July 27, 2020
WACA Weekly
WACA's Clifford and MWAC's Hyslop on Journalism Webinar; Travel Thursdays on Facebook Live; Star Speakers on Council Webinars; August Cover to Cover on Hiroshima; Council of the Month; WAC Monterey Bay's Essay Contest Winners; WACA's Fall 2020 Internship; + more Council Highlights!
Tomorrow! WACA's Clifford and MWAC's Hyslop on Journalism Webinar
Bill Clifford, WACA President and CEO, and Chris Hyslop, Executive Director of the Montana World Affairs Council, will join the International Community of the Society of Professional Journalists on Tuesday, July 28, at 6:00 PM ET. Clifford and Hyslop will discuss the 100-year history of the World Affairs Council Network connecting foreign and local affairs in more than 90 cities across the U.S. They will address the important role of how Councils bring international issues to local audiences without ever leaving their hometowns. Register here.

Clifford and Hyslop will also cover how trade disputes and agreements show how international cooperation reaches into every aspect of society no matter what country you are in. The pandemic has shown the world is connected, and (much like the Council Network) local journalists can highlight international stories impacting their community and regional matters that impact the global community.
Announcing Travel Thursdays on Facebook Live - Starts July 30
On Thursday, July 30 at 5:00 PM ET, the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg and the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia will be launching a monthly series called Travel Thursdays during which, a travel topic or destination will be featured. 

First up on July 30, join Dr. Joyce Davis, President and CEO of WAC of Harrisburg; Bill Clifford, President and CEO of WACA; and Shoshana Altrichter, Vice President of Travel at WAC of Philadelphia, as they share their stories and adventures of World Affairs Council tours.
 
Be sure to like the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg on Facebook so you don’t miss this event!
Star Speakers This Week on Councils' Virtual Programming
Senator Tim Scott
U.S. Senator
R-SC
Admiral (ret.) William Owens
Exec. Chairman, Red Bison Advisory Grp., Tennessee WAC and IRC (KC) - Tues., July 28
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel
Vice Provost, Global Initiatives
Secretary Brad Raffensperger
Secretary of State
Georgia
Gen. (ret.) Walter Gaskin, fmr. Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Command, and RADM (ret.) Janice Hamby, Chair of Classified Bus. Oversight
Cubic Corporation
H.E. Dirk Wouters
Amb. of Belgium to the U.S.
*Scroll down to the Council Highlights section to view all programs from Councils this week!
WACA's Cover to Cover With Lesly Blume on Hiroshima - August 6
Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call Thurs., Aug. 6, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET , featuring Lesley Blume, award-winning journalist, historian, and NYT bestselling author. Blume will discuss her new book Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-Up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World.

Just days after the U.S. decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear bombs, the Japanese surrendered unconditionally. But even before the surrender, the U.S. government and military had begun a secret propaganda and information suppression campaign to hide the devastating nature of these experimental weapons. The cover-up intensified as Occupation forces closed the atomic cities to Allied reporters, preventing leaks about the horrific long-term effects of radiation which would kill thousands during the months after the blast. For nearly a year the cover-up worked - until New Yorker journalist John Hersey got into Hiroshima and managed to report the truth to the world. Released on the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, Fallout is an engrossing detective story, as well as an important piece of hidden history that shows how one heroic scoop can save the world.
“Programs change. The mission persists" has become something of a mantra at WorldBoston, powering the redesign of the Council's work in this new, virtual world.
Days after the shutdown, WorldBoston’s Global Engagement program began to pivot with a WACA KNOW NOW conference call with Dr. Jonathan Quick on COVID-19. The Council transitioned its regular series, Great Decisions and Chat & Chowder, and special events to Zoom webinars with its steadfast partner WGBH Forum Network. WorldBoston featured exceptional speakers including Rachel Kyte, Dean of The Fletcher School on climate change; Adil Najam, Dean of Boston University's Pardee School on the India and Pakistan relationship, Meghan O’Sullivan of Harvard’s Kennedy School on the timely topic, “The Other Crisis: Oil Markets During Coronavirus” as part of the CxC Ideas Summit. Citizen Diplomacy programming has also gone virtual at WorldBoston with the creation of an original series of popular webinars, International Exchange in a Time of Isolation; featuring live conversation with participants of various programs from their homes around the world.

All this virtual activity has inspired a refresh of our YouTube channel that now features curated lists of all WorldBoston virtual events. According to Council staff, "We have a lot to learn. How will ongoing engagement with members work? How can we take advantage of new opportunities for international participation?" Stay tuned as WorldBoston continues to invest in expertise and technology to deliver its essential mission in new ways.

