[Postponed] Greenland, Denmark, & the U.S.
2026-01-21 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Travel the World with World Affairs
2026-03-20 10:00 - 11:00 | 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.

The Best & Worst: 250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy with CFR’s James Lindsay | WorldNow
2026-03-31 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
From the Marshall Plan, the Louisiana Purchase, and the creation of the United Nations to the bombing of Nagasaki, Indian Removal Act, and the invasion of Iraq, U.S. foreign policy decisions throughout its 250-year history have had an immense impact in reshaping our nation and the world.
James Lindsay, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, unveils the ultimate rankings of the best and worst decisions in U.S. foreign policy in 250 years. Join us March 31 on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we explore these foreign policy moves, their impact on the U.S. and the world, and the future of U.S. foreign policy in the century ahead.
The details:
When: Tuesday, March 31 | 7:00pm-8:00pm Eastern / 6pm Central
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Guest

James M. Lindsay is the Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy and Director of Fellowship Affairs at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). A leading expert on U.S. national security and foreign policy, Lindsay has held senior roles at CFR and previously served on the National Security Council.
He is the author of several acclaimed books, including The Empty Throne and America Unbound, and hosts the podcast The President’s Inbox. He holds advanced degrees from Yale University and has taught at the University of Texas and the University of Iowa.

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.

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

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. Council members gain exclusive, lower-cost access to global events and travel opportunities, while engaging with top international leaders. Join our community of global citizens and 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.

The Best & Worst: 250 Years of American Foreign Policy with James Lindsay
2026-04-07 18:00 - 19:30 | Fairfield Museum & History Center, 370 Beach Road, Fairfield, 06824, United States
For 250 years, U.S. foreign policy decisions have shaped the course of history—often debated not only in government halls but in the taverns, inns, and meeting places where early Americans gathered to exchange ideas. From the Marshall Plan to the Louisiana Purchase, these decisions helped define the nation’s role in the world.
On April 7, join Dr. James M. Lindsay, Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, as he unveils his definitive rankings of the best and worst U.S. foreign policy decisions over the past 250 years.
The World Affairs Council of Connecticut and the Fairfield Museum invite you to join in this exclusive, thought-provoking conversation you won’t want to miss. This event is sure to sell out fast – RSVP today to secure your seat.
Details
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Fairfield Museum & History Center, 370 Beach Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824
Tickets: $10 Members, $15 Non-Members
Space is limited and tickets are first-come-first-serve.
Reserve your spot today

With Special Guest

James M. Lindsay is the Mary and David Boies distinguished senior fellow in U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). From 2009 to 2024, he was senior vice president, director of studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg chair at CFR, where he oversaw the Council’s in-house think tank, the David Rockefeller Studies Program. His scholarly work examines U.S. national security policy, the U.S. foreign policymaking process, and the domestic politics of U.S. foreign policy.
He has written and edited more than a dozen books on American politics and foreign policy. His book with Ivo H. Daalder, America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy, was awarded the 2003 Lionel Gelber Prize.
Dr. Lindsay was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution from 1999 to 2003 and taught at the University of Iowa (1987-1999) and the University of Texas (2003-2006). In 1996–97, he served as director for global issues and multilateral affairs on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House. He hosts the weekly podcast The President’s Inbox.

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.

Second Monday with CTWAC | April 2026
2026-04-13 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: When Inequality Becomes Instability

Economic pressure is rising worldwide – and so is political tension. From protests to polarization, the effects are becoming harder to ignore.
When does economic inequality start to destabilize societies? Are governments getting ahead of the problem, or falling behind it? And how might these pressures reshape global politics in the years ahead?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental readings will be provided to attendees

The Details:
When: Monday, April 13th | 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:
April 13th - When Inequality Becomes Instability
May 11th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 9th - The Iran Question
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.

The Iran War: What We Know, What Comes Next | WorldNow
2026-04-20 20:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Webinar
With the U.S. and Iran now in open conflict and the world’s energy supply under threat, the stakes could not be higher – or more uncertain.
Join us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Steven Cook, senior Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations; Amb. Deborah Jones, U.S. Ambassador (ret.) to Kuwait and Libya; and Beth Sanner, CNN National Security Contributor and former Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
We’ll explore what’s happened so far in the conflict with Iran, what may happen next, and the war’s long-term impact on the region and beyond.
The details:
When: Monday, April 20 | 8:00pm-9:00pm EDT / 7pm CDT
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Registration Required
Reserve your spot today

As this program will be simulcast with KSFR’s The Forum, it will begin one hour later than our usual start time. The Zoom link will open at 8:00 PM EDT, and the program will get underway at 8:04 PM EDT.

