World Affairs Council of Connecticut

The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel – with Author Kati Marton
2021-12-06 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Partner event!
Please join the author of The Chancellor – The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel, Kati Marton, and the Santa Fe Council on International Relations for a discussion on the iconic German leader’s impact and legacy.

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Presented by:
Santa Fe Council on International Relations
Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations
Partners:
World Affairs Council of Jacksonville
World Affairs Council of Connecticut
About The Chancellor
The Chancellor is at once a riveting political biography and an intimate human story of a complete outsider—a research chemist and pastor’s daughter raised in Soviet-controlled East Germany—who rose to become the unofficial leader of the West.
Acclaimed biographer Kati Marton set out to pierce the mystery of how Angela Merkel achieved all this. And she found the answer in Merkel’s political genius: in her willingness to talk with adversaries rather than over them, her skill at negotiating without ever compromising on what’s most important to her, her canniness in appointing political rivals to her cabinet and exacting their policies so they have no platform to run against her, the humility to allow others to take credit for things done in tandem, the wisdom to stay out of the papers and off Twitter, and the vision to take advantage of crises to enact bold change. The Angela Merkel who emerges in The Chancellor is a role model for anyone interested in gaining and keeping power while holding onto one’s moral convictions—and for anyone looking to understand how to successfully bridge huge divisions within society.

The Future of Arctic Security Conversation with Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant U.S. Coast Guard
2021-11-16 16:00 - 17:00
Please join ADM. Karl Schultz, Commandant U.S. Coast Guard and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, U.S. for a discussion about the future of arctic security.
Dr. Victoria Herrmann, White House Fellow and President of Arctic Circle and SVP. Heather Conley from the Center for Strategic and International Studies will also be joining the conversation.
Join us as we partner with the World Affairs Council OC in Southern California, USA.

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The Art of War in an Age of Peace: U.S. Grand Strategy and Resolute Restraint
2021-10-29 16:00 - 17:00
Please join the highly acclaimed author and Director of Research – Foreign Policy at Brookings Institution, Michael O’Hanlon, and moderator, Elizabeth Shackelford, Senior Fellow, US Foreign Policy at The Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs, as they explore Michael O’Hanlon’s book, The Art of War in an Age of Peace.
Join us as we partner with the World Affairs Council of Orange County on this fascinating conversation.
Read more about Michael O’Hanlon and Elizabeth Shackelford here.

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Model UN Briefing with Norway
2021-10-28 15:00 - 16:00
Every year the World Affairs Council of Connecticut coordinates UN Mission briefings for our Model UN students during their trip to UN Headquarters in NYC. Now, you have access to a unique opportunity to engage with these future global leaders and observe briefings from high-level Mission diplomats.

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Refugee Crisis
2021-10-27 12:00 - 13:00
Please join the Executive Director of IRIS, Chris George as he discusses resettlement for refugees as well as IRIS on the second episode of State of the World.
Join us as we tackle questions like, what can we do to help the process of refugees being resettled in the United States?
You won’t want to miss this. RSVP now.

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Model UN Briefing with Armenia
2021-10-27 09:00 - 10:00

Model UN Briefing with Estonia
2021-10-26 10:00 - 11:00

Model UN Briefing with Egypt
2021-10-25 11:00 - 12:00

Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back
2021-10-22 13:00 - 14:00
Please join the highly acclaimed author and Chief Impact Officer at Planet, Andrew Zolli, as he opens a new season of State of the World.
Andrew will explore how systems and people maintain their capacity to continue and recover from adversity.
Join us as we tackle questions like, what causes one system to break down and another to rebound? And is it possible to increase resilience?
Read more about Andrew Zolli here.

