Welcome: Montana WAC New Executive Director

Please join WACA in wishing a warm welcome to Janet Rose, the new Executive Director of Montana World Affairs Council. Janet has had a 30-year career in nonprofit management, specializing in international affairs, youth leadership, and wildlife conservation.

"Advancing our understanding and awareness of the international arena enriches our lives, our communities, and our understanding of the world around us. The future however, lies in the hands of youth and it is important to help them understand global affairs and the ways in which current issues impact our lives here at home," says Janet of the importance of her new role.

World Affairs Council of San Antonio Holds

International Citizen of the Year Award Dinner

On Thursday, February 22, the World Affairs Council of San Antonio will honor Joe Strauss, a small business owner and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives at its 2018 International Citizen of the Year Award Dinner.  

The keynote speaker for this distinguished dinner will be Jon Meacham, Executive Vice President and Executive Editor at Random House Publishing Group.

*Reminder to Councils:

Send your 2018 Council Dues by February 28 and we will waive fees for the May 17-18 Spring Leadership Meeting, hosted by WAC San Antonio! (WACA National Board Meeting follows on May 19.)

March Cover to Cover: Israeli National Security

National security has been at the forefront of the Israeli experience for seven decades, with threats ranging from terrorism, to vast rocket and missile arsenals, and even existential nuclear dangers. Yet, despite its overwhelming preoccupation with foreign and defense affairs, Israel does not have a formal national defense strategy.

In Israeli National Security, Chuck Freilich presents an authoritative analysis of the military, diplomatic, demographic, and societal challenges Israel faces today, to propose a comprehensive and long-term Israeli national security strategy.

Register for the call.

Join next month's Cover to Cover to discuss Chuck Freilich's new book, Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change, on Thursday, March 1, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET.

Listen to WACA Podcasts!

 Last week, WACA hosted Dr. Jonathan Quick on our February Cover to Cover conference call to discuss his new book, The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It. 

Listen to the podcast.

Call for Applications: 

SQCC Intensive Summer Language Program

The word Sabla in Omani Arabic dialect refers to places in communities where people gather to receive hospitality. Sabla also serves as a meeting place to discuss important public issues. 

The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center's Sabla Program is an intensive summer language program designed to benefit current university-level students and recent graduates. The program emphasized the instruction of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The program runs for five weeks, offering highly intensive coursework in Arabic.

Scholarships are available. Apply by May 6, 2018. See more details.

Councils and WACA Are Hiring! 

World Affairs Council of Hampshire is conducting a search for its new executive director. See the job announcement.

Global Minnesota is also hiring. See the posting for their new Corporate and Foundation Giving Officer.

WACA is seeking two Program and Outreach Interns for Summer 2018! See details and application requirements.

Wednesday, February 21

Santa Fe Council on International Relations hosts H.E. David O'Sullivan, Ambassador of the European Union to the U.S., for "Transatlantic Ties and Tensions: Outlook for EU-U.S. Relations in 2018." Details

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts H.E. Aizaz Chaudhry, Ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S., for "The Future of U.S.-Pakistan Relations." Details

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Dennis Ross, William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, for "Closing Conflicts: Prospects for Negotiations in the Middle East." Details

World Affairs Council of Rhode Island hosts Dan Stretchay, U.S. Representative of the Roundtable On Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), for "Socio-Economic Effects Of Palm Oil." Details

World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts hosts WACA Cover to Cover author Haroon Ullah, Chief Strategy Officer at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, for "How Do We Stop the Next World War? The Weaponization of Information and the Fight For Cyber Supremacy." Details

Global Minnesota hosts Ross Wilson, Distinguished Senior Fellow in the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, for "Turkey - A Partner in Crisis." Details

World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Trita Parsi, President of the Iranian American Council, and Haleh Karimi, Executive Director of Interfaith Paths to Peace, for "Can Iran Be Trusted? The Evolution of the Iran Nuclear Deal." Details

San Diego World Affairs Council hosts Emily Edmonds-Poli, Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at University of San Diego, for "Mexico's Upcoming Elections and What They Mean for the U.S." Details

World Affairs Council of South Texas hosts Peter Gross, specialist in post-Communist Europe and media studies, for "Romania's Re-emerging Role as Strategic Partner in the U.S. and European Affairs." Details

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Solomon Lausch, Executive Director of Berks Business Education Coalition, for "The Peace Corps: JFK to Today." Details

World Affairs Council of Inland Southern California hosts James Coyle, Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, for "The Power of Intervention: How Russia is Recapturing Its Empire." Details

World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts a panel of religious experts for "The Meaning of Jerusalem." Details

Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts Robert Einterz, Associate Dean for Global Health at Indiana University, for "Great Decisions: Global Health and Progress." Details

Thursday, February 22

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Philip Yun, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Ploughshares Fund, for "Escalating Tensions on the Korean Peninsula." Details

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, for "Porsche: Embracing Change." Details

Institute of World Affairs (Milwaukee) hosts Hannah Hetzer, Senior International Policy Manager at the Drug Policy Alliance, for "Winning the Opioid War: Enforcement, Treatment, and Prevention." Details

World Affairs Council of Connecticut hosts Mark Hehl, Consultant at Kairos Consulting Worldwide, for a discussion of his book, Amusing Confessions of an International Consultant. Details

World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Abbas Millani, Co-Director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution, for "Why Is Iran Protesting?" Details

World Affairs Council of Austin hosts Daniel Jaffee, Vice President of Research and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas Austin, for "How Technology, Serendipity, and the Weirdness of Nature Have Changed What We Know About the Universe." Details

Friday, February 23

WorldOregon hosts David Kohl, Statewide International Trade Liaison at the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network, for "Great Decisions: China & America - The New Geopolitical Equation." Details