October 19, 2020
WACA Weekly
The WACA 2020 National Conference Website is LIVE! New Conference Speakers; WACA Welcomes Laura Duncan to the HQ Office; Star Speakers at Councils This Week; AWQ 2020-2021 Topics and Information + Council Highlights!
WACA 2020 National Conference: November 16-20
New Frontiers in Diplomacy and National Security
Check out the website and register!
Registration is now open for WACA's annual National Conference on November 16-20. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 National Conference: New Frontiers in Diplomacy and National Security will be held virtually. We will present more than 20 livestream sessions.

Everyone may take advantage of the Early Bird discount of $125 per ticket through October 30. (Our student rate is $25.)
New! WACA 2020 'Council of the Year' Programs & Awards
Dr. Harvey Charles
Univ. of Albany, SUNY
Columbus CWA
Michelle Nunn
CARE, USA
WAC Atlanta
Julie McCarthy
NPR
Santa Fe CIR
Think Tank Briefing: Quincy Institute
Prospects for Ending America's Endless Wars
November 17 at 2:00-3:00 PM ET
GREAT DECISIONS Fireside Chat
A Global Economy in Turmoil
November 18 at 7:45-8:30 PM ET
WACA Welcomes Laura Duncan to the HQ Team
WACA is excited to have Laura Duncan join the national office on a short-term communications and marketing assignment through early December. Laura recently relocated to Atlanta after having worked 3 years at WAC Kentucky and Southern Indiana. She will be responsible for all WACA newsletters, conference website, WACA main website, and other communications. We are delighted to have Laura as part of our team!
Star Speakers This Week
Amb. (Ret.) Wendy R. Sherman
Director, Center for Public Leadership, HKS
Amb. (Ret.) Kurt Volker
Senior International Advisor,
BGR Group
Ravi Kumar
President,
Infosys
Stéphane Dujarric
Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Ambassador Asad Khan Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S.
Robin Fields
Managing Editor, ProPublica
WACA Engage America: Wunderbar Together at WAC New Hampshire
World Affairs Council of New Hampshire presents Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, Executive Director of the Belfer Center’s Future of Diplomacy Project, for “Tested Ties: The German-American Relationship at a Crossroads” on Tuesday, October 20, at 6:00 PM ET.
WACA Engage America: Future of Korea at Montana WAC
Montana World Affairs Council hosts Hyung-jong Lee, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle, for "Focus on South Korea" on Wednesday, October 21, at 10:15 AM MT.
Academic WorldQuest 2020-2021 Topics and Important Information
  1. Global Protests
  2. Shifting Sands: The Arab Spring 10 Years On
  3. International Labour Organization (ILO)
  4. The U.S. Foreign Service in the 21st Century
  5. Great Decisions
  6. Country in Focus: Uzbekistan
  7. Exploring Peace in a World of Conflict
  8. Fraying Alliances
  9. Looking to a Post-Pandemic Economy
  10. Current Events

The Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2020-2021 Academic WorldQuest National Competition is scheduled to be held in Washington, DC on April 16-17, 2021 at the United States Institute of Peace.

Hotel Block
WACA has arranged a group hotel block at The Westin DC City Center (1400 M St. NW, Washington, DC). See the reservation link here to book your discounted room(s). The hotel block deadline is Monday, March 29, 2021.

Event Details
The national competition is attended by 200-250 of the nation's most promising high school students each year, along with their parents, teachers, and chaperones. The 4-hour AWQ competition is a unique opportunity for students to visit the nation's capital, perhaps for the first time. A weekend of substantive programming is included to enhance the experience.

Pledge a Team Now
To confirm your Council's participation in the 2020-2021 AWQ season, please fill out and submit this Pledge Form by November 30, 2020. Stay tuned for the official AWQ 2020-2021 Study Guide!

Start a Local Academic WorldQuest Program This Season!

WACA encourages all Councils to host a local Academic WorldQuest program for high school students in your area. Please read WACA's 2021 Operations Paper to learn more about launching an AWQ competition. Additionally, please use these materials to promote the AWQ program to teachers, students, and sponsors for the 2020-2021 AWQ season: Teacher's Guide and AWQ Flyer. There is no minimum or maximum number of teams that are required for local AWQ competitions, and WACA encourages Councils to engage as many regional high schools as possible.
TAKE THE SURVEY: Conversations With the C-Suite
Thank you to all who joined us to help make the Sept. 28-Oct. 2 Conversations With the C-Suite: Powering Global Recovery and Change a big success! More than 15 CEOs from around the world engaged in informative and provocative discussions on topics such as aviation, banking, healthcare, technology, work and talent, leadership, and innovation.
Please fill out this short survey to tell us your comments and ideas about the content of the C-Suite Forum. We ask that you take 5-10 minutes to submit the survey by Sunday, October 25
Monday 10/19 
 
Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall presented “A Fireside Chat With Guy Raz, hosted by Hon. Maria Contreras-Sweet.” 
 
Tuesday 10/20 

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Ambassador (ret.) Wendy Sherman, Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, to discuss her book “Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power & Persistence.” 

Colorado Springs World Affairs Council hosts Ambassador (ret.) Kurt Volker, Senior International Advisor at BGR Group, for “Building the Post-Election, Post-COVID World.” 