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Model UN Briefing with Morocco
2021-10-21 15:00 - 16:00

Global Security Forum 2021: Competing for the Future
2021-10-01 18:00 - 2021-10-02 15:30 | Goodwin University, 1 Riverside Dr, East Hartford, CT, 06118, United States
Announcing Global Security Forum 2021: Competing for the Future
From space to cyber, the currency of power is changing.
GSF2021 will bring you an all-star lineup of leaders who redefined their fields, shattered barriers, and will reveal the technologies, strategies, and domains that will define the next decade of security and global competition.
Featuring top leadership from the U.S. military, key allies, emerging tech innovators and more, including: The first woman to become a four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy; former Commander of U.S. Pacific Command and Ambassador to South Korea; Advisor to the National Security Agency on Emerging Technologies; former U.S. Defense Attaché to China; the first female officer in U.S. history to command a major Unified Combatant Command, and more.
GSF has brought the world’s top leadership directly to you – from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to General Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard. This October, generals, experts, and foreign leaders will convene to address the most critical global security issues of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.
Innovation isn’t optional. It’s imperative.
SAVE THE DATE | OCT 1-2, 2021

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Edible Arrangements: the Power of Entrepreneurial Spirit
2021-08-17 12:00 - 13:00
Over 20 years ago, Edible Arrangements founder and Pakistani immigrant Tariq Farid
envisioned a new type of product: an edible ‘flower arrangement’ of fruit carved to look like
bouquets of flowers. Investors were skeptical. Some even told Farid the business would fail.
Fast forward. With over 1,300 stores worldwide, Edible Arrangements is a beloved American
brand, growing sales by 45% year after year. The company has since expanded into flowers,
produce, cards, and baked goods as well.
Join us on Tuesday, August 17 at 12 PM ET as Tariq Farid, Founder & CEO, and Asma Farid,
Vice President & Partner, sit down with the Council to share Edible Arrangements’ extraordinary
success story. During the program, we’ll learn how the entrepreneurial couple franchised the
business, innovated their product lines, and drew from their immigrant backgrounds to shape the
company’s values and endeavors.

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The New Space Race
2021-07-13 12:00 - 12:30
The United Arab Emirates recently joined the small group of nations that have successfully launched a spacecraft to Mars, further proving space is the new domain for international cooperation—and competition.
Join us as we speak with the woman who led the UAE’s successful mission to Mars, and one of the world’s rising stars in space and technology: Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri. She is the nation’s first-ever Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.
H.E. Minister Al Amiri will address the yet-to-be answered questions in the emerging space domain—from opportunities for technological innovation and global peacebuilding, to what it means for national security—and beyond.

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Sponsored by

In Partnership with

State of Israel: New Government, New Era?
2021-06-21 12:00 - 12:30
For the first time in 12 years, Israel has a new prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu has been ousted and Naftali Bennett enters office, promising to lead a “government of change.”
Is Israel entering a new era?
We’re joined by Ambassador Meron Reuben, Consul General of Israel to New England.
We want your questions. This discussion will be a new format: an entirely crowd-sourced discussion. Be a part of the event by submitting your questions during the event or in advance by e-mailing your questions to: ajolly@ctwac.org.

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In partnership with

The Russian Challenge with Dr. Fiona Hill
2021-06-09 18:00 - 18:30
From cyberattacks to regional conflicts, U.S.-Russia relations are the rockiest they have been for decades.
This month, President Biden and President Putin will meet for the first time since President Biden entered office. What’s at stake for this historic summit?
We’re joined by Fiona Hill, senior fellow at Brookings, who recently served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council (2017 to 2019).
Don’t miss this conversation with one of the nation’s most consequential leaders on US-Russia relations ahead of the historic Biden-Putin summit.
Bring your questions and RSVP today!

