Dear Colleagues, Supporters, and Friends:

Ambassadors are often featured speakers at World Affairs Councils, and the first week of October is no exception:

Former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, Steven Pifer and Marie Yovanovitch, will present at Councils in San Francisco and Hilton Head, respectively. WAC Connecticut will host Singapore's Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri. WACA's Embassy Row Live! tomorrow features Swedish Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter.

WACA plans to introduce to Council leaders many more top diplomats at the 2022 National Conference in November:

  • Invitations to more than 30 ambassadors to the U.S. have been prepared for a special reception Thursday 11/17 at Larz Anderson House, an historic mansion at the head of Embassy Row. (This also will be my swan song - I may even sing - before the diplomatic community as WACA's president). Don't miss it!

  • On Tuesday 11/15, the annual 1918 Society Members Dinner will feature a discussion on modernizing the U.S. diplomatic service by Amb. Marc Grossman (former WACA Chair), Amb. Marcie Ries, and several other retired U.S. ambassadors. These distinguished diplomats are keen to take this message to Council communities. For information about joining the 1918 Society, please contact the WACA National Office.

Stay tuned for more details about this year's WACA Conference agenda. See you in the capital!
Bill Clifford
President and CEO
WACA 2022 National Conference
Navigating A Fractured World
November 15-18
New Speakers!
New! Shannon K. O'Neil
Author
Snr. Fellow & VP of Studies, CFR
New! Robert Sutter
Professor of International Affairs
GW Elliot School
New! Jill Dougherty
Fmr. Correspondent, CNN
Global Fellow, Wilson Center
LAST CHANCE! National Conference Scholarships Extended

WACA is extending our 2022 National Conference Scholarships until Friday, October 7!
The WACA Board 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.
Joyce Connery
Chair of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Amb. Emily Haber
German Ambassador to the U.S.
Dr. Teng Biao
Human Rights Lawyer
Academic on China
Amb. Ross Wilson
Fellow at Atlantic Council,
Vet. Ambassador
Amb. Ashok Mirpuri
Amb. of Singapore to the U.S.
Marie Yovanovitch
Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
Embassy Row Live! with her excellency, Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S., has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 2 PM ET. During which we will 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.
As China pushes for an autocratic world order, WACA’s President & CEO, Bill Clifford will sit down with Susan L. Shirk, author of “Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise”, to discuss China’s current position as a global superpower and how Xi Jinping's ideologies could impact the future, on Thursday, October 20 at 2 PM ET.

Available Now! The World Affairs Councils of America's Cover to Cover webinar with David Ottaway on his book Mohammed bin Salman: The Icarus of Saudi Arabia
The World Affairs Councils of America is 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 U.S.-CA launched our partnership two years ago for Academic WorldQuest, which is continuing with last year's 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.

Through the WACA-ILO Engage America series "Human-Centered Agenda for the Future of Work" Kevin Cassidy, Director and Representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations for the International Labour Organization for the U.S. and Canada, will speak at the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire for, “From CSR to ESG: Ensuring Success for Companies and Communities” this Friday, Oct. 7 at 6:00 PM ET.
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.
IRC (Kansas City) Executive Director Matthew Hughes recently received the honor of being chosen as one of Association Forum’s 2022 Forty Under 40! The Forty Under 40 program is a prestigious competition that provides recognition to 40 accomplished association or non-profit professionals who are under than age of 40, demonstrate high potential for continued success in leadership roles and exhibit a strong passion for - and commitment to- the association management and nonprofit industries.

We congratulate Matthew Hughes, who serves on the WACA Board of Directors, for receiving this recognition.
WACA is pleased to announce the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as its October 2022 Council of the Month! Each month, WACA features one of its 93 Councils, highlighting their accomplishments and top-quality programming.

On September 27, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth welcomed dynamic duo and married couple Peter Baker and Susan Glasser to discuss their new book The Divider: Trump in the White House. As the ultimate insiders, Baker, Chief White House correspondent for the New York Times, and Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker and co-founder/editor at Politico, offered their front-row perspective on the Trump years in the White House with the Council’s audience.

The Council allowed the television network Showtime to record the program for their Emmy-nominated docuseries The Circus airs every Sunday with a new installment. WACDFW was able to obtain a link of this episode to share with the WACA network. Watch it here!
AWQ Study Guide and Pledge Form Released!

WACA is delighted to announce that the AWQ Official Study Guide and Pledge Form have been released!

Official AWQ Study Guide
WACA is excited to share the Academic WorldQuest 2022-2023 Study Guide! This guide contains essential information for Councils, teachers, and students to prepare for all AWQ high school competitions this academic year. Key logistical information, rules and regulations, and curriculum content is contained in the guide.

Councils: Pledge Your Participation Now
To confirm your Council's participation in the Academic WorldQuest 2022-2023 program, please fill out and submit this Pledge Form by November 30, 2022.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
This month, join Council leaders from across the country Thursday, October 25 at 3 PM ET as they share their expertise on creating, and managing a Model United Nations education program.

