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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T130000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20251113T215841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260209T154744Z
UID:8433-1775647800-1775653200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Venezuela\, An  Update with Dr. Paul Esqueda
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Paul D. Esqueda is a Professor Emeritus Engineering. His areas of interest are project management\, negotiations\, and operations management. He has a particular interest in developing negotiation case studies. For the last 30 years\, Esqueda has been primarily dedicated to administration in academic institutions. Past positions include Division Head of Engineering\, Business\, and Computing at Penn State Berks; Dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Administration (IESA) in Caracas\, Venezuela and President of the Engineering Research Institute also in Caracas. Esqueda served as a consultant for the European Union to review the European Union Latin American Scholarship Program from 2003-2008. He was part of a 20 expert panel (10 from Europe and 10 from Latin America) that met every year in Brussels to audit the program and advise the EU on the development of the program. \nClick here to register for this webinar now
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/venezuela-an-update-with-dr-paul-esqueda/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/paul-esqueda-web.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250820T182050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T142434Z
UID:8360-1773228600-1773235800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Plight of the Kurds with Kani Xulam
DESCRIPTION:Kani Xulam is a native of Kurdistan. He studied International Relations at the University of Toronto\, holds a BA in history from the University of California Santa Barbara and an MA in the International Service program at American University. \nAt the University of Toronto\, he represented Kurdistan at the Model United Nations\, which passed a nonbinding resolution recognizing the right of the Kurdish people to self-determination.\nAt the University of California Santa Barbara\, he was part of a group of peace activists who protested the first Gulf War by taking part in a sit-in at Chancellor’s office in January 1991. Everyone was arrested. Mr. Xulam pled not guilty\, defended himself\, and was sentenced to 18 hours of community service to plant saplings in Santa Barbara. \nIn 1993\, at the urging of Kurdish community leaders in America\, he left his family business in Santa Barbara\, California to establish the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) in the nation’s capital. AKIN is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering Kurdish-American understanding and friendship. \nClick here to register for this live event now
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-plight-of-the-kurds-with-kani-xulam/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/images.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250822T173513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T145857Z
UID:8367-1770809400-1770816600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Securing the Indo-Pacific: Strategies for Keeping the Peace - Dr. Ely Ratner
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Ely Ratner served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. Prior to confirmation\, he served as the Director\, DoD China Task Force and as a Senior Advisor to China to the Secretary of Defense. Before arriving at the Department of Defense\, Dr. Ratner was the Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS)\, where he was a member of the executive team and responsible for managing the Center’s research agenda and staff. \nDr. Ratner served from 2015 to 2017 as the Deputy National Security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden\, and from 2011 to 2012 in the office of Chinese and Mongolian affairs at the State Department. He also previously worked in the U.S. Senate as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and in the office of Senator Joe Biden. Outside of government\, Dr. Ratner has worked as a Senior Fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations\, a Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at CNAS\, and as an Associate Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. \nClick here to attend live \nClick here to register for this webinar now
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/securing-the-indo-pacific-strategies-for-keeping-the-peace-dr-ely-ratner/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250521T202156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T161744Z
UID:8251-1768390200-1768397400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Transatlantic Security in an Era of Great Power Competition with Dr. Andrew T. Wolff
DESCRIPTION:Andrew T. Wolff\, Associate professor of political science and international studies at Dickinson College in Carlisle\, PA. My primary research concerns are NATO\, European security\, and American foreign policy. At Dickinson\, he teaches courses on American foreign policy\, European security\, national security\, international diplomacy\, and international relations.  \nIn the Fall 2021 semester he was in Brussels\, Belgium as a Fulbright NATO Security Studies scholar. He was also a visiting professor with the College of Europe in Bruges\, Belgium teaching courses on European defense and security governance in Europe. \nWolff is an Associate Professor of International Studies & Political Science. Contributing faculty to Security Studies program. \nClick here to register for this live event now
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/europe-and-nato-with-dr-andrew-t-wolff/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/wolffan.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250521T192830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T173833Z
UID:8237-1765366200-1765373400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:America in the Arctic: Foreign Policy and Competition in the Melting North with Mary Thompson Jones
