World Affairs Council of Connecticut

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Book

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

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

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

Hosts & Partners

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sponsors

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

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

Second Monday with CTWAC | December
2024-12-09 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Monday, December 9th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
2025
January 13th – *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration

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.

Turkish & Uzbek Feast with Friends | CTWAC International Table Series
2024-12-09 18:00 - 20:00 | City Kebab House, Main Street 207, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Join us for a global feast with special guest Senator/Dr. Saud Anwar. The unique experience will feature great company and great global cuisine. Come join us at Hartford’s first Turkish and Uzbek restaurant City Kebab.
City Kebab’s head chef has curated a special tasting menu designed exclusively for guests of the World Affairs Council that highlights the best of Turkish and Uzbek cuisine.
About the evening
When: Monday, December 9th | 6:00PM
Where: City Kebab House | 207 Main St, Hartford, CT 06106
Tickets: $65 Members | $75 Non-members | Space extremely limited, RSVP now
Click the button below to register. Alternatively, you may contact us with your reservation by phone at (860) 241-6118 or by emailing Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org.

Access this special member pricing by joining our global community today. Check your membership status by logging in on our member portal, or view member levels & benefits.

About our guest
Senator Saud Anwar is Deputy President Pro Tempore of the CT State Senate and a member of the board of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut. First elected to public office in 2011, he served twice as South Windsor’s mayor before being elected to the Senate in 2019.
In addition to being a medical doctor, Saud also works with humanitarian and peace initiatives on a local, national and global scale. In Connecticut, Saud is the former commissioner of Asian Pacific American Affairs and served on the Health Equity Leadership Council of Connecticut, CT Health Foundation, and State Emergency Response Commission. Internationally, Saud served on peace missions to Israel and the Middle East, as well as medical missions to Haiti and Pakistan after natural disasters in those countries.
Saud has been recognized by the American Red Cross for his response to September 11 and received the FBI Director Robert Mueller Award for Community Leadership and Alliance Building, the Anti-Defamation League’s Torch of Liberty Award, and many more recognitions for his extraordinary leadership.

About City Kebab House
City Kebab House in Hartford stands as a testament to the harmonious fusion of Turkish and Uzbek flavors. Drawing inspiration from Gaziantep—a renowned Turkish city known for its distinct cuisine influenced by Armenian, Kurdish, and Syrian flavors.
City Kebab was opened earlier this year by owners Timur Rakhimov and Aziza Djalmamedova, who immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan in 2010.
City Kebab’s head chef is Hassan Kormaz, who previously ran the kitchen at Istanbul Gyro and Kebab in Middletown. Kormaz grew up in Gaziantep, Turkey, where his father has a restaurant.

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

The World Ahead 2025
2024-12-12 12:00 - 13:00
Each year, The Economist publishes The World Ahead series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring.
On December 12, Standage rejoins the Council to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2025 in conversation with Council President Emeritus and host of WorldNow Jim Falk. This virtual event is free to the public through registration at dfwworld.org.
The details:
When: Thursday, December 12 | 12:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar | Registration required

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

Most Honorable Son with Gregg Jones: A Forgotten Hero’s Fight Against Fascism
2025-01-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
Join us January 9 to hear the story of a Japanese-American combat pilot and forgotten war hero’s fight against fascism abroad and bigotry at home during World War II.
Author Gregg Jones introduces us to Ben Kuroki, who enlisted following Pearl Harbor and eventually became the first Asian American and only Japanese American to fight in the Pacific theater during WWII. Ben’s vocal championing of anti-bigotry, patriotism, and honor spurred the Roosevelt Administration to reconsider the incarceration of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans on the West Coast.
Get a copy of Most Honorable Son on Bookshop.org and support local bookstores.
The details:
When: Thursday, January 9 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | RSVP for Zoom link
RSVP Now

