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Canada-Mexico-US: Power, Politics, & the Path Forward

A Conversation with Consuls General Tom Clark & Carlos Iriarte. RSVP Today.

North America is at a turning point.

Rising trade tensions, intensifying immigration debates, and a looming USMCA review are testing one of the world’s most important partnerships.

Join the Consuls General of Canada and Mexico for a rare, timely, and candid conversation on the future of this relationship — and what’s at stake.

Hear directly from senior diplomats on the front lines and gain exclusive insight into the forces shaping North America today. Opens with a reception featuring light bites and refreshments.

The Details

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


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

Featuring

Tom Clark | Consul General of Canada in New York

Prior to being appointed Consul General in New York by Prime Minister Trudeau, Tom Clark served as Chair of Global Public Affairs, one of the largest public affairs and strategic communications firms in Canada. His private sector clients included senior executives in Canada and internationally who sought public policy and strategic communications advice on key business and investment decisions. He was a frequent speaker to business groups and associations across the country as well as a sought after advisor to governments, both in Canada and abroad.

Prior to his work in the business community, Consul General Clark was one of Canada’s most respected broadcast journalists. During his 45 year career, he was posted as Bureau Chief to Washington DC and China, in addition to working in more than 30 countries, including tours in eight active war zones. His work earned him numerous awards in both Canada and the United States. Mr. Clark is a licensed pilot who has flown extensively in Canada’s north. He is married to Jane Clark and has three daughters.

Carlos Iriarte | Consul General of Mexico in Boston

Carlos Iriarte was appointed by the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and ratified on June 25, 2025 by the Mexican Senate as Consul General of Mexico in Boston, a position that encompasses the attention to the Mexican community and the promotion of the interests of our country in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. He is married to Lucila Ivette Estrada Villanueva (1998), and is the father of two daughters.

Throughout a life dedicated to public service, Consul Iriarte has been a federal deputy (2015-2018 and 2021-2024) and local deputy (2009-2012) for the State of Mexico, in addition to having been elected as municipal president of Huixquilucan, a position he held between 2013 and 2014. As a federal deputy, he was a member of the commissions of public security, justice, economy and foreign relations. The most recent reform to the Mexican Foreign Service Law was approved during his tenure as parliamentary coordinator during the LXIII Legislature with the agreement of all the political parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies.

In public administration, he has served as Secretary of Social Development, Deputy Secretary General of Government and Director General of Public Security in the State of Mexico; and as director of Sectoral Concertation in the General Directorate of Civil Protection of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Consul Iriarte holds a PhD in Public Administration from the Universidad Anáhuac and a Master's degree in Finance from the same institution; a master's degree in Administration and Public Policy from ITESM; a law degree from the UNAM; and has diploma studies, specialization in public and national security, and public policies from the Universidad Iberoamericana, ITAM and the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, respectively. He has been a postgraduate professor at the Universidad Anáhuac, where he has also advised and evaluated doctoral theses in undergraduate exams.

Mission Partners

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

Stay Globally Involved

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

250 Years of American Diplomacy

Featuring Michael Brenes, Director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, we’re taking a closer look at the powerful force that is U.S. diplomacy.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut invites you to a special evening exploring the evolution of U.S. diplomacy – from pivotal decisions to defining figures and from the impact of U.S. leadership on world history to where the U.S. is headed in the century ahead.

How did diplomacy shape the nation into a superpower and where is the U.S. headed next? RSVP to find out.

After a great event in Fairfield, we’re bringing Dr. Brenes to Hartford due to popular demand for another exciting talk about 250 years of U.S. diplomatic power.

Details

Thursday, May 14, 2026 | 6-7pm | Doors open 5:30pm
Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford CT
Tickets: $25 General Admission, $15 Members | No Charge for Students


Featuring

Michael Brenes is co-director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy and lecturer in history at Yale University.

His research interests include United States foreign policy, political history, and political economy. He is the author of For Might and Right: Cold War Defense Spending and the Remaking of American Democracy, published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2020, and the co-editor (with Daniel Bessner) of Rethinking U.S. Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations, published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2024. His next book, co-authored with Van Jackson, is titled The Rivalry Peril: How Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy, and will be published by Yale University Press in January 2025.

In addition to his academic articles and book chapters, his work has been published in The New York Times, The New Republic, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico, Dissent, Boston Review, The Nation, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

He is currently writing a history of the War and Terror from the 1990s to the present, to be published by Grove/Atlantic. He is also finalizing a co-edited volume with Daniel Bessner on Cold War liberalism, which is under contract with Cambridge University Press.

Join the Community

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

Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

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

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

The Diplomat + Luminary Award 2026

Tickets Become a Sponsor

Join us for an unforgettable evening at The Diplomat + Luminary Award, the World Affairs Council of Connecticut’s signature gathering of diplomats from around the world and Connecticut’s top business, government, and community leaders.

Over 50 nations will be represented as Consuls General, Ambassadors, and dignitaries gather in Hartford to offer unparalleled opportunities to connect, exchange ideas, and foster international partnerships.

This year, we proudly present the Luminary Award, honoring a Connecticut leader whose work has made a meaningful impact on the world.

Be part of an evening where diplomacy meets community, and where Connecticut shines on the global stage.

The Details

When: Tuesday, June 9 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Hartford, CT
Tickets: General Admission $125; Member Admission $99; Patron $250


*You may call us to RSVP at (860) 241-6118 to pay directly and avoid ticket processing fees.

Unlock special member pricing for this event by becoming a member of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut today.

Not a member? Join here or select the membership add-on during checkout. Reach out to Abby Noyes at noyesa[@]ctwac.org with any questions.

The 2026 Luminary Award

Karl J. Krapek
Global Visionary, Titan of Industry, Philanthropist

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut is thrilled to present the 2026 Luminary Award to Karl J. Krapek, World Affairs Council Advisor, for his extraordinary global leadership and lasting impact on industry and community.

Over a distinguished career, he has helped guide major global enterprises through growth and innovation, demonstrating the power of principled and forward-looking leadership.

Just as important is Karl's deep commitment to the Hartford community and to expanding opportunities for the next generation.

His leadership of initiatives like Hartford Youth Scholars has helped open doors for talented young people and invest in our region's future.

Join us on June 9 at The Diplomat for an unforgettable evening as we honor a leader who has changed the world for the better.

Mission Partners

 

Join the Community

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

Become a member or renew today.