Councils: Please note that the World Affairs Councils of America 2018 membership renewal deadline is this Friday, March 16. 

Please find the renewal form here,

and contact Chelsea Beaulieu if you have any questions. 

WACA and the World Affairs Council of San Antonio have arranged a special group rate at the Hotel Valencia for the May 17-18 Council Leadership and May 19 Board Meetings.  

To take advantage of our hotel block at $169 / night (plus tax), please book your room by April 25. Reservations can be made by following this link: WACA or by calling855-596-3387 and referring to 

the World Affairs Councils of America group.

World Affairs Council of San Antonio seeks aDevelopment Director.

Cleveland Council on World Affairs is hiring a Manager of Student Education Programs.

Univ. Students/Grads: Call for Applications

Turkish Heritage Organization Summer Program 

As the Syrian civil war enters its eigth year, Turkey continues to host growing numbers of refugees. In 2016, Turkey was host to 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees. In 2017, that number grew to 3.4 million Syrian refugees. In addition, Turkey remains host to more than 350,000 Iraqi, Afghan, and Iranian asylum-seekers.
The Turkish Heritage Organization Summer Research Program in Turkey is an annual, all-expenses-paid, month-long research trip in Turkey, during which selected young researchers will participate in meetings, excursions, 

and fieldwork on a chosen subject. 

The 2018 theme is "Refugees and Asylum- Seekers in Turkey: Challenges, Opportunities, and Approaches," which will give students and recent graduates the unique opportunity to learn firsthand about refugees, humanitarian aid, and how Turkey manages the humanitarian crisis.

See details and apply by April 2!

Registration for the Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2018 Academic WorldQuest National Competition is open! The AWQ championship weekend program will be held in Washington, DC on April 27-28. Please stay tuned for updates on the competition venue. 

Local champion teams of Academic WorldQuest competitions hosted by World Affairs Councils around the country must complete the registration form in order to participate in the AWQ National Competition. Registration forms are due no later than March 23!

Register your AWQ team! 

This year's program will once again feature a welcome reception at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on Friday, April 27, at 4:00-6:00 PM.

For topics, study guide, and other information about this year's competition, please click here.

Hotel Reservations:

Thursday rooms are sold out! To take advantage of our special hotel rate of $169 / night plus tax for Friday and Saturday nights, book your room at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008). These discounted rates will expire April 5.

Thank you to our generous sponsors:

	Business roundtable at WorldOregon.

Sasakawa USA visited Portland, Oregon in the first week of March with a group of foreign policy and trade experts to conduct its The Alliance Working in America (TAWA) program. Over two days, the delegation participated in a number of events in partnership with WorldOregon and other local organizations, including the Japan America Society of Oregon, the Japanese Portland Garden, Willamette University, Portland State University, and the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Alumni Association of Portland.

The Sasakawa USA delegation included: Ambassador James Zumwalt, Sasakawa USA CEO; Dr. Satu Limaye, Director of the East-West Center in Washington; Stephanie Segal, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Simon Chair in Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Bill Clifford, President and CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America. Read the full report. 

Did you know that WACA features Council events on its new website? Council leaders and staff: log in to your member accountnow and add your events for a chance for your Council to be highlighted on our main page!

Wednesday, March 14

World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosts Joseph Braude, Senior Fellow in the Program on the Middle East at Foreign Policy Research Institute, for "Broadcasting Change: Arabic Media as a Catalyst for Change." Details

WorldBoston hosts Major General (Ret.) William Rapp, Director of the National Security Fellows Program at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for International Affairs, for "Great Decisions: U.S. Global Engagement and the Military." Details

Thursday, March 15

World Affairs Council of Charlotte hosts Nancy Lindborg, President of the United States Institute of Peace, for "Building Peace in a Dangerous World." Details

Cleveland Council on World Affairs hosts Ronald Neumann, President of the American Academy of Diplomacy, for "The New Afghanistan Policy: How New and What's It Worth?" Details

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts a panel of experts for "Exploring the Influence of Classical Languages on the Modern World."Details

World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh hosts a panel of experts for a film screening and a panel discussion of Salam Neighbor. Details

World Affairs Council of Rhode Island hosts a panel of experts for "2018 Middle East Forum." Details

World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Jurgen Salay, EU Fellow at the Center for West European Studies and the European Union Center at the University of Washington, for "Taking Action on Climate - Responses, Challenges, and Opportunities." Details

Columbia World Affairs Council hosts Adrien Ratsimbaharison, Professor of Political Science at Benedict College, to discuss his book,The Political Crisis of March 2009 in Madagascar: A Case Study of Conflict and Conflict Meditation. Details

International Affairs Forum (Traverse City) hosts Sara Curran, Professor of International Studies and Sociology at the University of Washington, for "Rohingya Refugees: A Crisis Long in the Making." Details

Olympia World Affairs Council hosts Steve Niva, Associate Professor of Global Politics at Evergreen State College, for "The Refugee Crisis and the Re-Bordering of Europe." Details

World Affairs Council Upstate hosts Buket Oztas, Professor of Government at Franklin and Marshall College, for "The United States and the Middle East." Details

Worcester World Affairs Council hosts Amir Idris, Professor of African History and Politics at Fordham University, for "Rethinking South Sudan's Civil War: History, Identity, and Citizenship." Details

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Steve Coll, Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, to discuss his book, Directorate S: The CIA and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Details

Friday, March 16

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