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

About the Author
A long-time foreign correspondent and investigative journalist, Pulitzer Prize finalist Gregg Jones has covered civil wars and insurgencies in Asia and Latin America, the fall of Asia’s two longest-ruling twentieth-century dictators, and the early months of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
He is the author of the acclaimed nonfiction books Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt, War in the Philippines, and the Rise and Fall of America’s Imperial Dream, and Last Stand at Khe Sanh: The U.S. Marines’ Finest Hour in Vietnam, which received the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's General Wallace M. Greene Jr. Award for distinguished nonfiction.
About 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. Jim also hosts Perspectives Matter, which airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book
Most Honorable Son: A Forgotten Hero’s Fight Against Fascism and Hate During World War II by Gregg Jones
The first comprehensive biography of unjustly forgotten war hero Ben Kuroki, a Japanese American farm boy from Nebraska who flew fifty-eight combat missions, fighting the Axis Powers during World War II and battled racism, injustice, and prejudice on the home front.
Ben Kuroki was a twenty-four-year-old Japanese American farm boy whose heritage was never a problem in remote Nebraska--until Pearl Harbor. Among the millions of Americans who flocked to military stations to enlist, Ben wanted to avenge the attack, reclaim his family honor, and prove his patriotism. But as anti-Japanese sentiment soared, Ben had to fight to be allowed to fight for America. And fight he did.
As a gunner on Army Air Forces bombers, Ben flew fifty-eight missions spanning three combat theaters: Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific. In between his tours in Europe and the Pacific, he challenged FDR's shameful incarceration of more than one hundred thousand people of Japanese ancestry in America, and he would be credited by some with setting in motion the debate that reversed a grave national dishonor. In the euphoric wake of America's victory, the decorated war hero used his national platform to carry out what he called his "fifty-ninth mission," urging his fellow Americans to do more to eliminate bigotry and racism at home.
Told in full for the first time, and long overdue, Ben's extraordinary story is a quintessentially American one of patriotism, principle, perseverance, and courage. It's about being in the vanguard of history, the bonding of a band of brothers united in a just cause, a timeless and unflinching account of racial bigotry, and one man's transcendent sense of belonging--in war, in peace, abroad, and at home.
Get a copy of Most Honorable Son on Bookshop.org and support local bookstores.

Hosts & Partners

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

Second Monday with CTWAC | January
2025-01-13 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Monday, January 13th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
2025
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
February 10th – *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2024
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question

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

Global Economic and Geopolitical Outlook 2025
2025-01-23 08:30 - 09:30 | Robinson+Cole LLP, One State St, Hartford, CT, 06103
The world is preparing for major shifts in 2025. From a new U.S. administration to new technologies and the threat of tariffs and trade wars, uncertainty is at an all-time high. Be prepared for the world ahead.
Join Shailesh Kumar, Head of Economic and Geopolitical Risk at The Hartford, for the key insights you need to navigate this unpredictable landscape.
Doors open at 8:15am for coffee, light breakfast, registration and networking. Presentation starts at 8:30am, followed by audience Q&A.
The Details
When: Thursday, January 23 | 8:30am-9:30am
Where: Robinson + Cole | One State St, Hartford, CT 06103
Tickets: $20 Members | $25 Non-Members | RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

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

About the Speaker
Shailesh Kumar is the Head of The Hartford’s Global Insights Center, an exclusive research hub offering analysis on macroeconomics, geopolitics, and sectoral risks in form of research, insights and thought leadership. These deliverables are designed to give global businesses an edge – leaving them better prepared to navigate the challenges and maximize the opportunities found around the world.

In Partnership With

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

Priorities for the New Administration with H.R. McMaster | WorldNow
2025-01-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
For 13 months, Lt. Gen. (ret.) H.R. McMaster served as President Trump’s National Security Advisor. Just days after the inauguration, he joins us to break down the critical national security and foreign policy priorities that will shape the next four years.
McMaster is also the author of At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House.
The details:
When: Thursday, January 23, 2025 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | Register for Zoom link
Register today

About the Speaker
Lt. General H. R. McMaster (US Army, Ret.) is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. General McMaster was the 26th National Security Advisor to President Donald J. Trump from February 2017 to April 2018. Upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy, he served as a commissioned officer for 34 years in the Army before retiring in June 2018.
McMaster earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of several books including At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House; Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World and Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.
Additionally, General McMaster hosts Battlegrounds: Vital Perspectives on Today’s Challenges, a podcast produced by the Hoover Institution. He is a Distinguished University Fellow at Arizona State University.
About 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. Jim also hosts Perspectives Matter, which airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

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

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 | February
2025-02-10 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Monday, February 10th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
February 10th – The End of USAID?
March 10th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2024
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
2025
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy

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.

Digitally Invisible with Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee
2025-02-13 17:30 - 19:00 | Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St, Hartford, CT
Today, healthcare, education, and jobs are all online. Where does that leave the billions of people around the world without internet access?
In Digitally Invisible: How the Internet is Creating the New Underclass, author Nicol Turner Lee tells stories from across America – including two from Hartford – that highlight the challenges faced by communities without internet access.
Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, Director of the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation, joins us on Digital Learning Day to reveal how the global digital divide is affecting our community and the world – and how closing the gap will increase America’s competitiveness on the global stage. Moderated by CTWAC’s Amanda Jolly.
In partnership with the Hartford Public Library.
Sponsored by Infosys Foundation USA

The Details
When: Thursday, February 13th | 5:30PM – 7:00PM
Where: Hartford Public Library, Downtown branch
Tickets: Free | RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

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

About the Author
Dr. Nicol Turner Lee writes at the intersection of technology, race, and social justice. She is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution, and the founder of the AI Equity Lab. A tech policy expert and storyteller, her work has appeared in the Washington Post and New York Times, and on NBC, CNBC, NPR, and the PBS NewsHour. She has served as an adviser on technology policy issues for government agencies, including the National Academies of Sciences and the Federal Communications Commission. She received a PhD from Northwestern University, and resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