DESCRIPTION:Mary Thompson-Jones\, Ed.D. is a Professor at the U.S. Naval War College. Before joining the USNWC\, she directed a master’s program in Global Studies at Northeastern University. \nPrior to entering academia\, she had a highly successful diplomatic career\, spanning 23 years a as U.S. Foreign Service Officer in leadership roles in the Czech Republic\, Canada\, Guatemala\, Spain\, and Washington\, D.C. She retired with the rank of Minister-Counselor\, having received several Superior and Meritorious Honor awards along the way. \nDr. Thompson-Jones’ new book\, America in the Arctic\, Foreign Policy and Competition in the Melting North\, has been praised by Sen. Angus King\, I-ME\, as “a finely crafted chart that can guide us through rough seas ahead to a peaceful and prosperous future\,” and by Amb. Paula Dobriansky\, former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs\, as “a compelling testament to the importance of U.S. engagement and a must-read for policymakers.” She is also the author of To the Secretary: Leaked Embassy Cables and America’s Foreign Policy Disconnect \nRegister to Attend Virtually \nRegister to Attend Live
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/america-in-the-arctic-foreign-policy-and-competition-in-the-melting-north-with-mary-thompson-jones/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jones.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250521T195501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T151134Z
UID:8247-1762947000-1762954200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:ISIS Funding and the Future of Terrorism with Colin P. Clarke
DESCRIPTION:Colin P. Clarke is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation\, where his research focuses on terrorism\, insurgency and criminal networks. At RAND\, Clarke has directed studies on ISIS financing\, the future of terrorism and transnational crime\, and lessons learned from all insurgencies between the end of WWII and 2009. \nIn addition to his work at RAND\, he is an associate fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT)-The Hague\, in the Netherlands\, and a lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University where he teaches courses on terrorism\, insurgency and the future of warfare. \nClarke has briefed his research at a range of national and international security forums\, including the U.S. Army War College\, US Air Force Special Operations School\, Society for Terrorism Research International Conference\, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and the Counter ISIS Financing Group (CIFG)\, which is part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. \nHe appears frequently in the media\, has been quoted in The New York Times\, The Washington Post\, and The Wall Street Journal\, and has published his research in Foreign Affairs\, Foreign Policy\, The Atlantic\, Politico\, Lawfare\, and numerous scholarly journals\, including Small Wars & Insurgencies\, Historical Methods\, and Military Operations Research. \nClarke is the author of Terrorism\, Inc.: The Financing of Terrorism\, Insurgency\, and Irregular Warfare\, published in 2015 by Praeger Security International and is currently working on Terrorism: The Essential Reference Guide\, also by Praeger and due to be published in 2018. He received his Ph.D. in international security policy from the University of Pittsburgh. \nThis will be a hybrid event with the luncheon speaker live on zoom. \nClick here to register for this live event now \nAttend Virtually (Zoom Webinar)
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/8247/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Clarke.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250521T191729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250705T220526Z
UID:8234-1759924800-1759930200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Putin's War Against the West with John J. Sullivan
DESCRIPTION:Ambassador John J. Sullivan\, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation\, was recently named a Distinguished Senior Fellow in Columbia Law School’s National Security Law Program. He is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington DC and New York offices and co-leads the firm’s National Security practice. \nAmbassador Sullivan’s career spans four decades in public service in prominent diplomatic and legal positions under five U.S. presidents. His earlier positions included Deputy Secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush\, following his service from 2005 to 2007 as the general counsel of the department. In President Bush’s first term\, he served as deputy general counsel of the Defense Department. In the George H.W. Bush Administration\, Ambassador Sullivan was counselor to Assistant Attorney General J. Michael Luttig in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. \nIn private practice at Mayer Brown\, which he first joined in 1993\, Ambassador Sullivan has been a member of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice and was a co-founder of the National Security practice. \nAmbassador Sullivan received his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law\, where he was Book Reviews Editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was a law clerk for Associate Justice David H. Souter of the Supreme Court of the United States\, and for Judge John Minor Wisdom of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. His many professional honors include the Distinguished Alumnus Award of Columbia Law School’s DC Alumni Association. \nThis luncheon event is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center\, Alvernia University \nClick here to register for this live event now \nClick here to register for this webinar now
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/midnight-in-moscow-with-ambassador-john-j-sullivan/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/John_J_Sullivan.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250403T162953Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250706T193754Z
