This Week

Sincerely,

…

MARK THE CALENDAR

Mar 30, Wed, 10 am — Global Dialogue | Why Climate Change is a Business Matter with Gary Garfield in person at Belmont University and via Zoom Webinar [Details/Register]

Mar 31, Thur, 6 pm CT – In Person | Global Town Hall | Russia, Ukraine, Europe and the United States with Dr. Roger Kangas of the National Defense University | Belmont | [Details/Register]

Apr 13, Tues, 10am CT – Zoom | Amb John Kornblum from Berlin | War in Europe: Understanding the latest developments | Save the date | Registration TBA

IN-PERSON | RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE THROUGH THE LENS OF U.S. POLICYMAKERS

Join us for a Global Town Hall with Dr. Roger Kangas on Thursday, March 31st at 6:00pm CT at beautiful Belmont University.

Vladimir Putin’s likely hoped-for lightning strike into Kyiv to decapitate the Zelensky government and subjugate the country has bogged down amid Russian military incompetence and Ukrainian resolve and heroism. The implications of war in Europe are being felt around the world.

Dr. Kangas, an Academic Dean at the Defense Department’s NESA Center at the National Defense University works at the intersection of scholarship and policymaking. He is fresh from a visit of former Soviet republics and will discuss the context of the war in Europe and its implications for United States and European interests. Dr. Thomas A. Schwartz, Distinguished Professor of U.S. foreign policy history at Vanderbilt will join the conversation as moderator.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to get inside the Washington approach to the war in Europe. [Register Now]

SPECIAL PROJECT | IMPACT: JAPANESE BUSINESS INVESTMENT IN TENNESSEE

TNWAC is working with the Japan-America Society of Tennessee to produce a series of interviews on the effect of Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) on the economic fortunes of Tennessee. A dozen interviews with transcripts and links to Podcasts are posted to the TNWAC.org web site (scroll down on homepage). We have recently added our conversation with Senator Lamar Alexander, who as Governor of Tennessee was the “chief architect” behind Tennessee’s opening the door to Japanese businesses. [Sen. Alexander]

GREAT DECISIONS

Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the documentary film series and meeting in a Discussion Group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. You can get the book and videos at the FPA.org web site and now TNWAC members and friends have been invited to join the eight-part discussion group organized by our friends in Delaware, Ohio. Details and registration HERE.

MADAM SECRETARY

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright was a brilliant diplomat, a visionary leader, a courageous trailblazer, a dedicated mentor, and a great and good person who loved the United States deeply and devoted her life to serving it. She was also a wonderful friend to many, including me. I’ll miss her very much.

Having arrived here as a refugee at age 11, she never forgot the generosity that America extended to her family when they needed it most. Having seen America at its best, she pushed relentlessly for us to live up to our role as a moral beacon and defender of freedom. And having experienced the horrors of war firsthand – fleeing Czechoslovakia after the Nazis invaded, then hiding in shelters as German bombs fell on London – she believed that the United States must respond forcefully to dictators and tyrants. She created the Community of Democracies, a coalition of countries that defends democratic values around the world. And thanks in no small part to her, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic joined NATO, and the United States defended ethnic Albanians in Kosovo against Serbian aggression. Today, there’s a square and a street in Kosovo named for Madeline, and a statue of her stands in the capital.

When she was nominated to be Secretary of State, some openly questioned whether a woman could go toe-to-toe with world leaders. Madeleine quickly quashed those misguided doubts. There was simply no doubt that, in any room, she was as tough as anyone and often tougher. That said, it wasn’t always easy. She described walking into her first meeting of the UN Security Council as the U.S. ambassador: “15 seats and 14 men, all looking at me.” But when she saw the plaque at her seat that read THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, her nerves vanished: “I thought, if I do not speak today, the voice of the United States will not be heard. When I finally did speak, it was the first time that I represented the country of my naturalization, the place where I belonged.”

Madeleine mentored a generation of diplomats and national security experts. I’m one of many who benefited from her wisdom and encouragement. And in her post-State career, she dedicated herself to teaching, continuing to invest in our future diplomats and leaders.

