National Update January 2006
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WACA National Update
Monthly Newsletter of the World Affairs Council System January 2006
In This Issue...
National Conference
Awards to Councils
Africa Teachers Workshop
Tunisia Delegation
GlobalHouston.org
NewsNotes
Good Feedback on the National Conference
Our "Rising Powers" conference achieved three firsts: live C-SPAN coverage for Amb. John Negroponte's speech and the floor discussion at the Chairman's Dinner, our first-ever 12-hour operations workshop on fundraising, and webcasting of key conference events.
The workshop on fundraising gave 35 council staff and board members excellent advice and insight from Rafi Muhammad, author of "The Art of Pricing," and Alphonce Brown, Chairman of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Anne Garrels of NPR won our Distinguished International Journalist Award, based on nationwide voting, and gave a riveting talk on covering Iraq at our Rising Powers Banquet.
The following events will be webcast on the national website soon:
- Anne Garrels on Iraq
- Amb. Tom Pickering on India
- Richard Haass on America's Opportunity to Change History's Course
- Amb. Jack Matlock on Putin's Russia
- the Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong in discussion, and more.
Also see our Conference Achievements Statement on http://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/natconference/2006conference/2006highlights.
Next year's conference will be January 18-20, with another pre-conference workshop on January 17-18. The theme will be announced shortly. Our Tunisia Leadership Mission delegation leaves this weekend for Tunis. The delegation consists of: Jim Falk, President, Dallas-Ft.Worth, Lee Berry, President, Santa Fe, Bill Boudreau, Vice President, Charleston Michael Carnahan, Program Director, Oregon S. Todd Culpepper, Executive Director, Raleigh Jon Fox, National Board Member, Stamford Anne Hoiberg, Board Member, San Diego Kathleen Lennard, Executive Director, Hampton Roads Alan McCabe, Board Secretary, Juneau Council Joseph Melookaran, President, Kansas City Earlier trip reports from Egypt and Taiwan are on the national website. The Tunisia Trip report will be up in February and will be mailed out to all councils, Tunisia, government and media contacts. We all wish to thank Amb. Mohamed Nejib Hachana for making this trip possible through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Houston Council launched globalhouston.org in 2005 to connect internationally oriented people and organizations in Houston with each other. The website offers a calendar of international events in the city as well as database of international experts in the city. This is the third portal website in the council system, the others being GlobalChicago.org and GlobalPittsburgh.org. * The Barbara Chisolm Memorial Lecture Series with Sir Eldon Griffiths begins today in Asheville and goes on to Charleston, Hilton Head, Savannah, Palm Beach, Bonito Springs, and Naples over the next two weeks. * The National Academic WorldQuest Competition will be held in Washington, DC March 31 through April 2 at L'Enfant Plaza Hotel. 50 teams are currently pledged. * Special thanks to Noel Lateef and the FPA for donating 2006 Great Decisions books and DVDs to all conference attendees. * Congratulations to the Dallas and Fort Worth councils who merged on January 26 to become the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. * The South Asia in Transition curriculum unit will be published in February. * The National Board meets next in San Diego July 28-30. "Never doubt that a small group of individuals can change the world. - Margaret Mead -
President's Awards for Council Excellence
Congratulations to the winners for 2005:
- Houston in the Large Council Category
- Oregon in the Midsized Category
- Jacksonville in the Small Category
- Juneau in the All-Volunteer Category.
All of these councils have exhibited tremendous growth in membership, budget, and programs in the last year.
The Minnesota International Center won the Carol Marquis Award for School Program Excellence.
Photos of the award winners are now on the national website along with descriptions of the awards.
National Teacher Workshop on Africa
We will host a workshop for high school teachers using Africa in Transition in Washington, DC June 20 - 23. There are 18 spots available.
Applications are due April 17. Attendees at last year's EU workshop regarded the event as a unique professional development experience because the access they were provided.
Applications were e-mailed the councils last week. They are also available on the national website at http://www.worldaffairscouncils.org or by e-mailing melissa@worldaffairscouncils.org.
We all thank the Delavan Foundation and Amb. and Ms. William Harrop for the funding of this project.
All three websites have been major successes locally.
Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
Summer Teacher Workshop on Persia