The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination
2023-10-11 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Webinar
Stuart A. Reid, author of The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination, joins us to discuss his upcoming book uncovering the truth behind the U.S.-sanctioned assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the democratically elected leader of a newly independent Congo.
The Lumumba Plot is a page-turning spy thriller and a deeply researched historical account of a now-forgotten Cold War moment and a low point in U.S. foreign policy.
Moderated by Jim Falk, Global Santa Fe’s Program Chair.
In partnership with Global Santa Fe, the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, and the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council.

The Details:
When: Wednesday, October 11th | 7:00 PM
Where: Zoom Webinar
Registration: Free, required | RSVP here

The Book
The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination
A spellbinding work of history that reads like a Cold War spy thriller—about the U.S.-sanctioned plot to assassinate the democratically elected leader of the newly independent Congo.

It was supposed to be a moment of great optimism, a cause for jubilation. Congo was at last being set free from Belgium—one of seventeen countries to gain independence in 1960 from ruling European powers. Just days after the handover, however, Congo’s new army mutinied, Belgian forces intervened, and its leader Patrice Lumumba turned to the United Nations for help in saving his newborn nation from what the press was already calling “the Congo Crisis.” Dag Hammarskjöld, the tidy Swede who was serving as UN secretary-general, quickly arranged the organization’s biggest peacekeeping mission to date. But chaos was still spreading. Frustrated with the fecklessness of the UN, Lumumba then approached the Soviets for help—an appeal that set off alarm bells at the CIA. To forestall the spread of communism in Africa, the U.S. sent word to the CIA station chief in Leopoldville, Larry Devlin: Lumumba had to go.
Within a year, everything would unravel. The CIA plot to murder Lumumba would fizzle, but he would be deposed in a CIA-backed coup and shot dead by Congolese assassins. Hammarskjöld, too, would die, in a mysterious plane crash, en route to negotiate a ceasefire with Congo’s rebellious southeast. And a young, ambitious military officer named Joseph Mobutu, who had once sworn fealty to Lumumba, would seize power in Congo with U.S. help and misrule the country for more than three decades. For the Congolese people, the events of 1960–61 represented the opening chapter of a long horror story. For the U.S. government, however, they provided a playbook for future interventions.
Preorder The Lumumba Plot online here.

About the Author
Stuart A. Reid is an executive editor of Foreign Affairs. He has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek, Politico Magazine, Slate, and other publications. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and daughter.

About the Moderator
Jim Falk, President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, retired in March 2021 after serving as the organization’s president since 2001. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and honorary consul of Morocco.

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As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. Join now to access exclusive events and discounted pricing.
If you want to check your membership status, email Abby at anoyes@ctwac.org or log in on the membership site.

The Sister: The Most Dangerous Woman in the World
2023-11-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Join us on November 15th as author Sung-Yoon Lee introduces us to Kim Yo Jong, the sister and named successor of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and “the most dangerous woman in the world.”
Lee’s book takes us inside the inner circle of North Korea’s mysterious family dynasty, and tells the story of the regime’s top policymaker and chief propagandist who ruthlessly insulted foreign leaders and threatened a nuclear weapons strike.
Moderated by Jim Falk.

The details:
When: Wednesday, Nov. 15 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free, required | RSVP here

About the author:
Sung-Yoon Lee
Sung-Yoon Lee is a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Previously, he taught Korean history at Tufts University. He has written on the politics of the Korean peninsula for numerous publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. He has testified as an expert witness at the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearings on North Korea policy and has advised senior leaders, including the President of the United States.

About the moderator:
Jim Falk
Jim Falk, President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, retired in March 2021 after serving as the organization’s president since 2001. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and honorary consul of Morocco.

About the book
The Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World by Sung-Yoon Lee
This first book on Kim Jong Un’s increasingly powerful sister, tapped to be his successor, offers jaw-dropping insights into the latest generation of North Korea’s secretive and murderous dynasty.
The first woman ever to issue the threat of a nuclear weapons strike is not even officially a head of state. Kim Yo Jong is the sister of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and, as their murderous regime’s chief propagandist, internal administrator, and foreign policymaker, she is the most powerful woman in North Korean history. Cruel but charming, she threatens and insults foreign leaders with sardonic wit, issuing proclamations and denunciations in her own name, a first for any woman in the Korean royal family. She memorably called the South Korean Defense Minister “a senseless and scum-like guy” before going on to promise South Korea “a miserable fate little short of total destruction and ruin”. A princess by birth with great expectations for her macabre kingdom, she was brought up to believe it is her mission to reunite North Korea with the South or die trying. She’s ruthless and incredibly dangerous.
The Sister, written by Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar of Korean and East Asian studies and a specialist on North Korea, is a fascinating, authoritative account of the mysterious world of North Korea and its ruling dynasty—a family whose lust for power entails the brutal repression of civilians, a missile program that can reach the continental US, and the constant threat of global havoc.
Order The Sister here.

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Model United Nations 2023
2023-12-01 - 2023-12-02 | University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave, West Hartford, CT, 06117, US
CTWAC Model United Nations brings together over 1,000 students from across Connecticut to engage with each other through debate and diplomacy, preparing them to become future global leaders.
The Council’s MUN program is exclusively student-run, offering students opportunities to take leadership positions and negotiate with peers. At #CTWACMUN, students experience the inner workings of international policymaking as they tackle global issues and controversies, navigate crisis scenarios, debate solutions, and draft resolutions.
Through the MUN program, students have the opportunity to travel to New York to tour the United Nations Headquarters, meet diplomats from the countries they are representing, and discuss timely global issues with the policymakers who are currently working to solve them.

Learn more about the World Affairs Council of Connecticut’s Model UN program and how to get involved here.
Support the 2023 Model United Nations

A French Culinary Experience at Le Mazet
2023-12-13 18:00
SOLD OUT
Join us for an unforgettable culinary experience at Le Mazet in West Hartford. Celebrate the holiday season with good company and French cuisine at Connecticut’s newest and most acclaimed restaurant.
Le Mazet’s head chef will curate a special tasting menu designed exclusively for guests of the World Affairs Council that will be paired with carefully chosen wines or mocktails.
Indulge with us this holiday season with the best French culinary experience Connecticut has to offer. Reserve your seat now.

