January 11, 2021
Liz Brailsford Announced as WAC Dallas/Fort Worth New President & CEO; Tomorrow WACA Presents Egypt's Amb. Zahran; Gift Matching Ends This Friday; Star Speakers; and more!
Liz Brailsford Announced as WACDFW President & CEO
Today, the World Affairs Council of Dallas-Forth Worth announced that Liz Brailsford will become its next president and chief executive officer. She will assume the post on February 15 (see the press release).
 
For WACA, as you can imagine, the news is bittersweet: Liz for nearly three years has served the national office with energy and excellence as our chief operating officer. Since joining WACA in March 2018, Liz has led many projects: launching a new website, creating a national speaker database, and beefing up our online member resources. She has been essential to managing the successful delivery of the annual WACA National Conference and the annual Carlos and Malú  Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition. Cohort after cohort of our diverse, talent-rich intern program would not have produced the outcomes and services we’ve sought from interns had it not been for her leadership and mentoring.
 
The really good news is that Liz’s wise contributions to strengthening cohesion and collaboration among the network’s 90 member Councils will no doubt continue at WAC Dallas-Fort Worth. Liz will succeed Jim Falk, who himself earned a reputation for supporting the Council network in many ways and who received the WACA 2019 Council of the Year Award for the organization’s consistently high standard of programming, educational initiatives, and community impact.
 
Please join me in congratulating Liz on taking on this exciting professional challenge and let’s wish her the best in leading WAC Dallas-Fort Worth. We look forward to working with Liz and her team as they continue to provide a sterling example to WACA and Councils of what we all can aspire to and accomplish.
 
Warm regards,
Bill Clifford
President and CEO
Tomorrow: WACA Presents Egypt's Amb. Zahran
Egypt's Role in Stabilizing a Middle East in Turmoil
Tuesday, January 12 at 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
The World Affairs Councils of America is pleased to present Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the U.S., for Embassy Row Live! This is Ambassador Zahran's first public forum since arriving at the Egyptian Embassy last summer. Join this Jan. 12 webinar at 2:00 PM ET for a discussion with him about Egypt's contemporary challenges and historical issues that resonate today.

What is the 10-year legacy of the Arab Spring uprisings - in Egypt and across the region - that captured global attention in January 2011? With several US policymakers at the time returning in the Biden administration, what's next for Egypt-U.S. relations? What are Cairo's priorities in the region vis-a-vis Iran, Turkey, and other powers? As the first Arab state to recognize Israel more than 40 years ago, what role has Egypt played in the recent diplomatic ties established between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Morocco? Other topics include counterterrorism, the recent lifting of the GCC blockade on Qatar, and conflict with Ethiopia over Africa's largest dam, will make for a rich conversation. 
Gift Matching Ends Friday, January 15!
On December 17, we announced that WACA Chairman Glenn Creamer and Board Director Carlos Alvarez will match your donations dollar for dollar, up to $50,000. We have reached 80% of our goal. Please help us to secure the final $10,000 before our fundraising campaign ends this Friday, Jan. 15.

As WACA President, I will contribute $5,000 myself and ask you to consider making a donation of any amount. Your gift will strengthen the reach, depth, and educational value of World Affairs Council programs and activities – and foster the fact-based, civil discourse that is the lifeblood of our democracy. Your gift will enable WACA to pursue its core mission together with our 90 nonpartisan member Councils by convening diverse voices and expanding engagement in world affairs in 2021. Please support the WACA community and double the impact of your contribution.

Thank you for your generosity and for believing in the importance of our work!
- Bill
Star Speakers This Week
Ambassador Karen Pierce
British Ambassador to the U.S.
R. Fontaine and R. Work
CNAS
Ambassador (ret.) William Itoh
Frmr. U.S. Amb. to Thailand
Steve Clemons
Editor-at-Large, The Hill
Congresswoman Barbara Lee
U.S. Representative (CA-13)
Sarah Aarons
Alaska Native, Earth Scientist
AWQ 2020-2021 News
It is confirmed the 2021 Academic WorldQuest National Competition in Washington, DC will be held virtually. Additional announcements will be forthcoming.

The Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2020-2021 Academic WorldQuest National Competition is scheduled to be held virtually on April 16-17, 2021.

AWQ Administrators: the AWQ local competition questions packet will be sent to you TODAY!

2021 New Guideline!
Due to the AWQ National Competition being virtual in 2021 and endeavoring to be as inclusive as possible, each Council may bring up to three teams to the National Competition - whether you have a local competition or not. Even if your Council joins another Council's competition remotely, each Council may bring up to three teams to WACA's virtual National Competition in April. We look forward to your participation! If you have questions about this, please email Laura Duncan at lduncan@worldaffairscouncils.org.

AWQ Brainstorming Meeting Webinar Recording

Official Study Guide
WACA provides a list of sources for each AWQ topic category in the official AWQ Study Guide (updated). All local competition and National Competition questions will be drawn from these sources, with the exception of Current Events.