Featuring

Steven A. Cook
Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Steven Cook is Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy. Cook is the author of The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East.

Amb. Deborah Jones
U.S. Ambassador (ret.) to Kuwait and Libya
Ambassador Deborah Jones retired from the U.S. Department of State in 2016 with the rank of Career Minister following a 34-year diplomatic career that included assignments in Argentina, Iraq, Tunisia, Syria, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, as well as service as U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait and Libya.

Beth Sanner
Deputy Director of National Intelligence (2019-2021), National Security Contributor for CNN
Beth Sanner, a leading commentator and analyst of global affairs, is a national security contributor for CNN, director of geopolitics and strategy at International Capital Strategies. As Deputy Director of National Intelligence from April 2019 to March 2021, Beth was the nation’s top intelligence analyst and also served as President Trump’s intelligence briefer during his first term.
In an intelligence career spanning three decades, she was director of the President’s Daily Brief, vice chair of the National Intelligence Council, and a senior executive in CIA’s Directorate of Analysis, before being appointed DDNI. She also served on the White House National Security Council staff and at the State Department.
In 2021, Beth received the Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor granted to civil servants, for her leadership role in support of U.S. national security and the Distinguished Intelligence Service Medal, the Intelligence Community’s highest award.

Moderated by

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.

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

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. Council members gain exclusive, lower-cost access to global events and travel opportunities, while engaging with top international leaders. Join our community of global citizens and 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.

What Happens if Democracy Fails? With Asha Rangappa
2026-04-21 17:30 - 19:00 | World Affairs Council of Connecticut, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
Around the world – and here at home – democracy is under pressure.
What does the rise of authoritarianism actually look like? How do democratic systems erode? And are we seeing those warning signs now?
Join us in conversation with Asha Rangappa, Senior Lecturer at Yale and former FBI special agent. Asha spent years investigating threats to U.S. democracy from the inside. Now, she’s helping the public understand what’s at stake.
Opens with a reception featuring light bites and refreshments.
The Details
Tuesday, April 21 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm
5:30pm Reception | 6pm Discussion
Studio A, World Affairs Council | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford
Tickets: $28 General Admission | $18 Member Admission | No Charge for Students
Reserve your spot today

With Special Guest

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a former Associate Dean at Yale Law School.
Prior to her current position, Asha served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. Her work involved assessing threats to national security, conducting classified investigations on suspected foreign agents and performing undercover work. While in the FBI, Asha gained experience in electronic surveillance, interview and interrogation techniques, firearms and the use of deadly force. She has taught National Security Law and related courses at Yale University, Wesleyan University, and University of New Haven.
Asha graduated cum laude from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study constitutional reform in Bogotá, Colombia. She received her law degree from Yale Law School and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Juan R. Torruella on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is admitted to the State Bar of New York (2003) and Connecticut (2003).
Asha has published op-eds in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post among others, and has been a legal and national security analyst for CNN, as well as appearing on NPR, BBC, and several other major television networks. She is currently a legal contributor for ABC News, an editor for Just Security, and a contributor for former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s legal newsletter, CAFE Insider. Asha is a life member of the Council of Foreign Relations, a fellow with the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP), and a security fellow with the Truman National Security Project.
Asha lives in Hamden, Connecticut with her two children.

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.

Canada-Mexico-US: Power, Politics, & the Path Forward
2026-04-30 17:30 - 19:00 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
A Conversation with Consuls General Tom Clark & Carlos Iriarte. RSVP Today.
North America is at a turning point.
Rising trade tensions, intensifying immigration debates, and a looming USMCA review are testing one of the world’s most important partnerships.
Join the Consuls General of Canada and Mexico for a rare, timely, and candid conversation on the future of this relationship — and what’s at stake.
Hear directly from senior diplomats on the front lines and gain exclusive insight into the forces shaping North America today. Opens with a reception featuring light bites and refreshments.