About the evening
When: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023 | 6:00PM
Where: Le Mazet | 975 Farmington Ave, West Hartford CT
Tickets: $175 | SOLD OUT
Dinner ticket includes:

Exclusive multi-course menu to bring you on a tour of French cuisine, only available to our guests
Your choice of accompanying wine or mocktail pairings

About the Restaurant

Le Mazet brings French countryside cuisine directly to West Hartford, offering 100 carefully selected French wines artfully paired with the best French recipes you can find in Connecticut.
Le Mazet was opened in September by West Hartford’s Jacob Cohen, former partner of the Mill Restaurant Group’s Republic restaurants; and Jacob Studenroth, the owner of the Wise Old Dog.

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As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.
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The Global Refugee Crisis with Chris George
2024-01-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
Conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and around the world have created a global refugee crisis. Join Chris George for his final appearance as part of IRIS to discuss the future of refugee resettlement – and his role in transforming refugee resettlement nationally.

Chris has been Executive Director of IRIS – Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services – for 18 years. He spearheaded the organization’s growth to help resettle 1,000 per year in Connecticut in 2023 from 150 a year in 2005. Throughout his tenure, he has made CT a model for refugee resettlement in the U.S. Join us as we celebrate the work of IRIS and bid Chris farewell in his next adventures.

The Details
When: Wednesday, January 24th at 6:00PM | Doors open 5:45PM
Where: Studio A at CT Public | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT 06105
Tickets: $20 donation | RSVP here
Please consider adding your support for this program with a $20 donation when registering

About the Speaker
Chris George served as the executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) for 18 years. In his leadership role, Chris helped IRIS become a national Welcome Corps PSO and Connecticut’s largest refugee resettlement agency, working with community groups nationwide to welcome thousands of refugees and immigrants to their new homes. Chris played a central role in IRIS’ commitment of piloting sponsorship models in the U.S. Chris’ passion for serving others started in 1977 when he became a Peace Corps Volunteer in Muscat, Oman. Over the course of his 12 years of experience in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, he held leadership roles at Save the Children, American Friends Service Committee, and in 1989 he made headlines as the first American abducted and held hostage in Gaza. Since then, he has only grown more devoted to helping those in need. In addition to this, Chris negotiated the terms of the first fact-finding missions to Syria and Iran as Executive Director of Human Rights Watch – Middle East. Chris is a driven and compassionate leader whose work has positively impacted countless lives. His commitment to helping others has made him an invaluable asset to the IRIS team and the communities they serve.

About IRIS
Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) is a non-profit agency whose mission is to help refugees and other displaced people establish new lives, strengthen hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut’s communities. Welcoming persecuted people from other countries is America’s most noble tradition. IRIS helps newcomers on the road to self-sufficiency by providing lifesaving support during their transition to life in the United States.

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The Promise of Diplomacy with Ambassador Ted Osius
2024-02-06 18:00 - 19:30 | New Canaan Library, 151 Main St, New Canaan, CT, 06840, United States
Ambassador Ted Osius, former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, joins us in Fairfield County to discuss U.S.-ASEAN relations and how the current U.S.-Vietnam relationship exemplifies the power of diplomacy in ensuring peace.
The conversation will be followed by a reception and a book signing of Ambassador Osius’ latest book: Nothing is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam.
The Details
When: Tuesday, February 6th at 6:00PM | Doors open 5:45PM
Where: New Canaan Library | 151 Main St, New Canaan, CT 06840
Tickets: Free | Registration required
Reserve your seat now.

About the Author
Ambassador (ret.) Ted Osius
Former ambassador Ted Osius is President & CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council.  Founded in 1984, the Council represents 180 of the largest American businesses in Southeast Asia through its headquarters in Washington, DC, and its seven regional offices.
A diplomat for thirty years, Ambassador Osius served from 2014 to 2017 as U.S. ambassador to Vietnam.  Leading a team of 900, Ambassador Osius devised and implemented strategies to deepen economic, security and cultural ties between the two countries. In October 2021, Osius published his most recent book, Nothing Is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam, with a Foreword by former Secretary of State John Kerry, covering the two countries’ 25-year journey from adversaries to friends and partners.
Read more about Ambassador Osius here.

About the Book
Nothing is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam by Ted Osius
Today Vietnam is one of America’s strongest international partners, with a thriving economy and a population that welcomes American visitors. How that relationship was formed is a 20-year story of daring diplomacy and a careful thawing of tensions between the two countries after a lengthy war that cost nearly 60,000 American and more than three million Vietnamese lives.
Ted Osius, former ambassador during the Obama administration, offers a vivid account, starting in the 1990s, of the various forms of diplomacy that made this reconciliation possible. He considers the leaders who put aside past traumas to work on creating a brighter future, including senators John McCain and John Kerry, two Vietnam veterans and ideological opponents who set aside their differences for a greater cause, and Pete Peterson—the former POW who became the first U.S. ambassador to a new Vietnam. Osius also draws upon his own experiences working first-hand with various Vietnamese leaders and traveling the country on bicycle to spotlight the ordinary Vietnamese people who have helped bring about their nation’s extraordinary renaissance.
Nothing is Impossible – with a foreword by former Secretary of State John Kerry — tells an inspiring story of how international diplomacy can create a better world.
Purchase Nothing is Impossible here.

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Stay Globally Involved
As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. Join now to access exclusive events and discounted pricing.
If you want to check your membership status, email Abby at anoyes@ctwac.org or log in on the membership site.

