World Affairs Council of Connecticut

Travel the World with World Affairs
2026-03-20 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | World Affairs Council of Connecticut, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
Ready to plan your next adventure? Join fellow explorers, globally curious friends, and Council members for an engaging morning of conversation, connection, and inspiration.
We are delighted to welcome Andrew Haught, Director of Travel at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, who will share insider insights on upcoming international journeys designed to bring global learning and cultural immersion to life.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just dreaming about your next destination, this is your opportunity to:

Connect with fellow travelers and globally minded peers
Share stories and inspiration from past adventures
Discover exclusive upcoming travel opportunities through the World Affairs network
Begin planning your next unforgettable journey

Join us to enjoy coffee and light bites, ignite your curiosity, and discover where in the world you’ll go next.
The Details
When: Friday, March 20 | 10am – 11am
Where: World Affairs Council Office, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT
Tickets: No charge, RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

Free Parking on site | Refreshments and light bites

Mission Partners

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities - or learn more on our website.

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.

An Evening with Rick Steves Presented by Bradley International Airport
2026-03-19 17:00 - 20:00 | Goodwin University Auditorium, 1 Riverside Drive, East Hartford, CT, 06118
Join the World Affairs Council of Connecticut to welcome Rick Steves – America’s favorite travel guide – for a special one-night event in Hartford. Presented by Bradley International Airport, where your next journey to Ireland, UK, and Europe begins. RSVP Today.
For decades, Rick Steves has helped Americans discover the world through his iconic travel guidebooks, TV shows, and advocacy for travel as a bridge to global understanding.
This spring at the Council, hear from America’s most trusted travel expert and beloved host of Rick Steves Europe as he shares his personal journey, memorable travel stories, and why he believes in travel as a political act.
Come early for the World Affairs Council Travel Expo & Reception, where you’ll explore exciting travel opportunities from Connecticut to destinations around the globe. Meet expert travel advisors, uncover exclusive offers, and spark ideas for your next great adventure.
Thursday, March 19 | 5-8pm | Goodwin University, Hartford, CT
5pm | World Affairs Council Travel Expo
6pm | Presentation by Rick Steves
7:30pm | Book Sale & Signing
Tickets: $55 General Admission | $45 Member Admission
Please note: All ticket sales are final and non-refundable. Thank you for understanding.
Get Tickets

Unlock special member pricing for this event by becoming a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut today.
Not a member? Join here or select the membership add-on during checkout. Reach out to Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org with any questions.

About Rick

Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. He is the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe, a travel business with a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Rick lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.
Learn more about Rick and explore all his works at ricksteves.com.

Sponsored By

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

Second Monday with CTWAC | March 2026
2026-03-09 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members and friends 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: The Iran Question

This weekend’s U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran – which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders – have shaken the region and plunged the world into uncertainty. Iran and its allies have retaliated with missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases and military sites across the region, while the U.S. President weighs an extended war against Iran. Do these strikes open the door for regime change in Iran, or is the Middle East now headed towards a wider war? What comes next for regional stability, global oil markets, and international security?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental readings will be provided to attendees

The Details:
When: Monday, March 9th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP, Stamford, CT
Tickets: $20 Members, $30 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
March 9th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
February 9th - Is 'The West' Over?
January 12th - What Just Happened in Venezuela?
2025
December 8th - Global Inequality & its Impacts on Societal Stability
November 10th - Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Drones
October 13th - A New Era of U.S. Foreign Policy
September 15th - Counterterrorism or Extra-Legal Killings: When Do Strikes on Non-State Targets Cross the Line?
June 9th - What's at stake in the India-Pakistan conflict?
May 12th - So many elections - what do they all mean?
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
February 10th – The End of USAID?
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
2024
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
September 30th – Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
July 15th – The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
June 10th – Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
May 20th – Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
April 8th – War in Gaza: How did we get here?
March 11th – Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?

Mission Partners

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.

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.

Women in Power: Ambassador Susan Page | International Women’s Day
2026-03-05 12:00 - 12:40 | Zoom Webinar
Women’s representation in global leadership has slowed and, in some places, backslid in recent years. We ask why this is occurring – and where women’s leadership is thriving – with Ambassador Susan Page. Ambassador Page was the first U.S. Ambassador to the newly independent South Sudan and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
Celebrate International Women’s Day and explore where women are leading – from Ukraine to Mexico to Italy – where women leaders are facing increased challenges, and what it means for the world when women are in power.
This celebration of International Women’s Day is part of an annual collaboration between the Women’s Leadership Center at the University of Saint Joseph and the World Affairs Council of Connecticut.
The Details
When: Thursday, March 5 | 12:00PM – 12:40PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, suggested $20 donation
Reserve your spot today

Featuring

Ambassador Susan D. Page
Former U.S. Amb. to South Sudan; Director, Weiser Diplomacy Center; Professor of Practice in International Diplomacy at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and Professor from Practice at the University of Michigan's Law School
Ambassador Susan D. Page, a former diplomat, joined the Ford School faculty and the Weiser Diplomacy Center in 2020 as a Professor of Practice in International Diplomacy. She also serves as a Professor from Practice at the Law School. Page has served the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations in senior roles for decades, across East, Central, and Southern Africa, and in Haiti and Nepal.
Page was the first U.S. ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan and served as deputy assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, covering Central and Southern Africa, and Sudan; legal adviser to the IGAD-led peace process that resulted in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) for Sudan. Page also served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). Among her many roles, she was attorney-adviser for Politico-Military Affairs in the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser, USAID regional legal advisor in Kenya and Botswana covering East and Southern Africa, and political officer in Rwanda.
Page earned a JD from Harvard Law School and an AB in English with high distinction from the University of Michigan. She was awarded a Rotary International Postgraduate Fellowship to Nepal where she conducted research on women’s and children’s rights. In addition, she received certificates of merit and distinction from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland before attending law school. Ambassador Page is an elected member of the American Academy of Diplomacy, a board member of Road Scholar, and a member of the Association of Black American Ambassadors.

Presented By

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

Immigration, Enforcement, & Human Rights with Kica Matos
2026-02-19 17:30 - 19:00 | Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St, Hartford, CT
Join us for a candid conversation with Kica Matos, President of the National Immigration Law Center, on the realities of U.S. immigration policy today – and how these decisions resonate far beyond our borders.
From ICE enforcement practices and detention policy to ongoing legal challenges and federal reform efforts, this timely program will examine how immigration policy is being shaped – and contested – in real time, and what it means for communities, the rule of law, and our nation’s future.
A partnership between the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Hartford Public Library
Details
When: Thursday, February 19 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Doors open 5:30pm
Where: Hartford Public Library’s Downtown Library
Center for Contemporary Culture
500 Main Street
Tickets: No charge | RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

Please consider making a small contribution to the World Affairs Council when registering in support of this program.
If you require special accommodations to take part in this program, please call (860)874-2434 at least two weeks in advance.

