Canada-Mexico-US: Power, Politics, & the Path Forward
2026-04-30 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

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
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
Tickets

Unlock special member pricing by becoming a Council member today. Join here or select the membership add-on during checkout.
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.

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 17:30 - 19:30 | World Affairs Council of Connecticut, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
Featuring Michael Brenes, Director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale

Join us as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with an all-American party and reflect on America’s place in the world after 250 years.
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 | 5:30-7:30pm
5:30pm Celebration | 6:30pm Discussion
World Affairs Council, Studio A, Hartford CT
Tickets: $30 General Admission, $20 Members | No Charge for Students
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.

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.
