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 […]
We welcome Gert-Jan Segers, former Dutch Member of Parliament (2012-2023), former leader of the Christian Union Party and two-time member of a coalition government of the Netherlands. With the re-election of President Trump, the future of NATO and our relations with European allies will continue to evolve. From a European perspective, NATO plays a […]
We welcome Ali Wyne, senior research and advocacy advisor, China, International Crisis Group. Based on the record of the first Trump administration, statements that President Donald Trump has made in recent months, and appointments that he has made thus far to senior foreign policy positions, Mr. Wyne will deliver a keynote address that considers how […]
We welcome Ghaith al-Omari, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation senior fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The Middle East is a region of profound historical, political, and cultural complexity and currently faces many challenges to future stability. Several key issues dominate the region, including the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the fall of […]
