speak.

Each month, the World Affairs Councils of America highlights one of our Member Councils for their excellence in programming and community outreach. This month, we have selected the Cleveland Council on World Affairs for their strong programming, notably this week's Global Impact Award.

This past weekend, Dr. Richard Crepage, WACA Advisory Council Member and former Administrative Director at CCWA, served as one of our judges for the 20th anniversary Carlos and Malú Academic WorldQuest National Competition. Dr. Crepage also served on our 2021-2022 Academic WorldQuest Task Force, providing advice and guidance to the WACA team as we planned for this year's National Competition. We thank Dr. Crepage and the team at CCWA for their dedication to Academic WorldQuest!
Community Engagement for Multicultural and Multigenerational Outreach
Tuesday, May 10 at 3:00 PM ET
Betty Cruz
President and CEO
WAC Pittsburgh
Jennifer Bowden
Director of Education
WAC Dallas/Fort Worth
Jenni Carney
Director, Development & Marketing
Cleveland Council on World Affairs
Reaching a multicultural and multigenerational audience requires dedicated outreach and investment. Join us on Tuesday, May 10 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET to learn how your World Affairs Councils can better include and engage your entire community and promote diversity in your membership.

The session will feature Betty Cruz, President and CEO at the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, Jenni Carney, Director of Development and Marketing at the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, and Jennifer Bowden, Director of Education at the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. 

The discussion will be moderated by Matthew Hughes, Executive Director of the International Relations Council Kansas City.
On May 11 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET, join us for our latest Cover to Cover author interview with C. Fred Bergsten. Bergsten's new book, The United States vs. China, is the first to analyze US-China rivalry from the perspective of global economic leadership. Unlike other commentators, Bergsten sees reasons to be optimistic about future U.S.-China economic relations. He identifies ways in which both countries can lead, rather than destroy, the world economy.
The team at the World Affairs Councils of America honors the legacy of Richard Lauf, who passed away in April. For many years, Rich served as board chair and treasurer of the World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. He served as platoon leader in Vietnam and was awarded a Purple Heart for his service. Following his military service, Rich went on to pursue a career at P&G and later utilized his leadership and expertise as a business consultant. Rich Lauf lived a life committed to a personal mission shared by the World Affairs Council network – in service to others.
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.org or visit tnwac.org/quiz for details.

Last week's winners (10/10)! Ben (Florida), Serge (Bloomfield Hills, MI), Bruce (New Jersey), and Rukayat (Miami, FL)
International Relations Council Kansas City seeks to hire a Global Education Coordinator. Learn more.
WorldOregon seeks to hire a Program Officer, International Visitor Program. Learn more.
Global Minnesota seeks to hire a Corporate Relations Officer. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Jacksonville seeks to hire a Director of Operations and Administration. Learn more.
International Institute of Buffalo seeks to hire an Executive Assistant. Learn more.
Monday 5/2

International Relations Council presents "The Americas Roundtable Meeting"

World Affairs Council of Central Illinois hosts Amb. Ross Wilson (Ret.), former ambassador to Afghanistan (2020 -2021), for “Closing Chapter in Afghanistan”

International Relations Council (Kansas City) presents “The Americas Roundtable Meeting”

World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads presents "Norfolk NATO Luncheon" (In person)

Tuesday 5/3

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Amb. Chantale Wong, U.S. Executive Director to the Asian Development Bank, for "Breaking Barriers in Public Service"

World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Amb. Esteban Moctezuma, Mexico's Ambassador to the U.S., for "Diplomats Luncheon" (In person)

Montana World Affairs Council hosts Frédéric Jung, Consul General of France to the U.S., for "Community Reception" (In person)

Worcester World Affairs Council hosts Rushan Abbas, founder and executive director of Campaign for Uyghurs, for “ Global Implications of the Uyghur Genocide”

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Sadia Akhter Aurna, Global Education Coordinator at International Relations Council, for “Global Horizons - Global Experience: Bengali Cuisine”

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Amir Hamja , Award-winning Photographer based in New York City , for “Global Horizons - International Career Series: Photography”

 International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Seungkwon You, director of the Global Leadership Program and Asian Scholars Program at the Asian Affairs Center, for “Global Horizons - Lexicon: Korean”

 International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Léocadia Tchouaffe, the Regional Organizing Manager (Midwest Region) for the ONE Campaign, for “Global Horizons - A Novel Experience: The Embassy of Cambodia ” 

World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky hosts Todd Schwartz, Executive Director of the European Chamber of Commerce of Cincinnati, for "Young Professionals Executive Insights Series" (In person)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Jonathan Barr, Senior Research Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Hiwot Tesfaye, Technical Advisor for Microsoft, for "Artifical Intelligence: Governing for Good"

World Affairs Council of Maine hosts Brad Babson, former Chair of the DPRK Economic Forum at the U.S.-Korea Institute, for "Great Decisions: Myanmar and ASEAN"

Worcester World Affairs Council hosts Rushan Abbas, Uyghur American activist and advocate, for "Global Implications of the Uyghur Genocide"

Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall hosts Dan Schnur, USC Professor, for "May Political Report"

Wednesday 5/4

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Angela Stent, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, for "WACC Foreign Policy Series"

Cleveland Council on World Affairs hosts Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society, for "Global Impact Award" (In person)

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts Natalie Rouland, Scholar in Residence at the Pittsburgh Ballet, and Nancy Conde, Director of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, for "Reconsidering Swan Lake: Culture and Context with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre"

Vermont Council on World Affairs presents "Developing a More Inclusive Approach to Climate Change Policy"

World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky presents "Munich Sister City Association Meeting"

Montana World Affairs Council present “International trade and investment day” (In person)

Cleveland Council on World Affairs hosts Jill Tiefenthaler, Chief Executive Officer of the National Geographic Society, for “ 2022 Global Impact Award Event” (In person)

World Affairs Council of Houston presents "Following the Silk Road: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan"

International Relations Council presents "WorldQuest"

Thursday 5/5

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts Mark Lagon, Chief Policy Officer at the Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, for "Responding to Global Health Challenges"

World Affairs Council of Houston hosts Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kyleanne Hunter, AH-1W Super Cobra attack pilot, and Katherine Kuzminski, Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at CNAS, for "Women and the U.S.: Combat, Conflict, and Command" (In person)

Colorado Springs World Affairs Council hosts Craig Larimer for "Great Decisions: Biden's Agenda"

WorldBoston hosts Martin Indyk, Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, for "Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy" ( Hybrid)

Global Minnesota presents "Minnesota St. Paul International Film Festival" (In person)

Friday 5/6

Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Patrick Massey, Regional Director of the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Paul Curlett, Senior Sales Lead at Boeing Phantom Works, and Glen Klinkhart, Alaska Director of Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, for "The Future of Cybersecurity: Ensuring Security and Building Resilience"

Saturday 5/7

Dayton Council on World Affairs hosts Amb. (Ret.) Dave Hall, Executive Director Emeritus of the Alliance to End Hunger, for "Gala Dinner" (In person)

Sunday 5/8

World Affairs Council of the Desert hosts Pierson Claire, Managing Director with Kroll's Cyber Risk, for "Understanding the Risks and Future Role of Digital Currencies in our Global Financial Systems" (In person)