This Week

TNWAC This Week

July 7, 2021

Dear Members and Friends:

I hope you had an enjoyable Independence holiday and your ear drums are intact. In Nashville we had quite a celebration with 350,000 people visiting for music and a spectacular fireworks show. It seems there’s a lot of pent up desire to get back to normal.

This week we have good news from our friends at the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA). That’s the organization that works with the 90+ independent councils around the country, like ours, to bring us a national conference, the Academic WorldQuest (AWQ) national competition, third-party grant programs and more. Last week WACA announced it had received a $10 million endowment gift from Carlos Alvarez, a WACA Board Director and CEO of the Gambrinus Corporation (think Shiner Bock) and Malú Alvarez.

From the WACA announcement:

Carlos and Malú Alvarez of San Antonio, Texas, will contribute $10 million to establish a new endowment for WACA, the Washington, D.C.-based national nonprofit association that serves and represents 90 World Affairs Council member organizations across the United States. This unprecedented gift was announced at WACA’s Board of Directors Meeting on Tuesday, June 29.

“I’ve been involved with WACA as national board director for 20 years. I believe that the mission of WACA and the Council network – to educate, inspire, and engage the public in world affairs – is more vital than ever,” said Mr. Alvarez. “I’m excited to support the long-term future of the organization in this way.”

Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez have generously supported WACA in the past, particularly its efforts to engage young people in understanding U.S. foreign policy and global affairs. In 2015, the Alvarez family established an endowment for WACA’s flagship education program, Academic WorldQuest, an annual knowledge competition for high school students nationwide. For over a decade, Mr. Alvarez has also funded full scholarships for hundreds of undergraduate students nominated by World Affairs Councils to attend WACA’s annual 3-day National Conference in Washington, DC.

“Today is a great day for the World Affairs Councils of America. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Carlos and Malú Alvarez, WACA now has a much stronger foundation from which to grow our services to our nationwide Council network,” said WACA Chairman Glenn Creamer. “On behalf of WACA and my fellow Board members, thank you Carlos and Malú for this truly transformative gift.”

This is terrific news for our network of World Affairs Councils. It will ensure TNWAC continues to receive the support of our friends at the national office in Washington for programs and resources they are uniquely positioned to provide.

Meanwhile, we continue to invite you to support this World Affairs Council and especially our education outreach programs like Academic WorldQuest. TNWAC is a unique asset in the region but it can survive only with your support as a member or donor. As we lay the groundwork for the new educational season please show your support for global affairs awareness programs. Carlos Alvarez showed the way; now we all need to step up.

Wishes for a safe and prosperous week ahead.

Sincerely,

Patrick W. Ryan
Founding President, TNWAC

Thank you for your support of global affairs awareness and education!

MARK THE CALENDAR

Peace Teachers, A (Pandemic) Year in the Life – USIP Program – July 8
U.S.-Russia Conflict: Post Biden-Putin Summit w/Dr. Andrei Korobkov and Dr. Mark Katz | July 13
Afghanistan and Iraq: What’s Ahead – Ambassadors Robert Ford and Ronald Neumann | Sep 16 | With PAWAC | Save the Date
Global Security Forum | Oct 1-2 | Registration/Details TBA
National Conference of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA’s 35th Anniversary) | Nov 17-19

UNDERSTANDING US-RUSSIA RELATIONS AFTER THE SUMMIT | JULY 13

Five months into his Administration was viewed as very early for President Joe Biden to meet with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. But on the heels of relationship stabilizing visits at the G-7 and NATO summits and visits with European leaders it was on to Geneva for a meeting between the two leaders. Beyond the communique and press conferences what is ahead in the conflictive relationship between Washington (and Western allies) and Moscow? We’ve asked two experts on Russia to talk with you on July 13th at our Global Dialogue Webinar. Dr. Andrei Korobkov, Moscow native and Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Middle Tennessee State University; and Dr. Mark Katz, Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University will talk about the summit and the state of the relationship and they’ll take your questions. [Details/Registration]

TNWAC RECOMMENDS

RUSSIA RESURRECTED: Its power and purpose in a new global order | Brookings | Bruce Jones and Dr. Fiona Hill [Recording]

A (PANDEMIC) YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A PEACE TEACHER

