world affairs
Great Decisions Series continues to bring international experts to Grand Rapids to discuss foreign affairs
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 03-10-2016 under NONPROFITS
Is the United States and our neck of the woods, Grand Rapids, a welcoming place? Rhetoric within national election coverage as well as ongoing concerns over refugee placement nationwide certainly suggest a debate on how welcoming we should be. How...
World Affairs Council of Western Michigan Announces 2016 Great Decisions Global Discussion Series
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under NONPROFITS
Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 18, 2016 – Global migration, climate change, cybersecurity, genocide prevention and normalizing relations with Cuba are a few of the dynamic topics being explored as the World Affairs Council of Western...
Cuba and the U.S.: What Does the Future Hold? with Ambassador Charles Shapiro, Coordinator for Cuban Affairs (former), US Department of State
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
After decades of isolation, the U.S. is taking major steps to normalize relations with Cuba. Most Americans don’t know that before diplomatic relations were restored in July 2015, the U.S. had maintained a presence in Cuba. Ambassador...
ISIS: What Don’t We Know? with Patrick Skinner, CIA case officer (former), The Soufan Group, New York
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
Patrick Skinner is a consultant from the Soufan Group (Ali Soufan was the FBI Special Agent investigating international terrorism cases after 9/11). He brings a fresh perspective to address the dangers ISIS poses to U.S. interests. Born out of an...
Is Korean Reunification Possible? with Dr. James Person, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington D.C.
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
At the end of World War II, Korea was divided in two. Today, North and South Korea couldn’t be further apart. Concerns over North Korea’s supposed hydrogen bomb testing has created heightened tensions between North Korea and the world....Our Allies in the Middle East: The Future of Kurdistan with Dr. Jessie Clark, Geographer, University of Nevada-Reno
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
Kurdistan, a mountainous area made up of parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, is home to one of the largest ethnic groups in the region: the Kurds. Most in the West know them as a close U.S. ally in the Middle East and a bulwark against the...
Never Again: The UN’s Role in Genocide Prevention with Dr. Brett O'Bannon, Conflict Studies Program, DePauw University
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
Though 70% of Americans believe the U.S. should prevent mass atrocities worldwide, according to a recent study by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, how do we do this? Dr. O’ Bannon discusses the “Responsibility to Protect,...
Climate Change: Local Solutions to Global Problems with George Heartwell, Mayor of Grand Rapids (former)
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
When it comes to climate change, the local can impact the global! Former Mayor Heartwell draws on his decades of work creating a more sustainable Grand Rapids and insights gained from the Paris Climate Conference. He discusses the role that...Migration to Michigan: Challenges and Opportunities with Bing Goei, Michigan Office for New Americans
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
Mr. Goei, the former owner of Eastern Floral who now leads Michigan’s Office for New Americans, discusses how Michigan receives the third largest share of refugees coming to the U.S. and the State of Michigan’s efforts to integrate...
“It Isn’t Funny: A Political Cartoonist in the Arab World” with Isra El-beshir, Arab American National Museum, Dearborn
by (World Affairs C...)
Submitted 01-29-2016 under
Arab political cartoonists are no different than their U.S. brethren in that they help drive public debate on critical issues. But, they do so under greater personal risk. Ms. El-beshir focuses on the political “khartoons” of...