Our Ancient Faith with Allen Guelzo: Lincoln, Democracy, & the American Experiment
2024-02-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
On Lincoln’s birthday, award-winning historian and author Allen Guelzo will join us in conversation on the American President whose firm and powerful beliefs in democracy guided him through one of the most tumultuous periods in American history – and how his beliefs continue to shape our country. In conversation with Jim Falk.
Hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut in partnership with Global Santa Fe, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads, the Center for Presidential History at SMU, and the Oregon Historical Society.
The details:
When: Monday, February 12 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | Register here

About the Author
Allen C. Guelzo is Senior Research Scholar at the Council of the Humanities at Princeton University. He is the author of several books about the Civil War and early-nineteenth-century American history. He is a recipient of the Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize for Military History and has been awarded the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize three times. He lives in Pennsylvania.
Photo: Courtesy Sameer Khan, Fotobuddy

About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book
Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment
An intimate study of Abraham Lincoln’s powerful vision of democracy, which guided him through the Civil War and is still relevant today—by a best-selling historian and three-time winner of the Lincoln Prize
“It is altogether fitting and proper that, with this meditation on democracy and its most subtle defender, Allen Guelzo again demonstrates that he is today’s most profound interpreter of this nation’s history and significance.” —George F. Will
Abraham Lincoln grappled with the greatest crisis of democracy that has ever confronted the United States. While many books have been written about his temperament, judgment, and steady hand in guiding the country through the Civil War, we know less about Lincoln’s penetrating ideas and beliefs about democracy, which were every bit as important as his character in sustaining him through the crisis.
Allen C. Guelzo, one of America’s foremost experts on Lincoln, captures the president’s firmly held belief that democracy was the greatest political achievement in human history. He shows how Lincoln’s deep commitment to the balance between majority and minority rule enabled him to stand firm against secession while also committing the Union to reconciliation rather than recrimination in the aftermath of war. In bringing his subject to life as a rigorous and visionary thinker, Guelzo assesses Lincoln’s actions on civil liberties and his views on race, and explains why his vision for the role of government would have made him a pivotal president even if there had been no Civil War. Our Ancient Faith gives us a deeper understanding of this endlessly fascinating man and shows how his ideas are still sharp and relevant more than 150 years later.
Purchase Our Ancient Faith here.

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Stay Globally Involved
As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. Join now to access exclusive events and discounted pricing.
If you want to check your membership status, email Abby at anoyes@ctwac.org or log in on the membership site.

Global Changemakers with H.E. Roya Rahmani | International Women's Day 2024
2024-03-05 17:00 - 19:00 | University of Saint Joseph, Hoffman Auditorium, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT, 06117, US
Ambassador Roya Rahmani, former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the U.S., joins us to celebrate International Women’s Day at the University of Saint Joseph. Ambassador Rahmani will discuss women’s rights in Afghanistan and her role as a changemaker. In conversation with CTWAC CEO Megan Torrey.
This important event represents an ongoing collaboration between the Women’s Leadership Center at the University of Saint Joseph and the World Affairs Council of Connecticut.

The Details:
When: Tuesday, March 5th | 5:00 PM-7:00PM
Where: Hoffman Auditorium, University of Saint Joseph
Tickets: Free, RSVP required | Reserve your seat

About the speaker:

Ambassador Roya Rahmani | Former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the U.S. | Chair of Delphos International Ltd
Ambassador Rahmani is Chair of Delphos International, where she plays a pivotal role in expanding the firm’s business networks, enhancing its global reach, and amplifying its impact. She also serves as a Senior Advisor with the South Asia practice at Atlantic Council, and a Senior Fellow for International Security at the New America Foundation.
Amb. Rahmani is a former diplomat with nearly two decades of experience working with governments, nongovernmental organizations, and multilateral institutions. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as the Afghan Ambassador to the United States and to Indonesia. She also held the position of the first Director General for Regional Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Her outstanding leadership has earned international recognition, with features in esteemed media outlets. In 2017, Indonesia Tatler honored her with the title of “People’s Ambassador,” and in 2019, she was recognized on Time Magazine’s “100 Next List” for her exceptional leadership skills.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from McGill University and a master’s degree in public administration and international law from Columbia University.

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Renew your membership or become a member on our website. Join now to access exclusive events and discounted pricing.

Global Changemakers with H.E. Oksana Markarova | IWD 2024
2024-03-08 11:45 - 12:45 | Zoom Webinar
Ambassador Oksana Markarova joins us again this International Women’s Day to share with us how the war in Ukraine is impacting its people and human rights globally. In conversation with CTWAC CEO Megan Torrey.
This important event represents an ongoing collaboration between the Women’s Leadership Center at the University of Saint Joseph and the World Affairs Council of Connecticut.

The Details:
When: Friday, March 8th | 11:45 AM
Where: Virtual | Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | RSVP for zoom link required

About the Ambassador:
Oksana Markarova | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States
Oksana Markarova was appointed the Ukraine’s Ambassador to the USA and arrived in DC on Apr 20, 2021. She served in Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance in 2015-2020 as First deputy Minister and Government commissioner on investments and then since 2018 as a Minister of Finance. During her time at the Ministry she was a co-author of Ukraine’s macroeconomic revival program, has conducted unprecedented fiscal consolidation leading to deficit to GDP of 2% and debt to GDP reduction to below 50%, introduced midterm budgeting, gender oriented budgeting as well as negotiated, structured and coordinated successfully two IMF programs and other IFI cooperation programs. During her tenure she and her team has also created UkraineInvest government promotion agency, Ukrainian Startup fund and an eData ecosystem of government public finance portals including spending.gov.ua, openbudget.gov.ua and analytical instrument BOOST, which opened the majority of the public finance data to the public and increased Ukraine in all major international data transparency ratings.
Prior to career in public service Mrs. Markarova spent 17 years working in private equity and financial advisory having leadership roles in ITT investment group, Western NIS Enterprise Fund, Chemonics and and World bank, as well as founded Archidata startup electronic archive company in between service positions in 2020.
Oksana Markarova serves at the Boards of UkraineHouse DC foundation in Washington DC, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukrainian Development Foundation and supports Ukrainian Catholic University and Ukrainian Press Museum-Archive.
She holds BS and MS degrees in Environmental Science from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine and MPA in public finance from Indiana University with academic excellency and best international student awards.
By the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 370/2023, dated July 5, 2023, Oksana Markarova was appointed as Ambassador of Ukraine with concurrent accreditation to Antigua and Barbuda.
Markarova is married with four children and grandson.

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As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. Join now to access exclusive events and discounted pricing.

Second Mondays with CTWAC
2024-03-11 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Starting this March, join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

March Topic: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s next?
The first Second Monday’s with CTWAC will focus on one of the biggest threats to global peace and security: the war in Ukraine. We’ll discuss the role of U.S. aid to Ukraine and what’s to come in the third year of war.
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental articles will be provided to ticketholders.

