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The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is now hiring for a Director of Programming and Community Engagement. Read full job description. For consideration, please submit cover letter and resume to Erica Kubik at ek@worldmichigan.org by COB Friday, April 10, 2026.
  • The U.N. High Seas Treaty and Protecting our Global Commons with Hiroko Muraki-Gottlieb

    Gerald R. Ford Presidential Mueum 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

              We welcome Hiroko Muraki-Gottlieb, Elizabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University. The high seas, nearly ⅔ of the ocean, belong to all but no one in particular: It is a global common. In June 2023, after more than 20 years of studies and negotiations, nearly 200 countries agreed by consensus […]

    Free
  • The Middle East After October 7 with Jane Ferguson

    Gerald R. Ford Presidential Mueum 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

              We welcome Jane Ferguson, foreign correspondent for PBS NewsHour and author of No Ordinary Assignment. With the Middle East already at a crossroads, the attack on October 7 by Hamas on Israel upended the region and the world.  Join us for a conversation with Jane Ferguson, foreign correspondent for PBS […]

    Free
  • Will technology save us on a hotter planet? with Neela Banerjee

    Gerald R. Ford Presidential Mueum 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

              We welcome Neela Banerjee, Chief Climate Editor, NPR. Technology is certain to play a key role in limiting and addressing climate change. But is it enough to avert the extreme weather events that threaten millions of people worldwide? Geopolitical rivalries, political inertia, and policy disagreements continue to slow a process […]

    Free
  • A Geographic Perspective of Global to Local Health Disparities with Debarchana Ghosh

    Gerald R. Ford Presidential Mueum 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

              We welcome Dr. Debarchana (Debs) Ghosh, Associate Professor, Geography, University of Connecticut. Looking back at the covid-19 pandemic and other global health emergencies, there are many lessons to take away both domestically and internationally. Of particular importance is understanding the multi-faceted causes of global health disparities and what we might […]

    Free
  • Reflecting on 75 Years of NATO with General (ret.) Curtis Scaparrotti

    Gerald R. Ford Presidential Mueum 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

              We welcome General (ret.) Curtis Scaparrotti, former US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has come under increased scrutiny, not because NATO troops are involved in the conflict, but because of its role […]

    Free
  • A Conversation with Chinese Consul General Zhao Jian

    L. William Seidman Center, GVSU Pew Campus 50 Front St. SW, Grand Rapids,, MI, United States

    Please join us for lunch and discussion with China’s Chicago-based Consul General Zhao Jian. He will share reflections on his country’s direction after the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in California last November.     There will […]

    $50.00 – $400.00
  • Consul Luncheon featuring Ambassador of the Kingdom of The Netherlands to the U.S. Birgitta Tazelaar

    Prince Cofeence Center 1800 E Beltline Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

    Please join us for a dialogue with Ambassador Birgitta Tazellar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States.   Birgitta Tazelaar is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States of America. She will also serve as non-resident Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Commonwealth […]

    $50.00 – $500.00
  • Annual Meeting of Members

    Varnum 333 Bridge Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

            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 […]

    Free
  • Authentic Chinese Dinner at Wei Wei Palace

    Wei Wei Palace 4242 Division Avenue S, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

    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 […]

    $25.00
  • The Radical Middle(s): Reconnecting the Frustrated Majority and Reviving our Democratic Republic with Doug Koopman

    Kentwood Branch (Richard L. Root), Kent District Library 4950 Breton Rd SE,, Kentwood, MI, United States

    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 […]

    Free
  • Digital Risks to Democracy: Countering Misinformation Online with Paul M. Barrett

    Kentwood Branch (Richard L. Root), Kent District Library 4950 Breton Rd SE,, Kentwood, MI, United States

    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 […]

    Free
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