With Special Guest

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. Kica joined NILC and IJF as executive vice president of programs and strategy in January 2023. Prior to this, Kica was vice president of initiatives at the Vera Institute of Justice. She also served as the director of immigrant rights and racial justice at the Center for Community Change. She has extensive experience as an advocate, community organizer, and lawyer.
Kica has also headed up the U.S. Reconciliation and Human Rights Program at Atlantic Philanthropies. Before joining Atlantic Philanthropies, she was deputy mayor in New Haven, overseeing community programs and launching new initiatives, including prisoner re-entry and youth and immigrant integration. Kica was previously the executive director of JUNTA, New Haven’s oldest Latino advocacy organization. She also worked as an assistant federal defender for death-sentenced inmates and with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Amnesty International on the death penalty and criminal justice issues.
She has a B.A. from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, an M.A. from the New School, and a J.D. from Cornell Law School. She was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Albertus Magnus College in 2017 and the University of New Haven in 2019. She is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award, and in 2021, she was inducted into the CT Women’s Hall of Fame.

In partnership with

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

The Great Firewall with Yi-Ling Liu | WorldNow
2026-02-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Thirty years ago, the world began to discover the power of the Internet: a digital world and resource to connect, share ideas, learn, and earn. While the rest of the world connected, the Chinese government began creating a system of strict surveillance and censorship on its internet – now known as the Great Firewall.
Today, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith, what is the true online and on-the ground reality for Chinese citizens?
Join us February 10th on WorldNow as author and journalist Yi-Ling Liu tells the untold story of the Chinese internet. Hear how Chinese citizens have navigated the last 30 years of surveillance and censorship while searching for freedom and connection – behind the Great Firewall
The details:
When: Tuesday, February 10 | 7:00pm-8:00pm Eastern / 6pm Central
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Author

Yi-Ling Liu is a writer & editor covering AI and Chinese society, from a human-centered lens. She is currently a journalist-in-residence at the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism. She is the author of The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet¸out on February 3rd.
Her work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, WIRED, and The New York Review of Books. She is a New America Fellow, a recipient of the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award, and an Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholar. Born and raised in Hong Kong, and a graduate of Yale University, she now lives in London.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is a Director of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book

The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet by Yi-Ling Liu
An eye-opening exploration of the Chinese internet that reveals the intricate dance between freedom and control in contemporary China.
In the late 1990s, as the world was waking up to the power and emancipatory promise of the internet, Chinese authorities began constructing a system of online surveillance and censorship now known as the Great Firewall. But far from being a barren landscape, the digital world that sprouted up behind the firewall brimmed with new subcultures and tech innovations, offering many Chinese citizens previously unimaginable connection and opportunity.
Today, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith, journalist Yi-Ling Liu presents an intimate portrait of China’s online ecosystem—and a crucial lens into the on-the-ground reality of life there. Tracing the last three decades of the Chinese internet’s evolution—from its lexicon to its memes to the precise nature of its censorship—she equips readers with a critical tool to assess the past, present, and future of a global power.
Drawing on years of firsthand reporting, The Wall Dancers weaves together the stories of individuals navigating China’s transformation into both the world’s largest online user base and one of its most populous authoritarian states. As these entrepreneurs, activists, artists, and dreamers experience the internet’s power as a tool for both control and liberation, they grapple with universal questions of success and authenticity, love and solidarity, faith and resilience.
The Wall Dancers is at once an unforgettable work of human storytelling and a vital exploration of what it means to live with dignity and hope within the technological systems that now shape all our lives.
Order a copy of The Wall Dancers, out on February 3, 2026.

Presented by
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and the World Affairs Councils of America. Presented in partnership with Councils nationwide:

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

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 World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

Second Monday with CTWAC | February 2026
2026-02-09 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members and friends 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: Is ‘The West’ Over?

U.S. tariff threats, uncertainty facing Greenland and NATO, and growing strains in EU-U.S. relations are testing once-solid transatlantic ties. Are these tensions temporary realignments that will strengthen the transatlantic partnership – or a sign that the idea of “the West” is unraveling? If so, what replaces it, and how might that reshape global trade, security, and international alliances?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental readings will be provided to attendees

The Details:
When: Monday, February 9th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP, Stamford, CT
Tickets: $20 Members, $30 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
February 9th - Is 'The West' Over?
March 9th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
January 12th - What Just Happened in Venezuela?
2025
December 8th - Global Inequality & its Impacts on Societal Stability
November 10th - Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Drones
October 13th - A New Era of U.S. Foreign Policy
September 15th - Counterterrorism or Extra-Legal Killings: When Do Strikes on Non-State Targets Cross the Line?
June 9th - What's at stake in the India-Pakistan conflict?
May 12th - So many elections - what do they all mean?
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
February 10th – The End of USAID?
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
2024
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
September 30th – Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
July 15th – The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
June 10th – Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
May 20th – Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
April 8th – War in Gaza: How did we get here?
March 11th – Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?

Mission Partners

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.

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.

Bad Bunny and the History of Puerto Rico with Dr. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo
2026-02-04 19:00 - 19:30 | Zoom Webinar
Global superstar and Puerto Rican icon Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, and we refuse to let you show up without context.
Before kickoff, join Dr. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, UConn alum, author of Puerto Rico: A National History, and the historian who worked with Bad Bunny on his Puerto Rican residency, for a deeper look at Puerto Rico’s history, its complex relationship with the United States, and the futures the Puerto Rican people envision for themselves. We’ll also explore behind the scenes of Bad Bunny’s meteoric rise, the messages in his music, and his global impact.
Come for the context, stay for the culture, and leave ready to impress your friends and family with the best Bad Bunny facts at your Super Bowl party.
Know the lyrics? Now know the history. RSVP today.
The Details
When: Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 7:00PM – 7:30PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, suggested $20 donation
Reserve your spot today

Featuring
Dr. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo
Author & Associate Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo is a historian of Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Latin America and the author, most recently, of the critically acclaimed book, Puerto Rico: A National History (Princeton University Press, 2024), translated to Spanish by Aurora Lauzardo Ugarte as Puerto Rico: historia de una nación (Grupo Planeta, 2024). He is also the author of The Lettered Barriada: Workers, Archival Power, and the Politics of Knowledge in Puerto Rico (Duke University Press, 2021) and Voces libertarias: Orígenes del anarquismo en Puerto Rico (Secret Sailor Books, 2013)
Dr. Meléndez-Badillo is also the co-editor of Without Borders or Limits: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Anarchist Studies (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013) and editor of Páginas libres: Breve antología del pensamiento anarquista en Puerto Rico (Editora Educación Emergente, 2021). I am also the co-editor of Interrogating the Future of Puerto Rican Studies, forthcoming with Duke University Press in 2026.
More recently, he collaborated with global superstar Bad Bunny in the creation of historical narratives that accompanied each song’s YouTube visualizer in DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. He also wrote 40 historical and cultural short texts that are used in the screens of Bad Bunny’s historic residency in Puerto Rico. His work has been featured in the LA Times, Vogue, New York Magazine, Good Morning America, Univisión, Telemundo, AFP, La Nación, La Jornada, and El Nuevo Día, among many national and international outlets.
Before UW-Madison, he was a Mellon Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor of History at Dartmouth College. He is from the capital of the Caribbean: Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

Moderated By
Amanda Jolly
Moderator | World Affairs Council of Connecticut
Amanda is the former Vice President for Programs and Communications at the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and international nonprofit technology consultant. Amanda is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University SAIS with a Master’s Degree in Global Risk and a specialization in digital policy.