World Affairs Council of Jacksonville hosts Henry Curr, Economics Editor at The Economist, for “An Update from The Economist.” 

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Ron Brownstein, Senior Editor at The Atlantic and Senior Analyst at CNN, and Professor Dan Schnur, University of California, Berkeley, for “Who Will Decide the Presidential Election? The Key Voting Groups of 2020.” 
 
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Professor Claire Potter, The New School for Social Research, and Rachael Myrow, Senior Editor of the Silicon Valley News Desk at KQED, for “Is Media Breaking Our Democracy?” 
 
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Professor James Russell, Naval Postgraduate School, for “Strategic Fog: U.S. Military Operations in the 21st Century.” 
 
World Affairs Council Inland Southern California hosts Professor Graeme Auton, University of Redlands, for “North Korea in the Next Administration’s Foreign Policy.” 
 
World Affairs Council Orange County hosts a panel of experts for “Complying With U.S. Export Controls.” 
 
Colorado Foothills World Affairs Council hosts Dave Rank, Senior Advisor at the Cohen Group, for “U.S.-China Relations: Beyond the 2020 Elections.”  
 
World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Chris Carr, Attorney General of Georgia, for “The Push to End Human Trafficking.” 
 
International Relations Council hosts Suzanne DiMaggio, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Professor Cooper Drury, University of Missouri, for “Iran, North Korea, & Nuclear Proliferation.” 
 
Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy hosts Scott Worden, Director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs at United States Institute of Peace, for “Pursuing Sustainable and Inclusive Peace in Afghanistan.” 
 
Wednesday 10/21 
 
World Affairs Council Connecticut hosts Ravi Kumar, President of Infosys, for “The Future of Work.” 

Global Minnesota hosts Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, for “The UN Celebrates 75 – What Does the Future Hold?” 

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Anja Manuel, Co-founder and Partner at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, and Professor Alex Wang, University of California, Los Angeles, for “How to Win the Tech Race With China.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to the U.S., for “Ambassador of India to the U.S.” 
 
WorldOregon hosts Amaryllis Fox, former CIA officer, to discuss her book “Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA.” 
 
Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts a panel of experts for “Global News Review.”  
 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts author Laila Lalami, Pulitzer Prize finalist, to discuss her book “Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts General H. R. McMaster, former U.S. National Security Advisor, to discuss his book “Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World.” 
 
Thursday 10/22 
  
World Affairs Council of Rhode Island hosts Ambassador Asad Khan, Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S., for “U.S. Relations With Pakistan and the South Asia Region.” 

Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts Ambassador (ret.) Vicki Huddleston, former U.S. Ambassador to multiple African nations, for “Terrorism: The Scourge of Africa?” 
 
Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Ambassador Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States, for “Virtual Lunch With Leaders.” 

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and Professor at University of Pennsylvania, and author and journalist Ray Suarez for “Does the Perfect Healthcare System Exist?” 
 
World Affairs Council of Sonoma County hosts Joanna Zdanys, Counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, and Hazel Millard, Senior Research and Program Associate in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, for “Public Financing of Elections: A Political Empowerment Tool in the Age of Citizens United.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Mark Hogg, Founder and CEO of WaterStep, for “WaterStep: Innovative Clean Water Solutions for Disaster Relief.” 
 
Global Minnesota hosts a panel of experts for “Partnerships to End Human Trafficking.”  
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Sasha Lezhnev, Deputy Director of Policy at The Sentry, for “Inspired: Stories of Triumph and Tragedy from the Congo.” 
 
International Relations Council hosts Assistant Professor Phil Duncan, University of Kansas, for "Tlapanec." 
 
World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Dr. David Callaway, Medical Director of Emergency Management at Atrium Health CMC-Main, for "A 6-Month Update on Charlotte’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic."  
 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts William Drozdiak, Senior Advisor at McLarty Associates, to discuss his book “The Last President of Europe.”  
 
World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads hosts author Michael Auslin to discuss his book “Asia’s New Geopolitics- Essays on Reshaping the Indo-Pacific.”  
 
World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Ambassador (ret.) Richard Olson, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Institute of Peace, for “The Future of Afghanistan.” 
 
Friday 10/23 
 
Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts Ambassador (ret.) William Luers, Director of the Iran Project, for “The 40-Year Obsession With Iran.” 
 
World Affairs Council of Hilton Head hosts Matthew Kroenig, Deputy Director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, to discuss his book “The Return of Great Power Rivalry.” 
 
Saturday 10/24 
 
San Diego World Affairs Council hosts a panel of experts for “2020 Annual Meeting.” 
 
Sunday 10/25 
 
World Affairs Council of the Desert hosts journalist Robin Fields, Managing Editor at ProPublica, for “Surviving in an Age of Disinformation.” 
 
Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts author Anthony DePalma to discuss his book "The Cubans: Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times."  
 
Windham World Affairs Council hosts Ambassador (ret.) Peter Galbraith, former Assistant Secretary General to the United Nations in Afghanistan, for “U.S. National Security and the Election: What is at Stake?” 
WACA's National Speaker Database Needs You!
WACA is continuing to upgrade and expand our 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.
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!
1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 516, Washington, DC 20005