2022 World Affairs Council of the Year
Network of Independent World Affairs Councils of America

Programs This Week | Sep 21 Edition

Program registration is now done via EventBrite.
For help in getting registered check this program note: [Link]
Join us this week for insightful programs hosted by your World Affairs to inform our community about global issues and challenges.
Don’t miss tonight’s special Election 2020 panel on Afghanistan, North Korea and Russia.


TUESDAY / REGISTER NOW

“Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at a Crossroad”

with author David Rundell

Sep 22, 2020 @ 7:00 pm CT

“In February 1979, the last Shah of Iran was overthrown by a violent Islamic revolution. Two years later when I arrived in the Middle East, many commentators expected Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd would soon be the next monarch to fall. The Washington consensus held that we had paid inadequate attention to events outside of Iran’s capital, Tehran. We did not want to repeat that mistake. So, as the American Embassy’s most junior political officer, I was assigned to spend ten days a month for nearly two years traveling the byroads of rural Saudi Arabia to see what I could learn. I learned a great deal, and when I was done I argued against considerable skepticism that there would be no Saudi Revolution. Why was that my assessment then—and, more importantly, is it still correct today?”  — David Rundell

That is how David Rundell began his affair with Saudi Arabia and how he opened his book on the Kingdom he came to know during a large part of his thirty years as a United States Foreign Service Officer. He was posted to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran. He served at various times chief of mission, deputy chief of mission, political counselor, economic counselor, and commercial counselor.

Something extraordinary is happening in Saudi Arabia. Find out what.
Join us for this Special Edition of Global Dialogue with David Rundell, author of “Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at a Crossroad.



WEDNESDAY / REGISTER NOW

Sep 23, 2020 @ 1:00 pm CT

Join our team of Ambassador Dick Bowers, Dr. Breck Walker and LCDR Patrick Ryan for expert analysis of current global developments.

Give Dick, Breck and Pat 45 minutes and they’ll give you the world. Analysis and entertaining commentary on the top events and issues leading global news reports. Hard to find insights and perspectives from diplomacy, academia and intelligence.



THURSDAY / REGISTER NOW

Global Issues: Climate, Globalization and Trade

Sep 24, 2020 @ 5:30-7:00 pm CT

Panel Chair: Dr. Jeff Overby

  • Mr. Gary Garfield, former CEO Bridgestone Americas – Climate
  • Dr. Richard Wike, PhD, Director Global Attitudes Research, Pew Research Center – Globalization
  • Professor Erica Owen, PhD., Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh

Presented in association with the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg.



ICYMI – THIS WEEK’S PROGRAMS IN OUR ARCHIVES

Visit: YouTube.com/TNWAC and SoundCloud.com/TNWAC for videos and Podcasts

In Association with the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg

Foreign Policy Challenges: Afghanistan, North Korea, Russia

Sep 17, 2020 @ 5:30-7:00 pm CT

Panel Chair: Dr. Breck Walker, PhD

  • DAS Annie Pforzheimer [Afghanistan] U.S. Foreign Service (Ret) Rank of Minister Counselor, former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan; former Deputy Chief of Mission, Kabul, Afghanistan (Confirmed)
  • Ambassador Christopher Hill [North Korea] U.S. Foreign Service (Ret); Chief Advisor to the Chancellor for Global Engagement; former Asst Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; former Ambassador to four countries including South Korea (Confirmed)
  • Svetlana Savranskaya, PhD., [Russia] Senior Analyst, National Security Archive (Confirmed)



Global News Review 

Wednesday, September 16, 2020 @ 1pm CT

Join our team of Ambassador Dick Bowers, Dr. Breck Walker and LCDR Patrick Ryan for expert analysis of current global developments.

Give Dick, Breck and Pat 45 minutes and they’ll give you the world. Analysis and entertaining commentary on the top events and issues leading global news reports. Hard to find insights and perspectives from diplomacy, academia and intelligence.

This week’s topics:

1 – TikTok outcome / Corporate buy-out of US operations / Role of Trump administration
2 – The World Needs a Better World Health Organization
3 – The Mediterranean: Sea of Troubles


Tuesday, September 15, 2020 @ 7pm CT

Join former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean in his conversation with
Global Young Professionals

This episode of GNKD presents conversations with Global Young Professionals organizers and  TNWAC Board Members to preview the Fall 2020 calendar of programs for Nashville area young professionals.



THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS AWARENESS AND EDUCATION OUTREACH

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.