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  • Thursday, August 17, 2017 2:35 PM | Anonymous

    Wednesday, August 16, 2017

    The World and Charlottesville; Democratic Values; Unpredictable North Korea; NAFTA Agenda; Afghanistan Troubles; India vs. China; Brexit and Borders

    Quote of the Week:

    " No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion..." 

    -- Barack Obama, quoting Nelson Mandela in response to the violence in Charlottesville, in what is now the most-liked tweet in Twitter's history.

    Charlottesville: The World Is Watching

    "How the Nazi Flags in Charlottesville Look to a German" Simon Shuster -- Time, August 14, 2017


    "In Charlottesville Aftermath, Europe Sees a Widening Divide with U.S." Sara Miller Llana -- Christian Science Monitor, August 14, 2017


    "President Trump Flunks a Moral Test" Lexington -- The Economist, August 13, 2017

    Democratic Values? The U.S. Role in World Order

    "It's Time to Found a New Republic" Daren Acemoglu and Simon Johnson -- Foreign Policy, August 15, 2017


    "The Statue of Liberty and the New Birth of Freedom" Daniel Freid -- Atlantic Council, August 10, 2017


    "The New World Order Is Leaving the U.S. Behind" James Gibney -- Bloomberg, August 11, 2017


    "Is the World Slouching Toward a Grave Systematic Crisis?" Philip Zelikow -- The Atlantic, August 11, 2017

    North Korea: An Unpredictable Adversary

    "How Worried Should We Be About Nuclear War With North Korea?" Dr. Patricia Lewis -- Chatham House, August 9, 2017


    "How to Resolve the North Korea Crisis" Henry Kissinger -- Wall Street Journal via RealClearPolitics, August 12, 2017


    "North Korea: The Non-Nuclear, Non-Missile Crisis and the Shape of Things to Come" Anthony H. Cordesman -- CSIS, August 15, 2017

    The NAFTA Agenda

    "Five Big Questions About the NAFTA Talks" Doug Palmer -- Politico, August 16, 2017


    "Canada United, America Divided on NAFTA as Negotiations Begin" Eric Grenier -- CBC News, August 16, 2017


    "Mexico Outlines Goals for Upcoming NAFTA Trade Deal Negotiations" Carrie Kahn -- NPR, August 15, 2017 [Podcast]

    Afghanistan: No Way Out?

    "America Keeps on Failing in Afghanistan" Ronald E. Neumann -- The Washington Post, August 9, 2017


    "Taliban Letter to Trump Urges U.S. to Leave Afghanistan" -- Al Jazeera, August 15, 2017


    "Mattis Mulls Plan to Privatize War in Afghanistan" Brendan McGarry -- DoD Buzz, August 15, 2017

    The India-China Divide

    "What a Standoff on a Small Himalayan Plateau Says About the Rivalry Between the Two Most Populous Nations" Shashank Bengali -- Los Angeles Times, August 14, 2017


    "Is India's Military Actually Ready for War with China?" K.S. Venkatachalam -- The Diplomat, August 10, 2017


    "Squeezed by an India-China Standoff, Bhutan Holds Its Breath" Steven Lee Meyers -- The New York Times, August 15, 2017

    Borderlines and Brexit

    "No Return to Irish Border Posts, UK Insists in Brexit Plan" Heather Stewart and Henry McDonald -- The Guardian, August 15, 2017


    "Theresa May; Ireland; the EU, and the Prospect of a Hard Irish Border" -- Independent, August 16, 2017

    For previous Weekly World News Update, please visit our website 

    The World Affairs Councils of America

    1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036

    Phone (202) 833-4557 

     Fax (202) 833-4555

    waca@worldaffairscouncils.org 

    worldaffairscouncils.org


  • Monday, August 07, 2017 11:49 AM | Anonymous

    Fall Preview - Global Business Summit @ SNHU, Portsmouth Library Series, and more!

     

     

     

    WORLD AFFAIRS DISPATCH

    August 2017 E-NEWS
    CALENDAR- DONATE - MEMBERSHIP  

     

     

     

    WACNH Advocates for Increasing International

     Diplomacy & Development in Washington

    A New Hampshire delegation, including three World Affairs Council members, attended the USGLC Summit in June. 

    The USGLC State Leaders Summit, held in June in Washington D.C., is a yearly gathering for foreign policy briefings and meetings with Members of Congress with the goal of shaping the future of American foreign policy to include America's civilian-led tools of diplomacy and development.This year, Council President Steve Solomon, Board Member George Bruno, and member Larry Welch were part of the state delegation at the Summit. 

    Ambassador Bruno and Ambassador Thomas Hull, a Council member, were also two of the163 former U.S. ambassadors who sent a letter to the U.S. House urging them to support full funding for the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.The letter is significant both for the historic number of signatures and the broad bipartisan support for educational and cultural exchanges it displays.