Host & Partners

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

The Trillion Dollar War Machine with Bill Hartung | WorldNow
2026-01-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
The U.S. spends nearly a trillion dollars on its military each year, making up 40% of the world’s military spending. Is this spending really keeping America safe?
Bill Hartung, author and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, argues that not only is this spending not keeping America safe, but it is endangering both the U.S. and the world at large.
On January 21st, Hartung joins WorldNow with Jim Falk to reveal how the American military industrial complex operates, its key players – from Hollywood and Silicon Valley to lobbyists and the Pentagon’s top contractors – and how we can secure America’s future and prosperity by re-envisioning America’s trillion-dollar war machine.
The details:
When: Wednesday, January 21 | 7:00pm-8:00pm Eastern / 6pm Central
Where: Zoom Webinar | Registration required
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Author

William D. Hartung is a senior fellow at the Quincy Institute, focusing on the arms industry and US military budget. He was previously the director of the Arms and Security Program at the Center for International Policy and the co-director of the Center’s Sustainable Defense Task Force. Bill is the co-author, with Ben Freeman, of the recently released The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us at Home.
Bill previously directed programs at the New America Foundation and the World Policy Institute. He also worked as a speechwriter and policy analyst for New York State Attorney General Robert Abrams. Hartung’s articles on security issues have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, and the World Policy Journal.
He has been a featured expert on national security issues on CBS 60 Minutes, NBC Nightly News, the PBS Newshour, CNN, Fox News, and scores of local, regional, and international TV and radio outlets.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is a Director of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book

The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us at Home by William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman
A hard-hitting investigation into how the Pentagon’s runaway spending embroils America in foreign wars, squanders its wealth, and enriches a privileged elite
“A damning indictment of the conflicts of interest running rampant in the defense establishment.”―Publishers Weekly
America spends nearly a trillion dollars a year on its military. This extraordinary spending not only detracts from our ability to address pressing social problems but compels us into foreign wars to justify our vast arsenal. Sold to us in the name of “security,” our military industrial complex actually makes us far less safe.
Top policy experts William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman follow the profits of militarism from traditional Pentagon contractors, which receive more than half of the Pentagon’s budget, to the upstart high-tech firms that shamelessly promote unproven and destabilizing technologies. They unmask the enablers of the war machine—politicians, lobbyists, the media, Hollywood, think tanks, and so many more—whose work enriches a wealthy elite at the expense of everybody else, spreading conflict around the world and embroiling America in endless wars.
A damning tour de force, The Trillion Dollar War Machine shows who is pulling the strings and pushing for war, and offers a blueprint for how we can shut down the war machine and restore American security and prosperity.
Get yourself a copy of The Trillion Dollar War Machine on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore.

Presented by
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and the World Affairs Councils of America. Presented in partnership with Councils nationwide:

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

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 World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

[Postponed] Greenland, Denmark, & the U.S.
2026-01-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar
Thank you for your interest in this event. Unfortunately, this discussion has been postponed as MG Jensen’s schedule has changed due to the unprecedented current events that require his full attention.
The Embassy of Denmark would like to share that MG Jensen highly values this discourse and we’re working hard to reschedule. We will announce the new date and time as soon as MG Jensen’s schedule and the diplomatic situation allows. Please check back soon.
Any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Council at: info@ctwac.org.

The U.S. has stated its desire to take Greenland – by purchase or by force.
President Trump claims the island is a strategic Arctic asset, and that U.S. ownership would deter Russia and China. Denmark’s leadership states the island is “not for sale,” and the use of military force to take Greenland could mean the end of NATO. Greenland itself prefers Denmark, according to its Prime Minister.
As this conflict unfolds between NATO allies, Major General Karsten Jensen, Defence Attache of Denmark to the U.S. joins the Council to speak with us directly.
RSVP now to hear directly from Denmark’s top military representative in the U.S., on Denmark’s response to U.S. threats and the future of the Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S.
The Details
When: Wednesday, Jan. 21 | 12:00PM – 1:00PM ET Postponed
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, suggested $20 donation
Reserve your spot today

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

250 Years of American Diplomacy
2026-01-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave, Fairfield, CT, 06890, United States
Featuring Michael Brenes, Director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, we’re taking a closer look at the powerful force that is U.S. diplomacy.
The World Affairs Council of Connecticut and the Pequot Library invite you to a special evening exploring the evolution of U.S. diplomacy – from pivotal decisions to defining figures and from the impact of U.S. leadership on world history to where the U.S. is headed in the century ahead.
How did diplomacy shape the nation into a superpower and where is the U.S. headed next? RSVP to find out.

Details
Thursday, January 15, 2026 | 6pm – 7:30pm
Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave, Southport
Tickets: No Charge, RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

With Special Guest
Michael Brenes is co-director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy and lecturer in history at Yale University.
His research interests include United States foreign policy, political history, and political economy. He is the author of For Might and Right: Cold War Defense Spending and the Remaking of American Democracy, published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2020, and the co-editor (with Daniel Bessner) of Rethinking U.S. Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations, published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2024. His next book, co-authored with Van Jackson, is titled The Rivalry Peril: How Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy, and will be published by Yale University Press in January 2025.
In addition to his academic articles and book chapters, his work has been published in The New York Times, The New Republic, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico, Dissent, Boston Review, The Nation, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
He is currently writing a history of the War and Terror from the 1990s to the present, to be published by Grove/Atlantic. He is also finalizing a co-edited volume with Daniel Bessner on Cold War liberalism, which is under contract with Cambridge University Press.