After leaving the State Department, when asked if she was relieved not to be dealing with crises around the world, she’d say simply, “I miss it every day.” She loved this country. She loved this Department. And we loved her back.

To our very first Madam Secretary – thank you.

Source: U.S. State Dept.

TNWAC RECOMMENDS

BELMONT UNIVERSITY ASIAN STUDIES SYMPOSIUM

CLICK FOR APR 4-8 PROGRAM DETAILS

• World Affairs Council of Las Vegas hosts Kristen Averyt, Senior Climate Advisor for the State of Nevada and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, for “Climate Chaos Speaker Series Event” (In person)
• California-based World Affairs Councils host Richard Haass, President of Council on Foreign Relations, for “U.S. Foreign Policy Amid Global Crisis” 
• Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts Sameeksha Desai, Director of the Industrial Policy Initiative at Indiana University, for “Great Decisions Program: Industrial Policy”
• International Relations Council (Kansas City) hosts Jiakun Jack Zhang, Director of Trade War Lab at the University of Kansas and current Wilson China Fellow at the Wilson Center, for “What’s Happening in the South China Sea?”
• World Affairs Council of Albuquerque hosts Rachel Rizzo, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Europe Center of the Atlantic Council, for “Germany 2022: New Chancellor, New Horizons? ”
• World Affairs Council Upstate hosts Derek Baxter, Historian and Writer, for “In Pursuit of Jefferson Talk” (In person)
• World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Amb. (Ret.) Farah Pandith, Author and Foreign Policy Strategist, for “March Fellows Breakfast”

• Foreign Policy Association hosts Gina Ortiz Jones, Under Secretary of U.S Air Force, for “Advantage in Defense Strategic Competition: Embracing Diversity” (In person)
• World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor, for “COVID-19: Vaccine Equity”
• World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Jonna Mendez, Author and Former Chief of Disguise at CIA, for “International Educator of the Year Luncheon” (In person)
• Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Amb. (Ret.) Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant. Governor of California, for “A Conversation with a Lt. Governor of California”
• World Boston hosts Susan Cohen, Member and Founding Chair of Immigration Practice at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., for “Journeys from There to Here: Stories of Immigrant Trials, Triumphs, and Contributions”
• World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh presents “2022 Emerging Global Leaders Conference”
• World Affairs Council of Rhode Island hosts Kevin DeJesus, Associate Professor at Johnson and Wales University, for “Putin’s Ukrainian Onslaught: Geopolitical Implications, Humanitarian Crises, and Prospects for Conflict Resolution” 
• Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts Gary Garfield, Retired CEO of Bridgestone Americas, for “Why Climate Change is a Business Matter”
• World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Jennifer Spatz, Founder of Global Family Travels, for “Regenerative Travel in Greater Seattle to Explore Diverse Cultures and Equity Issues”
• World Affairs Council of Greater Houston presents “Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan Travel Session” 
• World Affairs Council of Tacoma presents “World Affairs Happy Hour” (In person)

• World Affairs Council of Harrisburg hosts Mehdi Noorbaksh, Professor at Harrisburg University, for “Great Decisions: Russia” 
• Dayton Council on World Affairs hosts Vaughn Shannon, Professor at Wright State University, for “Ukraine: Local Brews, Global Views” (In person)
• Tennessee World Affairs Council hosts Roger Kangas, Professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, for “Russia, Ukraine, Europe and the United States” (In person)
• Vermont Council on Foreign Affairs hosts Jacob Kurtzer, Senior Fellow of Humanitarian Agenda at CSIS, and Caitlin Welsh, Director of Global Food Security Program at CSIS, for “Timely Topics: Assessing Social Consequences of the War in Ukraine”
• World Affairs Council of Austin presents “Austin and Singapore Advanced Manufacturing Roundtable” (In person)
• World Affairs Council of Tacoma presents “WAC Tacoma Book Club: March Meeting”
• World Affairs Council Upstate presents “Art Walk” (In person)

• World Affairs Council of Hilton Head hosts Amb. Douglas Silliman, President of the Arab Gulf States Institute, for “Biden and the Changing Landscape of the Middle East” (In person)
• World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky presents “One World Gala & Global Trivia Competition” (In person)