    “We are former United States Ambassadors to countries across the globe. While we may differ in political ideology, we write today united with one voice to ask that the Senate and House Appropriations Committees support full funding in fiscal year 2018 for the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The unprecedented 55 percent cut called for in the Administration’s full budget would jeopardize our nation’s public diplomacy efforts,” wrote the ambassadors.

    Now, more than ever, we need to stand up and speak out in support of the country's international diplomacy programs like the Council's own International Visitors Program! Thanks to everyone who took part in our most recent advocacy efforts!

    SAVE THE DATE: Global Business Summit on

     International Trade @ SNHU

    Wednesday, November 8

    Upcoming Programs - Events Calendar


     

     

     

     

    Latest news

     

     

     

     

    Global Tipping Points Returns September: 

    THINK GLOBALLY & ACT LOCALLY

    We will be hosting another season of Global Tipping Points this fall with our series partner, UNH Manchester. The theme of the series will allow us to take a look at how widespread challenges are inspiring local innovations, from a variety of different perspectives.

    The series kicks off on Tuesday, September 19 with Elmira Bayrasli, co-founder of Foreign Policy Interrupted and a lecturer at New York University.  She will speak about how hardship and marginalization may prove to be even greater "mothers of invention" in the 21st century than First World social and economic privilege. She is the author of, From the Other Side of the World: Extraordinary Entrepreneurs, Unlikely Places, which will be on sale courtesy of Gibson's Bookstore. This event is part of "Welcoming Manchester" week, a part of the Welcoming America initiative.

    The series continues on Tuesday, October 17 with Lisa Palmer, a journalist reporting on energy, climate change, the environment, and sustainable business. She has traveled the world documenting the cutting-edge innovations of the people on the front lines of fighting the food gap. She will share the story of the epic journey solve the imperfect relationship between two of our planet's greatest challenges: climate change and global hunger, as chronicled in her new book Hot, Hungry Planet, which will be on sale courtesy of Gibson's Bookstore.

    We will finish the series on Monday, November 13 with Luis Jimenez, an expert on Latin American politics. Mexico provides more than 90 percent of America’s heroin. As an addiction epidemic ravages New Hampshire, communities across the border have also paid a price as violence soars.  Professor Jimenez, Political Science Professor at the Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston, will discuss how U.S. policy in Latin America has impacted the drug trade and how both the US and Mexico can work together to combat the heroin epidemic. 

    All events will begin at 6 PM in the Multipurpose Room at UNH Manchester, (88 Commercial Street). Global Tipping Points events are free and open to the public, but advanced registration is requested.

    Travel the World: Anna Berry hosts trip to England in July 2018

    A special benefit for members of the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, international trips are arranged by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and cooperating Councils across the country. WAC Philadelphia has established connections around the globe that allow us to offer members access that they can't get when traveling alone or on other tours.

    July 20 – 28 – Town & Country Life in Cambridge, Oxford & Cotswolds 

    Featuring Blenheim Palace - Discover the true character of England’s town and country life during this extraordinary small-group itinerary featuring the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge and the charming Cotswolds. Call on Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill; visit “Downton Abbey."  Anna Berry, Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, will share her experiences living in London. 

    Board Members Honored at Annual Meeting

    This year's Annual Meeting & BBQ was held on June 12 at Southern New Hampshire University. This meeting is a time for us to reflect on the past year and to thank our board, members, and friends of the council for helping us meet our mission.

    This year, the President's Award was given to Irja Cilluffo, a board member over the past 12 years, for her service and support. One of her many contributions has been through her love of photography - you may have seen her behind her camera at one of our events! We also recognized outgoing board members Peter Schmidt, Karen Erickson, and Gail Garceau.


    WACNH says goodbye to former Executive Director

    We regret to share the passing of David L. Larson, Executive Director Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of NH. David helped to found the Council at the University of New Hampshire, where he was a professor, and went on to serve as our ED from 1966 to his retirement in 2001. 

    Larson was a graduate of Dartmouth and The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a Fulbright Program research scholar to Norway. Our thoughts are with his wife of 63 years, Lois, and his family. Click here to read more about David's life and achievements. We are forever grateful for his decades of service and leadership at the council.

      

    You're Invited: WACA National Conference

                           

    "For nearly three decades, the WACA National Conference has brought World Affairs Council leaders and members to engage with top government officials, diplomats, business executives, innovators, journalists, educators, and students on the most pressing global issues and policy choices that impact our lives." - wacacoference2017.org

    All Council Members are invited to attend this conference, to be held Thursday, November 16 & Friday, November 17 in Washington, D.C. Find out more information at the conference website and register today! 