The Details
Thursday, April 30 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Doors open 5:30pm for reception
Studio A, World Affairs Council | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford
Tickets: $35 General Admission | $25 Member Admission | No charge for students
Reserve your spot today

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.
Become a member today to unlock special member pricing for events like these all year.

Featuring
Tom Clark | Consul General of Canada in New York
Prior to being appointed Consul General in New York by Prime Minister Trudeau, Tom Clark served as Chair of Global Public Affairs, one of the largest public affairs and strategic communications firms in Canada. His private sector clients included senior executives in Canada and internationally who sought public policy and strategic communications advice on key business and investment decisions. He was a frequent speaker to business groups and associations across the country as well as a sought after advisor to governments, both in Canada and abroad.
Prior to his work in the business community, Consul General Clark was one of Canada’s most respected broadcast journalists. During his 45 year career, he was posted as Bureau Chief to Washington DC and China, in addition to working in more than 30 countries, including tours in eight active war zones. His work earned him numerous awards in both Canada and the United States. Mr. Clark is a licensed pilot who has flown extensively in Canada’s north. He is married to Jane Clark and has three daughters.

Carlos Iriarte | Consul General of Mexico in Boston
Carlos Iriarte was appointed by the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and ratified on June 25, 2025 by the Mexican Senate as Consul General of Mexico in Boston, a position that encompasses the attention to the Mexican community and the promotion of the interests of our country in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. He is married to Lucila Ivette Estrada Villanueva (1998), and is the father of two daughters.
Throughout a life dedicated to public service, Consul Iriarte has been a federal deputy (2015-2018 and 2021-2024) and local deputy (2009-2012) for the State of Mexico, in addition to having been elected as municipal president of Huixquilucan, a position he held between 2013 and 2014. As a federal deputy, he was a member of the commissions of public security, justice, economy and foreign relations. The most recent reform to the Mexican Foreign Service Law was approved during his tenure as parliamentary coordinator during the LXIII Legislature with the agreement of all the political parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies.
In public administration, he has served as Secretary of Social Development, Deputy Secretary General of Government and Director General of Public Security in the State of Mexico; and as director of Sectoral Concertation in the General Directorate of Civil Protection of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
Consul Iriarte holds a PhD in Public Administration from the Universidad Anáhuac and a Master's degree in Finance from the same institution; a master's degree in Administration and Public Policy from ITESM; a law degree from the UNAM; and has diploma studies, specialization in public and national security, and public policies from the Universidad Iberoamericana, ITAM and the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, respectively. He has been a postgraduate professor at the Universidad Anáhuac, where he has also advised and evaluated doctoral theses in undergraduate exams.

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.

Second Monday with CTWAC | May 2026
2026-05-11 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: China’s Power in a Shifting World

Global tensions are rising, and China is testing the limits of its global influence. From the Middle East to Ukraine and U.S. ambition in Latin America to Taiwan, Beijing is navigating a fractured landscape of conflicts, competition, and shifting alliances.
How is China positioning itself across these regions? Where is it asserting influence, and where is it holding back? And what challenges could complicate its broader foreign policy goals?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental readings will be provided to attendees

The Details:
When: Monday, May 11th | 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:
May 11th - China's Power in a Shifting World
June 8th- *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
April 13th - When Inequality Becomes Instability
March 9th - The Iran Question
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.

The Global AI Race with Sebastian Mallaby | WorldNow
2026-05-20 18:15 - 19:15 | Zoom Webinar
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the global balance of power. Nations are racing for advantage, companies are competing for dominance, and the quest for superintelligence is moving faster than ever.
Join us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Sebastian Mallaby, author of The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, & the Quest for Superintelligence and Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations.
From the rise of DeepMind and Silicon Valley to the intensifying global race for AI dominance, we’ll explore what this technological competition could mean for security, power, and the future of the world economy.
The details:
When: Wednesday, May 20th | 6:15pm-7:15pm Eastern
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Guest

Sebastian Mallaby is the author of several books including the bestselling More Money Than God. A former Financial Times contributing editor and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations.
He is the author of the newly published The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence.

