WACA National Update
Monthly Newsletter of the World Affairs Council System February 2006

In This Issue...
Academic WorldQuest Soon
Featuring a Cincinnati Program
Honoring Barbara Chisolm
Reciprocity among Councils
NewsNotes

Academic WorldQuest 2006

Fifty teams are headed to Washington for the Fourth Annual Academic WorldQuest competition March 31 to April 2.

The weekend will include a night tour of Washington's monuments, an opportunity for the students to make new friends from across the country, and of course a Capitol Steps performance.

John Donvan of ABC News will moderate the competition. Last year he spoke to the competitors about careers in journalism. He liked the competition so much, he wanted to be part of it again.

Please send team information ASAP to Melissa Lawrence at melissa@worldaffairscouncils.org. We need your local sponsor names, school name(s), student names, and chaperone name(s) and their phones and emails.

Can anyone help us find one more national sponsor? If so, please call Jerry Leach with your ideas (202) 833-4557.

Cincinnati's Small College Consortium

For over 40 years the Cincinnati Council has run a College Consortium on International Education for nine nearby colleges in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

The consortium's activities are open to all faculty, staff, and students from all disciplines.

The council provides speakers to the campuses and involves the colleges in its projects. It also organizes a faculty study trip abroad each summer and helps run faculty symposia to inform the college about the findings. New in 2006 will be a student symposium in the spring.

Congratulations to Gareth Howell, Deb Kittner, and whole council for their sustained committment to this unique program.

Barbara Chisolm Memorial Lecture Series

This month saw the first of what promises to become an annual event, a speaker series in honor of former chairman Barbara Chisolm. Barbara was National Chairman from 1998-2001, Executive Director of the Stamford Council, and a board member of the FPA and the Asheville councils.

WACA Patron Sir Eldon Griffiths spoke to large audiences in Asheville, Charleston, Hilton Head, Savannah, Palm Beach, and Naples in early February. He spoke on the Middle East and the US and Europe.

Reciprocity When Members Visit Other Councils

The national board urges all member councils to participate in a reciprocity system that allows members from one council to attend programs of another council as if they were members.

Councils can offer this as a member benefit when they travel to other areas.

All member councils are encouraged to join this system but may opt out if they wish by notifying WACA. Reciprocity between councils will reinforce the idea that we are a nationwide system.

Operationally, councils are encouraged to include wording on their website or literature stating that other world affairs councils members at their programs. If you are interested in sample wording, please contact the national office.

NewsNotes

* We are accepting applications until April 17 for the National Teacher's Workshop on Africa. The workshop is for high school or middle school teachers using Africa in Transition.

* Our book Foreign Policy 500 containing the names, bios, and contact information on the 500 most influential people in US foreign policy, will be mailed out and on the national website in March.

* National conference sessions with Amb. Jack Matlock, Amb. Tom Pickering, Richard Haass, and Amb. John Negroponte are now webstreamed on www.worldaffairscouncils.org. Four more speakers will be added soon.

* We will run a nationwide series with the WorldWatch Institute in 2005-06 on "Breaking Our Oil Addiction." Applications by March 6 please. President Chris Flavin spoke presented the WorldWatch "State of the World 2006" Report at the national conference.