    Keynote Speaker: Captain Florent Groberg, the first immigrant recognized with the Congressional Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War

    MISSION MOMENTS

    Thanks to Diane Foley and Amy Coyne of the James Foley Legacy Foundation for meeting with our international visitors from Cameroon last month to exchange ideas on journalism and freedom of the press! See who's coming next.


    The Council was a proud partner in presenting Saudi activist Manal Al-Sharif's appearance at The Music Hall in June, with the NH Women's Foundation.

    Community Events Calendar

    Thursday, August 10 at 2 PM

    WACA Cover to Cover call with James Kirchick: The End of Europe: Dictators, Demagogues, and the Coming Dark Age

    FREE - Register for the call!


    P.S.  All past Cover to Cover calls are now available as podcasts - Browse through and listen at your leisure!

    Saturday, August 19: 11 AM-7 PM
    WE ARE ONE African Caribbean and Latino Festival in Manchester

    Veterans Park - 889 Elm Street  Manchester, NH 03101

    The largest ethnic cultural festival in New Hampshire, connecting neighbors through food, music, dance and culture.



    Thursday, September 21 at 7 PM
    Suitcase Stories Live
    Palace Theatre -
    80 Hanover Street, Manchester NH 03101
    Tickets and info

    Join the International Institute of New England to honor the contributions of refugees and immigrants through the timeless art of live storytelling.Presented as part of Welcoming Manchester Week!  A week to bring together immigrants, refugees, and native-born residents to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone.

    -----------------------------------------------
    World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

    2500 N. River Road, Manchester 03106

    phone: 603.314.7970
    e-mail:
    council@wacnh.org

    web:
    www.wacnh.org


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  • Friday, August 04, 2017 1:25 PM | Anonymous

    Wednesday, August 2, 2017

    America First: Diplomacy Last; Deterring North Korea; Africa's Elections; Pakistan's Politics; Venezuela Crumbles; Russia Strikes Back

    Quote of the Week:

    "People are struggling with how to honor their oath. The basic question is: How do you serve this great institution [U.S. Department of State] in what is one of the most trying times for our Republic?" 

    -- Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, President of the Foreign Service Association in a New York Times article Sunday.

    America First: Diplomacy Last?

    "Tillerson Spurns $80 Million to Counter ISIS, Russian Propaganda" Nahal Toosi -- Politico, August 2, 2017


    "State Department Considers Scrubbing Democracy from its Mission" Josh Rogin -- The Washington Post, August 1, 2017


    "Morale Takes a Nosedive at State Department" Sharon Weinberger -- Foreign Policy, August 1, 2017 [Podcast]


    "Where to Go from Here: Rebooting American Foreign Policy" Richard N. Haas -- Foreign Affairs, July/August, 2017

    Deterring North Korea

    "North Korea's ICBM Test Jeopardizes the Regional Power Balance" Deniele Ermito -- Foreign Policy Association, August 2, 2017


    "The Surprise Location of North Korea's Latest Missile Test Is Making the U.S. and China Nervous" Steve Mollman -- Quartz, August 2 2017


    "Lindsey Graham Reveals the Dark Calculus of Striking North Korea" Uri Friedman -- The Atlantic, August 1, 2017


    "The Political Effects of the Missile Tests: Extended Deterrence Redux and the Squeeze on Moon Jae-in" Stephen Haggard -- Peterson Institute for International Economics, July 31, 2017

    Africa's 'Big Five' Elections

    "Election Guide: What You Need to Know About the Rwandan Presidential Poll" Thomas Stubbs -- The Conversation, July 30, 2017


    "Essential Guide to Kenya's High Stakes Election on 8 August" Murithi Mutiga -- International Crisis Group, August 1, 2017


    "Senegal's Ruling Coalition Claims Landslide Victory" Aida Grovenstins -- Deutsche Welle, August 1, 2017


    "Liberia's President Calls for Peace as Election Campaigns Begin" Jonathan Paye-Layleh-- Miami Herald, August 1, 2017


    "Why Kabila's Bid to Remain in Power is Bad News for the Democratic Republic of the Congo" Nelson Alusala -- The Conversation, August 1, 2017

    Pakistan's Political Turmoil

    "Pakistan: The Combustible Democracy" Emanuel Safraz -- The Interpreter, August 1, 2017


    "Sharif Dismissal Proves Unelected Pakistan Generals Still Calling Shots" Sadanand Dhume -- Wall Street Journal via Australian Business Review, August 1, 2017


    "Pakistan Lawmakers Elect New Prime Minister -- Who's Likely to Step Aside in 45 Days" Aoun Sahi -- Los Angeles Times, August 1, 2017

    Venezuela Continues to Crumble

    "Venezuela Nears the Road's End Between Populism and Dictatorship" Jose Mauricio Gaona -- Washington Examiner, July 29, 2017


