It was a real treat to connect with Councils from around the country at our first WACA Office Hours last Thursday. As you have time and questions, feedback, or ideas, we look forward to seeing you on upcoming Office Hours, including tomorrow, February 7, at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

This week, we're excited to roll out another initiative aimed at supporting Councils through the collective knowledge of the national network. WACA Roundtables, which will get up and running during the second quarter, invite Council staff and board members to connect with others in the network who have responsibility for the same kind of work – public programming, education, membership, and much more. Read more here or in the information below, and don't hesitate to be in touch with any questions.

We'll have more to share in the coming weeks. For now, please know how much we appreciate your meaningful engagement in world affairs and global issues. And know we're always ready to help, however we can.

Kind regards,

Matthew Hughes, President & CEO

mhughes@worldaffairscouncils.org • 202-833-4557

As part of strengthening Councils around the country, WACA Roundtables give Council staff and board members a chance to connect and exchange insights. Each quarter, Council professionals and volunteers engaged in specific aspects of Councils' work gather over Zoom to meet others in the WACA network, share questions and ideas, explore innovative strategies, and problem-solve together.

Roundtables are open to all World Affairs Councils staff and board members. Roundtable categories include Communications & Marketing, Global Education, Development & Fundraising, Public Programs, Membership, and Leadership professionals. Members will be invited to a quarterly Zoom meeting to discuss the field that they’ve indicated an interest in.

We look forward to seeing you on Zoom!

Join former WACA board chair, Ambassador Paula Dobriansky for a virtual conversation with H.E. Micheál Martin TD, Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defense of Ireland on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET.

Hosted by the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, “A conversation with Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ireland” will discuss the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement, Ireland's European Union Membership, and the Transatlantic partnership between the US and Ireland.

Montana World Affairs Council kicks off their virtual International Career Week today, February 6 and will run until Thursday, February 9. This series of virtual programs will highlight career opportunities with international focus. All grade levels are encouraged to participate.

For the full schedule, please visit Montana WAC's website. The website contains all speakers, bios, program titles, and zoom links. If interested in attending please RSVP with what programs you will be joining to ngeiszler@montanaworldaffairs.org.

The Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall, in partnership with Writer's Bloc, hosted celebrated NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg on Sunday, February 5. During the intimate conversation, Totenberg discussed her new book, Dinners with Ruth, and her nearly fifty-year friendship with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Members of the World Affairs Councils of America have free, special early access to the video of the program now! Please also share it with your Council's audience.

New! World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh seeks to hire a Development Coordinator and a Youth Programming Manager. Applications will be reviewed as received.

Global Santa Fe seeks a President/CEO. Applications will be received until January 31.

Alaska World Affairs Council seeks a President/CEO. Applications will be reviewed as received.

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall seeks a Programs Director. Applications will be reviewed as received.

World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana seeks a seeks a Membership & Development Coordinator. Applications will be reviewed as received.

World Affairs Council of New Orleans seeks a WACNO Fellow and Board Members! Applications will be reviewed as received.

Naples Council on World Affairs hosts Dr. Cynthia A. Watson, Professor Emerita at the National War College, and Dr. Bernard D. Cole, United States Navy [Ret.], for "China's Challenges: Inside and Out" (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Deborah Amos, International Correspondent at NPR, for “Reckoning on War Crimes” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Albuquerque hosts Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), for “Global Food Security and the Russia-Ukraine War: A One-Year Assessment” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Ambassador Michele J. Sison, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, for “Bringing Multilateralism Back: Partnering to Confront Global Challenges” (In Person)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) presents “Middle East/North Africa Roundtable Meeting” (Virtual)

Montana World Affairs Council presents “International Career Week” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth presents “2023 Mayor's Consular Corps Summit” (In Person)

Alabama World Affairs Council hosts Margaret Sankey, research coordinator for Air University, for “Margaret Sankey, ‘Blood Money: How Criminals Finance Violence’” (Hybrid)

Global Ties Arizona hosts Thomas Wotka, Foreign Service Officer, Department of State, for “Women, the War in Ukraine & Foreign Policy” (In Person)