About the book
Digitally Invisible: How the Internet Is Creating the New Underclass by Nicol Turner Lee
Billions of people around the world lack internet access. No one cared until the whole world had to go online.
Economic and health disparities are worsening in rural communities without available internet access. Students living in urban digital deserts with little technology exposure are ill-prepared to compete for emerging occupations. Even seniors struggle to navigate the aging process without access to online information and remote care.
Nicol Turner Lee, a leading expert on the American digital divide, uses personal stories from individuals around the country to show how the emerging digital underclass is navigating the spiraling online economy, while sharing their joys and hopes for an equitable and just future. Turner Lee argues that achieving digital equity is crucial for the future of America’s global competitiveness and requires radical responses to offset the unintended consequences of increasing digitization. Learn more and get a copy of Digitally Invisible.

In Partnership With

Mission Partners

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

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

In The Shadows with Hostage Negotiator and Author Mickey Bergman
2025-02-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Ferguson Library, 1 Public Library Plaza, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
When an American is captured abroad, that’s when private hostage negotiators like Mickey Bergman step in to bring them home.
Mickey Bergman, two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and CEO of Global Reach, has spent the past decade freeing Americans from the world’s most insulated countries.
He joins us in Stamford to reveal true stories from his career “in the shadows” to rescue Americans held hostage abroad – including Brittney Griner, Trevor Reed, and Paul Whelan.
During the discussion, Mickey will share real-time updates on the current hostage situations in Gaza, Venezuela, Russia, and more.
The Details:
What: Conversation with Mickey Bergman followed by book signing
When: Thursday, February 20th | 6:00PM-7:30PM
Where: Ferguson Library | 1 Public Library Plaza, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: No charge, registration required
Reserve your spot today

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

In Partnership With

Featuring
Mickey Bergman
Chief Executive Officer of Global Reach
With over 17 years of experience, Mickey has managed relationships and private diplomacy efforts in North Korea, Cuba, Myanmar, Russia, the Middle East, Venezuela, and Africa.
Nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and 2023 alongside the late Governor Bill Richardson, Mickey previously led his team at the Richardson Center as its Vice President and Executive Director to facilitate the release of more political prisoners than any other organization.
Mickey was recently honored with the 2023 James W. Foley Legacy Foundation American Hostage Freedom Award and serves on the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention.

About the Book
In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad by Mickey Bergman
A top negotiator in countless high-stakes missions to free Americans captured abroad and held in the world's scariest prisons takes readers inside the dramatic and shadowy world of international hostage rescue.
Brittney Griner, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, Trevor Reed, Paul Whelan, Kenneth Bae…When an American citizen is unjustly imprisoned overseas, that’s when Mickey Bergman’s phone starts to ring.
This is the heart-pounding story of these urgent negotiations, what it’s like to climb inside the minds of some of the world’s most notorious strongmen, where the clear divisions between good and evil are replaced by a thousand shades of gray.
As Mickey Bergman and Ellis Henican make clear on every page, international diplomacy isn’t just for government officials anymore.
Get yourself a copy of In the Shadows here.

About Global Reach
Global Reach is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing home Americans who are wrongly held abroad—whether by terrorist groups, criminal gangs, or foreign governments.
Global Reach represents and works on behalf of the families of victims, and does not accept money or any form of donation from the victims and families it serves. In the last 10 years, the officers of Global Reach have worked on 124 cases of wrongfully held prisoners worldwide. 78 are now safely home with their families. Learn more at https://reach.global/

With Support from

Mission Partners

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

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

South Korea's Global Rise: With Ambassador Euy Whan Kim
2025-02-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
South Korea is taking over the world. From legions of fans flocking to K-Pop artists to the undeniable impact of Korean cuisine, products, and culture, the world is taking notice. How did the nation rise to become the global powerhouse it is today?
Ambassador Euy Whan Kim, Consul General of South Korea in New York, joins us to explore the massive cultural and economic impact South Korea has on the U.S. and the world. We’ll tackle everything from South Korea’s global cultural wave to the internal challenges it’s facing – including a hostile neighborhood and a presidential crisis.
Come try delicious Korean specialties while discussing the unstoppable cultural force that is South Korea – and how the nation’s global rise is just getting started.
The Details
When: Wednesday, February 26th | 6:00pm – 7:00pm ET
Doors open 5:30 for Korean bites and mingling
Where: Studio A at CT Public | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT
Tickets: $25 Member | $35 Non-member | RSVP Today
Reserve your spot today