    "How to Help Venezuela Out of Crisis - and How Not To" Jodi Hanson Bond -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce, July 31, 2017


    "Venezuela's Postcrisis Recovery and Reform" Moises Rendon -- CSIS, July 31, 2017

    Russia Fires Back

    "Russian Military Drills Near NATO Border Stoke Fears of Aggression" Michael R. Gordon and Eric Schmitt -- The Toronto Star, August 1, 2017


    "The View from Moscow on U.S.-Russia Diplomatic Tensions" Steve Inskeep -- NPR, August 1, 2017 [Podcast]


    "President Trump Silent on Russia after Putin Announced Expulsion of U.S. Diplomats" Karen DeYoung -- The Washington Post, July 31, 2017

    For previous Weekly World News Update, please visit our website 

    The World Affairs Councils of America

    1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036

    Phone (202) 833-4557 

     Fax (202) 833-4555

    waca@worldaffairscouncils.org 

    worldaffairscouncils.org


  • Wednesday, July 26, 2017 12:58 PM | Anonymous

    Wednesday, July 26, 2017

    Presidency in Peril; Another Round of Russia Sanctions; Illiberal Poland; Turkey's Authoritarianism; Cholera in Yemen; China Versus the World

    Quote of the Week:

    "Let me be very clear: I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else who did so." 

    -- Jared Kushner, in remarks to press following his private meeting with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday, July 24.

    Presidency in Peril

    "I Beg My Pardon?" Gene Healy -- CATO Institute, July 24, 2017

    "Trump and Congress Are Probably on a Collision Course over Russia" Nate Silver -- FiveThirtyEight, July 26, 2017

    "Trump and Congressional Republicans: It's Complicated" Carle Hulse -- The New York Times, July 25, 2017

    What to Do? Sanctions...Perhaps?

    "Have Sanctions Become the Swiss Army Knife of U.S. Foreign Policy?" Robert Kahn -- CFR, July 24, 2017

    "To Punish Putin, Economic Sanctions Are Unlikely to Do the Trick" Eduardo Porter -- The New York Times, July 25, 2017

    "EU Ready to Retaliate Against U.S. Sanctions on Russia" Jim Brunsden -- Financial Times, July 23, 2017

    Law and Justice in Poland

    "Duda's Veto Presents Poland with an Opportunity" Ashish Kumar Sen -- The Atlantic Council, July 24, 2017

    "Polish Leader Vetoes Justice Bills Amid EU and Public Outcry" Piotr Bujnicki; Dorota Bartyzel; Adrian Krajewski -- Bloomberg, July 24, 201

    "What Just Happened in Poland?" Dalibor Rohac -- American Enterprise Institute, July 21, 2017

    "How Poland's Government is Weakening Democracy" -- The Economist, July 25, 2017

    Turkey's Democratic Death Throes

    "Erdogan's Anti-Westernism Picks Up Speed" Henri J. Barkey -- The Atlantic, July 25, 2017

    "What a Day to Celebrate Press Freedom in Turkey" Murat Yetkin -- Hurriyet Daily News, July 24, 2017

    "Journalism Is Under Seige in Turkey as Trial Begins for 17 Defendants from Leading Newspaper" Umar Farooq -- The Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2017

    Yemen in the Time of Cholera

    "The Human Toll of Yemen's Unending War" Alexandre Faite -- Foreign Policy, July 20, 2017

    "Cholera Is Slaughtering Yemen and We're Letting it Happen" Laurie Garrett -- Fortune, July 20, 2017

    "Why Don't Internationalists Care About Yemen?" Juan Cole -- The Nation, July 25, 2017

    "Pathways for Peace and Stability in Yemen" Shoqi Maktary and Katie Smith -- Search for Common Ground, July 2017

    Pushing Boundaries: China Versus the World

    "South China Sea's Untapped Oil and Natural Gas Are Back in Focus" Steve Mollman -- Quartz, July 25, 2017

    "AP Explains: India and China Face Off in Border Standoff'" Ashok Sharma and Christopher Bodeen -- The Washington Post, July 24, 2017

    "Countering Hegemony: The U.S.-China Balance" Monish Tourangbam -- The Diplomat, July 24, 2017

    For previous Weekly World News Update, please visit our website 

    The World Affairs Councils of America

    1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036

    Phone (202) 833-4557 

     Fax (202) 833-4555

    waca@worldaffairscouncils.org 

    worldaffairscouncils.org


  • Wednesday, July 19, 2017 2:02 PM | Anonymous

    Wednesday, July 19, 2017

    Liu Xiaobo's Legacy; Defusing North Korea; Trump-Putin Bromance; Peace in Colombia; Dire Straits in Venezuela; Sudan's Strategic Significance

    Quote of the Week:

    "Enemy mentality will poison the spirit of a nation, incite cruel mortal struggles, destroy a society's tolerance and humanity, and hinder a nation's progress toward freedom and democracy.