Please see the 2020 AWQ Ops Paper, Teachers Guide, and Flyer for useful information.
WACA Engage America: Future of Korea 2021
The Korean-U.S. Alliance

Thurs., Jan. 14 at 12:00 PM ET

Jennifer Brannan, Desk Officer in the Office of Korean Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Sung-hoon Park, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S. 
Mark Tokola, Vice President, Korea Economic Institute of America
International Day of Education Symposium
Monday, January 25, 2021, at 10:00 AM ET
As COVID-19 continues across the globe, school closures are impacting more than 91% of students worldwide. Join a free virtual symposium to mark International Day of Education 2021 as local and international experts discuss inclusive, quality education post-COVID.
WACA is a program partner for this Global Minnesota event.
Bill Gates: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall and Writers Bloc are proud to present Bill Gates on Friday, February 19, 2021. WACA is a program partner for this LAWACTH event.
In this urgent, authoritative book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe.
Your ticket purchase includes a hardcover copy of "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster."
Colorado Springs WAC is Hiring!
Do you want to join Colorado Spring WAC's mission for education and engagement on world affairs? Colorado Springs World Affairs Council is seeking a part-time Membership and Program Coordinator to join their team! Learn more here.
Monday 1/11 
 
Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall hosts Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, for “A Conversation with His Excellency Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa." 

Naples Council on World Affairs hosts Michael E. O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, for “The Art of War in an Age of Peace: A New U.S. Grand Strategy of Resolute Restraint.” 
 
Tuesday 1/12 
 
World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Ambassador Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the U.S., for “Britain & Biden’s Shared Goals.” 
 
Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council hosts David Abramson, Bureau of Research & Intelligence, U.S. State Department, for “Prospects for a Russia-China Alliance: Moscow’s Calculus.” 
 
World Affairs Council Upstate hosts Kyle Anderson, Senior Director for the Office of Global Engagement at Clemson University, and David Esch, Consultant for Design Thinkers Group USA, for “Who Is Watching America and What Do They See? An America and the World Conversation.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Hilton Head hosts Jonathan Haupt, Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, for “Pat Conroy's Legacy as Teacher.” 
 
Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall hosts a panel of experts for “Business Strategies for Thriving Amid Global Volatility.” 
 
Wednesday 1/13 
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Robert Work, and Distinguished Senior Fellow for Defense and National Security at the Center for a New American Security, and Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, for “Defense Priorities Under Biden.” 
 
Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs hosts Mead Treadwell, Former Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, for “The Battle for the Arctic.” 

World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Claudia Rivera, Director of Educational Services at Chiminike Children´s Museum, for “Impacts on Education in Honduras.” 
 
WorldBoston hosts Dr. Nicholas Christakis, social scientist and physician at Yale University, for “Chat & Chowder with Dr. Nicholas Christakis | Apollo's Arrow.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Adam Jentleson, Public Affairs Director, Democracy Forward, for “Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Nicholas Eftimiades, Assistant Professor of Homeland Security at Penn State University, for “China’s Economic Espionage and U.S. Security with Nicholas Eftimiades.” 
 
Global Minnesota hosts Tom Hanson, former U.S. Foreign Service Officer and current Diplomat-in-Residence at the University of Minnesota Duluth, for “2021 U.S. Foreign Policy Update.” 
 
Cleveland Council on World Affairs hosts Nicolas Véron, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, for “Global Economic Outlook 2021.” 
 
Thursday 1/14 
 
Colorado Springs World Affairs Council hosts Steve Clemons, Editor at Large of The Hill, for “America & the World in a New Administration.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Albuquerque hosts Ambassador (ret.) William Itoh, former U.S. Ambassador to Thailand and current professor of the practice at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, for “Asia in 2021: Living Dangerously.”
 
World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Jennifer Brannan, Desk Officer in the Office of Korean Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Sung-hoon Park, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S., and Mark Tokola, Vice President, Korea Economic Institute of America "The Korean-U.S. Alliance."

World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts Rebecca Lissner, Assistant Professor at the U.S. Naval War College, for “An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order.” 
 
Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts Valerie Plame, writer, spy novelist, and former CIA officer, and Joseph Wippl, former CIA officer, for “U.S. Intelligence After Trump.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Thomas Wright, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe, and Ellen Laipson, Director of the International Security program at George Mason University, for “Biden’s Priority List: U.S. Foreign Policy and the New Administration.” 
 
Columbia World Affairs Council hosts Brett Bruen, President of the Global Situation Room, for “Joe Biden & the Post-American Era.” 
 
San Diego World Affairs Council hosts Dan Blumenthal, Director of Asian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, for “The China Nightmare: The Grand Ambitions of a Decaying State.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Forth Worth hosts Abby Rapoport, publisher of Stranger’s Guide, for “Global Forum: Armchair Travel.” 
 
International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Armen Babajanian, Executive Director at World Affairs Council of San Antonio, for “Lexicon: Armenian.” 
 
Foreign Policy Association hosts a panel of experts for “Film Screening: Medicating Normal.“ 
 
Global Minnesota hosts a panel of experts for “The Future of International Information: American and Russian Approaches.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts “Community Conversation: Police Violence and How We Can Create Change.” 
 
Friday 1/15 

World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay hosts Kent Glenzer, Associate Professor at Middlebury Institute of International Studies, for “The Role of International Organizations in a Global Pandemic.” 

Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall hosts Congresswoman Barbara Lee, U.S. House of Representatives (CA-13), for “Conversation with U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee.“ 

Alaska World Affairs Council and Juneau World Affairs Council host Sarah Aarons, an Alaska Native (Iñupiaq) Earth Scientist, for “Alaska Native Perspectives of an Evolving Arctic Environment.” 

WorldOregon hosts David Shinn, Adjunct Professor at George Washington University, for “Great Decisions 2021: China's Role in Africa.” 

Saturday 1/16 

World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads hosts “Great Decisions 2021.” 

Sunday 1/17 

Windham World Affairs Council hosts a panel of experts for “The Intersectionality of Gender-Based Violence.” 

Gift Matching Ends Friday, January 15, 2021