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
The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence by Sebastian Mallaby
From one of our leading chroniclers of the intersection of innovation and capitalism, a landmark reckoning—based on unprecedented access—with one of the world’s most brilliant and driven tech visionaries, and his game-changing company.
“A fascinating portrait of Demis Hassabis, the influential thinker heading DeepMind, Google’s AI research laboratory…Mallaby captures Hassabis’ curiosity and relentless drive, weaving a vivid tapestry of collaborators, competitors, and engineers of modern AI systems…A tantalizing glimpse inside the pursuit of machine superintelligence.”--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Get yourself a copy of The Infinity 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

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. Council members gain exclusive, lower-cost access to global events and travel opportunities, while engaging with top international leaders. Join our community of global citizens and 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 | June 2026
2026-06-08 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.

Topic: A New Monroe Doctrine?

From Cuba and Venezuela to Greenland and the Panama Canal, recent U.S. actions raise a larger question: can any country still claim a sphere of influence in a globalized world? What would such a strategy mean for U.S. foreign policy, America’s competitors, and the future of the Western Hemisphere?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental readings will be provided to attendees

The Details:
When: Monday, June 8th | 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:
June 8th - A New Monroe Doctrine?
July 13th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
May 11th - China's Power in a Shifting World
April 13th - When Inequality Becomes Instability
March 9th - The Iran Question
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.

The Diplomat + Luminary Award 2026
2026-06-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT, 06103, United States
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. For last-minute inquiries and accommodations, please call us at (860) 241-6118.
Join us for an unforgettable evening at The Diplomat + Luminary Award, the World Affairs Council of Connecticut’s signature gathering of diplomats from around the world and Connecticut’s top business, government, and community leaders.
Over 50 nations will be represented as Consuls General, Ambassadors, and dignitaries gather in Hartford to offer unparalleled opportunities to connect, exchange ideas, and foster international partnerships.
This year, we proudly present the Luminary Award, honoring a Connecticut leader whose work has made a meaningful impact on the world.
Be part of an evening where diplomacy meets community, and where Connecticut shines on the global stage.

The Details
When: Tuesday, June 9 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Hartford, CT
Tickets: General Admission $125; Member Admission $99; Patron $250
Can’t attend? Donate instead!

The 2026 Luminary Award
Karl J. Krapek
Global Visionary, Titan of Industry, Philanthropist
The World Affairs Council of Connecticut is proud to honor Karl J. Krapek with the 2026 Luminary Award, recognizing his extraordinary global leadership and lasting impact on industry and community.
Across a distinguished career – and through initiatives like Hartford Youth Scholars – Karl exemplifies principled, forward-looking leadership and a deep commitment to expanding opportunity for the next generation in Hartford and beyond.
Join us on June 9 at The Diplomat for an unforgettable evening as we honor a leader who has changed the world for the better.

With Diplomats Representing

Sponsors
Support the Luminary-Diplomat as we honor Karl Krapek and celebrate Connecticut’s global impact. Learn about sponsorship opportunities here.

Mission 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.

The U.S. & Cuba: 250 Years of Change – What’s Next?
2026-06-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave, Fairfield, CT, 06890, United States
From the early days of the republic to today’s headlines, the story of U.S.–Cuba relations offers a compelling window into the evolution of American foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. This is a story of empire, revolution, crisis, and diplomacy – and it is far from over.
Join the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Pequot Library for a unique opportunity to explore Cuba’s past, present, and future with Jack Leslie and Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, a central figure in the 2015 restoration of diplomatic relations and the first U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Havana since 1961.
The conversation will be moderated by Jack Leslie, a longtime Fairfield resident and public relations executive, political consultant, and international development activist.
How has U.S.-Cuba relationship fundamentally changed over 250 years – and where is it headed next? RSVP to find out.

Details
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave, Southport
Tickets: No Charge, Suggested $20 Donation
Reserve your spot today