    -- The late Lui Xiaobo, in his Nobel Lecture read in absentia by Liv Ulmann on December 10, 2010.

    'Live On Well'

    "Liu Xiaobo's Death Holds a Message for China" -- The Economist, July 15, 2017


    "What Lui Xiaobo's Life and Death Can Teach Us About China and Dissent" Brij Tankha -- The Wire, July 15, 2017


    "Liu Xiaobo's Death Pushes China's Censors into Overdrive" Amy Qin -- The New York Times, July 17, 2017


    "Why Liu Xiaobo Is the Role Model that a Modern China Sorely Needs" Cary Huang -- South China Morning Post, July 18, 2017

    Chill Out, North Korea

    "South Korea Proposes Military Talks with North at Their Border" Choe Sang-Hun and Devid E. Sanger-- The New York Times, July 17, 2017


    "Why Is South Korea Pushing for Talks with North Korea?" -- The Japan Times, July 18, 2017


    "Forcing China's Hand on North Korea" Daniel Blumenthal and Derek Scissors -- The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2017


    "The North Korean Endgame" Liubomir K. Topaloff -- The Diplomat, July 13, 2017

    Trump-Putin Affair Exposed

    "How the GOP Became the Party of Trump" James Kirchick -- Politico, July 18, 2017


    "Time for Sober Realism on the U.S.-Russia Relationship" Katrina Vanden Heuvel -- The Washington Post, July 18, 2017


    "Trump Confirms Authoritarian Bromance with Putin" Mark C. Eades -- Foreign Policy Association, July 13, 2017


    "Trump, Putin Had Previously Undisclosed Visit at G20 Dinner" Steve Holland and Patricia Zengerle -- Reuters, July 18, 2017

    Peace Outbreak in Colombia

    "Colombia's Exclusive Peace" Emilio Huertas -- U.S. News & World Report, July 17, 2017


    "After Decades of War, Colombian Farmers Face a New Test: Peace'" Nicholas Casey -- The New York Times, July 18, 2017


    "Will Colombia's Peace Accord Boost Its Democracy?" Andreas E. Feldman -- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, July 13, 2017


    "How Peace Broke Out in Colombia" Mark Leon Goldberg -- UN Global Dispatches, July 17, 2017 [Podcast]

    Dire Straits Worsen in Venezuela

    "Threat of U.S. Oil Sanctions on Venezuela Sparks Fear of Economic 'Collapse'" Jim Wyss; Patricia Mazzei; Alex Daugherty -- Miami Herald, July 18, 2017


    "Venezuela Has Reached the 'Zero Hour': What's Next?" -- Al Jazeera, July 19, 2017


    "Venezuela at a Crossroads: The Countdown to a Soviet-Style Constituent Assembly" Moises Rendon -- CSIS, July 17, 2017

    Sudan's Strategic Significance

    "Sudan: A Strategy for Re-Engagement" Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates and Kelsey Lilley -- The Atlantic Council, July 14, 2017


    "Sudan Sanctions Spur Intense Lobbying" Megan R. Wilson -- The Hill, July 19, 2017

    For previous Weekly World News Update, please visit our website 

    The World Affairs Councils of America

    1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036

    Phone (202) 833-4557 

     Fax (202) 833-4555

    waca@worldaffairscouncils.org 

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  • Tuesday, June 06, 2017 2:51 PM | Anonymous

    THIS MONTH: International diplomacy, annual meeting & an accidental activist


     
     

     
    WORLD AFFAIRS DISPATCH
    JUNE 2017 E-NEWS
    CALENDARDONATE - MEMBERSHIP
     

     
       
     
     


    GLOBAL FORUM GOES BEYOND THE HEADLINES ON RUSSIA

     

    Thanks to the sponsors, members, and friends who took part in our annual Global Forum fundraiser and helped us raise more than $17,000 to support our education programs! More than 200 people came together on May 22 at SNHU to learn about Russia's past and present with speaker Masha Gessen and engaged in a spirited discussion about the country's political and economic future, as well as our own.

      

    We also celebrated the 2017 Global Leadership Award recipients- Ambassador Richard Swett & Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett- and the Milford High School NH Academic WorldQuest champions. We are grateful for such an incredible community of friends who believe in the power of global education and understanding to create a more peaceful and prosperous world! See more photos on our Facebook page

    THANK YOU, SPONSORS & PATRONS!

