National Update April 2006
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WACA National Update In this issue...
Monthly Newsletter of the World Affairs Council System
April 2006
My Wonderful World
Web Forum for Great Decisions Groups
South Asia in Transition
Santa Fe Conference on Iraq
Cleveland's Model UN
NewsNotes
WACA Joins Major National Geographic Project
WACA has just joined a new coalition organized by National Geographic called "My Wonderful World."
Its goal is to increase global perspective in the classroom, improve literacy about the world among young people, and help generate more informed global citizens.
Coalition members include the Smithsonian, American Federation of Teachers, National Council for Social Studies, NBA, Sesame Workshop, Asia Society, Council on Competitiveness, National Council for Geographic Education, La Raza, National PTA, the UN Foundation, and others.
The launch is on May 2 at a NGS press conference. We have entered the national calendar, council school programs, and teacher and student trips into the MWW website. Peter White briefs the NGS on "World in Transition" today.
See the press conference on the National Geographic cable channel and look up the www.mywonderfulworld.org website on May 2.
There will be a more detailed announcement from WACA next week. For more, contact Brent Hessel at brent@worldaffairscouncils.org or (202) 833-4557. New Great Decisions Web Forum for Discussion Groups The FPA has launched a discussion group finder on the Great Decisions website. It will help people connect to local Great Decisions groups and to their local council. Registering your Great Decisions group with this forum will connect people interested in world affairs in you area. To register your group, go to the website at http://www.GreatDecisions.org, click on "Discussion Groups" and then go to your state. Follow the prompts to register your group.
South Asia Curriculum Unit Just Out The Southern Center in Atlanta has just published "South Asia in Transition." It focuses on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is the 8th unit in the "World in Transition" series. It is the first video unit available in DVD format with sections on Politics and Government, Issues of Population, Health, Environment, Conflict, and Social and Cultural Issues. The unit includes an instructional guide and regular updates on the Southern Center website. WIT teacher workshops have already been held on South Asia in Georgia, Jacksonville, Richmond, and Cincinnati. From Mesopotamia to Modern Iraq The Santa Fe Council invites all members to its June 14-16 Summer Seminar on the past, present, and future of Iraq. The series starts with the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Professor McGuire Gibson of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago will speak about law, religion, society in that period. Next comes the rise of Islam and Baghdad's role as the capital of the Muslim world. Cornell Fleischer, Professor of Ottoman and Turkish Studies at Chicago will be the speaker. Phebe Marr of the US Institute for Peace will then discuss the issues facing modern Iraq and the development of a new government. Registration is $150 for members. For more, see the Santa Fe Council website at http://www.santafecouncil.org or contact the Santa Fe council at info@santafecouncil.org or (505) 982-4931.
Featuring a Council: Cleveland Model UN On May 2-3, the Cleveland Council, under the leadership of Education Director Paula Cohen, will sponsor its 62nd consecutive Model UN Conference. The council began its UN program in March of 1945 when 16 high schools represented allied nations in an Assembly of Nations, the Model UN precursor. Currently 30 high schools with 700 students participate in Cleveland. This year's theme is "Achieving the Millennium Development Goals." Nine committees will work on each Millennium Goal and on Security Council issues. The program has become so popular with high school students that this year they expanded the program to include a conference for middle school teams to encourage an early interest in world affairs. As their signature education program, the Cleveland Council works with the teams to help them prepare by introducing them to international students attending local universities in order to help the students better represent their country. The council works closely with the teams to provide research and support as they prepare for the conference. The Cleveland Council makes information on the Millennium Development Goals, information on preparing a team for the conference, and exceptional resolutions from previous councils on their website at http://www.ccwamun.org.
Case Western University and the Cleveland Public Library also sponsor the UN along with the Cleveland Council. * There will be a special program for Chairman's Circle Members May 18-19, featuring key events at the State Department and a Watergate dinner with Chairman Jim Jones. * San Francisco's 60th Annual Asilomar Conference will be May 5-7 on "Global Change: the Balance of Power in 2020." See www.itsyourworld.org if you would like to go.
* Philadelphia honors the 90th birthday of Bernard Lewis with an illustrious all-day conference on "Islam and the West" on May 1. See wacphila.org for more. * New Hampshire holds a statewide teachers' workshop on "The US Role in the World" on May 4. * Maine holds a statewide teachers' seminar on East Asia on May 5-6. * The Program Director position is open in Philadelphia, the Executive Director position in Charlotte, and the Membership and Development Director position in Dallas. Position descriptions are available on the national website. * Ten councils have been chosen from 29 applications for the "World's Rising Powers" series starting this July. * Welcome to Barbara Propes who will be in the WACA office beginning in May. She will be serving as Interim President. President Jerry Leach will continue in his current capacity until June 30. * WACA will announce a book tour with Barry Lynn next week based on "The End of the Line: the rise and fall of the global corporation." * Congratulations to Farah Killidar, the new Executive Director in Anchorage. * We need ideas and openings for Leadership Missions over the next year. Any ideas welcome. Email us or call (202) 833-4557. * The questions for the 2006 Academic WorldQuest are now on the national website. * Jerry Leach spoke in a Cincinnati Town Hall meeting on "Globalization and Islam." * We gave Amb. Bruce Laingen a framed certifcate as "the council system's best friend" at his good-bye ceremony as President of the American Academy of Diplomacy. Amb. Brandon Grove has replaced him. "An absurdity is something manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion." World Affairs Councils of America
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Summer Teacher Workshop on Persia