Check out WACA's Newsroom to see previous highlights from one of our other two Councils of the Month - WAC Orange County and WAC Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky.
Orange County
WAC Monterey Bay's 2020 Teen Global Studies Essay Contest Winners
The World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay hosted its inaugural Teen Global Studies Essay Contest this past March. The contest was open to students from 18 private, public, charter, and community day schools around the Monterey peninsula. Participants wrote a 350-400 word essay addressing the following topic: If you could change something in current world affairs, what would it be? Why should it be changed and how would you change it? Each of the winners listed below received an award of $150. Listen and/or read the essays now!

WAC Pittsburgh's Emerging Global Leaders Seminar COVID-19 x Series
The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh presents The Emerging Global Leaders Seminar, a free 5-part virtual series designed and facilitated by high school students to create a space for young people to understand and think critically about the pandemic’s impact on their world and the various issues, intersections, and perspectives within it.

Through the series students will connect with peers and experts, strengthen their understanding of the overarching global impacts of the pandemic and how these issues shape the world around them, and learn how to take meaningful and informed action as youth to build our world back better. This program is free and open to all high school students! Register here.

  • Wednesday, July 29, at 3:00 PM ET: COVID-19 x Education

This event is part of a series of new virtual events framed around the Building Back Better agenda.This international agenda was created to have a holistic approach to post-disasters recovery. It encourages communities to evaluate and rethink our society and, instead of rebuilding things the way they were before, to rebuild our systems to be a more just, equitable, and resilient than before.
WACA's Fall 2020 Internship Opportunity!
WACA is seeking bright and enthusiastic university students to  intern during our 2020 Fall Term. The candidate should be a voracious newsreader, possess a keen interest in foreign affairs, respond positively to constructive criticism, and have a desire to find creative solutions to complex challenges.

Deadline to apply is  Friday, August 7. Please submit a resume and cover letter to WACA Communications and Marketing Associate Rachel Pastor at rpastor@worldaffairscouncils.org. See details and apply here.
***Please note: Due to COVID-19, this internship will be remote. WACA is monitoring the situation and reserves the right to convert this internship to in-person if possible.
Host a KNOW NOW Conference Call in 2020!
WACA's KNOW NOW conference call series features global thought leaders, as well as local authorities in government, business, academia, and cultural fields. We invite Councils to submit KNOW NOW speaker suggestions and moderate these calls!  If a Council leader moderates a KNOW NOW call in 2020, their Council will receive a $100 rebate back on Council Dues. *Please note that this rebate offer only applies to Councils who are current on their 2020 Dues.

View our KNOW NOW conference call podcast archives here!
Monday 7/27 

WorldBoston hosts Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, for “ The World: A Brief Introduction.”
Tuesday 7/28 

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall and World Affairs Council of Orange County host Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) for “ A Conversation With U.S. Senator Tim Scott.”

Tennessee World Affairs Council and International Relations Council (Kansas City) host Admiral (ret.) William Owens, Executive Chairman of Red Bison Advisory Group, to discuss his book, U.S.-China 2039: The Endgame?: Building Trust Over Future Decades.

Upstate International hosts Ambassador (ret.) Robert Blake, Senior Director at McLarty Associates, for “ International Supply Chain Updates.”

World Affairs Council of South Texas hosts Barbara Canales, Nueces County Judge, for a webinar event.

Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts Professor Susan Haynes, Lipscomb University, and Ambassador (ret.) Cindy Courville, former U.S. Ambassador to the African Union, for “ Global News Review.”

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Andrew Coleman, photographer for National Geographic, for “ Behind the Lens.”

International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Kevin Willmott, Co-Author of Da 5 Bloods, for “ Da 5 Bloods.”

WorldBoston hosts a panel of experts for “ Innovation Ecosystems: Disrupting the Education Space.”
Wednesday 7/29 

World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts The Hon. Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State, for “ Georgia Elections.”

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and World Affairs Council of Orange County host Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, for “ Which Country Has the World's Best Health Care?"

World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts Ambassador (ret.) Huang Ping, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, for “ A Conversation With Ambassador Huang Ping.”

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts William Hite, Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District, for “ Will 2020 Be the Year We Rethink Education Policy?”

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts Joel Hellman, Dean of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, for “ Inspiring the Next Foreign Service Generation.”

World Affairs Council of Maine hosts Julie Nye, Senior Consultant at MetLife, for “ Great Decisions #6: U.S. Relations With the Northern Triangle.”

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Lawrence Cohen, former U.S. Diplomat, for “ The State of the State Department.”


World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts a panel of experts for “ Factoraje Para el Transporte, Logística y Proyectos Internacionales.”
Thursday 7/30 

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts H.E. Dirk Wouters, Ambassador of Belgium to the U.S., for “ Belgium, Europe, and the United States During COVID-19."

Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts General (ret.) Walter Gaskin, former Deputy Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, and Rear Admiral (ret.) Janice Hamby, Chair of the Classified Business Oversight Committee at Cubic Corporation, for “ A Perilous New World Amid Divisions at Home: The U.S. Military Confronts the Future.”

World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts David Firestein, Inaugural President and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, for “ The Complexity of the U.S.-China Relations.”