With Special Guest

Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis
Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana (2015-2017); Adjunct Professor, Fordham University; Senior Non-Resident Fellow in International Affairs, John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth College
During his 28-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis worked almost exclusively on Western Hemisphere issues and as a multilateral diplomat at the United Nations. He served as the first Charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana following the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. Prior to taking up his Cuba post in August 2014, he was the Ambassador for Special Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Previously, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs and Security Council Coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Ambassador DeLaurentis began his State Department career in 1991 as a consular officer in Havana and returned to Cuba as Political-Economic Section Chief in 1999-2002. In Washington, he served as the Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Director of Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council. His last assignment in the Foreign Service was at the Harvard Kennedy School as a Senior Diplomatic Fellow with the Belfer Center Future of Diplomacy Project.
Subsequently, Ambassador DeLaurentis was appointed a Centennial Fellow at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Distinguished Resident Fellow in Latin American and Multilateral Diplomacy Studies at the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, George S. McGovern Visiting Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, Resident Fellow at the Harvard University David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies’ Cuba Studies Program, and a Senior Advisor with the Albright Stonebridge Group. He was also a member of the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team and called back to government service in January 2021 as the Senior Advisor for Security Council Affairs and Acting Deputy Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission to the UN, a position he held until September 2023. He then began a two-year appointment at Simmons University as the Joan M. Warburg Professor of International Relations. At the same time DeLaurentis also served as a diplomatic advisor on the U.S. interagency task force on Haiti and represented the U.S. on the advisory board of the UN Trust Fund in Support of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti, until December 2024. He was subsequently appointed the Magro Family Distinguished Fellow in International Affairs at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College for the 2025 Fall Term.
DeLaurentis is a graduate of the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service and Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. A recipient of multiple State Department awards, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Cuba Study Group. He recently joined the Stimson Center as a Distinguished Fellow and is a member of Stimson’s Latin American Program Advisory Council, and continues as an associate with the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard.

Moderated By
Jack Leslie
Public Relations Executive and former Chair, U.S. African Development Foundation
Jack Leslie is the former Chairman of Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading public relations and public affairs firm. He was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the US Senate to Chair the Board of Directors of the US African Development Foundation (USADF), an independent federal agency. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and is a former Chair of the Ron Brown Scholar Program.
Jack is a veteran communications strategist, having advised corporations and governments on high-profile campaigns over the past three decades. Jack served as a senior aide to Senator Edward Kennedy in the late 1970s, and later became President of Sawyer Miller Group, a pioneer in the political media consulting business.
In the 1980s, he served as political consultant and media advisor to dozens of candidates for U.S. Senate and Governor, and to presidential candidates in the U.S., Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Political and business leaders alike have sought his counsel during significant crises, including American Airlines following the attacks of September 11th.
Jack is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, former Chairman of the U.S. Agency for International Development Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid, former Chairman of USA for UNHCR and is currently a Distinguished Professor at Georgetown University and a Visiting Fellow at the Duke Global Health Institute. He is a member of the board of directors of Water.org, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the NIH Clinical Center. Jack is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

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.

250 Years of American Diplomacy
2026-06-18 18:00 - 20:00 | World Affairs Council of Connecticut, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
A Celebration of the U.S. at 250 with Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and Yale’s Michael Brenes

Join us as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with an all-American party and reflect on America’s place in the world.
We’ll explore the pivotal decisions, influential leaders, and defining moments that propelled the nation onto the global stage.
How has diplomacy shaped America – and what does it mean for the road ahead? Join the celebration and RSVP today.

Details
Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 6:00-8:00pm
6pm Celebration | 7pm Discussion
World Affairs Council, Studio A, Hartford CT
Tickets: $30 General Admission, $20 Members | No Charge for Students
le=”color: #94be29;”>Reserve your spot today

Featuring
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.
Moderated By

Mayor Arunan Arulampalam
Mayor, City of Hartford
Mayor Arulampalam is a father, husband, attorney, former nonprofit executive, and is committed to strengthening our neighborhoods and building a Hartford that works for everyone.
The son of Sri Lankan refugees, Mayor Arulampalam was born in Zimbabwe. He made a home and eventually a family in Hartford soon after graduate school. Prior to being elected mayor, Mayor Arulampalam served as the CEO of the Hartford Land Bank, where he developed a first-in-the-nation program to train Hartford residents to become local developers and tackle blight in Hartford. The Land Bank takes on the city’s vacant and blighted properties and, with the help of Hartford developers, fixes them up to encourage investment in our neighborhoods across the city.
Mayor Arulampalam also served in the Lamont Administration as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection where he went after a notorious Connecticut slumlord and fought for consumer rights and small businesses. Before then, he was a lawyer downtown at the firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. Mayor Arulampalam also served on the Board of the Hartford Public Library, the House of Bread, and on the Hartford Redevelopment Authority. He earned his B.A. in International Studies from Emory University and his J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
Mayor Arulampalam lives in the Frog Hollow neighborhood in a formerly vacant and blighted house with his wife and five small kids. Mayor Arulampalam’s wife, Liza, is the Senior Minister of the First Church of Christ (Center Church) in Hartford.