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Fiona Hill is the Robert Bosch senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. She recently served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council from 2017 to 2019. From 2006 to 2009, she served as national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at The National Intelligence Council.
Sponsored By Jeffrey Hoffman and the Hoffman Auto Group

The Rise and Fall of Europe's Super League
2021-05-26 12:00 - 12:30
This year, the world watched as 12 of Europe’s richest and most famous soccer clubs attempted to form an exclusive Super League.
The effort collapsed in spectacular fashion, and in the process, drew the near unanimous ire of the world’s 3.5 billion soccer fans.
We’ll tackle the Super League’s rise and fall and ask: is this saga, at its heart, a battle between globalization and nationalism?
Join expert Stefan Szymanski to explore the role that the American sports model played in the creation of the Super League, the global populist backlash, and what this means for the future of the world’s most popular sport.
Featuring
Dr. Stefan Szymanski, Stephen J. Galetti Professor of Sport Management at the University of Michigan, expert the economics and business of sport, and author of Soccernomics
With Remarks by
Harry Watling, Head Coach of the Hartford Athletic
In partnership with the Hartford Athletic. RSVP below.

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A Beginner's Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious with Roya Hakakian
2021-05-19 12:00 - 12:30
In the U.S., when the issue immigration is debated on the policy level, the personal experience is often lost. Enter: Roya Hakakian, poet, journalist, writer, and U.S. citizen who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Iran.
Roya shares her personal journey coming to the U.S. as a refugee and discusses her deeply personal new book, “A Beginner’s Guide to America.”
Written as a “guide” for the newly arrived, and providing “practical information and advice,” Roya reveals what those who settle here love about the country, what they miss about their homes, the cruelty of some Americans, and the unceasing generosity of others. Bring your questions, your experiences, and join us for this special conversation.

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A Conversation with HRH Ambassador Reema Bandar Al Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States
2021-05-13 18:00 - 19:00
Due to an unforeseen scheduling change, this event with HRH Ambassador Reema Bandar Al Saud will be rescheduled to a later date. We are working diligently with the Saudi Embassy and our co-host the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire to find a new date, so stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline: DarkSide, Ransomware, and U.S. Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
2021-05-12 12:00 - 12:30
Last week Colonial Pipeline, which is responsible for about 45% of the East Coast fuel supply, was hit with a crippling ransomware attack. The suspected culprit? DarkSide, a group of hackers thought to have roots in Eastern Europe.
An attack of this scale on U.S. critical infrastructure is unprecedented. Unprecedented, but not unexpected.
Cybersecurity experts have been ringing the alarm that a cyberattack of this kind was inevitable, that U.S. critical infrastructure was particularly vulnerable, and that the U.S. state and federal governments were unprepared to defend against imminent threats.
We’re joined by one of those very experts: Arthur House, former Cybersecurity Risk Officer for the State of Connecticut, Cybersecurity Policy Advisor to Connecticut’s Secretary of the State and Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut.
Bring your questions and join us to find out what happened during the Colonial Pipeline attack, which adversaries continue to threaten U.S. infrastructure, and what we can do about it.

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Briefing: China and the U.S. Across Strategic Domains
2021-05-05 12:00 - 12:30
President Biden has made it clear that when it comes to the U.S.-China relationship, the competition is on. “The autocrats will not win the future,” he has vowed, “America will.”
Where is this competition most fierce – and most consequential? We’ll look to five strategic domains: technology, economy, defense, space, and global leadership. In each, we’ll explore the domain’s single most defining issue. Featuring one of the Council community’s favorite experts: Roy D. Kamphausen, President of the National Bureau of Asian Research.
The U.S.-China relationship has the power to shape the world. Where do we stand? Where are we headed? RSVP today to find out.

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The Storm Before the Calm with George Friedman
2021-04-28 19:00 - 19:30
Is this period of history the “storm before the calm?”
Join master geopolitical forecaster and New York Times bestselling author of The Next 100 Years, George Friedman, as he explains his prediction that the 2020s will bring dramatic upheaval and reshaping of American government, foreign policy, economics, and culture.
George Friedman is founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures, which specializes in geopolitical forecasting. Prior to this Friedman was chairman of the global intelligence company Stratfor, which he founded in 1996. Friedman is the author of six books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Next Decade and The Next 100 Years.