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

The Architect of Espionage: The Man Who Built Israel's Mossad | WorldNow
2026-01-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
How did Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, come to be one of the world’s most notorious and prominent players in global intelligence? Just look to Meir Dagan, the Mossad’s former director who transformed the service into the leading force in counterterrorism and espionage it is today.
Samuel Katz, bestselling author of The Architect of Espionage: The Man Who Built Israel’s Mossad in to the World’s Boldest Intelligence Force, joins WorldNow to introduce us to the former Mossad director.
Katz will give us an inside look at Dagan’s leadership and the operations carried out during his tenure, including counterterrorism efforts, covert missions related to Iran’s nuclear program, and expanded intelligence cooperation with international partners – and how he transformed modern espionage and the Middle East.
The details:
When: Wednesday, January 14 | 7:00PM EST / 6PM Central
Where: Zoom Webinar | Registration required
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Author

Samuel M. Katz is a New York Times bestselling author who has written over twenty books on the Arab Israeli conflict, military and law enforcement special operations, espionage, and counterterrorism. He has written hundreds of articles for magazines and journals around the world, as well as documentaries for television. He is also the former editor-in-chief of Special Operations Report, a trade publication for the world’s commando and counterterrorist community. Katz lectures police agencies and military commands around the world on the history of terrorism, and he is a frequent guest on television and radio networks.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is a Director of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book
The Architect of Espionage: The Man Who Built Israel’s Mossad into the World’s Boldest Intelligence Force by Samuel M. Katz
From a New York Times bestselling author and an expert on Middle Eastern conflict comes a riveting biography of Meir Dagan, the legendary Mossad director who transformed Israel’s intelligence service into a global powerhouse of espionage and counterterrorism.
In The Architect of Espionage, Samuel M. Katz masterfully chronicles the life of Meir Dagan, a visionary covert warfare veteran who revolutionized the art of intelligence and espionage. Born in the shadows of the Holocaust, his life personified the modern history of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Dagan’s journey embodies decisive action, innovative thought, and bold leadership under fire. His tenure as the head of the Mossad marked a transformative era in Israel’s history, reshaping the agency into a formidable global force.
Dagan spent thirty-two years in uniform, and under his eight-year leadership, Mossad orchestrated a series of high-stakes missions, including targeted assassinations, clandestine attempts to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, and the covert expansion of Israel’s strategic collaborations with members of the global intelligence fraternity, notably with the CIA. These operations not only bolstered Israel’s security but also altered the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East.
Katz brings to life the portrait of a spymaster whose influence extended far beyond Israel’s borders, shaping intelligence relationships across the Middle East and worldwide.
For anyone captivated by espionage thrillers or historical biographies, this is an essential and timely read, providing an insightful glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential spymasters of our era.
Get yourself a copy of The Architect of Espionage on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore.

Presented by
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and the World Affairs Councils of America. Presented in partnership with Councils nationwide:

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Se-Min Sohn

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

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 World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.

Second Monday with CTWAC | January 2026
2026-01-12 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members and friends 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, January 12th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP, Stamford, CT
Tickets: $20 Members, $30 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
2026
January 12th - What Just Happened in Venezuela?
February 9th - *Topic TBA
March 9th
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2025
December 8th - Global Inequality & its Impacts on Societal Stability
November 10th - Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Drones
October 13th - A New Era of U.S. Foreign Policy
September 15th - Counterterrorism or Extra-Legal Killings: When Do Strikes on Non-State Targets Cross the Line?
June 9th - What's at stake in the India-Pakistan conflict?
May 12th - So many elections - what do they all mean?
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
February 10th – The End of USAID?
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
2024
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
September 30th – Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
July 15th – The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
June 10th – Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
May 20th – Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
April 8th – War in Gaza: How did we get here?
March 11th – Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.

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.

Briefing: Maduro's Capture & the Future of U.S.-Venezuela Relations
2026-01-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar
What just happened in Venezuela?
Join us for a special virtual briefing with Amb. Charles Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela (2002-2004), on the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. troops in Caracas and what’s next for U.S.-Venezuela relations.
Co-moderated by Aaron Rosen, President & Founder of the World Affairs Council of Miami and Rickey Bevington, President of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.
Features special commentary on counter-narcotics by former U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Luis Moreno, former U.S. Narcotics Affairs Director in Bogota, Colombia.
Details
Wednesday, January 7 | 12:00pm ET
Zoom Webinar

Featuring
Ambassador Charles Shapiro
Ambassador (ret.) Charles Shapiro is a senior advisor at the Pendleton Group, co-founder of Art of Diplomacy Tours, and a Professor of Practice at the Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.
A career foreign service officer with 34 years of service, Shapiro held a number of senior positions at the United States Department of State including Ambassador to Venezuela, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Coordinator for Cuban Affairs.
In 2011 Shapiro became the president of the Institute of the Americas, a think tank at the University of California San Diego. In 2014 he became president of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. While at the World Affairs Council, he taught international business in the Executive MBA program at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.
Shapiro’s op-eds have been published in the Toronto Star, Efecto Cocuyo, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the Miami Herald, the San Diego Union Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
Ambassador Luis G. Moreno
Ambassador Moreno previously served as U.S. Narcotics Affairs Director in Bogota, Colombia and was instrumental in planning and implementing Plan Colombia (a U.S. foreign aid and military initiative aimed at supporting counter-narcotics in Colombia)

Presented by

Holiday Open House
2025-12-17 17:00 - 19:00 | World Affairs Council of Connecticut, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
You’re invited to a fun and festive happy hour open house with fellow World Affairs Council members, board of directors, and special guests. Featuring festive drinks and snacks, and – above all – the chance to connect, discuss everything that happened in the world this year, and meet a new connection at the Council. We can’t wait to see you there.
The Details
When: Wednesday, Dec. 17 | 5:00PM – 7:00PM
Where: World Affairs Council Office, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT
Tickets: No charge, RSVP Required
Free Parking on site | Festive Refreshments and light bites
RSVP

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.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities - or learn more on our website.

Venezuela and the U.S.: What Comes Next?
2025-12-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Gunboat diplomacy, armed conflict, or all-out regime change? As tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to rachet up, all outcomes and more seem to be on the table.
The U.S. has declared an armed conflict with Venezuela, increased military pressure in the Caribbean, and accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of heading Cartel de los Soles, recently declared to be a foreign terrorist organization. Simultaneously, President Trump has indicated an openness to talks with his Venezuelan counterpart.
Is the U.S. headed towards war with Venezuela?
Former Ambassador to Venezuela, Charles Shapiro, joins us to unpack everything we know about the potential of further U.S. military action and what could come next.
A career foreign service officer with 34 years of service, Amb. Shapiro held a number of senior positions at the United States Department of State including Ambassador to Venezuela, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Coordinator for Cuban Affairs.
The Details:
When: Tuesday, Dec. 9 | 7:00PM – 8:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, suggested $20 donation
Reserve your spot today