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Dan Schnur, professor at USC, UC Berkeley and Pepperdine, for “Dan Schnur Political Report: February” (Virtual)

Sarasota World Affairs Council hosts Dr. Angela Stent, Professor at Georgetown University, and Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, for “Ukraine and Russia: A Discussion With Authors Angela Stent and Marie Yovanovitch” (In Person)

Worcester World Affairs Council hosts Christopher M. Faulkner, assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College, for “The Role of Russian Private Military Companies in Africa, Ukraine, and Beyond” (In Person)

World Pittsburgh hosts Ambassador Eric Rubin, President of the American Foreign Service Association, for “The State of U.S. Diplomacy: A Conversation With Ambassador Eric Rubin” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Ambassador Michael McKinley, retired ambassador to Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Afghanistan, for “WOODLANDS: Amb. McKinley – Return of Leftist Governments in Latin America & Implications for Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, the U.S. & Beyond” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Ambassador Michele J. Sison, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, for “February Fellows Breakfast with Assistant Secretary Michele Sison” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth presents “2023 Mayor's Consular Corps Summit” (In Person)

International Center of the Capital Region presents “Colombian Feast” (In Person)

World Boston hosts Mariana Budjeryn, senior research associate at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, for “Chat & Chowder with Mariana Budjeryn | Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine” (Hybrid)

Columbia World Affairs Council hosts Bill Hauk, associate professor at the University of South Carolina, for “Global Inflation: The End is Nigh (?)” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts H.E. Santiago Cabanas, Ambassador of Spain to the United States, for “WACC Private Dinner: An Evening with H.E. Santiago Cabanas, The Ambassador of Spain to the United States” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Doug Metcalfe, activist and advocate, for “My Experience in Nepal with Doug Metcalfe” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Chris Hightower, president & CEO of the Arlington Museum of Art, and Jim Ross, Mayor of Arlington, for “Heart of DFW: Community and Leadership” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Ambassador Michael McKinley, retired ambassador to Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Afghanistan, for “Amb. McKinley – Return of Leftist Governments in Latin America & Implications for Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, the U.S. & Beyond” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Tacoma hosts Saghar Amini, professor at the University of Washington, for “Iran: The Social Movement For Change | WACT Speaker Series” (In Person)

World Oregon presents “Diving Into the Decisions: Global Energy Challenges” (Virtual)

Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Sam Kaplan, author, for “Conversation & Debate: Challenging China | Sam Kaplan & UAA Debate Team” (In Person)

Foreign Policy Association hosts Damon Wilson, President and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy, for “John B. Hurford Memorial Lecture” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe hosts Siegfried Hacker, author, for “Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program | Book Talk” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts hosts Mouloud Said, US Representative of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, for “Mouloud Said on The Human Face of the Western Sahara Conflict” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts H.E. Santiago Cabanas, Ambassador of Spain to the United States, for “WACC Ambassadors Circle Series: H.E. Santiago Cabanas, The Ambassador of Spain to the United States” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of New Jersey hosts Shannon K. O’Neil, vice President, Deputy Director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies, to discuss her new book “The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head presents “Book Club - Sanctions: What Everyone Needs to Know by Bruce Jentleson” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Nick Touran, a nuclear engineer, for “YPIN: Let’s Talk Nuclear” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Jacksonville presents “Admiral Jonathan T. Howe Academic WorldQuest 2023” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of San Antonio presents “Academic WorldQuest 2023” (In Person)

Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy presents “Armenian LGBTQ Activists: A Community Conversation” (In Person)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) presents “Cultural Connection Hour: Open World Corporate Social Responsibility Leaders from Moldova” (In Person)

Cleveland Council on World Affairs presents “Fulbright Welcome Weekend Brazil” (In Person)

Pacific & Asian Affairs Council presents “Academic WorldQuest Competition 2022-2023” (In Person)

Peoria Areas World Affairs Council presents “Global Fest Central Illinois: A Celebration of Our Diverse and Dynamic Neighborhood!” (In Person)