UID:8211-1757503800-1757511000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Europe in the Post-Atlantic Age with Ron Granieri
DESCRIPTION:Ronald J. Granieri is a 2024 Templeton Fellow and the Director of the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He also hosts People\, Politics\, and Prose\, a monthly event series at FPRI. Dr. Granieri is also Professor of History in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the United States Army War College. A graduate of Harvard and the University of Chicago and a former Federal Chancellor Scholar of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung\, Dr. Granieri is the author of The Ambivalent Alliance: Konrad Adenauer\, the CDU/CSU\, and the West\, 1949-1966 (Berghahn\, 2003) as well as articles on German History\, European-American Relations\, the Cold War\, and contemporary politics in journals such as Orbis\, Central European History\, Foreign Policy\, and The International History Review and has also published op-ed essays in The Hill and the Washington Post. \nClick here to register for this live event now
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/germany-europe-update-with-ron-granieri/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/RonMuseum-rotated-e1714230542531.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250514T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250514T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20250122T215838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250513T213024Z
UID:8100-1747222200-1747229400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Threat Multiplier: Climate Change\, the Military\, and Global Security with Sherri Goodman
DESCRIPTION:Sherri Goodman\, Senior Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program and Polar Institute\, and Secretary General of the International Military Council on Climate & Security\, is credited with educating a generation of US military and government officials about the nexus between climate change and national security\, using her famous coinage\, “threat multiplier\,” to fundamentally reshape the national discourse on the topic. Sherri serves as Vice Chair of the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board and on the EXIM Bank’s Council on Climate. A former first Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Environmental Security) and staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee\, Goodman has founded\, led\, or advised nearly a dozen research organizations on environmental and energy matters\, national security\, and public policy. \nHer new book\, Threat Multiplier:  Climate Change\, the Military and Global Security was published in August 2024.  It will be on sale at the luncheon event. \nThis hybrid luncheon event is being held at the Flynn Complex Alvernia University\, This event is also available virtually for those not wishing to attend the luncheon. \nImportant Notice: The venue for the  World Affairs Council luncheon May 14 has been changed from the McGlinn Conference and Spirituality Center to the Tom and Helen Flynn Complex of Alvernia University. The Flynn Complex is directly across 460 Bernardine Street from the McGlinn Center.  Instead of turning into the McGlinn Center from Bernardine Street turn just the opposite into the Flynn Complex.  Easy to see.  Plenty of parking.  Convenient short walk into the Flynn building.   \nClick here to register to attend live \nClick here to register for this webinar
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/threat-multiplier-climate-change-the-military-and-global-security-with-sherri-goodman/
LOCATION:PA
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/last-1.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240930T195143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250302T191946Z
UID:8030-1744198200-1744205400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Role of the Inspector General in the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government with Glenn Fine
DESCRIPTION:Glenn Fine is a nonresident fellow in the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution. \nFine served as the Inspector General for the Department of Justice from 2000 to 2011 in the Clinton\, Bush\, and Obama Administrations. As the Inspector General\, he supervised and issued reports of investigations and audits on many high-profile issues facing the Department of Justice. \nAfter practicing law at a firm\, Fine returned to government\, and in January 2016 he became the Acting Inspector General for the Department of Defense. In this role\, he led the largest inspector general’s office with more than 1700 staff in 50 offices around the country and the world\, for over four years. \nFine has testified more than 50 times before Congressional committees and has written articles on the role of inspectors general\, federal investigations\, and management in federal agencies. He has received numerous honors for his inspector general work\, including being named the Lawyer of the Year by the National Law Journal. \nFine graduated from Harvard College\, where he majored in economics. He was the co-captain of the Harvard basketball team and was selected in the 10th round of the 1979 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Instead of trying out for the Spurs\, he attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. \nFine earned a law degree from Harvard Law School. After law school\, he worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington D.C. Fine is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School. \nThis luncheon meeting is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center \nClick here to register
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-role-of-the-inspector-general-in-the-battle-for-honest-and-accountable-government-with-glenn-fine/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/glenn-fine-2-374x400-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240930T194629Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250302T191910Z
UID:8027-1741779000-1741786200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Status of Women's Global Leadership with Linda Robinson. An International Women's Day Event.