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

Amb. Euy Whan Kim
Consul General of the Republic of Korea in New York
Consul General Euy Whan Kim assumed his role as the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in New York on December 23, 2022. As an accomplished author of six books and a global expert in public affairs and policy, he brings more than three decades of diverse experience in public service to his current position.
Before becoming Consul General, Mr. Kim held various positions within the Korean government. He served as the Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) from July 2019 to December 2020. This appointment followed his secondment to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor in October 2017.
Beginning in March 2011, he took on multiple Director-General roles within the ACRC, leading the Bureaus of Anti-Corruption, Administrative Appeal, and Ombudsman. In 2008, Mr. Kim served as Deputy Secretary to the President for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Economic Affairs and Public Relations Planning. From 2002, he held various positions at the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption (KICAC), including Chief Director and Director of several divisions.
Before focusing on anti-corruption, he worked for the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the country's antitrust watchdog. Mr. Kim's career began in 1991 at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs after passing the 34th High Civil Service Examination in 1990. Mr. Kim is married with one daughter. He earned a B.A. in Sociology from Korea University and an M.A. in Public Policy and Management from Ohio State University.

Mission Partners

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

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

Global Trade | A Celebration of International Women's Day 2025
2025-03-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar
A future-focused conversation on global trade, tariffs, and transformation featuring Anne Evans and Dr. Rhona Free. Register today.
From the threat of tariffs and unpredictable new federal “auditors” to supply chain instability, how will shifting global trade trends reshape the global economy in 2025?
Join us for a timely conversation in celebration of International Women’s Day with Anne Evans, CEO of Universal Strategies, and Dr. Rhona Free, President of the University of Saint Joseph on global trade, tariffs, and their impact on economies at every level.
Anne became the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration Director for Connecticut in 2007, and drove Connecticut’s economic recovery through the recession. She received the Hartford Business Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
As the world undergoes rapid change, new national policies are poised to reshape the global economic landscape, with women playing a pivotal role in this transformation. Don’t miss this chance to gain critical insights into the forces driving the future of global trade and economic policy.
The Details:
When: Tuesday, March 4th | 12:00 PM
Where: Virtual | Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP for zoom link
Register Today

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.

Featuring
Anne Evans | CEO of Universal Strategies Limited; Board Member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut; and former Director of the International Trade Administration in Connecticut
Anne founded Universal Strategies in 1999 as an international business, government relations, trade and specialty environmental consulting company.
Returning to the company in 2021 after a 13 year leadership position with the US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, Anne brings more than 45 years of experience in the global marketplace with senior government and private sector business and trade positions. She has led numerous trade missions worldwide and organized high level business, trade and procurement events including events at the White House and at USA and foreign embassies. At Universal Strategies Limited she leads a team that specializes in business development, government relations and international trade with a particular focus on Australia and AUKUS opportunities.
Anne was recognized by tire industry and awarded the Tire Industry Pioneer Award for her innovation and leadership in waste tire recovery. She was the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the Hartford Business Journal. She has been recognized twice by the US Congress for her support of USA businesses and employment of veterans.
Read more about Anne here.

Rhona C. Free | President, University of Saint Joseph
Rhona C. Free, Ph.D., became the ninth President of the University of Saint Joseph in July 2015. During her time at USJ, she has guided the deliberations that led to the University’s decision to become fully-coeducational and championed the creation of the Women’s Leadership Center. She has overseen the launch of new academic majors to meet student interests and workforce needs; the consolidation of health care programs onto the West Hartford campus; significant expansion of athletic programs and facilities; the implementation of the Catholic Promise Scholarship program; and completion of numerous capital projects to enhance student life, campus accessibility, and educational training facilities including studios, classrooms, and laboratories.
Learn more about Dr. Free here

Mission Partners

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

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

Second Monday with CTWAC | March
2025-03-10 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

The Details:
When: Monday, March 10th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
April 14th - *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 2 weeks prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2024
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
2025
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
February 10th – The End of USAID?

Mission Partners

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

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

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

The Future of Democracy with the Ambassador of Sweden
2025-03-11 17:00 - 19:00 | CT Public Broadcasting, Lobby, 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT, 06105, US
Join us March 11th for a Swedish fika coffee hour and conversation with H.E. Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S. RSVP today.
Global democracy has hit an all-time low, according to the 2024 Global Democracy Index. At the same time, U.S. relations with Europe are strained, with some saying that the souring transatlantic relationship could jeopardize the future of global democracy.
As these issues come to a head, we are thrilled to be joined by H.E. Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S. As a global economic and cultural powerhouse and NATO’s newest member, Sweden is ranked the world’s third strongest democracy.
Ambassador Ahlin was previously the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament and is one of the founding members of the first pan-European think-tank, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
After enjoying a traditional Swedish fika coffee social, we’ll discuss Sweden’s role in the world, the transatlantic relationship, and the state of democracy globally.
The Details
When: Tuesday, March 11 | 5:00pm – 7:00pm ET
5:00PM Fika social | 6:00PM Conversation
Where: World Affairs Council of CT | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT
Tickets: $25 Member | $35 General Admission
RSVP today