Featuring
Ambassador Charles Shapiro
Ambassador (ret.) Charles Shapiro is a senior advisor at the Pendleton Group, co-founder of Art of Diplomacy Tours, and a Professor of Practice at the Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.
A career foreign service officer with 34 years of service, Shapiro held a number of senior positions at the United States Department of State including Ambassador to Venezuela, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Coordinator for Cuban Affairs.
In 2011 Shapiro became the president of the Institute of the Americas, a think tank at the University of California San Diego. In 2014 he became president of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. While at the World Affairs Council, he taught international business in the Executive MBA program at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.
Shapiro’s op-eds have been published in the Toronto Star, Efecto Cocuyo, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the Miami Herald, the San Diego Union Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
Moderated by

Megan Clark Torrey
CEO, World Affairs Council of Connecticut
Megan Clark Torrey is the CEO of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut. In 2016, she founded the Global Security Forum – a globally recognized forum for defense and security hosted annually in Hartford, CT.
In 2022, Megan participated in the Secretary of Defense Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC93), and in 2023 was nominated by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro to be the first U.S. Navy Community Ambassador to Connecticut.
Before joining the Council in 2003, she worked with UNESCO’s International Year for the Culture of Peace at its headquarters in Paris and the UN International Training & Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. Megan holds two degrees in International Relations and Diplomacy.

Presented by

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities - or learn more on our website.

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 Monday with CTWAC | December
2025-12-08 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members and friends 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, December 8th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | Two Stamford Plaza – 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
December 8th - Global Inequality & its Impacts on Societal Stability
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2025
November 10th - Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Drones
October 13th - A New Era of U.S. Foreign Policy
September 15th - Counterterrorism or Extra-Legal Killings: When Do Strikes on Non-State Targets Cross the Line?
June 9th - What's at stake in the India-Pakistan conflict?
May 12th - So many elections - what do they all mean?
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
February 10th – The End of USAID?
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
2024
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
September 30th – Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
July 15th – The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
June 10th – Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
May 20th – Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
April 8th – War in Gaza: How did we get here?
March 11th – Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.

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 World Ahead 2026
2025-12-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar
Each year, The Economist publishes The World Ahead series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring.
On December 8, Standage rejoins the Council to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2026. In conversation with Jim Falk, host of WorldNow.
Join us to unpack all of the trends that will define 2026 – from a possible AI bubble and global climate policy controversies to evolving global conflicts, problems for Europe, and China’s rise.
The details:
When: Monday, December 8 | 12:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar | Registration required
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Economist
Tom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, “The World Ahead.” Standage directs the newspaper’s digital strategy and the development of new digital products and is the author of seven history books, including Writing on the Wall (2013), The Victorian Internet (1998), and A History of the World in 6 Glasses (2005). He studied engineering and computing at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, and Wired.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

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.

Add to calendar

Model United Nations 2025
2025-12-05 - 2025-12-06 | University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave, West Hartford, CT, 06117, US
The CTWAC Model United Nations brings together over 1,100 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 diplomacy as they tackle global controversies, navigate crisis scenarios, debate solutions, and draft resolutions. Delegates also have the opportunity to travel to the UN Headquarters in New York, meet diplomats from the countries they’ll represent, and discuss timely 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 73 years, the program has impacted over 55,000 students across Connecticut.

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

Participating Connecticut Schools

Sponsors

Roz & Alan Spier

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.

[SOLD OUT] Hon. Kevin Rudd, Australia's Ambassador to the U.S. and 26th Prime Minister | GSF2025
2025-11-18 17:30 - 19:00 | Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
This event is sold out. Please contact us at (860) 241-6118 with special requests.
Join us for an exclusive off-the-record conversation with the Honorable Kevin Rudd, Ambassador of Australia to the U.S., 26th Prime Minister of Australia, and former President of the Asia Society, at the signature event of the 2025 Global Security Forum Series.
Ambassador Rudd will offer expert insight on the future of the U.S.-Australia alliance, security and economic cooperation through AUKUS, relations with China, and Australia’s role on the global stage. This is a rare opportunity to engage directly with one of the world’s most respected voices in international affairs.
Moderated by CNN’s Jim Sciutto, chief national security analyst and anchor of The Brief with Jim Sciutto.
The Details
When: Tuesday, November 18th | 5:30pm – 7:00pm ET
Where: Mark Twain House, Hartford CT
Tickets: $40 General Admission | $30 CTWAC Member Admission
Reserve your spot today

Introducing: GSF2025 All-Access Pass (CTWAC Members Only)
Your ticket to all upcoming in-person and virtual GSF2025 events (excluding dinners and private events) - for just $99. Click the button below to unlock this member-exclusive offer.
GSF2025 All-Access Pass

Unlock special member pricing for all GSF2025 events by becoming a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut today. Join on our website or select the membership add-on during checkout.
Not sure if you're a member? Call us or reach out to Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org.

With Special Guests
H.E. The Hon. Dr. Kevin Rudd AC
Ambassador of Australia to the U.S. and 26th Prime Minister of Australia
HE the Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC is Australia’s Ambassador to the United States of America, taking up his posting in Washington in March 2023.
Ambassador Rudd served as Australia’s twenty-sixth Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, then as Minister for Foreign Affairs, before a second term as Prime Minister in 2013. He was Member for Griffith in the Australian Parliament from 1998 to 2013.
Since leaving government, Ambassador Rudd has resided in the United States where he is recognised as a leading analyst of China. In 2015, he became inaugural President of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. In 2020, he was appointed President and CEO of the Asia Society globally and, in 2022, he founded the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis.
Learn more about Ambassador Rudd here.

Jim Sciutto
CNN’s chief national security analyst & anchor of The Brief with Jim Sciutto
Sciutto reports and provides analysis on all aspects of U.S. national security including foreign policy, the military, intelligence community and the State Department.
Throughout his career, he has reported from more than 50 countries across the globe including dozens of assignments from inside Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, as well as multiple assignments in Ukraine and the Middle East. Sciutto has also served as chief of staff and senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke.
Sciutto is the author of four books, including the New York Times Bestseller, The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China and the Next World War, which examines the breakdown of a decades-old international order among the world’s strongest powers.

This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025). GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from a one-day gathering into a dynamic series of in-person and virtual events throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We explore the edge of uncertainty – the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?