The Details:
When: Monday, March 11 | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: Limited availability, RSVP required | Reserve your spot here
Opening Second Monday will be free of charge, and all subsequent Second Mondays will have a $25 ticket fee to cover dinner costs. Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.

Upcoming Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: Topic TBA*
May 13th
June 10th
September 9th
October – Date TBD
November – Date TBD
December 9th
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

China’s Worst Nightmare: Global Partnerships | Partner Event
2024-03-14 15:00 - 16:00 | The University of Saint Joseph, Mercy Hall, Crystal Room1678 Asylum Ave, 1678 Asylum Ave, West Hartford, CT, 06117, US
A fireside chat with Congressman Joe Courtney & Deputy Head of Mission for the Embassy of Australia, Paul Myler. Hosted by the Office of Congressman Joe Courtney.
As China increases its aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have come together to form a historic trilateral security pact, AUKUS, to protect peace and prosperity in the region. The mere existence of this partnership — let alone the undersea supremacy and technological capabilities that will come as a result — worries China greatly. Join Congressman Joe Courtney and the Embassy of Australia’s Deputy Head of Mission, Paul Myler, for a fireside chat moderated by World Affairs Council CEO Megan Torrey, on how this historic deal will provide our three nations with the tools they need to deter China’s predatory conduct.
The details:
Date | Thursday, March 14 from 3-4 PM
Location | University of St. Joseph’s Hoffman Auditorium

What is the AUKUS partnership?
Want to learn more about the historic security pact ahead of the event? Check out this backgrounder by CTWAC’s Jonah Gosnay on the current state of the deal and its role in Indo-Pacific regional security.
Understanding the AUKUS Partnership – The World Affairs Council of CT Blog (ctwac.com)

Out of the Darkness with Frank Trentmann | The Germans: 1942-2022
2024-04-02 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
How can a nation reinvent itself? Author Frank Trentmann will join us April 2nd at 7PM EDT to tell the story of how the German people were able to rebuild after World War II and redefine their place in the world – and what we can learn from it today. In conversation with Jim Falk.
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut with Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the American Council on Germany, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, WorldOregon, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, World Affairs Council of Greater Houston, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, and the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations.
Order a copy of Out of the Darkness by Frank Trentmann here.
The details:
When: Tuesday, April 2 | 7:00PM EDT
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | Registration required

About the Author
Frank Trentmann is Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, and at the University of Helsinki. He is the author of Empire of Things and Free Trade Nation, and has been awarded the Whitfield Prize, a Moore Distinguished Fellowship at Caltech, the Austrian Science Book Prize, the Humboldt Prize for Research, and in 2023 the Bochum Historians’ Prize. He received his PhD from Harvard University and has taught at Princeton University. He grew up in Hamburg and lives in London.
About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. and Board Vice Chair at Global Santa Fe. Jim hosts Perspectives Matter…a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

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About the Book
Out of the Darkness: The Germans 1942-2022 by Frank Trentmann
A gripping and nuanced history of the German people from World War II to the war in Ukraine, including revealing new primary source material on Germany’s transformation.
In 1945, Germany lay in ruins, morally and materially. Its citizens stood condemned by history, responsible for a horrifying genocide and war of extermination. But by the end of Angela Merkel’s tenure as chancellor in 2021, Germany looked like the moral voice of Europe, welcoming more than one million refugees, holding together the tenuous threads of the European Union, and making military restraint the center of its foreign policy. At the same time, Germany’s rigid fiscal discipline and energy deals with Vladimir Putin have cast a shadow over the present. Innumerable scholars have asked how Germany could have degenerated from a nation of scientists, poets, and philosophers into one responsible for genocide. This book raises another vital question: How did a nation whose past has been marked by mass murder, a people who cheered Adolf Hitler, reinvent themselves, and how much?
Trentmann tells this dramatic story of the German people from the middle of World War II through the Cold War and the division into East and West to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the struggle to find a place in the world today. This journey is marked by a series of extraordinary moral conflicts: admissions of guilt and shame vying with immediate economic concerns; restitution for some but not others; tolerance versus racism; compassion versus complicity. Through a range of voices—German soldiers and German Jews; displaced persons in limbo; East German women and shopkeepers angry about energy shortages; opponents and supporters of nuclear power; volunteers helping migrants and refugees, and right-wing populists attacking them—Trentmann paints a remarkable and surprising portrait spanning eighty years of the conflicted people at the center of Europe, showing how the Germans became who they are today.
Purchase Out of the Darkness here.

Stay Globally Involved
As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. Join now to access exclusive events and discounted pricing.

Second Mondays with CTWAC | April
2024-04-08 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
﻿Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

April Topic: War in Gaza: How did we get here, and where do we go now?
Since the outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have been killed as the world grapples with how to resolve the conflict. This Second Monday, we’ll examine the history of the conflict and how it informs our present.
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental articles will be provided to attendees.

The Details:
When: Monday, April 8 | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $25 | Limited availability | Reserve your spot here
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.

Upcoming Second Mondays:
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 13th: Topic TBA*
June 10th
September 9th
October – Date TBD
November – Date TBD
December 9th
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Border Crisis | Policy & Pathways Forward
2024-04-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
Join national and local leaders in immigration for a conversation on the growing humanitarian situation at the southern border and immigration policy challenges.
The Details
When: Thursday, April 11th at 7:00PM | Doors open 6:45PM
Where: Studio A at CT Public | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT 06105
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required

This event is a collaboration between the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Theater Works Hartford alongside TWH’s production of Sanctuary City by Martyna Majok, which tells the story of two young DREAMers who are fighting to establish a place for themselves in America, the only country they know as home.