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

About the Ambassador
His Excellency Urban Ahlin has served as the Ambassador of Sweden to the United States since September 2023. Ambassador Ahlin most recently served as Sweden's Ambassador to Canada. Prior to that, he was a member of the Swedish Parliament, representing the Social Democratic Party. Following the 2014 parliamentary election, Ambassador Ahlin was elected Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Sveriges Riksdag, for the period 2014-2018. Ambassador Ahlin first became a member of Parliament in 1994. Since then, he has worked on foreign policy in numerous capacities. He was Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2006, and later Deputy Chair from 2006 to 2014. He has also been a member of the War Delegation, the Swedish Defence Commission, and a member of the Committee on European Affairs.
As part of his work for the Social Democratic Party, Ambassador Ahlin served as the party’s Foreign Policy Spokesperson and has also been a member of the party’s Executive Board. In addition, Ambassador Ahlin is one of the founding members of the first pan-European think-tank, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), which was established in 2007. Ambassador Ahlin is a teacher and graduated from the University of Karlstad with a Master of Science. He is married and has two daughters.

Fika with Ambassador Ahlin
Join in a traditional Swedish fika – the art of taking a pause to savor coffee and treats with good company. Make a new global connection, mingle with the Ambassador, and experience Swedish food and culture.
Featuring traditional Swedish pastries, cookies, and cakes by Fika Bakery, a CT-based Swedish-owned company
Learn about the traditional Swedish Fika:
How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance - BBC REEL - YouTube

Mission Partners

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

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

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

Albanian Spring Celebration
2025-03-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Çka ka Qëllu, 15 Clark St, Stamford, CT, 06901
Join us for a global spring celebration with friends – on the eve of the Albanian spring festival Dita e Verës. Celebrate the coming of spring with us at Stamford’s renowned Çka ka Qëllu, a rare museum-style restaurant featuring incredible Albanian cuisine.
Çka ka Qëllu’s head chef has curated a special tasting menu designed exclusively for guests of the World Affairs Council. Drinks are included.
Join us for an evening of great company and indulge in excellent Albanian cuisine and traditions.
About the evening
When: Thursday, March 13th | 6:00PM – 8:00PM
Where: Çka ka Qëllu | 15 Clark St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $95 Members | $110 Non-members | Space extremely limited, RSVP now
Reserve your spot today

Dita e Verës
Dita e Verës, the Albanian spring festival, is one of Albania’s most important holidays and the country’s largest pagan festival celebrated on March 14th. Dita e Verës translates to “Summer Day,” and has been celebrated throughout Albania for centuries.
Learn more about the history of Dita e Verës and the culinary traditions around it: Summer Day (Dita e Verës) 2025 in Albania

About Çka ka Qëllu
Çka ka Qëllu restaurant offers a modern selection of popular dishes and desserts inspired by the rich flavors of Mediterranean cuisine, highlighting the best of Albanian and Kosovan traditions.
“Owner Ramiz Kukaj, who is originally from Kosovo, said after opening two Çka ka Qëllu locations in New York City…he wanted to introduce his culture to the people in Stamford, a city that reminds him of Europe.” – Stamford Advocate
The owner of “ÇKA KA QËLLU” was inspired to open his restaurant when his son asked him where he could take his friends for authentic Albanian cuisine. After years of collecting 18th and 19th-century Albanian artifacts to decorate the space, Çka Ka Qëllu is now one of the most unique restaurant/museum experiences in the city.
Learn more: Çka Ka Qëllu

Sponsored by
McCarter & English

Mission Partners

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

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

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

The Future of Borders with Edward Alden | WorldNow
2025-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
In its first few weeks, the Trump administration announced sweeping changes to immigration policy – from mass deportations and a migrant detention center at Guantanamo Bay to suspending asylum and trying to restrict birthright citizenship. What is the cost of these policies – to citizens and noncitizens alike?
CFR’s Edward Alden joins us on WorldNow with Jim Falk to explain the economic, social, and international impact of the new administration’s border policies and mass deportations.
The details:
When: Wednesday, March 19 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
RSVP Here

Meet the Author
Edward Alden is Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Alden's career spans more than three decades in journalism, think tanks, and academia. He was the bureau chief for the Financial Times newspaper in Toronto, Canada, and Washington, DC before joining the Council on Foreign Relations in 2007.
In addition to his own books and articles, he has worked with senior US policymakers on in-depth investigations of issues such as US immigration policy, US trade policy, border security, and the future of work. Since 2019 he has also been a visiting professor at Western Washington University, and he currently writes a column for Foreign Policy.
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. Jim also hosts Perspectives Matter, which airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

