TNWAC This Week
November 9, 2021
Dear Members and Friends:
Thank you to everyone who made the visit of Ambassador of Japan Koji Tomita to Nashville a success. We were pleased to welcome guests to the Ambassador Circle Series reception and the Global Town Hall, held at beautiful Belmont University.
Special thanks to Consul-General of Japan in Nashville, Kayoko Fukushima and her staff for support in making this visit possible. TNWAC tips a hat to outgoing Deputy Consul-General Masaki Kawaguchi for his outstanding efforts on visit planning and friendship with TNWAC, and we wish him well in his new assignment in Cambodia. Welcome to Nashville and thank you to incoming Deputy Consul-General Mitsumoto Masahiko and his family. We look forward to future collaboration.
Thank you to our corporate sponsors of the programs: Platinum: Japan-American Society of Tennessee (JAST), Marubeni-Itochu Steel America (MISA); Gold: Silicon Ranch, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Silver: Sister Cities of Nashville and Oman-Gibson Associates. Big hat tip.
Thank you to the TNWAC and Friends working group that put it all together: Dr. Marieta Velikova, Deb Monroe, Tim Douglas, Bill Diebenow, Allan Ramsaur, Sarah Lingo (of Sister Cities), Ginger Byrn (of JAST) and host Jim Shepherd. Thanks to TNWAC Board Member Dr. Breck Walker for his expert moderation of the Global Town Hall. And huge thanks to Lori Odom of the Nashville Chamber and support from Kalee Harryman and Carlie Vowell.
Lastly, thank you to Ambassador Tomita and Mrs. Tomita for including Nashville on the itinerary and TNWAC on the agenda. We were pleased to organize a Town Hall with almost 200 guests to learn more about Japan-US relations and the importance of Japanese investment and comradeship to Tennessee.
Oh, and thanks to the almost 200 program guests who joined us at the Global Town Hall so they could expand their understanding of the world.
This week we’ll have Ambassador Tomita’s remarks in a “Global Tennessee” Podcast and by transcript.
Today’s listing of programs around the network of World Affairs Councils is rich with programs of importance on a host of global affairs issues. Check out what’s available to you from the comfort of your favorite device. Some councils are starting back with in-person events, but there’s no shortage of terrific programs for you to engage.
Wishes for a safe and prosperous week and, as always, thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Patrick W. Ryan
Founding President, TNWAC
MARK THE CALENDAR
- “Global Nashville with Karl Dean” talks with Nashville Chamber President Ralph Schulz | Nov 9 | 7:00p
- National Conference of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA’s 35th Anniversary) | Nov 17-19
- Academic WorldQuest | Fall Practice Match | Dec 5 | Save the Date
- Academic WorldQuest 2021-22 Championship | Feb 6 | Save the Date
AMBASSADOR TOMITA GLOBAL TOWN HALL
The Tennessee World Affairs Council thanks our sponsors who made the programs with Ambassador of Japan to the United States Koji Tomita, such a success.
AND, AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU TO OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT
NASHVILLE CHAMBER PRESIDENT RALPH SCHULZ ON “GLOBAL NASHVILLE” WITH KARL DEAN
Join us tonight (Tuesday) for our conversation with Ralph Schulz on area business developments and issues and the things going on that make Nashville a global city. Details/Registration Here
ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST
We have our topics for the 2021-2022 season of our Anne Smedinghoff Academic WorldQuest global affairs challenge. Our practice match and championship match as well as the WACA national competition will be based on these topics:
- Where Climate and Migration Meet
- Afghanistan: End of the 20-Year U.S.-Led Intervention
- A Human-Centered Agenda for the Future of Work
- CDC and the Global Health Agenda
- Technology and Democracy: Threat or Promise?
- Great Decisions
- 21st Century Money: Dollars to Digital Currencies
- Working for Peace Through Legacies of War: The Case of Vietnam
- Insecurity in China’s Neighborhood
- Current Events
High school students and teachers be ready to start our Academic WorldQuest season, named in honor of Anne Smedinghoff, an American diplomat who was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. The study guide will be out this week. Our first practice match is set for Belmont University on Sunday, December 5th. The TNWAC championship match will be held in early February 2022. Be on the lookout for details on forming teams and getting ready for WorldQuest!
VOLUNTEERS
The Tennessee World Affairs Council invites you to consider becoming a volunteer. TNWAC programs, development and administration are managed by a (very) small staff. We’re always on the lookout for people who are interested in our mission — bring the world to our fellow citizens — and have an opportunity to share their time and talents. There’s a great need so if you’re interested drop us an email. [[email protected]]
YOU SHOULD SPONSOR THESE PROGRAMS
We invite businesses, organizations and individuals to sponsor our programs. 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]
TENNESSEE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL RECOMMENDS
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Most discussions on future nuclear arms control focus narrowly on U.S. negotiations with Russia and potential negotiations with China. This leaves out two pairs of nuclear-armed competitors that engage in border clashes—India and China and Pakistan and India. Are there more inclusive approaches to reduce the nuclear dangers involving these countries? If so, what might be the most productive way to proceed, given evolving technologies and the worsening security conditions in southern Asia?
Please join us for a special event with Michael Krepon on the future of arms control from his recently published book, Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace. He will be joined in conversation by Beenish Pervaiz and Debak Das. Toby Dalton will moderate.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
As the world continues to suffer from the economic, political and health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, new domestic and international dynamics have emerged that are shifting the politics of the Middle East and North Africa. Looking at the year ahead, we can see the emergence of factors of instability that are bound to affect the region’s relations with surrounding countries and the world.