Thank you to GSF2025 Sponsors
Become a GSF2025 Sponsor by contacting Council CEO Megan Torrey at mctorrey@ctwac.org. Unlock exclusive access, increased visibility, and shape the future of global security.
GSF2025 Series Sponsorship Package (PDF)

GSF2025 Presenting Partners

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

The New Global Disorder with Ambassador Michael McFaul
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins us on WorldNow with Jim Falk to explore the global rise of autocracy, new challenges posed by an assertive Russia and China, and an increasingly insular America – and what it all means for democracy and security in a changing world.
In Autocrats vs. Democrats, Ambassador McFaul makes the case for democracy and defines the threats posed by China, Russia, and America’s shift to isolationism to the global international order as we know it.
Join us November 12th to hear exclusive insight from Ambassador McFaul, the leading Russia and Eurasian affairs expert, on his forthcoming book and his vision of American leadership on the world stage.
The details:
When: Wednesday, November 12th | 7:00pm-8:00pm Eastern / 6pm Central
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Author
Ambassador Michael McFaul
U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014)
Ambassador McFaul is a Professor of Political Science, Director of Freeman Spogli Institute & Hoover Senior Fellow all at Stanford University. He is also an international affairs analyst for NBC News.
Previously, he served in the Obama administration as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009–2012) and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation in (2012-2014). He has authored several books, including, most recently, the New York Times bestseller From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia.

Meet the Host
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book
Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul
A bold, clear-eyed look at how the autocracies of China and Russia are challenging the current global order, and how America’s future depends on successfully confronting this threat.
The rise of China, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the reelection of President Donald Trump have reinforced a gloomy yet growing consensus: the old global order has ended, and a new Cold War has begun.
In this sweeping account of great power competition between the United States, China, and Russia over the past three centuries, Michael McFaul—former ambassador to Russia and international affairs analyst for NBC News—argues persuasively that today’s challenges require fresh thinking, not constrained by distant memories of the Cold War or the nationalist dreams of MAGA.
One of the preeminent thinkers on American foreign policy for decades, McFaul crafts a new grand strategy for America in this age of global disorder. Acknowledging how Xi’s China, Putin’s Russia, and Trump’s America are upending the current international system, Autocrats vs Democrats makes the case against America’s retreat from the world, detailing why:

Russia’s disruptive ambitions should not be underestimated.
China’s capabilities should not be overestimated.
Trump’s shift toward isolationism and autocracy will weaken America’s place in the world.

At once a clarion call for American diplomacy and a forceful rebuttal of the Trump administration’s policies, Autocrats vs Democrats provides a nuanced assessment of the China and Russia threats, as well as a bold vision for renewing America’s leadership on the world stage.
Pre-order a copy of Autocrats vs. Democrats, coming October 28th, 2025

Hosts & Partners
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, Global Santa Fe, and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

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 Monday with CTWAC | November
2025-11-10 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, 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, November 10th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | Two Stamford Plaza – 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
November 10th - Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Drones
December 8th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2025
October 13th - A New Era of U.S. Foreign Policy
September 15th - Counterterrorism or Extra-Legal Killings: When Do Strikes on Non-State Targets Cross the Line?
June 9th - What's at stake in the India-Pakistan conflict?
May 12th - So many elections - what do they all mean?
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
February 10th – The End of USAID?
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
2024
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
September 30th – Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
July 15th – The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
June 10th – Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
May 20th – Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
April 8th – War in Gaza: How did we get here?
March 11th – Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.

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.

Conversation with H.E. Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Ambassador of Mexico to the U.S. | GSF2025
2025-11-06 17:30 - 19:00 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
We’re thrilled to be joined by H.E. Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Ambassador of Mexico to the U.S., for this special edition of the 2025 Global Security Forum Series. We’ll discuss everything from the transformation of U.S.-Mexico relations to the impact of tariffs and remittance taxes, and the future of security cooperation.
Thursday, November 6 | 5:30-7:00pm
Studio A, World Affairs Council, Hartford, CT
Tickets: $40 General Admission | $25 CTWAC Member Admission
Reserve your spot today

Introducing: GSF2025 All-Access Pass (CTWAC Members Only)
Your ticket to all upcoming in-person and virtual GSF2025 events (excluding dinners and private events) - for just $99. Click the button below to unlock this member-exclusive offer.
GSF2025 All-Access Pass

Unlock special member pricing for all GSF2025 events by becoming a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut today. Join on our website or select the membership add-on during checkout.
Not sure if you're a member? Call us or reach out to Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org.

About the Ambassador
H.E. Esteban Moctezuma Barragán
Ambassador of Mexico to the U.S.
Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to the United States of America by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He was ratified by the Senate of the Republic in February 2021 with 115 votes in favor of 116 attending senators.
He was secretary of public education since 2018. A former Senator, he also previously served as Secretary of Social Development; Secretary of Interior; and more. He was responsible for implementing the autonomy of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (1994).
In civil society, he served as Executive President of Fundación Azteca (2001-2018); as well as many more community organizations dedicated to public health and education. Ambassador Moctezuma has been a columnist for several Mexican newspapers and has written several books.

This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025). GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from a one-day gathering into a dynamic series of in-person and virtual events throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We explore the edge of uncertainty - the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?

Thank you to GSF2025 Sponsors
Become a GSF2025 Sponsor by contacting Council CEO Megan Torrey at mctorrey@ctwac.org. Unlock exclusive access, increased visibility, and shape the future of global security.
GSF2025 Series Sponsorship Package (PDF)

GSF2025 Presenting Partners

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World
2025-11-03 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom Webinar
Presented by the World Affairs Council of Alaska
What do okra, chocolate, and economic theory have in common? Join the Alaska World Affairs Council for a thought-provoking conversation with renowned economist and bestselling author Ha-Joon Chang as he explores the surprising connections between food, economics, and global change.
Drawing from his latest work, Edible Economics, Chang uses the stories behind everyday foods to illuminate big questions about globalization, climate change, inequality, and the future of capitalism. Through humor, insight, and real-world examples, he challenges conventional thinking and offers fresh ways to understand the forces shaping our world.
This is not your average economics talk — it’s a global feast for curious minds.
When: Monday, November 3rd | 3pm-4pm Eastern
Where: Zoom Webinar

About the Speaker
Ha-Joon Chang is a Distinguished Research Professor of economics, as well as Co-director of CSST (Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation) and of DLD (Development Leadership Dialogue) at SOAS University of London. Previously he taught at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Cambridge (1990-2022). In addition to numerous journal articles and book chapters, he has published 17 authored books (five co-authored) and 11 edited books (seven co-edited). His main books include The Political Economy of Industrial Policy (1994), Kicking Away the Ladder (2002), Bad Samaritans (2007), 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism (2010), Economics: The User’s Guide (2014), and Edible Economics (2022). His writings have been translated and published in 46 languages and 48 countries. Worldwide, his books have sold around 3 million copies. Chang has advised numerous international organizations, national governments, civil society organizations, and corporations (both private-sector and public). He is currently a member of CDP (Committee for Development Policy), the highest advisory body of the United Nations on development issues, as well as committees overseeing or advising other international organizations, academic bodies, and charitable organisations. Chang is the winner of the 2003 Gunnar Myrdal Prize and the 2005 Wassily Leontief Prize.