When the World Closed Its Doors: The Covid-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders by Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman
A detailed exploration of the most sweeping government border closures in human history during the Covid-19 pandemic and the implications for the future of global mobility.
In When the World Closed Its Doors, Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman tell the story of how nearly every country in the world shut its borders to respond to an external threat and explain how this global shock to the system ended up transforming state border policies around the world.
They detail the consequences of the COVID border restrictions - couples separated for years, children blocked from reuniting with their parents, container ship workers moving essential goods trapped at sea, pregnant citizens barred from returning home - and explain why governments used their harshest containment measures on those coming from outside.
Throughout, Alden and Trautman focus on human stories to show the multiple impacts that states' increasing restrictiveness has had - economic, demographic, social, and political. And the fallout continues: governments left unchecked will continue to restrict borders with little regard to the collateral damage and disruption they cause.
A sweeping overview of the re-bordering of the world, both during and after 2020, this synthetic, wide-angle view of a singular shock to the international systems of travel and migration highlights why citizens need better protections and governments more robust guardrails.
Get a copy of When the World Closed Its Doors

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

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

Foreign Policy Town Hall with Senator Chris Murphy
2025-03-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Webinar
Join Senator Murphy and fellow citizens across the nation for a town hall on U.S. Foreign Policy. We’ll address the massive changes to the State Department, the role of the U.S. in conflicts around the world, and relationships with allies and adversaries alike.
The Details:
When: Monday, March 31st | 12:00PM ET – 1:00PM ET
Where: Virtual | Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

Hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut in partnership with World Affairs Councils across the nation, including: Alaska World Affairs Council, Global Santa Fe, Global Ties Arizona, Peoria Area World Affairs Council, Tennessee World Affairs Council, Upstate International, Vermont Council on World Affairs, Worcester World Affairs Council, World Affairs Council of Atlanta, World Affairs Council of Austin, World Affairs Council of Charlotte, World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Miami, World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, World Affairs Council of San Antonio, and the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts.

About Senator Murphy
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and the Appropriations Committee. He previously served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Connecticut’s fifth congressional district. Before being elected to Congress, he served for eight years in the Connecticut state legislature.

Mission Partners
Mark & Linda Caplan
Donna Collins
Susan & Peter G. Kelly
Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities.

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

Second Monday with CTWAC | April
2025-04-14 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

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

Upcoming Second Mondays:
April 14th - *The Future of Immigration Policy
May 12th- *Topic TBA
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2024
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
2025
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
February 10th – The End of USAID?
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future

Mission Partners

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

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

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

What's Next for the Congo?
2025-04-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Webinar
On January 23, M23 rebels launched an offensive on Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, reigniting a conflict that has plagued the Great Lakes region and drawn in neighboring African countries since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Now, on the brink of another multinational Congo War, the region and the world wait to see what comes next.
Join us for a timely discussion with a former UN representative from the region on the latest in the crisis, how we got to this point, and paths to peace in Congo and the Great Lakes Region. We’ll also explore the global implications of the flaring-up of this decades long conflict.
Featuring H.E Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, former Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the UN (2022-2023) and scholar activist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
The Details:
When: Thursday, April 24th | 6:00pm ET – 7:00pm ET
Where: Virtual | Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, Suggested $20 Donation | RSVP for zoom link
Register Today

Please consider making a small donation in support of this program. We rely on your support to connect our communities with the world and make global education accessible to all. Thank you for being part of our global community.

About the Speaker
Professor Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a Congolese scholar-activist and diplomat. He previously served as the Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United Nations from 2022 until 2023.
Before his posting he had been a professor in the Department of African, African American and Diaspora Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, since 2007. He was concurrently interim Executive Director of the African Governance Institute in Dakar, Senegal, from 2009 to 2010, as well as Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) between 2005 and 2007, and Director of the Oslo Governance Centre from 2002 to 2005.
In 1991, having lived in exile for 17 years, Professor Nzongola returned to his homeland -- then called Zaire -- and participated in the Congolese Sovereign National Conference the following year as one of its seven scholars of international renown. Professor Nzongola was also diplomatic advisor to Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi from 1992 to 1993 and First Vice-President of the National Election Commission in 1996.
He holds a doctoral degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master's degree in diplomacy and international commerce from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Davidson College. He is the author of The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History, (2002).

Mission Partners

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

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

Fourth Monday with CTWAC | Special Edition
2025-04-28 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.
By popular demand – we’re adding a second discussion group this month to cover all that’s happening in the world. RSVP today.

