President's Letter; Cover to Cover Registration; Star Speakers; Engage America Grant Opportunity for Councils; WorldQuest Weekly; Job Announcements in the Network; Council Highlights & more!
President's Letter
The new year is bringing a mini-wave of leadership transitions in the Council network. As we warmly welcome new Council presidents, we bid fond farewell to their predecessors who retired after long, distinguished service to their communities and our common mission.

City-wise, I hope the ABCs that follow don’t run through the entire alphabet:

  • In Atlanta, Rickey Bevington took the baton last month from Charles Shapiro, who hosted WACA and network peers for a Spring Leadership Meeting early in his tenure, in 2015;

  • In Baltimore, Frank Burd has been synonymous with the Council, having led it since its founding in 1980. Roy Gutman, author and former foreign correspondent, will fill Frank’s legendary shoes come March 1;

  • And, in Colorado Springs, Tracey Johnson – perhaps you met her at the WACA 2021 National Conference - has succeeded Karen Burghart. Karen, after a dozen years at the Council (more than half as executive director), remains active on the WACA Board.

I look forward to working with Rickey, Roy, and Tracey and at the same time welcome guidance at the national office from Charles, Frank, and Karen. Please get to know our new colleagues and be ready also for imminent successions at the Santa Fe Council and Orange County Council (for the latter, see our jobs board below).

The network will also miss the talent, contributions, and collegiality of senior staff, too. Carla Thorson, after more than 17 years of service with World Affairs Council of Northern California, and Rachel Vogel, after more than 10 years with WAC Dallas/Fort Worth, have found new professional opportunities and we wish them the very best.

I know you know what an immense privilege to work with these extraordinary individuals. WACA is planning for a June meeting of Council leaders and our national board of directors. Stay tuned for that – and the wonderful chance to see faces old and new.

Thank you,
Bill Clifford
President and CEO
Cover to Cover With Congressman Ro Khanna!
Thursday, February 10
WACA's February Cover to Cover will be held Thursday, February 10 at 2:00 PM ET. Congressman Ro Khanna represents Silicon Valley in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has taught economics at Stanford, served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce in the Obama Administration, and represented tech companies and startups in private practice.

The discussion will be moderated by Philip Yun, President and CEO of World Affairs in San Francisco.

Khanna's new book, Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us, offers a vision for democratizing digital innovation to build economically vibrant and inclusive communities by tackling existing challenges in the tech field. Anchored by an approach Khanna calls “progressive capitalism,” he shows how democratizing access to technology can strengthen every sector of economy and culture.

Read the Guardian's Jan. 29 interview with Congressman Khanna.
WACA Engage America Grant Opportunity: Future of Work
Applications Due February 25
The World Affairs Councils of America is excited and proud to partner with the International Labour Organization Office for the United States and Canada for a WACA Engage America series in 2022. WACA and the ILO US-CA launched our partnership two years ago for Academic WorldQuest, which is continuing this year in the AWQ Study Guide topic a "Human-Centered Agenda for the Future of Work." In this Engage America Series, we aim to have expert speakers convey a multifaceted, in-depth understanding of key labor issues to communities across the United States.

We invite Councils to apply to participate in the WACA-ILO US-CA's grant-funded series: "A Human-Centered Agenda for the Future of Work." Your Council can be a part of this ongoing initiative to inform local communities about key labor issues and how it impacts their daily lives. As many as 12 Councils will be selected to participate in this WACA Engage America Series.

Please click here to download the Application Form and email to Kathleen Euler at the WACA National Office. Proposals are due Friday, February 25 at the close of business (Eastern Time). Depending on the interest of Councils and our funders, WACA reserves the right to extend or re-open the application process.

Questions? Email Kathleen Euler or call the WACA office (202-833-4557).
Star Speakers At Councils This Week!
Tanvi Madan
Director, India Project
Brookings Institution
Margo Gontar
Ukrainian Journalist
Shalonda Spencer
Executive Director, WCAPS
Vladimir Kara-Murza
Russian Human Rights Activist
Amb. Harry Thomas Jr.
Fmr Director General
Foreign Service
Marvin Kalb
Award-winning Journalist
Council of the Month: Foreign Policy Association
The Foreign Policy Association is now accepting applications for its Judith L. Biggs Great Decisions Teacher Training Institute, with expert speakers, teaching modules, and New York City cultural experiences. The teachers selected for the Great Decisions Teacher Training Institute will bring a wide range of teaching experiences to the conference and represent the United States’ diverse demographics. The four-day program prepares teachers to:
  • Strengthen skills in teaching global affairs
  • Explore ways to expand international studies in the classroom
  • Build professional support networks
  • Develop International Studies curriculum
Applications just opened and must be submitted by March 12. You can apply online at www.fpa.org/institute or contact teachers@fpa.org. FPA thanks their sponsor, Judith L. Biggs, for her incredible support. 
Academic WorldQuest: Local Competitions
Our Member Councils are hosting their local Academic WorldQuest competitions! The winners of local competitions have a chance to compete at the national Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest on April 30, 2022.

