Wednesday, June 5, 2024 5:30 pm Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of Members of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan (the “Council”) will be held on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. Social time immediately follows. Varnum LLP Bridgewater Place, 17th floor 333 Bridge […]
Join us for a moderated conversation with representatives from our international neighbors, Canada, and Mexico, as we look to an eventful time period: a new Mexican president who begins her term on October 1; the coming American election in November; and a 2025 Canadian election. What is on the top of the agendas for our […]
Enjoy an authentic Chinese dinner with Chef Zhang and his wife Jessica, owners of Wei Wei Palace. The evening will be hosted by long times friends of WACAM, Tim and Ping Liang. The exquisite menu will feature Hong Kong Style Roast Duck, Kung Bao Chicken, Baked Pork Chop Peking Style, Shrimp with Cashew Nuts, Singapore […]
Hear from Dr. Doug Koopman, senior research fellow and Calvin University professor emeritus, as he presents and analyzes the variety within the nearly 85 percent of Americans who are dissatisfied with government and politics today. Drawing on local examples from past and present, he will suggest strategies to improve trust in and functioning of government […]
Consider the digital risks confronting U.S. elections in 2024 from Paul M. Barrett, deputy director and senior research scholar at the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University’s Stern School of Business. While generative artificial intelligence can facilitate the spread of misinformation, the main risk is social media, as platforms fail to […]
Vandenberg Prize with Bridget A. Brink, Ambassador of the United States to Ukraine OCTOBER 15 @ 12 NOON-1:45 P.M. 75th Anniversary Year of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan Vandenberg Award Recipient: Bridget A. Brink, current U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (and native of East Grand Rapids) Hillman/Orr Award Recipient: A surprise! (Yet […]
In this time of extreme political polarization, how might we restore civil discourse, mitigate political violence and assure more accountability from our government and elections? Join the Michiganders for Civic Resilience with Republican Tonya Schuitmaker and Democrat Christine Greig as they discuss practical strategies for political engagement in the lead up to the 2024 U.S. […]
Local musician Leah Ivory went on a tour to Ghana, West Africa, in 2006, with her choir and came home with a djembe. That trip transformed her life in more ways than one. Learning about the djembe was one of the ways. Committed to becoming proficient, she had the good fortune of studying with world […]
Lebanon is among the oldest sites of wine production in the world. Mike DeVivo, Professor of Geography from Grand Rapids Community College will explain the Lebanese wine regions and the variety of terrains which makes Lebanese wines so exclusive. Join us on December 5 to sample a few unique Lebanese wines and enjoy sweets from […]
Join us on January 21 for dinner and a fun and entertaining international trivia contest held every year with college, corporate and community teams competing. Prizes will be given to the top three teams along with door prizes. Moving the annual WorldQuest global trivia competition from May to January was an attempt by the World […]
We welcome John Austin, senior fellow, Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College. To effectively counter economic competition, global security threats, and assaults on the rules-based global order from authoritarian nations, democratic allies must work together as never before and push the adoption and integration of two core strategies: building stronger domestic economies -- through investments in […]
We welcome Miriam Gay-Antaki, Geographer, University of New Mexico. While the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the most important international meeting surrounding climate change, it can perpetuate or contest socio-environmental narratives responsible for social and environmental inequalities. This program will examine the intersections […]