The Details:
When: Monday, April 28th | 6-7:30PM
Where: McCarter & English, LLP | One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT 06901
Tickets: $15 Members, $25 Non-members | Registration required
Registration is on a “first-come” basis and is limited to 20 participants.
Reserve your spot today

Upcoming Second Mondays:
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
May 12th – *Topic TBA
June 9th
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2024
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
2025
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
February 10th – The End of USAID?
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy

Mission Partners

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

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

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

Tariffs & Trade | With H.E. Jovita Neliupšienė, Ambassador of the EU to the US
2025-05-01 15:00 - 17:00 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
Escalation or Negotiation? The world watches as the U.S. and the European Union enter a period of increasingly tense trade relations. As tariffs and trade uncertainty escalates, how will the global economy respond? How will this affect businesses here in Connecticut?
Join us for an urgent seminar on tariffs and trade, featuring a panel discussion with Connecticut business leaders on how they are dealing with the tariffs, followed by a special keynote discussion.
As the global economy faces growing uncertainty, we are thrilled to be joined by H.E. Jovita Neliupšienė, the Ambassador of the EU to the U.S. We’ll discuss the impact of tariffs on the global economy, Europe’s vision for global leadership, and the future of the U.S. relationship with Europe amid escalating tensions.
The bloc is Connecticut’s top trading partner – with $5.6 billion in annual exports to the EU. This event is not to be missed.
The Details
When: Thursday, May 1st | 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Studio A, World Affairs Council of Connecticut | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT
Tickets: $25 General Admission | RSVP required
Reserve your spot today

With your ticket, join us for one or both event sessions

In Partnership With

Agenda
3:00pm | Session I
Panel Discussion with CT Business Leaders Addressing Tariff Impacts
Featuring:
- Lutz Labisch | President & CEO, TRUMPF Inc
- Paul Lavoie | Chief Manufacturing Officer, State of Connecticut
- Nik Delic | President and CEO, New England Airfoil Products (NEAP)
- Anna McGovern | Managing Director, The Pondview Group, LLC
- Jody Paviglionite | Director of Supply Chain, Mott Corporation
- Dr. Craig Calvert | Assistant Professor-in-Residence, University of Connecticut | Operations and Information Management
Break
Refreshments, European specialty bites, and networking
4:00pm | Session II
Keynote Discussion with H.E Jovita Neliupšienė, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States

About the Ambassador
H.E. Jovita Neliupšienė
Ambassador of the European Union to the United States
Jovita Neliupšienė became the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States on January 1, 2024. Before that, she was a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from September 2022, where she was responsible for the coordination of European Affairs, European bilateral and regional issues, as well as national sanctions coordinator.
From 2020-2022, she was Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, tasked with investment and export promotion, international cooperation, including policy coordination of state-owned enterprises, as well as chairing the interagency commission for export control.
In 2020, she held the post of Chancellor and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. This position included responsibility for staff coordination, legal and consular affairs. Between 2015-2020, she served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU. These years were marked by the migration crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
From 2009-2015, she worked as an advisor and chief foreign policy advisor to the President of the Republic of Lithuania Ms. Dalia Grybauskaite. She was responsible for foreign policy coordination, inter-institutional relations, as well as the role of sherpa/EU advisor, and in this respect took a leading position in preparing and coordinating the Lithuanian presidency of the EU Council in 2013. In 2014, she was awarded the State Decoration Order "For Merit to Lithuania" Commander's Cross. Read the Ambassador's full bio here.

Mission Partners

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

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

Human Scale: A Conversation with Lawrence Wright | WorldNow
2025-05-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Webinar
In his new political thriller The Human Scale, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright tells the story of an Israeli cop and a Palestinian-American FBI agent who join forces to solve the murder of an Israeli police chief in the West Bank – set against the backdrop of the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict.
Wright joins us on WorldNow to discuss how his novel, which concludes on October 8th, 2023, underscores the human cost of this longstanding conflict. As he writes at the end of the book: “One cannot hope for an end to the strife without acknowledging the separate histories that each side claims.”
A staff writer at The New Yorker, Wright has spent decades reporting from the Middle East as a journalist, playwright, and novelist. He won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, his acclaimed nonfiction account of the rise of Al-Qaeda.
“The politics in this book are impossible to ignore; indeed, they’re the point. Wright is thorough in his recounting of key elements of the conflict.” – The New York Times

The Details:
When: Tuesday, May 6th | 7:00PM – 8:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge, Suggested $20 Donation | RSVP Required
Reserve your spot today

About the Book
The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright
In this sweeping, timely thriller, a Palestinian American FBI agent teams up with a hardline Israeli cop to solve the murder of the Israeli police chief in Gaza—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Looming Tower and The End of October.
In his historically accurate novel, Lawrence Wright tells the story of the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict through richly-drawn characters: a Palestinian-American FBI agent, an anti-Arab Israeli police officer, family members with ties to Hamas, religious leaders, corrupt cops, and militants on both sides. Through these intersecting lives, Wright weaves an intricate tapestry that culminates in the devastating Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
More than a thriller, Wright’s novel explores the complex history between Israel and Palestine, revealing the tragic human scale of this long-standing conflict and offering a nuanced perspective on a tragedy that continues to shape the region and the world.
Get a copy of The Human Scale on Bookshop.org and support local bookstores.