DESCRIPTION:Linda Robinson is senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) where she writes about women’s political and economic leadership\, the relationship between gender equality and democracy\, technology-facilitated violence\, and current international affairs. She was previously a senior international researcher and director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation. She has also been a fellow at the Wilson Center\, the Merrill Center at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies\, the International Institute for Strategic Studies\, and the Nieman Foundation at Harvard. A former foreign correspondent for U.S. News & World Report and senior editor at Foreign Affairs\, Ms. Robinson provides frequent commentary on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. Her books include Masters of Chaos\, a New York Times bestseller; Tell Me How This Ends\, a Foreign Affairs bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book of 2008; One Hundred Victories\, about Afghanistan; and Intervention or Neglect\, about Central America. She received the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Reporting on National Defense and the Maria Moors Cabot Prize from Columbia University for reporting on Latin America. She has published over twenty RAND studies and hundreds of articles based on extensive field research\, and has testified before Congress on special operations\, the Iraq war\, and the Middle East. \nThis hybrid luncheon event is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center \nRegister to attend this live event in person! \nClick here to attend this live event virtually
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-status-of-womens-global-leadership-with-linda-robinson/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250220T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250220T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240930T193608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250210T154017Z
UID:8024-1740051000-1740058200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Oversight of Government Programs and Funds: Domestic and International Structures and Challenges - with Ann Calvaresi Barr
DESCRIPTION:This event is rescheduled for Thursday February 20 due to an inclement weather forecast. \nFormer Inspector General Ann Calvaresi Barr led the oversight of activities conducted by USAID\, the U.S. African Development Foundation\, the Inter-American Foundation\, the Millennium Challenge Corporation\, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. In fiscal year 2017\, USAID alone managed nearly $30 billion in budgetary resources to provide humanitarian assistance and advance economic growth and democracy around the world. Ms. Calvaresi Barr also works with the Inspectors General of the Department of State and the Department of Defense to coordinate each OIG’s activities under the Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations initiative. Ms. Calvaresi Barr took office in November 2015 and worked tirelessly to strengthen OIG’s contributions to and support of integrity\, efficiency\, and effectiveness in the Nation’s complex foreign assistance programs and operations. \nMs. Calvaresi Barr previously served as the Deputy Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation from 2010 to 2015. In that position\, Ms. Calvaresi Barr provided leadership and direction of audits and investigations of transportation issues\, as well as oversight of Office of Inspector General operational support activities. \nMs. Calvaresi Barr joined the U.S. Department of Transportation as the Principal Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and Evaluation in March 2009. She directed and oversaw all audit work on the Department’s air\, highway\, public transit\, maritime\, and rail programs\, including implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009\, which invested over $48 billion in the Nation’s transportation infrastructure. She assumed this position after a 25-year career at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. \nAt GAO\, Ms. Calvaresi Barr served as a director in the Acquisition and Sourcing Management team in Washington\, DC. As a senior executive\, Ms. Calvaresi Barr was responsible for directing numerous engagement teams\, producing reports\, and delivering congressional testimony on technology transfer\, the defense supplier base\, and contract management. Ms. Calvaresi Barr started her GAO career in 1984\, working on healthcare and intergovernmental relations issues. From 1988 to 1993\, she completed an overseas tour in GAO’s former European office in Frankfurt\, Germany\, where she worked largely on defense\, international affairs\, and national security issues. Prior to her GAO career\, she worked for the City of Reading\, PA\, and for the City Manager of Rockville\, MD. \nMs. Calvaresi Barr is a graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle\, PA\, where she earned a B.A. degree in political science in 1982. She also holds a 1984 master of public administration degree from American University in Washington\, DC; is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellows Program; and received a Massachusetts Institute of Technology fellowship in Foreign Politics\, International Relations\, and the National Interest. \nThis event is rescheduled for Thursday\, February 20 due to an inclement weather forecast. \nClick here to register for this event.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/oversight-of-government-programs-and-funds-domestic-and-international-structures-and-challenges-with-ann-calvaresi-barr/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ann-calvaresi-barr.png.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250108T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250108T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240607T235021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250102T195353Z
UID:7775-1736335800-1736343000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Sudan with Dr. Randall Fegley - EVENT CANCELLED
DESCRIPTION:EVENT CANCELLED \nDr. Randall Fegley\, Associate Professor of History at Penn State Berks\, was named Executive Director of the Sudan Studies Association (SSA) during the organization?s 32nd Annual Conference on May 24\, 2013\, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This followed his completion of a two-year term as SSA President. In this role\, Fegley will oversee the organization?s transition to a new generation of officers and board members. \nThe Sudan Studies Association (SSA) is an independent professional society founded in the United States in 1981. Membership is open to scholars\, teachers\, students\, and others with interest in the Sudan. The Association exists primarily to promote Sudanese studies and scholarship.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/sudan-with-dr-randall-fegley/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241211T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241211T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240804T231019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241211T185854Z