            


          St. Paul's School  

      

    Charles Bickford; Irja & Frank Cilluffo; Sarah Demers; Carolyn & Philip Hollman; Jim & Elise Hood; Karen Erickson; Ruth Kleinfeld; Judith May; Anne Milne; Kathryn & Jim Muirhead; Joan & Alan Reische; Jack & Carol Resch; Carolyn & Stewart Richmond; Pat Schlesinger; David & Missie Schroeder; Steve Solomon; Andrew Supplee; Virginia & Joe Szymanowski; Roberta & Rod Tenney


    MONDAY: CELEBRATE A BANNER YEAR AT OUR ANNUAL MEETING!

        

    Join us for the Council's Annual Meeting & BBQ to celebrate another banner year for global education across the state, thanks to your support! We'll be approving new terms for board members Sarah Demers, Davis Farmer, Virginia Szymanowski, Roberta Tenney, and Dawn Wivell. We'll also be wishing a fond farewell to several board members including Irja Cilluffo, Karen Erickson, and Peter Schmidt.

    Academic Center, SNHU, 2500 N. River Road, Manchester

    5 PM - Registration & Networking (Cash Bar)

    5:30 PM- Annual Meeting- FREE

    *Only WACNH dues-paying members are eligible to vote but all are welcome!*

    6 PM- BBQ & socializing on patio! (With dinner ticket)

    The Annual Meeting is free and open to the public; dinner tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-yet-members. ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED


    Upcoming Programs - Event Calendar
     
     
    Latest news  
       

     


    Accidental activist will tell her story of life in Saudi Arabia on June 15

    Manal al-Sharif

    MANAL AL-SHARIF: DARING TO DRIVE

    Presented by The Music Hall in partnership with the World Affairs Council of NH & NH Women's Foundation 

    Thursday, June 15 at 7 PM - The Music Hall Loft, Portsmouth

    Providing a rare glimpse into the day-to-day life of the typical Saudi woman, Manal Al-Sharif tells the remarkable story of how she became the accidental leader of the Women2Drive movement; and brought global attention to her country’s tyrannical male guardianship system and its oppression of women. She is the author of the new book, Daring to Drive.

    TICKETS/INFO


    An important update on the national budget

         

    Tim Horgan, WACNH Associate Director (back row, far left), joined other members of the Alliance for International Exchange for a visit to the office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen last month to advocate for congressional support of international exchange opportunities.

    An important update from the Alliance for International Exchange: "The budget released last month by President Donald Trump proposes an unprecedented cut of 32 percent to the International Affairs budget, and a 55 percent cut to the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs specifically. 

    'If adopted, these cuts would greatly harm our nation’s public diplomacy efforts,' said Ilir Zherka, Executive Director of the Alliance for International Exchange. 'As Defense Secretary James Mattis has suggested, the way to reduce the possibility of war is to increase people-to-people diplomacy – which is at the heart of cultural and educational exchanges.

    'Fortunately, Congress has consistently demonstrated a strong, bipartisan commitment to exchange programs, even as recently as last month. Gutting exchange programs isn’t a win for the taxpayer, because the investment in America’s national security is immense. Over 90 percent of ECA funding is spent in the United States or on Americans implementing these programs. Because of that investment, 1 in 3 world leaders today have been on a U.S. exchange program.'

    Exchange programs enhance U.S. national security and prosperity by building productive partnerships, mutual understanding, and personal connections that help us address critical global issues including strengthening the world economy and combating terrorism. They also create a welcoming environment for over a million international students to study in the U.S. In 2015, these students added more than $32 billion dollars to our economy and supported over 400,000 U.S. jobs."

    Here at the World Affairs Council of NH, we host 300 international visitors (from 88 different countries), and 90 interpreters, annually, leveraging about $83,000 of grant funding into $500,000 in economic activity stregthening the state. More than 400 people volunteered their time to exchange ideas with the visitors. We hope you'll join us in speaking up in support of international exchange programs!

    Seacoast Speaker Series Wraps up TOMORROW!


    There's just one speaker left in our spring World Affairs @ the Library series presented in partnership with the Portsmouth Public Library. The final program will take place on Wednesday, June 7 at 7 PM,featuring Mary Thompson-Jones speaking about international diplomacy. Thompson-Jones is a professor at Northeastern University and previously was a career diplomat and served in embassies and consulates in Madrid, Prague, Quebec, Guatemala, and Sarajevo. She is the author of To The Secretary: Leaked Embassy Cables and America's Foreign Policy Disconnect.


    Mission Moments: Bringing the World to NH!


    "The plight of journalists has never been more dangerous." - Diane Foley (right), President of the James Foley Legacy Foundation said at our screening of "Jim: the James Foley Story" on May 16 at Red River Theatres. The Concord Insider reported on the program here.