Meet the Author
Lawrence Wright is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and staff writer for The New Yorker magazine.
He is the author of eleven nonfiction books. His book about the rise of al-Qaeda, “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” (Knopf, 2006), was published to immediate and widespread acclaim. It won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It was made into a series for Hulu in 2018, starring Jeff Daniels, Alec Baldwin, and Tahar Rahim.
Wright has published four novels, “Noriega: God’s Favorite” (Simon and Schuster, 2000) which was made into a Showtime movie starring Bob Hoskins; “The End of October” (Knopf, 2020), a bestseller about a viral pandemic that came out right at the beginning of COVID; “Mr. Texas” (Knopf, 2023), which has been optioned as a limited streaming series; and his most recent novel, “The Human Scale,” released in the spring of 2025.
In 2006, Wright premiered his first one-man play, “My Trip to Al-Qaeda,” at The New Yorker Festival, which led to a sold-out six-week run off-Broadway. It was made into a documentary film of the same name, directed by Alex Gibney, for HBO.
Wright wrote and performed another one-man show, “The Human Scale,” about the standoff between Israel and Hamas over the abduction of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. The Public Theater in New York produced the play, which ran for a month off-Broadway in 2010, before moving to the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv. Many of the ideas developed in that play later evolved into the novel of the same name, published 15 years later.
In addition to his one-man productions, Wright has written five other plays that have enjoyed productions around the country, including “Camp David,” about the Carter, Begin, and Sadat summit in 1978; and “Cleo,” about the making of the movie “Cleopatra.”
Wright is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Society of American Historians, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also serves as the keyboard player in the Austin-based blues band, WhoDo.
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.

Hosts & Partners
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut in partnership with Global Santa Fe.

Mission Partners

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

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

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

Second Monday with CTWAC | May
2025-05-12 18:00 - 19:30 | McCarter & English, LLP, One Canterbury Green 201 Broad St, Stamford, CT, 06901, United States
Join fellow World Affairs Council members in conversation over dinner on the issues impacting our world. Connect and engage with others, share your thoughts, and explore how we can secure our global future.

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

Upcoming Second Mondays:
April 28th (Special Edition) – Sudan’s Civil War & Sub-Saharan Africa after USAID
May 12th – *Topic TBA
June 9th
*Topics will be announced 1 week prior to events.

Past Second Mondays:
2024
March 11th: Western Consensus on Ukraine: What’s Next?
April 8th: War in Gaza: How did we get here?
May 20th: Democratic Systems at a Crossroad
June 10th: Potential Flash Points - How is the U.S. positioned and what happens next?
July 15th: The Climate Crisis & Global Instability
September 30th: Worldwide Efforts to Battle - or Embrace - Disinformation
October 14th – The World After the U.S. Election
November 12th – Foreign Policy in a New Administration
December 9th – A Rebalancing in the Middle East and the Taiwan Question
2025
January 13th – Greenland, the Panama Canal, and The Future of Immigration Policy
February 10th – The End of USAID?
March 10th - NATO's Uncertain Future
April 14th - The Future of Immigration Policy

Mission Partners

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

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

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

[SOLD OUT] Canada, Mexico, & U.S.: The Future of North America
2025-05-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Studio A at CT Public, 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT, 06105, United States
﻿This event is SOLD OUT. Please call us at (860) 241-6118 if there are any questions/concerns.
A Conversation with Consuls General of Canada and Mexico
Are major shifts in U.S. policy pushing our neighbors to the north and south away? Or will this reordering create pathways for a more productive and secure North American neighborhood?
Join us for a conversation with Consuls General representing Mexico and Canada on their view of a new relationship with the United States. We’ll discuss everything from the impact of tariffs and border and migration policy to increasingly hostile rhetoric between the leaders of these traditional allies, partners, and neighbors.
Featuring Consul General Tom Clark, Consul General of Canada in New York and Consul General Alberto Fierro, Consul General of Mexico in Boston.
Doors open 5:30pm for mingling and light reception. RSVP today.
The Details
When: Tuesday, May 20 | 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Where: Studio A, World Affairs Council of Connecticut | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT
Tickets: $35 General Admission | $25 Member Admission | SOLD OUT
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.

Alberto Fierro-Garza | Consul General of Mexico in Boston
A Mexican career diplomat since 1993, he previously was the head of the splendid Cultural Institute of the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. He was the Consul of Mexico in Orlando, FL and in St. Paul, MN. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served as Director General for Educational and Cultural Cooperation and as Deputy Director General for North America. Alberto was Director General for International Affairs at the National Council for Culture and the Arts of Mexico. He served also as Director of the Social Promotion Department at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. He holds a BA in Sociology from that university and a Masters in Latin-American History from Georgetown University. He lives with his husband David, his companion for more than 26 years.

Mission Partners

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

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

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