UID:7846-1733916600-1733923800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Don’t Give Up on Haiti- There is a Way Forward with Keith Mines
DESCRIPTION:Keith Mines is vice president of the Latin America program at USIP. \nMines joined USIP after a career at the State Department\, where he was most recently director for Andean and Venezuelan affairs. In 32 years of diplomatic and military service\, he has worked on governance and institution building in Central America and Colombia; Middle East peace in Israel and the West Bank; post-conflict stabilization in Haiti\, Iraq and Afghanistan; global financial stability and the environment in Brazil; security sector reform in Hungary; famine relief and tribal reconciliation in Darfur and Somali; and creating a culture of lawfulness as the first director of the Merida Initiative in Mexico City. \nA frequent contributor to publications such as the Foreign Service Journal and Orbis\, Mines has written extensively on post-conflict stabilization\, peacebuilding and negotiations\, and the roots of civil conflict. His book\, “Why Nation Building Matters: Political Consolidation\, Building Security Forces\, and Economic Development in Failed and Fragile States\,” was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2020. Mines has a bachelor’s in history from Brigham Young University and a master’s in foreign service from Georgetown University. \nThis event is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center on December 11. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/dont-give-up-on-haiti-there-is-a-way-forward-with-keith-mines/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240817T213616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241029T213348Z
UID:7850-1732104000-1732109400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Bringing Order to Anarchy - Governing the World to Come with Charles Kupchan
DESCRIPTION:Charles Kupchan is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government. \nFrom 2014 to 2017\, Kupchan served as special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) in the Barack Obama administration. He was also director for European affairs on the NSC during the first Bill Clinton administration.  Before joining the Clinton NSC\, he worked in the U.S. Department of State on the policy planning staff.  Previously\, he was an assistant professor of politics at Princeton University. \nKupchan has served as a visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs\, Columbia University’s Institute for War and Peace Studies\, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London\, the Centre d’Étude et de Recherches Internationales in Paris\, and the Institute for International Policy Studies in Tokyo. From 2006 to 2007\, he was the Henry A. Kissinger scholar at the Library of Congress and a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. From 2013 to 2014\, he was a senior fellow at the Transatlantic Academy. Kupchan received his BA from Harvard University and MPhil and DPhil from Oxford University \nLinked below is recent article by Charles Kupchan that he suggests circulating to your members to help shape and inform our conversation.\nhttps://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/deep-roots-trumps-isolationism\n  \nThis event will be held at noon on September 20th via Zoom Webinar. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/bringing-order-to-anarchy-governing-the-world-to-come-with-charles-kupchan/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241113T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241113T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240425T014620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241028T215428Z
UID:7750-1731497400-1731504600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Globally Adept: How Lifelong Learning Shapes a Better World with Carol Jenkins
DESCRIPTION:Carol Jenkins is the CEO of World Learning Inc.\, which encompasses three distinct branches: The Experiment in International Living; School for International Training\, which includes SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate Institute; and the nonprofit global development and exchange unit World Learning. Jenkins also serves as president of the global development and exchange division\, where she oversees programs in more than 30 countries. Jenkins has served in multiple positions at World Learning over more than a decade. She first joined in June 2007 as senior director of international programs after a 16-year career in humanitarian aid and development. She spent seven years at the organization\, including three years as head of its International Development and Exchange. In 2014\, after nearly a year working on business and program development for World Vision in East Africa\, Jenkins returned to World Learning. Under Jenkins’s leadership\, World Learning’s development portfolio has seen revenue increase by 14 percent with continued anticipated growth. She oversaw the merger of World Learning’s three development and exchange offices into one location\, leveraging the assets of more than 100 staff members. She was named CEO in February 2018. Prior to joining World Learning\, Jenkins was director of program development for International Medical Corps\, where she managed a team of technical business development professionals to improve the quality of field programs and expand the coverage to project recipients. She also previously spent 12 years working for World Vision\, including a period during which she was posted in Southern Africa. Jenkins holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Messiah College in Pennsylvania. She was a fellow at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at University of California\, Los Angeles\, in 2012 and a participant in the Leadership Program at the International Civil Society Center. \nThis luncheon meeting will be held at noon on November 13th at the McGlinn Conference Center. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-power-of-education-to-change-lives-globally-with-carol-jenkins/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/carol-jenkins-e1714230583528.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241009T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241009T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240425T191042Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240427T145203Z