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Horn of Africa Crises Watch 2021 with Murithi Mutiga
2021-04-27 12:00 - 12:30
A humanitarian crisis develops in the Tigray region of Ethiopia; Uganda’s confronts claims of a rigged election; Somalia faces the prospect of the eruption of political violence.
We’re joined by Murithi Mutiga, Project Director for the Horn of Africa at the International Crisis Group.
Looking ahead in 2021, what critical crises, movements, and trends might lie ahead in the Horn of Africa?

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YP Series | Sports Diplomacy with Ashleigh Huffman, Ph.D. & Kerry McCoy
2021-04-20 18:00 - 18:45
Sports and politics are arguably the two most polarizing topics in the world (See? Already arguing). Alternatively, they have an undeniable ability to bring people together regardless of country, background and beliefs. From Serena Williams to Antony Blinken and from the Olympics to the United Nations, how does sports diplomacy work to create a safer and more stable world? Are sports or athletic icons able to leverage ‘soft power’ tools to impact policy? What skills can we adapt from athletics to build stronger communities, both at home and abroad?
Join us as we speak to Dr. Ashleigh Huffman, Program Specialist in the Sports Diplomacy Division at the U.S. Department of State, and Kerry McCoy, two-time U.S. Olympian, Olympic Coach and current Executive Director & Head Coach at the California Regional Training Center, in the second installment of our Young Professionals series.

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*Additional confirmations ongoing
Young Professionals Series | Beginning with an exciting interview with an expert guest or panel, these programs end with exclusive opportunity for young professionals to turn on your cameras and speak to our featured guest ‘face-to-face’ (on Zoom, of course) to ask your most pressing questions directly, discuss career paths and more.

In Afghanistan, when U.S. troops leave, what comes after?
2021-04-20 10:30 - 11:00
On April 14, Biden announced the U.S. will be withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan, starting on May 1 and concluding by September 11, 2021. This will bring to a close the United States’ longest war. But for Afghanistan, what comes after?
Join us to speak with Shahmahmood Miakhel, Designated Ambassador of Afghanistan to Qatar, who previously served as the First Deputy and Acting Minister of Defense of Afghanistan.
We’ll discuss what has happened in the last twenty years and where we go from here.

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Civil Rights Has Always Been a Global Movement with Brenda Gayle Plummer, Ph.D.
2021-04-14 12:00 - 12:30
After the murder of George Floyd, protests for racial justice erupted around the world. The words “I can’t breathe” appeared on protest signs in cities from Berlin to Seoul.
What made these protests go global so immediately? How has the movement for civil rights always been a global movement?
We’re joined by Brenda Gayle Plummer, Ph.D., a foundational scholar in the realm of race and international relations. She is an author and professor of history at University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Afro-American, 20th century U.S., race, and history of foreign relations.

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This event is hosted in partnership with the Greater Hartford Links Chapter, Central Connecticut State University Political Science Department, CCSU African American Studies, Africana Center, and International Studies program

Suez Canal and the Fragility of Global Shipping with Elisabeth Braw
2021-04-07 12:00 - 12:30
The Ever Given captured the world’s attention when it grounded itself across the Suez Canal, blocking not only the waterway, but billions of dollars in trade; it also exposed deep vulnerabilities in the global shipping infrastructure that have been ignored for far too long.
Join Elisabeth Braw, resident fellow at AEI, for a long-overdue conversation on the fragility of our global shipping infrastructure. We discuss the Suez Canal block and how one disruption – from an accident to a proxy war to a grounding by the Ever Given – can create consequences that ripple across the world.

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Elisabeth Braw is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she focuses on defense against emerging national security challenges, such as hybrid and grayzone threats. Concurrently, she is a columnist with Foreign Policy, where she writes on national security and the globalized economy, and a member of the National Preparedness Commission (UK).