Featuring:
Betsy Lawrence is the Deputy Assistant to the President for Immigration for the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC). Before joining the DPC, Betsy served for three years on the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, most recently as Chief Counsel. Prior to this, she was Director of Government Relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) in Washington, D.C.
Kica Matos is the president of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF). She is also a Distinguished Practitioner at Yale University’s Brady Johnson Program in Grand Strategy. In 2021, she was inducted into the CT Women’s Hall of Fame.
Angelica Idrovo Castillo is an undocumented student and activist. She was born in Cuenca, Ecuador and migrated to the U.S. at age 12. At 23 she became the Co-Executive Director of CT Students for a Dream (C4D). She now co-leads the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ecuador National Coalition. Angelica was recognized in “Connecticut 40 under 40: Class of 2018” and was recognized by Ecuador’s National Assembly in December 2019 as a fighter for immigrant rights.
Moderator Megan C. Torrey is currently the CEO of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut (CTWAC). In 2023 Megan was nominated by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro to be the first U.S. Navy Community Ambassador to the state of Connecticut.

Hosted by

Support from

Stay Globally Involved
As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. Join now to access exclusive events and discounted pricing.

Centennial Celebration | World Affairs Council of Connecticut
2024-04-19 17:30 - 21:45 | Goodwin University, 1 Riverside Dr, East Hartford, CT, 06118, United States
Join us to celebrate 100 years of connecting Connecticut to the world.
April 19th, 2024 | 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Goodwin University, East Hartford
View the Centennial Celebration Program

5:30 PM | International Cocktail Hour
Reception featuring inspired global cuisines, signature cocktails, and a few special surprises
7:00PM | Program
Evening program featuring awards and keynote by William J. Burns, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, moderated by renowned journalist Norah O’Donnell, anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News.
Honoring: Chairmen Peter G. Kelly; Paul W. Bucha, Medal of Honor Recipient; and all past Presidents of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut.
8:15PM | Champagne toast and dessert

Featuring
William J. Burns
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Bill Burns was sworn in as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in March 2021, making him the first career diplomat to serve as Director. He was promoted to Cabinet rank by President Biden in June 2023.
Director Burns has served six Presidents and Administrations of both parties during nearly four decades of public service in diplomacy and intelligence. He is only the second serving career diplomat in history to become Deputy Secretary of State, and also served as U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Jordan.
Moderator Norah O’Donnell
Anchor and Managing Editor of CBS Evening News
Norah O’Donnell is the anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News,” the oldest and most revered evening news broadcast in America. She also anchors all of CBS News Election Specials and is a “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent.
O’Donnell is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering the biggest stories in the world and conducting impactful, news making interviews. She is covering her seventh presidential election and has interviewed every living president of the United States.
Recently, O’Donnell has taken the “CBS Evening News” broadcast across the world to provide viewers with a first-hand look at some of the most important stories of our time. O’Donnell was the first American journalist to travel to the Red Sea to report on the rising tensions in the Middle East. Currently, O’Donnell is the only woman to anchor an evening news program on broadcast television. During her distinguished career, she has covered the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon.

News Release | CIA Director William J. Burns to Headline World Affairs Council of Connecticut’s Centennial Celebration

Questions about sponsorship?
Please contact CEO Megan Torrey at mctorrey@ctwac.org

About the World Affairs Council of Connecticut

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization established in 1924. For 100 years, the World Affairs Council of Connecticut has been at the forefront of history, hosting some of the world’s most prominent figures including Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Ambassadors from over 100 countries.

Stay Globally Involved
Become a member or renew on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Countdown with Sarah Scoles | The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons
2024-05-02 19:00 - 20:00
For fans of Oppenheimer: join us for another episode of WorldNow with Jim Falk – featuring science journalist and author Sarah Scoles, who will discuss the reality of nuclear weapons in the present day and what it means for our global future.
The details:
When: Thursday, May 2 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | Registration required | Get Tickets Here

WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Charlotte, WorldOregon, World Affairs Council of Greater Houston, World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, World Affairs Council of South Texas, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, and Perspectives Matter.

About the Book
Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons by Sarah Scoles
For fans of Oppenheimer, a riveting investigation into the modern nuclear weapons landscape.
Nuclear weapons are, today, as important as they were during the Cold War, and some experts say we could be as close to a nuclear catastrophe now as we were at the height of that conflict. Despite that, conversations about these bombs generally often happen in past tense.
In Countdown, science journalist Sarah Scoles uncovers a different atomic reality: the nuclear age’s present.
Drawing from years of on-the-ground reporting at the nation’s nuclear weapons labs, Scoles interrogates the idea that having nuclear weapons keeps us safe, deterring attacks and preventing radioactive warfare. She deftly assesses the existing nuclear apparatus in the United States, taking readers beyond the news headlines and policy-speak to reveal the state of nuclear-weapons technology, as well as how people currently working within the U.S. nuclear weapons complex have come to think about these bombs and the idea that someone, someday, might use them.
Through a sharp, surprising, and undoubtedly urgent narrative, Scoles brings us out of the Cold War and into the twenty-first century, opening readers’ eyes to the true nature of nuclear weapons and their caretakers while also giving us the context necessary to understand the consequences of their existence, for worse and for better, for now and for the future.
Purchase Countdown here.

About the Author
Sarah Scoles is a Colorado-based science journalist, a contributing writer at Popular Science, and a senior contributor at Undark. Her work has appeared in publications like the New York Times, Wired, Scientific American, and others. She is also the author of the books Making Contact: Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers, and Astronomical Mindfulness. Her forthcoming book is called Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons. Her articles have won the American Geophysical Union’s David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Writing (2021) and the American Astronomical Society Solar Physics Division’s Popular Media Award (2019, 2020). Previously, she was an associate editor at Astronomy and a public education officer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia.

About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Hosts & Partners

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Second Mondays with CTWAC | May
2024-05-20 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Rescheduled for May 20th
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

May Topic: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
2024 is one of the biggest years for elections globally – with at least 70 countries holding an election. Each country faces their own unique set of challenges to their democratic institutions and ideals – including the United States. In a year when democracy is considered top of the ballot after a global decline in democracy globally, it’s important to reflect on how we got here. Will democracy win globally in 2024 – and what’s at stake if it doesn’t?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental articles will be provided to attendees.

The Details:
When: Monday, May 20 | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $25 | Limited availability | Reserve your spot here
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.