UID:7754-1728473400-1728480600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Stuck in the Middle - Germany and World Affairs at a Major Turning Point as result of Ukraine War with Ron Granieri
DESCRIPTION:Brief biography: Ronald J. Granieri is a 2024 Templeton Fellow and the Director of the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He also hosts People\, Politics\, and Prose\, a monthly event series at FPRI. Dr. Granieri is also Professor of History in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the United States Army War College. A graduate of Harvard and the University of Chicago and a former Federal Chancellor Scholar of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung\, Dr. Granieri is the author of The Ambivalent Alliance: Konrad Adenauer\, the CDU/CSU\, and the West\, 1949-1966 (Berghahn\, 2003) as well as articles on German History\, European-American Relations\, the Cold War\, and contemporary politics in journals such as Orbis\, Central European History\, Foreign Policy\, and The International History Review and has also published op-ed essays in The Hill and the Washington Post. \nThis luncheon meeting will be held at noon on October 9th at the McGlinn Conference Center. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/stuck-in-the-middle-germany-and-world-affairs-since-the-zeitenwende-with-ron-granieri/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/RonMuseum-rotated-e1714230542531.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240911T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240911T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240423T231530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240427T144951Z
UID:7743-1726054200-1726061400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Trust in Information in the Age of Artificial Intelligence with Bret Shafer
DESCRIPTION:Bret Schafer is a senior fellow and head of the Alliance for Securing Democracy’s information manipulation team. Bret is the creator and manager of Hamilton 2.0\, an online open-source dashboard tracking the outputs of Russian\, Chinese\, and Iranian state media outlets\, diplomats\, and government officials. As an expert in computational propaganda\, state-backed information operations\, and tech regulation\, he has spoken at conferences around the globe and advised numerous governments and international organizations. His research has appeared in the New York Times\, USA Today\, the Wall Street Journal\, and the Washington Post\, and he has been interviewed on NPR\, MSNBC\, CNN\, Al Jazeera\, and the BBC. Prior to joining GMF\, he spent more than ten years in the television and film industry\, including stints at Cartoon Network and as a freelance writer for Warner Brothers. He also worked in Budapest as a radio host and in Berlin as a semi-professional baseball player in Germany’s Bundesliga. He has a BS in communications with a major in radio/television/film from Northwestern University\, and a master’s in public diplomacy from the University of Southern California\, where he was the editor-in-chief of Public Diplomacy Magazine. \nThis luncheon meeting will be held at noon on September 11th at the McGlinn Conference Center. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/trust-in-information-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence-with-bret-shafer/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/image001.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240612T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240612T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240410T174050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240427T144742Z
UID:7704-1718191800-1718199000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Russia's War on Ukraine: An Update with Amb. William Taylor
DESCRIPTION:Ambassador William B. Taylor is vice president\, Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace. In 2019\, he served as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv and as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009. During the Arab Spring\, he oversaw U.S. assistance and support to Egypt\, Tunisia\, Libya and Syria. He served in Jerusalem as the U.S. government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet. He served in Kabul in 2002 and in Bagdad in 2004. \nIn the 1990’s Ambassador Taylor coordinated U.S. assistance to the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He earlier served on the staff of Senator Bill Bradley. \nAmbassador Taylor is a graduate of West Point  and Harvard’s Kennedy School and served as an infantry platoon leader and combat company commander in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Germany. \nThis luncheon meeting will be held at noon on June 12th at the McGlinn Conference Center. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-ukraine-war-nato-and-us-policy-with-amb-william-taylor/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240509T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240509T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240410T170917Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240427T144436Z
UID:7701-1715254200-1715261400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:U.S. Middle East Policy - Pre/Post Hamas War with Dr. Natan Sachs
DESCRIPTION:Natan Sachs is the director of the Center for Middle East Policy and a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Program at Brookings. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Department of Government and its Security Studies Program. Prior to joining Brookings\, Sachs was a Fulbright fellow in Indonesia\, a visiting fellow at Tel Aviv University’s Dayan Center for Middle East and African Studies\, and a Hewlett fellow at Stanford’s Center on Democracy\, Development\, and the Rule of Law. \nSachs is an expert on Israeli foreign policy\, its domestic politics\, and on U.S. policy toward the Middle East. His writing has appeared in such publications as Foreign Affairs\, The Washington Post\, The Atlantic\, Foreign Policy\, The New York Times Global\, Yediot Ahronot\, and Haaretz. His forthcoming book describes the aftermath of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process\, the dangers of both a one-state agenda and “anti-solutionism\,” and recommends policy for promoting a more peaceful and just relationship among Israelis and Palestinians. \nSachs has provided testimony before Congress and has offered expert commentary to the New York Times\, The Washington Post\, The Financial Times\, The Wall Street Journal\, The New Yorker\, Bloomberg\, and many other publications. He has appeared on TV and radio with CNN\, MSNBC\, Fox News\, the BBC\, Bloomberg\, Israel Channel 12\, Haaretz\, and Galei Tzahal\, among others. \nThis luncheon meeting will by held on May 9 at the McGlinn Conference Center. This will be a hybrid presentation. \nClick here to register to attend in person. \nClick here to register to attend virtually.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-middle-east-with-dr-natan-sachs/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Natan-Sachs-e1714230314556.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240423T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240423T140000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240314T202823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240323T183214Z