Join our friends at the United States Institute of Peace as they acknowledge this year’s “Peace Teachers.” While thinking about this program let’s remember our local Peace Teacher, Cassie Bates of Centennial HS in Franklin, nominated by TNWAC in 2019. It’s a great program and we thank USIP for bringing the world (and pace building) to our communities. Here’s the highlights: “Amid the COVID pandemic and national upheaval, four high school teachers from Alaska, Kentucky, Mississippi and Nebraska participated in USIP’s Peace Teachers Program and dedicated themselves to helping their students make sense of conflicts in the world and to showing them how peace can be achieved.” Thursday, July 7, 2021 at 12:00-1:15pm CT. [Details/Registration]

DISCOVER THE ROMANCE OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY: 13 DAYS TRAVEL WITH TNWAC PARTNER WACC

The Tennessee World Affairs Council is pleased to be a promotional partner with the World Affairs Council of Charlotte in offering a 13 day trip to Basque Country, September 30-October 12, 2021. [ Itinerary | Registration ]

A CONVERSATION WITH RICK STEVES

Travel authority Rick Steves talked with TNWAC Board Member Amanda Knarr last week in a terrific conversation about: the impact of Covid-19 on international travel; prospects for post-pandemic travel; how travel affects people and their fears and ideas about the world; experiences and favorites of a legendary traveler and the value of travel and World Affairs Councils toward knowing the world. This is a MUST SEE program and you can watch it on our YouTube.com/TNWAC channel [here] or listen on our Podcast, wherever you get your Pods and on SoundCloud.com/TNWAC. [More]

COMPETING FOR THE FUTURE

Your World Affairs Council is pleased to be a partner with the Connecticut World Affairs Council in offering the 2021 Global Security Forum: Competing for the Future, coming to you on October 1-2, 2021. At this forum generals, experts, and foreign leaders will convene to address the most critical global security issues of today and the opportunities of tomorrow. Look forward to details on this tremendous program and mark your calendar to participate. Learn more about the GSF HERE.

YOU SHOULD SPONSOR THESE PROGRAMS

We invite businesses, organizations and individuals to sponsor these events. It is through your support that we are able to bring quality global affairs programs to the community. Your sponsorship also highlights your commitment to education and global affairs awareness in the community. For information about sponsoring other programs and series of events contact Patrick Ryan, TNWAC President @ 931-261-2353, [email protected]

THIS WEEK AROUND THE NETWORK OF WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCILS

CHECK BELOW FOR DETAILS ON THESE PROGRAMS

Thursday 7/8

Global Minnesota hosts Ambassador Nestor Forster Jr., Ambassador of Brazil to the U.S., for “Brazil and the United States: Bilateral Relations and Trade Opportunities.”

Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Ken Bernstein, Los Angeles Department of City Planning and Principal City Planner, and Gail Kennard, President for Kennard Design Group, for “Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America’s Cities.”

World Affairs Council of Atlanta hosts Ambassador (ret.) Kenneth Juster, former U.S. Ambassador to India, for “India Rising.”

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, for “China, Hong Kong, and the Future of Democracy.”

Global Ties Arizona hosts Jennifer Burge, Founder and CEO of WorldWise Coaching and Training, for “Destination Series: Australia & New Zealand.”

World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Geoffrey Cain, journalist and author, to discuss his book, The Perfect Police State: An Undercover Odyssey into China’s Terrifying Surveillance Dystopia of the Future.

San Diego World Affairs Council and World Affairs Council of Inland Southern California hosts Daniel Miller, retired Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, for “A Cowboy in Mongolia – In Search of the Sacred in the Steppes.”

Thank you for your support of global affairs awareness and education!

THANKS TO THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCILS OF AMERICA FOR COORDINATION OF WEEKLY PROGRAMS FROM AROUND THE NETWORK

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS AWARENESS AND EDUCATION OUTREACH

THE MISSION of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Tennessee World Affairs Council is to promote international awareness, understanding and connections to enhance the region’s global stature and to prepare Tennesseans to thrive in our increasingly complex and connected world.

THE VISION of the Tennessee World Affairs Council is a well-informed community that thinks critically about the world and the impact of global events.

Membership 2025 Is Now Open - Join Now!

This Week

TNWAC This Week

Important Links

Contact us

Hours of Operation