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.

Second Monday with CTWAC | July 2026
2026-07-13 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 Rules-Based World Order at Risk?

From Ukraine to Sudan to the Middle East, international law is being tested by persistent conflicts and allegations of war crimes and genocide. Can a rules-based world order survive as alliances shift and fracture? And in an age of rapidly advancing drone technology and use, how is the nature of war changing?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental readings will be provided to attendees

The Details:
When: Monday, July 13th | 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:
July 13th - Is the Rules-Based World Order at Risk?
August 10th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
June 8th - A New Monroe Doctrine?
May 11th - China's Power in a Shifting World
April 13th - When Inequality Becomes Instability
March 9th - The Iran Question
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.

The Future of War | WorldNow
2026-07-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
What will war look like in 2084 – in a world devastated by climate change?
Join us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Elliot Ackerman, author of 2084: A Novel of the Future of War; NYT bestselling author, and contributing writer at The Atlantic.
In 2084, decorated military officers and award-winning authors Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis write a world on the brink of war, divided between equatorial countries ravaged by climate change and the wealthier, politically fractured countries like China and the U.S. 2084 follows their two previous novels, envisioning a war between the U.S. and China in 2034 and the breakdown of American politics fueled by AI in 2054.
The details:
When: Wednesday, July 15 | 7:00pm-8:00pm EDT
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Guest

Elliot Ackerman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Halcyon, 2034, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoir The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan, and Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning.
His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others.
He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and Marine veteran who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He divides his time between New York City and Washington, D.C.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe, a member organization of the World Affairs Councils of America. He is the host of WorldNow with Jim Falk and the producer and host of The Forum, the weekly public affairs program on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Community Radio (KSFR.org). A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Falk led the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as President and CEO from 2001 to 2021, helping expand the organization's role as one of the nation's leading forums for international affairs and public policy. His guests have included diplomats, senior intelligence officials, policymakers, military leaders, scholars, journalists, and bestselling authors from around the world. Through WorldNow and The Forum, he continues his commitment to fostering informed, civil dialogue on the international, political, social, and cultural issues shaping our world.

About the Book
2084 (A Novel of Future War) by Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis
“Gripping…Ackerman and Stavridis stage a harrowing global conflict that pits military might against an appetite for justice… equal parts haunting and entertaining.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
A gripping drama and chilling prophecy about the possible path to war for a planet devastated by climate change
In their novel 2034, decorated military officers and award-winning authors Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis imagined a war between the US and China. In their follow-up novel, 2054, they envisioned a breakdown in American politics fueled by a radical advance in AI. Now they make their boldest, most astonishing, and arguably most necessary leap—imagining the consequences of a climate war.
By the year 2084, the world is divided into the equatorial countries that bear the brunt of the climate crisis—led by Nigeria, Brazil, and Indonesia—and wealthier countries like China and the US, beset by their own problems after a series of civil wars. Tensions between the two sets of countries have reached a breaking point, until finally the so-called Reparationist nations of the equator decide that only military force can bring them justice.
A fascinating and disturbingly plausible extrapolation from current realities, 2084, like other classics of the genre such as Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future and Neal Stephenson’s Termination Shock, deploys a global cast of characters, all protecting their interests as the fate of human civilization hangs in the balance. Individuals often seem small in the face of the forces that drive global change, but in the end human agency proves surprisingly decisive. Big doors can swing on small hinges. We have it within ourselves to write a different destiny, if only we can imagine it.
Get yourself a copy of 2084 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

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. Council members gain exclusive, lower-cost access to global events and travel opportunities, while engaging with top international leaders. Join our community of global citizens and 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 | August 2026
2026-08-17 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: How AI Has Changed the World

From autonomous weapons and intelligence operations to civic life, artificial intelligence is reshaping how nations compete, economies grow, and power is projected around the world. As governments and companies race to develop increasingly powerful AI, who will set the rules – and who will gain the strategic advantage? How will AI transform warfare, global stability, and the international order in the decades ahead?
This is a no-homework event, but supplemental readings will be provided to attendees

The Details:
When: Monday, August 17th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP, Stamford, CT
Tickets: $20 Members, $30 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Tickets

Upcoming Second Mondays:
August 17th - How AI Has Changed the World
September 14th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
July 13th - Is the Rules-Based World Order at Risk?
June 8th - A New Monroe Doctrine?
May 11th - China's Power in a Shifting World
April 13th - When Inequality Becomes Instability
March 9th - The Iran Question
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.