Upcoming Second Mondays:
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th
September 9th
October – Date TBD
November – Date TBD
December 9th
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Second Mondays with CTWAC | June
2024-06-10 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

Topic: Potential Flash Points – How is the US positioned and what happens next?
From China and Taiwan to Iran and Israel, global areas of brewing conflict create mounting uncertainty for our future. How do our adversaries and these areas of instability pose a risk to our global future, and how is the U.S. positioned to confront that?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental articles will be provided to attendees.

The Details:
When: Monday, June 10 | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $25 | Limited availability | Reserve your spot here
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.

Upcoming Second Mondays:
June 10th: Potential Flash Points – How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
September 9th: Topic TBA*
October – Date TBD
November – Date TBD
December 9th
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Community Book Discussion on Climate Change
2024-06-12 18:00 - 19:30 | CT Public Broadcasting, Lobby, 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT, 06105, US
Join us in Hartford for a community discussion on the urgency of climate change, led by Susan Hoffman Fishman, a West Hartford-based environmental artist and writer, alongside former CTWAC Executive Director Felicity Harley. The conversation will refer to selections from American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau concerning our impact on climate change and our responsibility to our environment.
The Details
When: Wednesday, June 12th at 6:00PM
Where: Lobby at Connecticut Public | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford CT
Tickets: $15 for non-members | No charge for members* | Get tickets here
Dinner and refreshments will be provided. Space is limited.
Not sure if your membership is up to date? To check your membership status, contact Abby at: noyesa[at]ctwac.org or log in on the membership site.

You’re invited to celebrate 100 years of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut
Throughout the year, we’re hosting a series of events with some of the key supporters, members, and partners who have made a significant impact on the history of the Council. This event is a part of this community-inspired series in honor of our 100th anniversary.

Featuring
Susan Hoffman Fishman is a mixed-media painter, environmental artist and arts writer who has exhibited widely throughout the United States. Articles, interviews and reviews of Fishman’s work have appeared in Burning Worlds: Climate Change in Art & Literature, a publication of the Chicago Review of Books; The Washington Post, Art Spiel, Sci/Art Magazine, The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, The Hartford Courant, Artists and Climate Change and numerous others. Read more about Susan here.
Felicity Harley is a published journalist, writer, and a poet. She has also had a long career in assisting and founding a variety of arts and educationally focused nonprofits. Until 2013 she was the Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and is currently President of the Board of the Community Foundation for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Over the years Felicity has published articles and poetry in various chapbooks and publications. This year her five book science fiction series Until This Last will be published by a small UK publisher. You can find out more about her at her website.

About the Book
American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau
“’Each advance in environmental practice in our nation’s history…was preceded by a great book” – Bill McKibben, editor of American Earth.
As America and the world grapple with the consequences of global environmental change, writer and activist Bill McKibben offers this unprecedented, inspiring, and timely anthology gathering the best and most significant American environmental writing from the last two centuries.
Classics of the environmental imagination—the essays of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and John Burroughs; Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac; Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring—are set alongside an emerging activist movement, revealed by newly uncovered reports of pioneering campaigns for conservation, passages from landmark legal opinions and legislation, and searing protest speeches. Purchase American Earth here.

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member today. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Behind the White House Curtain with Steve Herman
2024-06-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
﻿Freedom of the press is a hallmark of our democracy. Steve Herman, a veteran member of the White House Press Corps, considers covering the U.S. President a key part of ensuring a healthy democracy. Join us in conversation with Steve on June 25 on what it’s really like to cover the President, and the importance of journalistic independence at a time when misinformation is so rampant. In conversation with Jim Falk.
The details:
When: Tuesday, June 25 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | Registration required
Buy Tickets on EventbriteRSVP Now

WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, and Perspectives Matter.

About the Book
Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President – and Why it Matters by Steven Herman
Going behind the scenes with a veteran member of the White House press corps
Steven L Herman, chief national correspondent for the nonpartisan, government-funded Voice of America (VOA), weaves together memoir and history to pull back the curtain on the inner workings of the White House press corps, giving readers a rare glimpse into the historic and current relationship between the president and the press.
Herman traces the trajectory of his career as a journalist—from learning to be skeptical of government officials’ statements when he worked as a novice reporter covering nuclear testing in Nevada in the 1970s to understanding the power of on-the-ground social media coverage after the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and facing the challenges of covering the Trump administration. He reflects on the experience of reporting on a president who once called journalists “enemies of the people”—and indeed, former president Trump singled out VOA, accusing the organization of being not a voice of America but rather a voice supporting Moscow’s and Beijing’s interests. Under questionable circumstances, top VOA executives lost their security clearances, and a dossier was prepared on Herman in an effort to remove him as White House bureau chief. With journalistic independence under threat, Herman feared not only for his career but also for “the soul of Voice of America.”
Throughout Behind the White House Curtain, Herman convincingly argues that public access to accurate, unbiased information is essential to a healthy and peaceful democracy, and that journalists can and should play a key role in pressing government officials to be truthful and transparent. At a time when misinformation is rampant and the need for unbiased coverage of current events is more urgent than ever, Herman reminds readers that freedom of the press is a foundational American right.
Purchase Behind the White House Curtain here.

About the Author
Steven L Herman is the chief national correspondent of the Voice of America (VOA), an adjunct assistant professor at Shenandoah University, and an adjunct lecturer in the journalism department of the University of Richmond. He covered the White House for VOA during the Trump administration and the first eight months of the Biden administration. He has traveled to more than 75 countries and territories, including reporting assignments in Afghanistan, Argentina, Bhutan, Burma, China, the Gaza Strip, North Korea, Peru, and Vietnam.
About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Summer Mondays with CTWAC | July
2024-07-15 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Monday, July 15th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Reserve your spot here
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Buy Tickets

Upcoming Second Mondays:
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
August 25th (Sunday): Female Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries
September 9th
October – Date TBD
November – Date TBD
December 9th
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

The End of Ambition with Steven Cook | America's Future in the Middle East
2024-08-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Webinar
***Rescheduled for August 1st***
What’s next for the U.S. in the Middle East? Join author Steven Cook, senior fellow for Middle East & Africa at the Council on Foreign Relations, in conversation with Jim Falk on what went wrong with U.S. involvement in the region, and how the U.S. should reimagine our strategic interests in the Middle East amid a changing global order. Purchase The End of Ambition here.
“Cook demonstrates with terrifying clarity that the Middle East’s reputation for devouring the schemes and dreams of great powers is sending to more and is more often than not a place where grandiose American ideas have gone to die.” Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The details:
When: Thursday, August 1 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | Register here

WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Austin, World Affairs Council of Charlotte, World Affairs Council of Colorado Springs, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, World Affairs Council of Houston, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Orange County, World Affairs Council of South Texas, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, WorldOregon, and Perspectives Matter.