About the Moderator
Lise Kristiansen, born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, serves as the Norwegian Honorary Consul for Alaska and Advisor to the Alaska World Affairs Council. From 2007 to 2023, she was President and CEO of the Alaska World Affairs Council, where she developed high-impact programs featuring more than 450 world leaders, including diplomats, NATO commanders, policymakers, public officials, presidents, and royalty.
Lise has been recognized for her leadership and civic contributions, including being named one of Anchorage’s Top 40 Under 40, inducted into the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Athena Society, and honored as Leader of the Year by the National World Affairs Councils of America — selected from 94 council leaders nationwide.
A frequent speaker on Arctic and international affairs, Lise has shared her expertise both nationally and internationally. In recognition of her contributions to Norway-Alaska relations, she was awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Knight 1st Class, by the King of Norway.
Lise has a passion for sports and music, including playing the piano, and has participated in 6 Ironman Triathlons including the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. During her free time, you can often find her on a nearby pickleball court.

Hosted By

Unraveling Order with David Sanger: Russia, China, & the U.S. | GSF2025
2025-10-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
RSVP Today
With geopolitical tensions and global uncertainty on the rise, we’re thrilled to bring back David Sanger, Chief White House & National Security Correspondent for The New York Times, for this special event of the 2025 Global Security Forum Series.
A four-time GSF fan-favorite, David is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West. He has been a member of three teams that won the Pulitzer Prize, including in 2017 for international reporting about Russia’s effort to manipulate the presidential election.
Join us on October 22nd at the historic Mark Twain House and hear from one of the top experts in foreign policy and global security.

Wednesday, October 22nd | 7:00-8:00pm | Mark Twain House, Hartford, CT
Doors open 6:30pm
Tickets: $55 General Admission | $40 Member Admission
The first 8 people to register will win a free copy of one of David’s books
Reserve your spot today

Unlock special member pricing for all GSF2025 events by becoming a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut today. Join on our website or select the membership add-on during checkout.
If you are a federal employee who is furloughed, you are invited to attend this event free of charge. Contact Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org to RSVP.

Introducing: GSF2025 All-Access Pass (CTWAC Members Only)
Your ticket to all upcoming in-person and virtual GSF2025 events (excluding dinners and private events) - for just $99. Click the button below to unlock this member-exclusive offer.
GSF2025 All-Access Pass

Featuring
David Sanger
Chief White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
David E. Sanger is the White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times and the bestselling author of The Inheritance, Confront and Conceal, and The Perfect Weapon. He has been a member of three teams that won the Pulitzer Prize, including in 2017 for international reporting about Russia’s effort to manipulate the presidential election. A contributor to CNN, he also teaches national security policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025). GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from a one-day gathering into a dynamic series of in-person and virtual events throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We explore the edge of uncertainty - the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?

Thank you to GSF2025 Sponsors
Become a GSF2025 Sponsor by contacting Council CEO Megan Torrey at mctorrey@ctwac.org. Unlock exclusive access, increased visibility, and shape the future of global security.
GSF2025 Series Sponsorship Package (PDF)

GSF2025 Presenting Partners

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

The Threat of Nuclear Anarchy with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins | GSF2025
2025-10-20 12:00 - 12:40 | Zoom Webinar
Nuclear risks are rising. At the same time global nonproliferation efforts are unraveling. A Harvard taskforce has just warned of a new “era of nuclear anarchy.”
As the temperature of the nuclear threat heats up, we sit down with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control & International Security Affairs (2021-2024). Join us for an inside look at these new – and old – threats.
The Details
When: Monday, October 20th | 12:00pm – 12:40pm ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required | Suggested $20 Donation
Reserve your spot today

Introducing: GSF2025 All-Access Pass (CTWAC Members Only)
Your ticket to all upcoming in-person and virtual GSF2025 events (excluding dinners and private events) - for just $99. Click the button below to unlock this member-exclusive offer.
GSF2025 All-Access Pass

With Special Guest
Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins
Former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control & International Security Affairs (2021-2024)
As the under secretary of state for arms control and international security from 2021 to 2024, Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins oversaw three bureaus: Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability; International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN); and Political-Military Affairs. In May 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken named Jenkins, the first African American to serve as an under secretary of state, as the department’s lead on implementation of AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Jenkins served as special envoy for cooperative threat reduction programs in the ISN bureau from July 2009 until January 2017. She coordinated U.S. government efforts alongside international programs that prevent non-state actors from developing chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. She was the State Department’s lead for the President’s Nuclear Security Summits and the U.S. representative to the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, and she led diplomatic efforts to promote the Global Health Security Agenda. She was the 2016 ISN nominee for the Secretary of State’s Award for Excellence.
From its inception in 2017 until April 2021, Jenkins was the founder, executive director, and board chair of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security. From 2005 to 2009, she was the program officer for U.S. foreign and security policy at the Ford Foundation. She also served as counsel on the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission).
Jenkins was a legal adviser to the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. She has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law School, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, George Washington University, the University of Virginia, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Minnesota. Jenkins designed and led arms control simulations at Stanford University. Jenkins is a retired U.S. Naval Reserve officer.

This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025). GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from a one-day gathering into a dynamic series of in-person and virtual events held throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We explore the edge of uncertainty - the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and - most essentially - a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today and unlock member benefits for the entire 2025 Global Security Forum Series.

Thank you to GSF2025 Sponsors
Become a GSF2025 Sponsor by contacting Council CEO Megan Torrey at mctorrey@ctwac.org. Unlock exclusive access, increased visibility, and shape the future of global security.
GSF2025 Series Sponsorship Package (PDF)

GSF2025 Presenting Partners

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Second Monday with CTWAC | October
2025-10-13 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow friends and members of the World Affairs Council 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 13th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | Two Stamford Plaza – 281 Tresser Blvd, 11th Floor, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
October 13th - A New Era of U.S. Foreign Policy
November 10th - *Topic TBA
December 8th
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2025
September 15th - Counterterrorism or Extra-Legal Killings: When Do Strikes on Non-State Targets Cross the Line?
June 9th - What's at stake in the India-Pakistan conflict?
May 12th - So many elections - what do they all mean?
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
February 10th – The End of USAID?
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
2024
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
September 30th – Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
July 15th – The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
June 10th – Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
May 20th – Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
April 8th – War in Gaza: How did we get here?
March 11th – Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.