This week, Alaska World Affairs Council and the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville host their competitions this week. We congratulate all participating students on their hard work and preparation!
Congratulations! Some Councils have already held local Competitions. The team at the World Affairs Councils of America congratulates the following winning teams:

  • Streator Team from Peoria Area World Affairs Council (November 11, 2021)
  • Charlotte Country Day School from the World Affairs Council of Charlotte (December 21, 2021)

Have an update on your Council's winning team? Send your updates to Keily Ramirez.
WorldQuest Weekly Quiz
This week's WACA WorldQuest Weekly is out! Test your global affairs awareness and dive into news stories that represent a broad spectrum of developments of interest and importance. Most of the questions are drawn from both WACA's Weekly World News Update, and a curated news Twitter feed @TNWAC #WACquiz.

In partnership with WACA, WorldQuest Weekly is produced by the Tennessee World Affairs Council, which offers customized subscriptions to the quiz for Council members. Contact pat@tnwac.org or visit tnwac.org/quiz for details.

Congratulations to last week's winners (10/10)! Serge (Bloomfield Hills, MI), Jane (Mount Pleasant, SC), and Bruce (New Jersey)
Job Announcements in the Network
World Affairs Council of Orange County seeks to hire an Executive Director. Learn more.
Vermont Council on World Affairs seeks to hire a Programs Officer, Exchanges and a Youth Program Coordinator. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth seeks to hire a Marketing and Communications Coordinator and a Programs Manager. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Atlanta seeks to hire a Business Manager. Learn more.
WorldDenver seeks to hire an International Exchange Programs Coordinator and an Education and Exchange Fellow. Learn more.
World Affairs Council of Jacksonville seeks to hire a Director of Operations and Administration. Learn more.
Global Minnesota seeks to hire an Marketing and Communications Manager, an International Exchange Coordinator, and a Major Gifts & Individual Giving Officer. Learn more.
International Institute of Buffalo seeks to hire an Employment Case Manager. Learn more.
Fulbright Teacher Exchanges Grant Opportunities
Fulbright Teacher Exchanges is accepting applications for two grant programs:

Monday 2/7

Naples Council on World Affairs hosts Amb. (Ret.) Ryan Crocker, career diplomat, for "Leaving Afghanistan"

Tuesday 2/8

Cleveland Council on World Affairs hosts Tanvi Madan, Brookings Institution India Project Director, for "The Indo-Pacific Quad: Key Concepts and Prospects for the Region"

Alabama World Affairs Council hosts Ralph Clem, Emeritus Professor and Senior Fellow at Steven J. Green School at Florida International University, for "Mutual Misunderstandings: Geopolitics and the Russia-Ukraine Conflict"

Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall hosts Kian Gohar, author and former Executive Director of XPRIZE Foundation, for "The New World of Work"

World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts Barbara Walter, Professor at the University of California, San Diego, for "How Civil Wars Start"

Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts Michael Snodgrass, Director of Global and International Studies Program at IUPUI, for "Drug Policy in Latin America"

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts David Holloway, Senior Fellow Emeritus of the Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies, for "Russia and Ukraine: What's Next?"

Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council hosts Thomas Truxes, Professor at New York University, for "The Overseas Trade of British America: A Narrative History"

Colorado Springs World Affairs Council presents "Book Club: The Forever War"

International Relations Council (Kansas City) presents "International Film Club: Happy as Lazzaro"

Wednesday 2/9

World Affairs Council of New Orleans hosts Margo Gontar, Ukrainian journalist, for "Great Decisions: Ukraine and Russia Escalation"

Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts Shalonda Spencer, Executive Director of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security, for "Reflections of America in Foreign Affairs and Immigration Policies"

World Affairs Council of Maine hosts Amb. Brian McFeeters, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, and Angela Mancini, Partner at ControlRisks Singapore, for "Opportunities and Development in Southeast Asia"

World Affairs Council of Albuquerque hosts Allison Fedirka, Director of Analysis at Geopolitical Futures, for "North America's Geopolitics Beyond the United States"

Global Ties Arizona hosts a panel of experts for "Preparing for the Global Workforce in a Post-Pandemic World"

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Maia Otarashvili, Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, for "Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Continued Diplomatic Standoff and Looming Invasion"

Thursday 2/10

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian human rights activist and politician, for "Russian Dissident: Poisoned Twice and Still Fighting for Russia"

World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Amb. (Ret.) Harry Thomas Jr., former Director of the Foreign Service and Director for HR at U.S. Department of State, for "Reflecting America in the Foreign Service"

Global Minnesota hosts Marvin Kalb, author and former NBC and CBS correspondent, for "Assignment Russia: Becoming a Foreign Correspondent in the Crucible of the Cold War"

Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Yaya Fanusie, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, for "Growing Influence of Cryptocurrency" (In Person)

Global Ties Arizona presents "Dining for Diplomacy featuring France"



World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Jay Bryson, Managing Director and Chief Economist at Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Bank, for "Global Economic Outlook"

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts Hon. Nick Greiner, Consul General of Australia in New York, for "Diplochat: A Conversation on U.S.-Australia Relations"

World Affairs Council of Rhode Island hosts Richard Lobban, Professor at Rhode Island College, for "The Context and Importance of the Rhode Island Battalion, 1775-1783"


World Affairs Council of South Texas hosts Michael Miklaucic, Senior Fellow at the National Defense University, for "War We Are In Now" (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Amy Zegart, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, for "Spies, Lies, and Algorithms"

Friday 2/11

World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky presents "British Arrows"