2022 World Affairs Council of the Year
Network of Independent World Affairs Councils of America
Week of March 25-31, 2019
Dear Members and Friends,
FREE! Everybody likes free stuff. Then again there’s stuff that we don’t mind paying for. That’s stuff we value and want to have some of for ourselves or make sure it prospers. Value.
At our Town Hall last week with Michael McClellan who traveled to Nashville from Northern Iraq, a guest asked why we asked for ten bucks from attendees who were not TNWAC paid members — and he thought that being a subscriber to this email newsletter service constituted TNWAC (paid?) membership. Our approach is that everything we do is open to everyone and for over ten years everything was free. However, the reality of operating a nonprofit, of any stripe, is that staying afloat is a daily challenge.
The World Affairs Council is a membership organization, anyone can join, and we rely on people like you becoming members as a primary source of money to do what we do. The board and staff are 100% volunteers and we do not receive any government funding. So, keeping the lights on depends on memberships, and gifts from generous people like you. We invite businesses to underwrite our events and we seek foundation grants for new programs.
Getting back to the Town Hall ten bucks. That modest charge by itself is not getting it done. We obviously appreciate having some direct income from our events. But look at the math from a recent Town Hall to appreciate the juggling act. Professor David DesRoches came to Nashville last November from Washington, DC, at our invitation to speak about crises in the Middle East at a Town Hall, in classrooms and at civic organizations. Transportation, lodging, ground travel, honorarium, printing, room rentals, etc. etc. cost about $1,700.00. TNWAC’s net at the Town Hall was about $100 and one of the civic organizations where we brought Professor DesRoches made a $100 donation. So the result was $1,500.00 in the red for that one Town Hall.
There are other reasons for asking for ten bucks. Someone once told me that if things are free people will consider their value to be zero, and they might not be interested because of that perception. Then there’s the rainy day factor. If someone registers for a free event and they wake up on the wrong side of the bed or if it’s stormy in Nashville, there’s a good chance they won’t come to the program since they don’t have skin in the game. If they made a $10 investment might that decision be different? There’s few worse feelings than spending time and money to put a speaker in front of empty seats.
Lastly, and beyond the math of Town Halls I should mention that your World Affairs Council is YOURS. You are a stakeholder in global literacy in your community. For some reason you’re subscribing to and reading this newsletter so you have an investment in some fashion in people knowing what’s going on in the world. If you value that, and you appear to do so, you’ll make sure it is sustained. Out of the 1,100 or so subscribers to this newsletter about 100 are ‘paid’ members of the Tennessee World Affairs Council. So, to the 1,000 readers who are not active members, please join. If you’re a member, new or old, please write a check. You already know it will be put to good use.
Patrick Ryan, President
[email protected]| 615.460.6011
p.s. Next month your World Affairs Council will take the winning Academic WorldQuest student team from Tennessee — winner from among 16 teams — to Washington, DC for the national competition and to visit international affairs destinations like embassies, think tanks, etc. That program costs about $7,000.00 a year. If you value global awareness education for youth in your community will you please contribute? Your GIFT can be made in monthly payments or all at once. Visit: www.TNWAC.org/donate or send a check to our office: World Affairs Council, 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212
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On to the news.
WHAT’S NEXT AT THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
March 28, 2019 | Global Eats! at Bavarian Bierhaus | TNWAC Members Benefit
March 28, 2019 | “Qatar Today” | H.E. Lolwah Al-Khater | Know Now Teleconference
April 8, 2019 | International Careers & Jobs Panel – Belmont University, Nashville
April 9, 2019 | 1:00 pm | Cover to Cover Teleconference | Talk to Author Beth Gardiner, “Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution”
April 9, 2019 | 6:00 pm | International Careers & Jobs Panel – Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville
April 13, 2019 | Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival – Look for a TNWAC event related to the Japan Week.
April 15, 2019 | Global Town Hall: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Age of Trump | Amb Charles Bowers, Amb Ronald Schlicher | Belmont University
April 27, 2019 | Academic WorldQuest National Championship Match — Washington, DC
May 8, 2019 | Know Now | After the Arctic Ice Melts | Fran Ulmer | Teleconference
May 15, 2019 | Cover to Cover | Marvin Kalb author of “Enemy of the People” | Teleconference
September 21, 2019 | International Day of Peace Celebration (TBD) Look for a TNWAC event related to this celebration.
October 5, 2019 | Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival (Participating)
November 6-8, 2019 | National Conference of World Affairs Councils of America, Washington, DC
GLOBAL EATS! GERMANY | A FEW SEATS LEFT | TNWAC MEMBERS
Come out to the Bavarian Bierhaus at Opry Mills Mall on THURSDAY for our next “Global Eats!” adventure. This month we’re joining a planned celebration of German cuisine as Chef Dennis Stukel presents a special dinner with matched drink pairings. Top it off with our TNWAC touch of an expert on the country of interest. This night it will be Honorary Council General of Germany Douglas Berry who will talk about German heritage in America. This is a limited seating opportunity for TNWAC members. Make sure to use the discount code on our web site for a 10% discount to this terrific evening out. REGISTER TODAY!
Want to be invited to our Global Eats! events? Join TNWAC Today [Link]
TN CHINA NETWORK BUSINESS PANEL COMMEMORATES 40 YEARS OF US-CHINA RELATIONS | THURSDAY
The TN-China Network (TNCN) Annual Meeting brings together TNCN members, sponsors, and companies from across Tennessee to network, hear from high-profile speakers, share best practices, and get updated on the TN-China business relationship. This year the event will commemorate the 40th anniversary of US-China relations and will examine the past and future of Tennessee-China business relations through a panel discussion with Tennessee and Chinese business executives. Visit TNChinaNetwork.org for details and registration.