UID:7642-1713871800-1713880800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Africa\, China and the US: Contenders for the Future of Africa with Dr. Kimani Nehusi
DESCRIPTION:Kimani Nehusi (PhD) is a progressive African historian born in Guyana. Dr. Nehusi is an academic who lectured at the University of Guyana\, the University of London and the University of East London and currently lectures at Temple University in Philadelphia. \nHe is known for his work on linguistics and Ancient Egyptian( Kemet) linguistic dispersal and has a study remit in African and Caribbean history and society; Nile Valley societies; research methodologies; education and socialization. African and Caribbean languages. \nNehusi’s research interests include Africa and its diaspora from ancient to modern times\, the Caribbean and Guyana. He has received many honours from different parts of the world for his scholarship. \nHe has been Assistant Examiner in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and lectured\, conducted workshops\, gave keynotes and contributed to radio and television programmes in many communities\, colleges\, universities and workplaces in various parts of the Caribbean\, USA\, Canada\, Europe (UK\, Holland\, Germany\, Sweden\, Denmark) and Africa (Nigeria\, Ghana\, South Africa). \nThis event will be held noon on Tuesday\, April 23 at the McGlinn Conference Center. \nThe deadline for registration is Thursday\, April 18. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/africa-china-and-the-us-contenders-for-the-future-of-africa-with-dr-kimani-nehusi/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dr.-Kimani-2.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240313T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240313T140000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20240229T205139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240304T192208Z
UID:7632-1710329400-1710338400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Facing Inhumanity: A Look at International Law with Dr. Randall Fegley
DESCRIPTION:Facing Inhumanity: A Look at International Humanitarian Law \nFollowing a brief summary of the major landmarks and personalities involved in the development of international humanitarian law\, this virtual presentation will review the major texts defining genocide\, war crimes\, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression as they appear in international law. Dr. Fegley will be referring to how various cases fit into these legal frameworks\, including Armenia\, the Holocaust\, Rwanda\, Bosnia and the current situation in Israel/Palestine. Finally\, he will look at possible additions to the legal canons of world courts. \nIn 2021\, Randall Fegley Ph.D. retired after 35 years as Associate Professor of History and Politics at Penn State Berks College. The author of 11 books and numerous articles on global issues\, he continues his research on local responses to mass trauma. \nThis event will be held at the McGlinn Conference Center at 11:30 on March 13.\nClick here to register for this event now.\nRegistration deadline is March 8th.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/facing-inhumanity-a-look-at-international-law-with-dr-randall-fegley/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IMG_8465-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240110T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240110T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20231127T214217Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231219T223042Z
UID:7563-1704886200-1704893400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Responding to Disasters with Adrian Grieve
DESCRIPTION:Adrian Grieve moved to United States from Scotland in 1985 after graduating with a degree in Social Work. He became a Red Cross disaster volunteer as a direct result of the December 1988 Pan Am 103 crash in his hometown of Lockerbie\, Scotland. He subsequently joined as a paid employee in 1992\, serving in multiple roles including Regional Disaster Officer and Executive Director. Adrian is currently the Central Atlantic Division Disaster State Relations Director serving DC\, DE\, MD\, VA\, and FEMA Region III. He has responded to over 30 large disasters such as hurricanes\, tornadoes\, floods\, and wildfires and hundreds of local home fires. Adrian specializes in responding to mass casualty incidents such as the Boston Marathon Bombing\, the Camp Fire in CA\, the Uvalde\, TX school shooting and most recently\, the Maui Wildfires\, as well as transportation incidents such as the United flight 93 crash in Shanksville\, PA on September 11\, 2001\, and more recently the Amtrak derailments in Philadelphia and DuPont\, WA. \nThis meeting will be held at the McGlinn Conference Center at noon on January 10\, 2024.\nClick here to register for this event now.\nDEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS JANUARY 6TH.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/responding-to-disasters-with-adrian-grieve/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2022-headshot.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231213T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231213T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20230601T204512Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231207T024302Z
UID:7465-1702467000-1702474200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:China with Dr. Scott Moore