    International visitors Martha Mwangonde (Malawi), Sylvester Bayowo (Ghana), Bassey Udo (Nigeria) and Andrew Karamagi (Uganda) listen to Todd Selig explain his work to promote transparency and openness as town administrator of Durham, NH. The group also volunteered for the NH Food Bank (below).



     

     

    ARE YOU A MEMBER? JOIN WITH US TO STAND IN SUPPORT OF GLOBAL EDUCATION & UNDERSTANDING!

    World Affairs Council of New Hampshire              
    SNHU - 2500 North River Road -  Manchester - NH - 01306

    www.wacnh.org - 603.314.7970 -  council@wacnh.org

    Copyright © 2017 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF NH.  All rights reserved.




  • Tuesday, March 28, 2017 2:25 PM | Anonymous


    'Cover to Cover' Monthly Author Series

    April's Cover to Cover will feature author Howard W. French for his book Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power, on Tuesday, April 11, at 2-2:30 PM ET.

     

    Register for the call

    Howard. W. French, is Associate Professor of Journalism at Columbia University. He wrote from Africa for The Washington Post and at The New York Times was bureau chief in Central America and the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, Japan, and China. He is the recipient of two Overseas Press Club awards and a two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee.

    Cover to Cover is a monthly program featuring the most influential authors on subjects of national and international importance.

    Offered as a benefit to all current WACA Member Councils, Cover to Cover conference calls are opportunities for Council leaders, members, and supporters to engage with esteemed authors on critical issues. Cover to Cover authors often welcome invitations to speak at Councils. In short, the WACA National Office covers a topic with an expert so that Councils may discover a speaker and cover the topic in even greater depth in their own communities, spearheading a national conversation. 


  • Friday, March 24, 2017 4:18 PM | Anonymous

    The World Affairs Council of NH was honored to host Senator Jeanne Shaheen on Friday, March 24. Coverage of the program by the Associated Press is below. Video of her remarks, via WMUR, is here.


    Shaheen: US needs strategy to counter Russian influence


    MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A bolder, more aggressive strategy is needed to counter Russia’s efforts to undermine democracy in the United States and western Europe, New Hampshire U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said Friday.

    Shaheen, a member of Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, addressed a foreign policy forum at the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire. The group met at Southern New Hampshire University.

    Shaheen, a Democrat, said the U.S. must recognize that the architecture of alliances that’s been at the heart of America’s national security for more than seven decades is at risk due to Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

    “Putin’s goal is to restore Russia as a dominant power and to recreate a Soviet-style sphere of influence along its border,” she said. “To that end, Putin’s strategy is to disrupt, divide, and weaken the Atlantic Alliance. We need to have a clear-eyed understanding of what Putin is doing. So we really need to work together with our allies to stop him.”

    Shaheen noted that Russia has been expanding its military and deploying forces to intimidate Europe and has been “stoking populist nationalism” from Hungary to the Netherlands.

    She said Putin dramatically raised the stakes by interfering in the 2016 U.S. election.

    “We should all be outraged by Putin’s interference in our election,” she said. “Frankly, if you’re not outraged, you haven’t been paying attention.”

    A declassified intelligence report released earlier this year said Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence the election to favor Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted the findings.

    Shaheen said an independent, nonpartisan investigation of Russia’s intervention in the presidential election is needed. She said the U.S. needs a commission similar to the national one that investigated 9/11 “to investigate Russia’s attack on our democracy and to prevent future attacks.”

    “The American public needs to know what happened,” she added.

    Shaheen is part of a bipartisan group of senators that introduced legislation imposing tougher sanctions on Russia. It also would create an initiative that would support objective, Russian-language, independent media and watchdog groups working to combat corruption.


  • Friday, March 17, 2017 11:27 AM | Anonymous


    Milford High Takes Top Honors in 3rd Annual NH Academic WorldQuest competition; Team Will Represent State at National Academic WorldQuest Competition in Washington, D.C., on April 29

    MANCHESTER- The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire held its third annual NH Academic WorldQuest competition on Sunday, March 12 at Southern New Hampshire University and the “blue team” from Milford High School (pictured above) took home the title after a close race. The team won new iPads, provided by SNHU, to use for their studies, and a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national Academic WorldQuest competition on April 29, held by the World Affairs Councils of America. Rounding out the top finishers were: St. Thomas Aquinas (2nd place- blue team); and Pinkerton Academy (grey team) and Oyster River High School (white team), which tied for third.

    The winning Milford High team included students Shannon Drew, Maya Flores, Todd Bieschke, and Andrew McNeil, and were coached by social studies teacher Anna Parker. The Carlos and Malu Alvarez 2017 Academic WorldQuest National Competition will be held on Saturday, April 29 at the National Press Club in Washington and will also feature a welcome reception at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

    Academic WorldQuest is a quiz-style team competition that tests high school students’ knowledge of international affairs.  This year, 15 teams from around the state competed. Participating schools were: The Derryfield School (Manchester), Milford High School, Oyster River High School (Durham), Pinkerton Academy (Derry), Portsmouth High School, Souhegan High School (Amherst), and St. Thomas Aquinas (Dover).