This session will feature Council leaders from Naples Council on World Affairs, and World Affairs Council of Connecticut.

Some 50 colleagues in the WACA network joined our September 29, Best Practices Webinar: AWQ. Find the recording on the WACA website's Member Resources Page.
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)! Suzanne (Traverse City, MI), Carol (Worcester, MA), Bruce (Indianapolis, IN), Darlyn (Virginia Beach, VA), David (Sarasota, FL).
New! World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana seeks a Global Education Manager.
Applications will be reviewed as received.
New! World Affairs Council of Orange County seeks a Program Manager.
Applications will be reviewed as received.
World Affairs Council of Atlanta seeks a Program Manager.
Applications will be reviewed as received.
Colorado Springs World Affairs Council seeks to hire an Executive Director. Applications will be reviewed as received.
International Institute of Buffalo seeks to hire multiple positions
Applications will be reviewed as received.
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh seeks to hire a Development Officer and a Youth Programming 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.
Monday 10/3

World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads hosts Joyce Connery, two-time Chair of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, for “The Promise and Perils of Nuclear: Risk and Rewards During a Time of Climate Change and Conflict” (In Person)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Angela Stent, Senior Advisor to the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies and Professor at Georgetown University, for “Global Motivations: Russia” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Maine hosts Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Founder & CEO of Bourse and Bazaar, for “‘What’s Next for the United States and Iran?’ A Webinar With Esfandyar Batmanghelidj of Bourse and Bazaar” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Marlene Laruelle, Director of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at George Washington University, for “Is Putin in Trouble?” (Virtual)

Cleveland Council on World Affairs presents “Cleveland LEADS: Leadership, Exchange, and Diplomacy Scholars Program” (In Person)

Tuesday 10/4

Montana World Affairs Council hosts Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the U.S., for “EconoQuest: German Ambassador to the U.S.” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Elliot Ackerman, Writer, Journalist, former White House Fellow, and Decorated Veteran, for “The Fifth’s Act: America’s End in Afghanistan” (Virtual)

Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall hosts Stedman Graham, Chairman & CEO of
(In Person)

World Affairs Council of Austin hosts Carlos Balderas, Global Supply Manager, HUB Coordinator

Global Minnesota hosts Felicity Sylvester and Hanna Schieve from the Natural History Museum in London, for “Lunch and Learn: Behind the Scenes at the UK Natural History Museum” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head presents, "2022 Fall Forum" (In Person)

Wednesday 10/5

Global Minnesota hosts a panel of experts, for “The Future of Diplomacy” (Virtual)

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Steven Pifer, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and former Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia on the National Security Council, for “Peninsula The War In Ukraine: Where Are We Now?” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Dr. Teng Biao, Co-Founder of The Open Constitution Initiative and China Against the Death Penalty, for “Human Rights, the Communist Party & the Outlook for China” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Alicia Kerber, Head of the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia, for “Women and Diplomacy” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of South Texas hosts Armida Riojas, Assistant Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, San Antonio Branch, for “Our Central Bank – The Federal Reserve” (In Person)

Thursday 10/6

World Affairs Council Connecticut hosts H.E. Ashok Mirpuri, Ambassador of Singapore to the U.S., for “Luncheon With the Ambassador” (In Person)

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa at the National Democratic Institute, for “U.S. Involvement in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Robert Litwak, Senior Vice President and Director of International Security Studies at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, for “The Nuclear Threat: Revisiting the Delicate Balance of Terror in 2022” (In Person)

Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Jules Boykoff, author of The 1936 Berlin Olympics: Race, Power, and Sportswashing, for “The Dangers of Sportswashing: Using the Game to Change Global Image” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts a panel of experts, for “U.S. Immigration Trends: Realities and Choices” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts a panel of experts, for “Cryptocurrencies and the World: A Look at Global Regulation, Security, and Sustainability” (In Person)

WorldBoston hosts Michael Mandelbaum, Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy: Weak Power, Great Power, Superpower, Hyperpower, for “Chat and Chowder with Michael Mandelbaum” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Sister Damien Marie Savino, Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College, for “Communities by Design Series: Civic Ecology and the Laudato Si Action Platform” (In Person)

World Affairs Council of Maine hosts WAC207 Vice President David Plumb, for “Virtual Coffee and Discussion: Chile’s Constitutional Referendum” (Virtual)

World Affairs Council Upstate presents “Murder Mystery Night – Fundraising Fun Night” (In Person)

Friday 10/7

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head hosts Marie L.Yovanovitch, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, for “Ukraine – Can Democracy Survive?” (In Person)

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Dr. Michael Baker, retired General and Trauma Surgeon with the U.S. Navy, and Three Legion of Merit Recipient, for “Teaching Casualty Care in Ukraine: Helping Ukrainians Defend Themselves and Their Homeland” (In Person)

Windham World Affairs Council hosts David Barton Bray, Professor in the Earth and Environment Department at Florida International University for “Mexico’s Community Forest Enterprises: Success on the Commons and the Seeds of a Good Anthropocene” (In Person)