Colorado Foothills World Affairs Council hosts Robert Muggah, Co-Founder of the Igarapé Institute, and Andrés Schipani, Brazil Correspondent for the Financial Times of London, for “ Brazil Today and in the Future.”

World Affairs Council of Sonoma County hosts Lisa Frydman, Vice President for International Programs at Kids in Need of Defense, for “ The Central American Child Migration Crisis: A Test of Our Legal and Moral Obligations.”

World Affairs Council of Jacksonville hosts Ambassador (ret.) Marilyn McAfee, member of the University of North Florida Foundation Board, for “ The U.S. and China: Competition, Cooperation, or Confrontation?”

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Professor Dan Schnur, University of Southern California, for “ Politics in the Time of Coronavirus.”

World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay hosts Associate Professor Philipp Bleek, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, for “ Helping People Help Themselves: How Prepared Were Governments to Meet COVID-19 Related Expectations of Their Constituents?”

WorldDenver hosts Scott Smith, Diplomat in Residence for the Rocky Mountain Region, for “ Virtual Fireside Chat.”

Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts a panel of experts for “ Great Decisions: Climate Change.”

Friday 7/31 

Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts author Neill McKee to discuss his book, Finding Myself in Borneo.
The World Affairs Councils of America is an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to engaging the public and leading global voices to better understand the world, America’s international role, and the policy choices that impact our daily lives and our future.

Your generous contributions will strengthen our capacity to support the World Affairs Council Network through educational and civic initiatives - any amount helps.

Your donation goes to:

  • Academic WorldQuest Endowment
  • Our flagship youth education program. We are 23% away from achieving our $1M goal!
  • New Horizons Councils Fund
  • Any monies donated to this fund are set aside only for World Affairs Councils' use
  • New Horizons General Operations
  • Help support WACA carry out its educational mission with initiatives such as the National Conference, Cover to Cover and KNOW NOW monthly conference calls, the Engage America Speaker Series, and general office operations

You can give in one of several ways:

  • Pay with your credit card via the donation buttons at the bottom of this page
  • Mail a check to the WACA National Office (1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 516, Washington, DC 20005)
  • Make a gift of appreciated stock
  • Request a distribution from your Donor Advised Fund
  • Check with your employer to see if they will match your gift!

With the passing of the CARES Act, most individual taxpayers will become eligible for significant tax benefits for charitable contributions made this year. Two of these benefits will be:

  • A $300 Above-the-Line Charitable deduction, meaning that individuals who do not itemize their deductions will be eligible to claim up to $300 of charitable deductions in 2020, on top of the standard deduction
  • Modified Limitations on Cash Charitable Contributions - for 2020, the 60% AGI limitation on cash contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations, such as WACA, is suspended

Click on the categories below to make a donation and view more information about the benefits of your contribution. We thank you for your support!
Access Council Virtual Programming via WACA's Members-Only Portal
WACA is busy preparing a number of additional resources for the Members-Only section! WACA strives to provide Councils with easy access to tools, guidelines, events, and more that add value to our Members both personally and professionally, to our Councils' overall operations, and to the Network as a whole. This is a top priority for the National Office, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. That is why we've added two resource sections dedicated to COVID-19 related information and digital programming available to the public by Councils.

The goal is to make the Members-Only section a one-stop shop for all Council needs. However, these sections are only as good as the information contained within, so we are calling on all Councils to please submit any documentation per the categories below, or any other information helpful to the Network.

The Members-Only section is a private benefit for our Council Members. Please contact Rachel Pastor at rpastor@worldaffairscouncils.org for login details and account creation.
COVID-19 Updates & Tracker

Health & Wellness

Educator Resources
  • Ohio Council for the Social Studies Resource Document -- Bill Hilt, President/CEO, WAC Northwest Ohio
  • To help alleviate some of concerns with distance learning and explaining the current health crisis, the list is a compilation of K-12 Social Studies lessons, activities, and resources. It also has guidelines for explaining COVID-19 to young people.
  • Zoom CEO announcement of free platforms for K-12 schools

WACA Updates: Messages from President and CEO Bill Clifford

*To view Council Member Resources on the WACA website, you must be a Council leader, staff, or board member and have an account

Please contact Rachel Pastor at rpastor@worldaffairscouncils.org if you don't have an account.
WACA's National Speaker Database Needs You!
We have recently debuted WACA's Speaker Database 2.0. In this new iteration, we have expanded our list of speakers and made it easier than ever for you, as Council staff and board members, to engage with it. We want your speakers! Please submit your speakers through the " Submit Your Speakers" button on our website.

You need to have an account through our website in order to view and interact with the database and submit your speakers. To check if you have an account, please visit your Council Member page on the WACA website and see if you are listed as a staff or board member. If you are not, you will not be able to interact with the database yet.

If you do not have an account or are having issues accessing the website and/or the Speaker Database, please email Rachel Pastor.