About the Book
The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present and Future in the Middle East by Steven Cook
A clear-headed vision for the United States’ role in the Middle East that highlights the changing nature of US national interests and the challenges of grand strategizing at a time of profound change in the international order.
Following a long series of catastrophic misadventures in the Middle East over the last two decades, the American foreign policy community has tried to understand what went wrong. After weighing the evidence, they have mostly advised a retreat from the region. The basic view is that when the United States tries to advance change in the Middle East, it only makes matters worse.
In The End of Ambition, Steven A. Cook argues that while these analysts are rightly concerned that engagement drains US resources and distorts its domestic politics, the broader impulse to disengage tends to neglect important lessons from the past. Moreover, advocates of pulling back overlook the potential risks of withdrawal. Cook makes the bold claim that despite setbacks and moral costs, the United States has been overwhelmingly successful in protecting its core national interests in the Middle East. Conversely, overly ambitious policies to remake the region and leverage US power not only ended in failure, but rendered the region unstable in new and largely misunderstood ways.
While making the case that retrenchment is not the answer to America’s problems in the Middle East, The End of Ambition highlights how America’s interests in the region have begun to change and critically examines alternative approaches to US-Middle East policy. Cook highlights the challenges that policymakers and analysts confront developing a new strategy for the United States in the Middle East against the backdrop of both political uncertainty in the United States and a changing global order. Purchase The End of Ambition here.

About the Author
Steven A. Cook is Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy. Cook is the author of False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East. He is a columnist at Foreign Policy magazine and speaks Arabic and Turkish.

About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and Global Santa Fe’s Program Chair. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Global Security Forum 2024
2024-09-20 08:00 - 15:30 | Goodwin University, 1 Riverside Dr, East Hartford, CT, 06118, United States
Join us on Sept. 19 and 20 for the world’s leading event on global security, right here in Hartford.
GSF 2024 will bring you the world’s biggest names in global security ever seen on our stage. Generals, experts, policymakers, and foreign leaders come together for cutting-edge conversations on the biggest security concerns we face and the strategic alliances and Power Plays competing to decide our future.
Secure your spot today and learn more about GSF2024.
GSF is a critical opportunity to engage and inform our future and current leaders on the issues that impact us all – from disruptive tech and climate security to uneasy alliances and ironclad relationships. This event is not to be missed.

The world’s top security leadership. Here in Hartford.

John Podesta, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
CPT. Flo Groberg, Recipient of the Medal of Honor *VIP Reception Exclusive
Amb. Kurt Volker, fmr. U.S. Ambassador to NATO
ADM Kevin Lunday, Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
Hon. Sherri Goodman, first Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security, Secretary General of the International Military Council on Climate & Security
LTG Iulian Berdilă, Deputy Chief of Defense of Romania
David Sanger: White House & National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
LTG Robert Ashley (U.S. Army, Ret.): Former Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
RADM Kathleen Creighton (U.S. Navy, Ret.): Fmr. Navy Cyber Security Division Director
Amb. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley: President, Middle East Policy Council & former U.S. Ambassador to Malta
Dr. Wanda Jones-Heath: Principal Cyber Advisor for the Department of the Air Force
MG Matthew Easley (U.S. Army, Ret.): Associate Dean of Joint Warfighting at the College of Information and Cyberspace, National Defense University
RADM Michael Van Poots (U.S. Navy): Commander, Undersea Warfighting Development Center
RADM Jakob D. Rousøe (Royal Danish Navy): Defence Attaché to the U.S., Denmark
MGen Michel-Henri St-Louis: Canadian Defence Attaché to the United States
MG Windsor S. Buzza (U.S. Army): Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Forces Command
LTG Michael Moeller (U.S. Air Force, Ret.): Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, U.S. Air Force and current VP of CTWAC Board of Directors
CAPT Andrea H. Cameron (U.S. Navy): Permanent Military Professor, National Security Affairs Dept. & Director, Climate & Human Security Group, Naval War College
MG Garrett Yee (U.S. Army, Ret.): Vice President and General Manager of the Army Sector, General Dynamics Information Technology
LTC Luke Knittig (U.S. Army, Ret.)
LTC Christopher Gin (U.S. Army)
Arthur House: Adjunct Professor, University of Connecticut
MIDN Walker French: Midshipman, U.S. Naval Academy
MIDN Mary Mergott, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Stay in the know about exciting speaker announcements and updates.

Sponsors and Supporters

Support the Global Security Forum
At the Council, we believe that knowledge is power and the future is global. Our partners and supporters play a critical role in supporting our mission and enable us to make this essential event accessible to our community. We invite you to join us as a partner in our mission and support the Global Security Forum.

Presenting Partners

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Ronald Reagan: His Life & Legend with Max Boot | WorldNow
2024-09-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Historian, author, and CFR foreign policy expert Max Boot reintroduces us to one of America’s most consequential and controversial presidents – and his lasting impact on the U.S. and the world. In conversation with Jim Falk.
“A timely and fascinating book, just what we need to understand, and perhaps transcend, our current age of political paralysis and polarization…Understanding Reagan is key to understanding our politics today.” –Walter Isaacson, author of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs
The details:
When: Monday, September 23 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | Register for Zoom link

WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, SMU Center for Presidential History, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Austin, World Affairs Council of Colorado Springs, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, World Affairs Council of Houston, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Orange County, World Affairs Council of South Texas, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, WorldOregon, and Perspectives Matter.