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 Great Emu War: An Emusical Comedy and Private Reception
2025-10-09 18:30 - 21:30 | The Terris Theatre, 33 North Main Street, Chester, CT, 06412
In this special partnership between the Council and Goodspeed Musicals, you’ll not only get to see a hilarious comedy about the war between Australia and a flock of emus (that actually happened!), but you’ll also join a private Council reception and meet and greet with the writers behind the show.
The Great Emu War: Remember that one time that the Australian government sent their army with machine guns to wage war on emus in Western Australia? Neither do most people…but when Edith, the headstrong warbler, and her flock begin to feed on the wheat of local farmers–the humans take up arms against Australia’s favorite feathered friends. Think of it as Cats, but with emus. It’s the most emusing 90 minutes you’ll have in any theatre–don’t miss it!
Thursday, October 9 | 6:30pm | The Terris Theatre, Chester, CT
Schedule:
6:30pm | Private Council Reception and Meet and Greet with Writers
7:30pm | Show Start Time: The Great Emu War
9:00pm | Talk Back with Creatives Behind the Show

Registration Directions:

Click October 9 at 7:30pm show
In the Passcode Field, enter the passcode: [REDACTED]
You’ll unlock special seating and pricing (aqua colored)
Choose your seats
Proceed to checkout and we’ll see you at the show!

In Partnership With

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Special Intelligence Briefing with LTG Robert Ashley, 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency | GSF2025
2025-10-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
﻿You’re invited to a member-exclusive live intelligence briefing with LTG Robert Ashley, U.S. Army (Ret.), 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, moderated by MG Garrett Yee, U.S. Army (Ret.).
General Ashley will share high-level insights on global threats from Iran-Israel tensions to the future of Ukraine, and from emerging technologies to what national security leaders are watching most closely. Limited audience Q&A will follow this closed-door-style Zoom webinar.
Don’t miss the return of these two top intelligence leaders and GSF fan-favorite speakers. RSVP today.
When: Tuesday, October 7th | 7:00pm – 8:00pm ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge for members*
Reserve your spot today

*This event is exclusive to current members of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and GSF Presenting Partners.
Not a member?
Become a member of the World Affairs Council today in order to access this special briefing by selecting the Membership & Virtual Ticket Combo during registration. Or join on our website and consider our additional levels, including for students, young professionals, your household, or your business, at ctwac.org/membership/

Introducing: GSF2025 All-Access Pass (CTWAC Members Only)
Your ticket to all upcoming in-person and virtual GSF2025 events (excluding dinners and private events) - for just $99. Click the button below to unlock this member-exclusive offer.
GSF2025 All-Access Pass

Featuring
LTG Robert Ashley, U.S. Army (Ret.)
21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; CEO, Ashley Global Leadership and Security
Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. retired from the U.S. Army November 2020 after over 36 years of activity duty service as an intelligence officer. He assumed his last duty position on 3 October 2017 when he became the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
LTG Ashley formerly served as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, where he was the senior advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff for all aspects of intelligence, counterintelligence and security. He has commanded at the company, battalion, squadron, and brigade levels with six combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a squadron, brigade commander, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J-2). Other key assignments include the Director of Intelligence, United States Army Joint Special Operations Command; the Director of Intelligence, United States Central Command; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, International Security Assistance Force and Director of Intelligence, United States Forces, Afghanistan; and Commanding General and Commandant United States Army Intelligence Center and School Fort Huachuca, AZ.
LTG Ashley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University (formerly known as the Defense Intelligence College) and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. LTG Ashley is the CEO of Ashley Global Leadership and Security (LLC).

Moderated By

MG Garrett Yee, USA (Ret.)
Vice President, General Dynamics Information Technology
Garrett Yee currently serves as a Vice President within the Defense Division at General Dynamics Information Technology.
Prior to GDIT, Garrett served in the U.S. Army retiring as Major General. In his final assignment with the Army, Garrett served at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) where he helped to lead a global organization of approximately 8,000 military and civilian personnel who plan, develop, deliver, and operate joint, interoperable, command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the president, secretary of defense, joint chiefs of staff, combatant commanders, Department of Defense components, and other mission partners across the full spectrum of operations.
Prior to his assignment at DISA, Garrett served as the Military Deputy to the Army CIO/G-6 and Senior Information Security Officer in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G6, Headquarters, Department of the Army in the Pentagon. Garrett holds a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University.

This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025). GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from a one-day gathering into a dynamic series of in-person and virtual events throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We explore the edge of uncertainty - the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?

Join the Community
With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and - most essentially - a community of engaged people like yourself.
Become a member or renew today and unlock member benefits for the 2025 Global Security Forum Series.

Thank you to GSF2025 Sponsors
Become a GSF2025 Sponsor by contacting Council CEO Megan Torrey at mctorrey@ctwac.org. Unlock exclusive access, increased visibility, and shape the future of global security.
GSF2025 Series Sponsorship Package (PDF)

GSF2025 Presenting Partners

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Celebrating 250 Years of the U.S. Navy | GSF2025
2025-09-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
﻿﻿Join us for a special evening as we celebrate 250 years of the U.S. Navy. We’re thrilled to welcome you to a memorable gathering with senior Navy leadership and a special opportunity to meet the crew of the USS Hartford in her namesake city.
You’ll have the chance to meet the people behind the uniform. You’ll also hear directly from Rear Admiral Ryan M. Perry, Navy Chief of Information, about the evolution of the role of the U.S. Navy and the course the Navy is charting for the future of national and global security.
The USS Hartford is a Los Angeles-class, nuclear-powered fast attack submarine – the class that forms the backbone of the Navy’s submarine force. She was first commissioned in 1994 at the Naval Sub Base in Groton, CT, and deployed for 6 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Come learn about the history of the U.S. Navy and meet the people who are shaping the future. Reception includes specialty American & international bites and refreshments.
The Details
When: Wednesday, September 24th | 6:00pm – 8:00pm ET
Where: Studio A, CTWAC Office | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford CT
Tickets: $45 General Admission | $35 CTWAC Member Admission
Reserve your spot today

Unlock special member pricing by becoming a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut today. Join on our website or select the membership add-on during checkout.
Not sure if you're a member? Call us or reach out to Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org.

With Special Guest
Rear Admiral Ryan M. Perry
U.S. Navy Chief of Information
Rear Adm. Ryan M. Perry is a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is a 1997 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and holds a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and is accredited in public relations and military communication.
A career public affairs officer (PAO), Perry has served as force PAO for Naval Special Warfare; fleet PAO for U.S. Third Fleet; special assistant (public affairs) to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and deputy PAO to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Learn more about Rear Admiral Perry here.

This event is the Opening Event of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025). GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF will expand from its traditional form of a one-day gathering into a series of over 10 in-person and virtual events held throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We will explore the edge of uncertainty - the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?

Thank you to GSF2025 Sponsors
Become a GSF2025 Sponsor by contacting Council CEO Megan Torrey at mctorrey@ctwac.org. Unlock exclusive access, increased visibility, and shape the future of global security.
GSF2025 Series Sponsorship Package (PDF)

GSF2025 Presenting Partners

Mission Partners

Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities - or learn more on our website