In light of these events, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center will be holding its fifth annual conference, titled Navigating a Turbulent Future? What to Expect in 2022 which will take place on Wednesday, December 8, and Thursday, December 9, 2021.
Discussion on Kim Ghattas’ book “Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry that Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East” that was recently reviewed in MEPC’s Middle East Policy journal.
LIVE ON MEPC YOUTUBE CHANNEL – LINK HERE
DETAILS FOR THESE PROGRAMS IN COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS BELOW
- World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Amb. Jeff Flake, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, for “2021 Sumners Civic Lecture” (In Person)
- WorldBoston hosts Baylor Fox-Kemper, Professor at Brown University and coordinating lead author to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, for “United Nations Report – Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”
- WorldOregon hosts Lisa Shannon, CEO and Co-Founder of Every Woman Treaty, and Najla Ayoubi, Chief of Coalition and Global Programs of Every Woman Treaty, for “The Every Woman Treaty”
- World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Hanna Liubakova, Belarusian journalist and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, for “Protests and Belarus: Lukashenko’s Grip on Power”
- International Relations Council hosts Guillermo Malpica Soto, Undersecretary of Industry and Commerce for the Government of Puebla, for “Global Supply Chains and National Security”
- Alabama World Affairs Council hosts Peter Martin, intelligence reporter for Bloomberg News, for “China’s Wolf Warrior Diplomacy’”
- Global Ties Arizona hosts a panel of experts for “Global Business Opportunities in Arizona”
- Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Dan Schnur, Politics Professor at USC, UC Berkeley, and Pepperdine, for “Politics in the Time of Coronavirus”
- Colorado Springs World Affairs Council hosts Dave Rank, Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, for “China’s Role in North Korea Diplomacy” (In Person)
- WorldDenver hosts Dave Rank, Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, for “U.S.-China Relations and Energy Policy in the Era of Xi Jinping” (In Person)
- World Affairs Council of New Orleans hosts Julie Ward, Founder and Co-Director of Home is Here NOLA, for “Global Migration, Displacement, & Louisiana: Community-Building with New Immigrants & Refugees”
- World Worcester hosts Ronak Desai, Associate at the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, for “Future of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership”
- Santa Fe Council on Foreign Relations hosts Rachel McCormick, Consul General of Canada to Mexico, for “The U.S. and Canada: Shared Opportunities and Challenges” (In Person)
- World Affairs Council of Austin presents the “10th Annual Texas-EU Business Summit” (In Person)
- Utah Council for Citizen Democracy hosts Stewart Patrick, James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance and Director of International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) Program at the Council on Foreign Relations, for “Are International Institutions Compatible With American Sovereignty?”
- World Affairs Council of New Jersey hosts Gerald Butts, Vice Chairman of Eurasia Group, and Faith Taylor, Global Environmental Social Governance Leader at Tesla, for “COP26: The Challenge of Achieving a Just Transition”
- Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Amb. Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor of LA on International Relations, and Erik Mobrand, Korea Policy Chair at the RAND Corporation, for “On International Relations”
- World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Sandra Bass, Associate Dean and Director of the Public Service Center at UC Berkeley, for “East Bay Chapter | The Politics of ‘We’: Is America Still Possible?” (In Person)
- World Affairs Council Inland Southern California hosts Tara Kangarlou, award-winning American journalist, for “The Heartbeat of Iran”
- World Affairs Council of Maine hosts a panel of experts for “Cybersecurity: Vulnerabilities and Opportunities for the World and for Maine”
- Global Minnesota hosts Nick Deychakiwsky, Senior Program Officer at the Mott Foundation, for “SDG Roundtable: Fall 2021”
- International Relations Council hosts a panel of experts for “Women in Global Leadership: Foreign Policy”
- World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts Elmira Bayrasli, Director of the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program, for “Going Global: Diplomacy in the Digital Age” (In Person)
- Foreign Policy Association hosts a panel of experts for “A New Chapter in the United States-Republic of Korea Relations”
- WorldOregon hosts Peter Martin, intelligence reporter for Bloomberg News, for “China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy”
- World Affairs Council of Philadelphia presents “iThrive: Lives in Balance”
- World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Adam Schiff, U.S. Congressman (D-CA), for “How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could” (In Person)
- World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Kati Marton, author and award-winning former NPR and ABC News correspondent, for “The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel”
- World Affairs Council of San Antonio presents “WorldQuest Trivia 2021” (In Person)
- World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Sanjay Salgaonkar, Senior Manager of Consulting at EY, for “YPIN – Transform or Transition: A Career Coaching Workshop”
- World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, for “Prejudice and Challenges in American Immigration” (In Person)
- Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts Peter Martin, intelligence reporter for Bloomberg News, “China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy”
- World Affairs Council of Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky hosts Tanya Roth, local historian, for “Why Womanpower Matters in the Military”
- World Affairs Council of Hilton Head presents “Book Club: After the Fall” (In Person)
- Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Frank von Hippel, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences in the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, for “Chemical Consequences: Pesticides, Weapons, And Our Shaping of the Earth” (In Person)
- Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosts Marvin Kalb, author and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Foreign Policy program, for “Assignment Russia: A Foreign Correspondent’s Insight into the Cold War”
- International Relations Council presents “News & Views: U.S. Policy in Africa”
- World Affairs Council Inland Southern California presents “Archaeology Discovery Weekend: Southwest Turkey”
- World Affairs Council of the Desert hosts Michael Yaffe, Vice President of the Middle East North Africa Center at the U.S. Institute of Peace, for “Will We Ever See Peace in the Middle East in Our Lifetime?” (In Person)
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
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.