Second Monday with CTWAC | September 2026
2026-09-14 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, September 14th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP, Stamford, CT
Tickets: $20 Members, $30 Non-members | Registration required
Space is limited
Tickets

Upcoming Second Mondays:
September 14th - *Topic TBA
October 19th
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
August 17th - How AI Has Changed the World
July 13th - Is the Rules-Based World Order at Risk?
June 8th - A New Monroe Doctrine?
May 11th - China's Power in a Shifting World
April 13th - When Inequality Becomes Instability
March 9th - The Iran Question
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.

All the Presidents' Wars with Peter Bergen | WorldNow
2026-10-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
How did the War on Terror reshape America – and the world?
Peter Bergen, the journalist who conducted the first televised interview with Osama bin Laden in 1997 and author of All the Presidents’ Wars, joins WorldNow with Jim Falk to examine the decisions of four U.S. presidents over 25 years of conflict and their lasting consequences: from the rise of ISIS and the Taliban’s return to Afghanistan to today’s war with Iran.
The details:
When: Thursday, October 8 | 7:00pm-8:00pm EDT
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP Required
Tickets

Meet the Guest

Peter Bergen is the author of seven books, including Manhunt, one of three New York Times bestsellers. Bergen is vice president at New America, professor at Arizona State University, and CNN national security analyst.
He is the author of All the Presidents’ Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America’s War on Terror, available September 8th, 2026.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe, a member organization of the World Affairs Councils of America. He is the host of WorldNow with Jim Falk and the producer and host of The Forum, the weekly public affairs program on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Community Radio (KSFR.org). A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Falk led the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as President and CEO from 2001 to 2021, helping expand the organization's role as one of the nation's leading forums for international affairs and public policy. His guests have included diplomats, senior intelligence officials, policymakers, military leaders, scholars, journalists, and bestselling authors from around the world. Through WorldNow and The Forum, he continues his commitment to fostering informed, civil dialogue on the international, political, social, and cultural issues shaping our world.

About the Book

All the Presidents' Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America's War on Terror by Peter Bergen
From the New York Times best-selling author, an eye-opening history of the United States’ war on terror across four presidential administrations.
2026 is the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11, the most devastating attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. Within days, the United States began to declare its war on terror: “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,” President George W. Bush proclaimed. The resulting war on terror cost trillions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of lives, a series of misguided wars, and the damaged perception of American power. And yet despite its blunders, this campaign has kept America safe from large-scale foreign attack.
Based on hundreds of interviews, All the Presidents’ Wars focuses on critical decisions of four successive presidents—Bush, Obama, Biden, and Trump—and their global consequences. One of the few journalists to interview Osama bin Laden and have unparalleled access to the US intelligence community, Peter Bergen covers the history that might have been avoided: the many terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda and its affiliated groups around the world; the rise of al-Qaeda in Iraq, largely responsible for the Iraqi civil war in the mid-2000s; the birth of ISIS; the resurrection of Afghanistan’s Taliban; and Trump’s war with Iran. From the failure to capture and the eventual killing of Osama bin Laden to the disastrous rise of sectarian violence in the Middle East, Bergen traces the profound ramifications of this epoch in American life.
All the Presidents’ Wars also explores the innovations and unintended consequences of each presidency’s military and political decisions, including debates over military intervention and withdrawal; the tactics of special operations units, armed drones, and armies of counterterrorism partners; and whether the idea of war ever properly captured the defining conflict of recent American foreign policy. All the Presidents’ Wars is essential reading to understand America’s devastating war on terror and to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Pre-order a copy of All the Presidents’ Wars on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore.

Presented by
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut in partnership with Councils nationwide:

Mission Partners

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. Council members gain exclusive, lower-cost access to global events and travel opportunities, while engaging with top international leaders. Join our community of global citizens and 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.

Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages with Brett McGurk | WorldNow
2026-10-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Brett McGurk, former White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa and author of Brink (available Oct. 6, 2026), takes us inside the high-stakes negotiations to free the October 7 hostages and secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
McGurk led U.S. diplomacy on some of the region’s most consequential challenges, offering a rare firsthand look at the negotiations and decisions that continue to shape the Middle East today.
The details:
When: Thursday, October 15 | 7:00pm-8:00pm EDT
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP Required
Tickets

Meet the Guest

Brett McGurk served as a top national security advisor under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. He has been involved in U.S. military strategy, diplomacy, and foreign policy for nearly two decades, most recently as Obama and Trump’s envoy leading the campaign to defeat ISIS. He served as a law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist on the U.S. Supreme Court from 2001 to 2002, and was at the Court on the morning of 9/11, a day that changed history and his life. McGurk is currently the Payne Distinguished Lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute where he teaches and lectures on presidential decision-making in wartime.
He is the author of the forthcoming book Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7 Hostages, available October 6th, 2026.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe, a member organization of the World Affairs Councils of America. He is the host of WorldNow with Jim Falk and the producer and host of The Forum, the weekly public affairs program on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Community Radio (KSFR.org). A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Falk led the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as President and CEO from 2001 to 2021, helping expand the organization's role as one of the nation's leading forums for international affairs and public policy. His guests have included diplomats, senior intelligence officials, policymakers, military leaders, scholars, journalists, and bestselling authors from around the world. Through WorldNow and The Forum, he continues his commitment to fostering informed, civil dialogue on the international, political, social, and cultural issues shaping our world.

About the Book

Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages by Brett McGurk
The first major insider account of the high-stakes negotiations to free the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7—written in gripping detail by the American mediator who was in the room through it all.
Having served four American presidents on matters of war and peace, Brett McGurk was no stranger to high-stakes diplomacy, but this was different. With American citizens missing, the hostages’ release critical to ending the war in Gaza, and the desperate situation for civilians, McGurk and his team faced impossible tradeoffs at every turn. Caught between Hamas’s maximalist demands and Israel’s determination that Hamas could not maintain power in Gaza, McGurk and his colleagues worked relentlessly over fifteen months to get a deal that most increasingly thought impossible.
Taking readers inside McGurk’s discussions and negotiations with President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and presidents, generals, spies, and diplomats in Qatar, Egypt, Oman, and more, Brink paints a portrait of a region one wrong choice away from tipping into total war, as Iran and its proxy militias seized upon the chaos to open fire on Israeli and American targets. With the 2024 election reshaping the political landscape and time running out on the hostages, McGurk found himself working hand in hand with an unlikely partner—Trump’s emissary from the New York real estate world, Steve Witkoff. They forged a bipartisan front when it mattered most—to secure a ceasefire and save lives.
A gripping account of diplomacy under fire, Brink takes readers from the Oval Office to the seats of power in the Middle East and offers a remarkable look inside a crisis that reshaped the world, the consequences of which are still unfolding today.
Pre-order a copy of Brink, available October 6, on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore.

Presented by
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut in partnership with Councils nationwide:

Mission Partners

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. Council members gain exclusive, lower-cost access to global events and travel opportunities, while engaging with top international leaders. Join our community of global citizens and 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.

The World Ahead: 2027 | WorldNow
2026-12-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar
Each year, The Economist‘s The World Ahead series examines the forces expected to shape the year ahead. Covering politics, technology, society, and beyond, this series edited by Tom Standage offers an ambitious and wide-ranging look at what’s next.
On December 3, Standage returns to WorldNow with Jim Falk to unpack his predictions for the trends that will define 2027.
The details:
When: Thursday, December 3 | 12:00PM – 1:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

Meet the Guest

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 Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe, a member organization of the World Affairs Councils of America. He is the host of WorldNow with Jim Falk and the producer and host of The Forum, the weekly public affairs program on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Community Radio (KSFR.org).
A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Falk led the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth as President and CEO from 2001 to 2021, helping expand the organization's role as one of the nation's leading forums for international affairs and public policy. His guests have included diplomats, senior intelligence officials, policymakers, military leaders, scholars, journalists, and bestselling authors from around the world.
Through WorldNow and The Forum, he continues his commitment to fostering informed, civil dialogue on the international, political, social, and cultural issues shaping our world.

Presented by
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and presented in partnership with Councils nationwide:

Mission Partners

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. Council members gain exclusive, lower-cost access to global events and travel opportunities, while engaging with top international leaders. Join our community of global citizens and 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.