    This year’s competition also featured a keynote speech from Dylan Mahalingam, a remarkable philanthropist and social entrepreneur who hails from New Hampshire. Currently a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dylan founded a global non-profit organization at 9 years old. Lil’ MDGs encouraged thousands of children from all over the world to support the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals. The organization raised more than $10 million for victims of natural disasters. Dylan currently serves as the Chief Strategist of Under the Acacia Foundation, a non-profit organization serving communities in Africa. Dylan is a recipient of numerous honors including a place on Youth Service America’s list of the 25 Most Powerful and Influential Young People in the World.

    Scott Spradling, of the Spradling Group, hosted the competition. Scott is an Emmy award-winning former reporter, anchor and political director for WMUR-TV.

    NH Academic WorldQuest is funded, in part, by the Saul O. Sidore Memorial Foundation and Billings Trust (FBO NH Charities, RSB Citizens, N.A. Trustee) . Presenting sponsors are Pax World and McLane Middleton and other supporters include Southern New Hampshire University and The Derryfield School.

    The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire is a non-profit, non-partisan organization fostering learning, discussion and citizen involvement in world affairs.  The Council is preparing the Granite State for a global future by creating and sustaining international connections that enhance our state's cultural, economic and civic life; building global knowledge and understanding through educational programs for communities and schools on foreign policy; and furthering the development of international leaders in partnership with the U.S. State Department. Learn more at www.wacnh.org.

  • Wednesday, February 22, 2017 3:15 PM | Anonymous

    Wednesday, February 22, 2017

    Munich Security Conference; U.S. Relations with the Middle East; Foreign Policy under Trump; Violence in Pakistan; Ecuador Presidential Elections; Politics of Military and Famine in Africa.

    Munich Security Conference

    "Muddling through European Defense" Judy Dempsey -- Carnegie Europe, February 18, 2017


    "A Call for Continuity from America's Middle East Allies" Bruce Jones -- Brookings Institution, February 20, 2017


    "Pence, Facing Skeptical Europe, Again Tries to Reassure EU and NATO" Gardiner Harris -- Boston Globe, February 21, 2017

    U.S. Relations with the Middle East

    "Setting the Terms for U.S.-Egypt Relations" Daniel Benaim, Mokhtar Awad, and Brian Katulis -- Center for American Progress, February 21, 2017


    "Has the U.S.-Saudi Relationship Outlived Its Usefulness?" Scott Monje -- Foreign Policy Association, February 20, 2017


    "Trump's New Stance on Palestine and Israel Reverses Two Decades of U.S. Policy" Kevin Lamarque -- Quartz, February 15, 2017


    "Lessons from a Regional Approach to Solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" Richard Lebaron -- Atlantic Council, February 21, 2017

    Foreign Policy under Trump

    "Trump Has No Foreign Policy" Jon Finer -- POLITICO Europe, February 19, 2017


    "Logic, but No Guarantees for Trump's Foreign Policy" Michael Auslin -- National Review, February 21, 2017


    "President Trump's Terrible One-Month Report Card" Derek Chollet, Colin Kahl, Julie Smith -- Foreign Policy, February 19, 2017

    Violence in Pakistan

    "Let's Stop Being Manipulated by Pakistan" Christopher D. Kolenda -- THE HILL, February 21, 2017


    "Pakistan: Stoking the Fire in Karachi" International Crisis Group, February 15, 2017


    "What Lies Behind Uneasy Afghanistan-Pakistan Ties?" Video by Al Jazeera, February 18, 2017

    Ecuador Presidential Elections

    "Ecuador Vote Count Delayed Until Wednesday as Protests Mount" Stephan Kueffner -- Bloomberg, February 20, 2017


    "Leftist Candidate Lenin Moreno Leads Ecuador's Presidential Vote, but May Face a Runoff" Pablo Jaramillo and Chris Kraul -- Los Angeles Times, February 19, 2017

    Politics of Military and Famine in Africa

    "A Rough Guide to Foreign Military Bases in Africa" Obi Anyadike -- IRIN News, February 15, 2017


    "Famine Declared in South Sudan" Ben Quinn -- The Guardian, February 20, 2017


    "The Business Climate in Nigeria" Editorial -- This Day Live, February 17, 2017


    "Replacing South Africa's Finance Minister, or His Deputy, Would Carry a Heavy Cost" Co-Pierre Georg -- The Conversation, February 21, 2017

    For previous Weekly World News Update, please visit our website 

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