About the Book

Reagan: His Life & Legend by Max Boot
Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician—America’s fortieth President comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.
From best-selling biographer Max Boot comes this revelatory portrait, a decade in the making, of the actor-turned-politician whose telegenic leadership ushered in a transformative conservative era in American politics. Despite his fame as a Hollywood star and television host, Reagan remained a man of profound contradictions, even to those closest to him. Never resorting to either hagiography or hit job, REAGAN charts his epic journey from Depression-era America to “Morning in America.” Providing fresh insight into “trickle-down economics,” the Cold War’s end, the Iran-Contra affair, and so much more, this definitive biography is as compelling a presidential biography as any in recent decades. Purchase Reagan: His Life & Legend here.

About the Author
Max Boot, historian and foreign-policy analyst, is a senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist for the Washington Post. His New York Times bestseller, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography.

About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and Global Santa Fe’s Program Chair. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Second Mondays with CTWAC | September
2024-09-30 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Monday, September 30th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Reserve your spot here
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.

Upcoming Second Mondays:
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle – or Embrace – Disinformation
October – Date TBD
November – Date TBD
December 9th
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points – How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Second Mondays with CTWAC | October
2024-10-14 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Monday, October 14th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Reserve your spot here

Upcoming Second Mondays:
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – *Topic TBA
December 9th
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points – How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle – or Embrace – Disinformation

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

America's Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze & National Security with James Graham Wilson | WorldNow
2024-10-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Author James Graham Wilson joins us for another episode of WorldNow with Jim Falk on Paul Nitze, America’s most influential national security strategist throughout the Cold War.
“In his superb America’s Cold Warrior…Wilson portrays Nitze as consistently animated by a single, ‘steadfast conviction that the United States needed to possess overriding strength.’” – Foreign Policy Magazine
Purchase America’s Cold Warrior here | Get on Bookshop.org | Collected Works Bookstore
The details:
When: Wednesday, October 23 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | Register for Zoom link

WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Austin, World Affairs Council of Charlotte, World Affairs Council of Colorado Springs, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, World Affairs Council of Houston, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Orange County, World Affairs Council of South Texas, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, WorldOregon, and Perspectives Matter.

About the Book

America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan by James Graham Wilson
In America’s Cold Warrior, James Graham Wilson traces Paul Nitze’s career path in national security after World War II, a time when many of his mentors and peers returned to civilian life. Serving in eight presidential administrations, Nitze commanded White House attention even when he was out of government, especially with his withering criticism of Jimmy Carter during Carter’s presidency. While Nitze is perhaps best known for leading the formulation of NSC-68, which Harry Truman signed in 1950, Wilson contends that Nitze’s most significant contribution to American peace and security came in the painstaking work done in the 1980s to negotiate successful treaties with the Soviets to reduce nuclear weapons while simultaneously deflecting skeptics surrounding Ronald Reagan. America’s Cold Warrior connects Nitze’s career and concerns about strategic vulnerability to the post-9/11 era and the challenges of the 2020s, where the United States finds itself locked in geopolitical competition with the People’s Republic of China and Russia.
Purchase America’s Cold Warrior here | Get on Bookshop.org | Collected Works Bookstore

About the Author
James Graham Wilson is a Historian at the US Department of State, where he is currently responsible for editing volumes in the Foreign Relations of the United States series on arms control and national security during the Reagan Administration. In addition to America’s Cold Warrior, he is also the author of The Triumph of Improvisation: Gorbachev’s Adaptability, Reagan’s Engagement, and the End of the Cold War.

About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and Global Santa Fe’s Program Chair. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Hosts & Partners

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Avoiding a Forever War with Dr. Trita Parsi | What Escalation Between Israel & Iran Means for the U.S.
2024-11-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Rescheduled for November 6th
The conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating at a rapid pace. With the U.S. deploying 100 U.S. service members and a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) Missile Defense System to Israel, the U.S. seems to be signaling increased involvement in the conflict.

As Israel and Iran trade attacks, join us for a conversation on the escalating tensions, U.S. involvement, and whether or not the U.S. risks entering another “forever war.”
Dr. Trita Parsi, Executive VP of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, award-winning author, and community favorite of CTWAC returns to address these challenges and more.
RSVP today for the inside look at this rapidly developing conflict.
The details:
When: Wednesday, November 6th | 7:00 PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | Register for Zoom link
Register Today

Become a Member
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Second Tuesday Dinner with CTWAC | November
2024-11-12 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Tuesday, November 12th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Reserve your spot here

Upcoming Second Mondays:
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
December 9th – Energy Policy & Global Stability
2025
January 13th – *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election

Stay Globally Involved
Renew your membership or become a member on our website. As a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, you can get exclusive access to events and travel opportunities, build relationships with local leaders and global dignitaries, and join our community of global citizens. Let us bring the world to you.

Model United Nations 2024
2024-12-06 - 2024-12-07 | University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave, West Hartford, CT, 06117, US
The CTWAC Model United Nations brings together over 1,000 Connecticut high school students to engage in debate and diplomacy, preparing them to become our future leaders.
The Council’s MUN program is exclusively student-run, offering students opportunities to take leadership positions and negotiate with peers. Students experience the inner workings of international policymaking as they tackle global issues and controversies, navigate crisis scenarios, debate solutions, and draft resolutions. Delegates also have the opportunity to travel to New York to tour the United Nations Headquarters, meet diplomats from the countries they’ll represent, and discuss timely global issues with the policymakers currently working to solve them.
The World Affairs Council of Connecticut’s Model UN began in 1952 at Hartford Public High School and is now one of the largest and longest continuously running Model UN programs in the world. In its 72 years, the program has impacted over 54,000 students across Connecticut.

Learn more about the CTWAC Model UN program and how to get involved here.

Sponsors

Model UN’s impact on the students:
“I learned new skills every year I participated, and though this was my last year with MUN, the skills I’m walking away with are ones that I will carry with me forever.”
“Through MUN, I was able to craft my own opinions on our world’s pressing issues and work to create a resolution to solve them.”
“Model UN gave me a place to learn more about the world, while also giving me an outlet to better my public speaking skills and my research skills.”

About the World Affairs Council of Connecticut
The World Affairs Council of Connecticut (CTWAC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1924. Through community engagement and collaboration, the World Affairs Council of Connecticut creates experiences that explore critical global issues and promote a greater understanding of the world. Learn more about what we do here and how you can get involved. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