YP Series | Defense Against the Dark Arts in Space with Kaitlyn Johnson, CSIS
2021-04-06 18:00 - 18:45
Space defense systems and Harry Potter have more in common than you might think. Whether flying out of earth’s orbit or running through bricks to reach Platform 9 ¾, special circumstances require special countermeasures. While the United States is increasingly dependent on space systems, its ability to effectively deter attacks in space is in doubt.
What is the current state of space and space defenses today? What can Harry Potter’s classic battle between good and evil teach us when considering defensive counterspace operations? How can the United States maintain a distinct strategic advantage over the “dark arts” in space?
Kaitlyn Johnson, Deputy Director and Fellow for the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) walks us through current space threats, the future of space defenses and what policies can be integrated for a safer world (and beyond). And as Harry Potter would say, “mischief managed.”

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Young Professionals Series | Beginning with an exciting interview with an expert guest or panel, these programs end with exclusive opportunity for young professionals to turn on your cameras and speak to our featured guest ‘face-to-face’ (on Zoom, of course) to ask your most pressing questions directly, discuss career paths and more.

China's Digital Currency with Yaya Fanusie
2021-03-31 12:00 - 12:30 | Zoom Webinar
China is at the forefront of the world in its development of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). What does this mean for the global financial system? What implications could this new currency have for financial security and privacy in China and around the world? Should the U.S. develop a digital currency of its own?
We’re joined by Yaya J. Fanusie, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) to explore. His research focuses on the national security implications of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Yaya spent seven years as both an economic and counterterrorism analyst in the CIA, where he regularly briefed federal law enforcement, U.S. military personnel, and White House-level policy makers—including President George W. Bush whom he personally briefed on terrorism threats.
Bring your questions and join in the conversation!
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This event is part of the State of the World series.
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Bee Trapped Inside the Window: A deeper dive
2021-03-18 12:00 - 12:45 | Zoom Webinar
Now through March 21, HartBeat Ensemble presents the play, “Bee Trapped Inside the Window.” Before or after watching the show, join the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and HartBeat Ensemble for a virtual conversation with the playwright and director. Together, we’ll explore the play’s themes and the reverberating effects of human trafficking.
Featuring:
Playwright Saviana Stanescu
Director Vernice P. Miller

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More about the Play:
Bee Trapped Inside The Window explores modern-day slavery’s effect on the lives of three women of different backgrounds and ethnicities in the leafy suburbs of Connecticut.
May is an Asian-American in-house domestic worker for a wealthy family with kids; Sasha is a Russian-American corporate executive with a drinking problem; and Mia is Sasha’s black daughter, who is exploring and gradually understanding her own biracial identity.
Written as intercut interior monologues sliding into dialogue, the play follows Mia’s coming-of-age story over the course of 15 years through her relationships with her mom and her neighbor, while offering a window into the lives of domestic workers and immigrants.
Before or after the discussion, make sure to pick up your tickets to watch Bee Trapped Inside the Window, playing virtually February 26 – March 21: https://www.showclix.com/event/bee-trapped-inside-the-window

Celebration of Saint Patrick's Day
2021-03-17 12:00 - 12:40 | Zoom Webinar
CELEBRATE SAINT PATRICK’S DAY
With music, poetry, and discussion on the Ireland-U.S. partnership
Join us for special musical guests, connections with colleagues across the Atlantic, and a discussion with the Embassy of Ireland in the U.S. on the partnership between Ireland and the U.S., and what’s in store for the bilateral relationship in the year ahead. A partnership of CTWAC and the Ireland-Connecticut Business Council.
Co-Hosted by
Megan Clark Torrey, CEO of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut
Conall O Móráin, Host of That Great Business Show
Featuring
Music from Patrick Dexter,
With special pre-recorded message from the celebrated cellist
Poetry Reading by Margaret Gibson,
Poet Laureate of the State of Connecticut shares a reading
Discussion with Harry Lester,
Economic Counsellor for Trade, Investment and Innovation, Embassy of Ireland in the U.S.

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