COLLEGE STUDENTS INTERESTED IN INTERNATIONAL CAREERS? WE’VE GOT EXPERTS FOR YOU
Do you wonder what jobs and careers there are in international affairs? There’s more than you think. Twice a year the World Affairs Council assembles diplomats, business people, NGO officials, returned Peace Corps volunteers and more to talk about their experiences and insights and to answer your questions at this very popular panel not limited to college students. This spring’s iterations will assemble a Foreign Service Officer, an official from the US Institute of Peace, a career member of the U.S. Intelligence Community, a leader in a Nashville international aid NGO, and more. Join us on April 8th at Belmont University in Nashville to explore the careers and jobs that are open to you to get out into the world. There will be a second night of the International Careers and Jobs Panel on April 9th at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville. Panel details and registration: April 8 | Belmont|Nashville and April 9 | TennTechU|Cookeville.
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY TOWN HALL PANEL – THE INSIDE STORY
Were you at our November 2016 program with Ambassadors Charles Bowers and Ronald Schlicher when they tackled the question of “What foreign policy challenges will be in the President’s inbox on January 21, 2017? [Youtube] Well, now it’s time to look back over the first two years of POTUS45 at the helm of the ship of state and to talk about where we’re going. The Ambassadors are back with insights and perspectives you won’t get in very many places. Professor Thomas Schwartz, who is a preeminent authority on the history of U.S. foreign policy will join the panel for a MUST SEE event with insights and perspectives that are hard to come by. REGISTER TODAY!
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS? 2019 TENNESSEE GLOBAL SCHOLAR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM, going, going…
High School Students! It’s time to plan those last few events you need to get to 100 points on the Global Scholar Certificate checklist [link]. Won’t being designated as a “Global Scholar” by the TN World Affairs Council look GREAT on your high school transcript and college applications? The deadline for completion was extended to April 30 but you’ll need to get your completed check sheet to our office by April 5 if you’d like to receive your certificate and medallion in a ceremony at our April 15th Global Town Hall. Final deadline to complete all requirements April 30. DETAILS/CHECK SHEET HERE
PODCASTS: ICYMI DOES NOT APPLY
In case you missed it is never a problem with the “Global Tennessee” Podcast. You didn’t have to be at last week’s Global Town Hall with American University of Kurdistan Foundation President Michael McClellan to hear about “Kurdistan Today!” His remarks are provided in Episode 16 which will be released Tuesday, March 26th at 2:00 p.m. Likewise, you can scan the “Global Tennessee” Podcast library on SoundCloud.com/tnwac for our conversation with former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, the Ambassador of Japan to the U.S., the lead singer for a Cuban rock and roll band making its home in Nashville, student alums from TNWAC programs, the North American rep of the Asian Development Bank, the President of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce… Well you get it. There’s great stories told on your Council’s Podcast and we hope you’ll subscribe (via SoundCloud.com/tnwac, iTunes, or wherever you get your Pods). Check out the Podcast archive HERE.
Thank you to Voice of America for sending a camera crew to record our Global Town Hall with Michael McClellan last week.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND DELIVERING HEALTH AND HOPE TO THE WORLD
Our friends at Project C.U.R.E. announced a YP event where you can make a difference. On Thursday, April 25th you can join others from the community in a “Sip & Sort” at their 2300 Clifton Avenue distribution center to help sort medical supplies and equipment to save lives abroad from 6-8 p.m. You can learn more about their new Young Professional Board and how you can get involved. They will be meeting at the nearby Blackstone Brewery at 5:30 for networking and fund before sorting. Details are HERE.
GUEST COLUMN ON “NO ROOM FOR HATE”
Thanks go to “The Tennessean’s” Opinion Engagement Editor David Plazas for featuring a guest column by TNWAC President Patrick Ryan in Sunday’s paper. The piece, “Hatred and bigotry have no place in our society,” reflected Ryan’s views on the mass murder of Muslims by a self-described white supremacist at two mosques in New Zealand on March 15th. You can read the column on “The Tennessean’s” web site HERE.
YOUR WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
- Chairman Jim Shepherd
- President Pat Ryan
- Vice President Marieta Velikova
- Secretary Dr. Susan Haynes
- Treasurer Mike McCooey
- Education Outreach Coordinator Catherine Kelly
Call or visit our office at 1513 Compton Avenue, Nashville | 615.460.6011 | [email protected]
Best wishes for a great week!
PICS OF THE WEEK
“Intensity”
Students from Knowledge Academies in Nashville consider a question at the annual championship match of Academic WorldQuest held on Sunday, September 24th at Belmont University. Academic WorldQuest is the flagship education outreach program of the Tennessee World Affairs Council. It is made possible by your support. Consider making a gift today.
Retired career diplomat and President of the American University of Kurdistan Foundation, Michael McClellan, presented to a standing room only Global Town Hall session on Thursday, March 21st on the topic: “Kurdistan Today: No Friends But the Mountains?” If you missed it you can catch it on the Global Tennessee Podcast, Episode 16 coming out Tuesday afternoon, March 26th.
SUPPORTING TNWAC – WE NEED YOU TO HELP
THANKS TO BELMONT UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
THANKS TO THE NASHVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COUNCIL
Mission
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.
Vision
A well-informed community that thinks critically about the world and the impact of global events.
Be A Stakeholder In Promoting Global Literacy