DESCRIPTION:At this luncheon\, Dr. Moore will be presenting via Zoom. \nAs Director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives\, Scott Moore works with faculty members from across the University to design\, implement\, and highlight innovative\, high-impact global research initiatives in areas including sustainability and emerging technology. Dr. Moore directs Penn Global’s four research and engagement fund programs\, including those designed to support faculty-led projects in China\, India\, and Africa. Dr. Moore also works collaboratively with colleagues across campus to elevate Penn faculty engagement initiatives with regional or thematic foci. \nScott Moore is a political scientist whose interests center on environmental sustainability\, technology\, and international relations. His first book\, Subnational Hydropolitics: Conflict\, Cooperation\, and Institution-Building in Shared River Basins (Oxford University Press\, 2018)\, examines how climate change and other pressures affect the likelihood of conflict over water within countries. Prior to Penn\, Dr. Moore was a Young Professional and Water Resources Management Specialist at the World Bank Group\, and Environment\, Science\, Technology\, and Health Officer for China at the U.S. Department of State\, where he worked extensively on the Paris Agreement on climate change. Prior to entering public service\, Dr. Moore was Giorgio Ruffolo Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Scott’s research and commentary on a wide range of environmental and international affairs issues has appeared in a range of leading scholarly journals and media outlets\, including Nature\, The China Quarterly\, Foreign Affairs\, and The New York Times. Dr. Moore holds doctoral and master’s degrees from Oxford University and an undergraduate degree from Princeton. \nThis event will be held at 12:00 noon on December 13th at the McGlinn Conference Center.\nDEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS DECEMBER 6TH \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/china-with-dr-scott-moore/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Scott-Moore.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231108T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231108T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20230414T145318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231005T210703Z
UID:7448-1699443000-1699450200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Marginalized Communities in South America: The Case of Ecuador with Dr. Brian Jennings
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Jennings earned degrees in Forest Resource Management from West Virginia University before earning his PhD in Environmental Sociology from Utah State University.  His past research has focused on public program effectiveness\, community attachment in high-amenity settings\, and environmental worldviews of college students.  Dr. Jennings has a passion for the transformative power of study abroad.  He established the Interim in Ecuador program at Albright\, where students study a variety of topics while being immersed in the culture of Ecuador.  In the over 10 years the program has been in existence\, more than 100 students have studied in Ecuador.  He currently serves as the Vice President of the Association of Academic Programs in Latin American and the Caribbean (AAPLAC) and as a board member of the Centers for Interamerican Studies (CEDEI). \nThis event will be held at 12:00 noon on November 8 at the McGlinn Conference Center. \nDEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS NOVEMBER 1 \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/marginalized-communities-in-south-america-the-case-of-ecuador-with-dr-brian-jennings/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Sept21HeadShot-e1666108371697.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231011T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231011T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151535
CREATED:20230222T162707Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231008T190445Z
UID:7397-1697023800-1697031000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Will Russia Survive Until 2084 with Philip Wasielewski
DESCRIPTION:Philip Wasielewski is a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program.  He is a former Paramilitary Case Officer who had a 31-year career in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency.  He was a member of the first CIA team into Afghanistan in 2001 and served a three-year assignment on the National Security Council staff as the Director for Intelligence and Covert Action programs.  His CIA career was paralleled by a concurrent 30-year Marine Corps career (7 years active duty and 23 reserve) as an infantry officer including mobilizations for Afghanistan and Iraq.  Philip Wasielewski graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983 with a B.A. in International Relations and European History.  He also has an M.A. from Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian Studies and an M.A. in National Security Studies from the Army War College. \nThis event will be held at 12:00 noon on October 11 at the McGlinn Conference Center. \nDEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS OCTOBER 3RD \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/will-russia-survive-until-2024-with-philip-wasielewski/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-22-at-11.18.33-AM-e1692794270214.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230913T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230913T140000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151536
CREATED:20230309T000426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230830T203420Z
UID:7417-1694604600-1694613600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:War Crimes and the Conflict in Ukraine: International Law at a Crossroads with Dr. Irene Langran
DESCRIPTION:Irene Langran is the Associate Dean of General Education and Faculty Development at Albright College. She is also a professor of Political Science\, teaching courses in international law\, human rights\, and global health. Her research interests include globalization\, global health\, and global governance. A passionate advocate of interdisciplinary studies\, Dr. Langran co-edited Globalization and Global Citizenship: Interdisciplinary Approaches (Routledge\, 2016). She has published in several academic journals\, including Journal of Asian and African Studies\, Asian Studies\, New Global Studies\, Canadian Journal of Political Science\, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences\, and Journal for Peace and Justice Studies. An innovative teacher dedicated to the promotion of civil and productive political conversations in the classroom\, Dr. Langran received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching at Albright College in 2016. \nDr. Langran received her doctorate from the University of Toronto\, specializing in the comparative politics of developing countries. The field research for her dissertation focused on health sector reform in the war-torn southern Philippine region of Mindanao. Before joining Albright’s faculty\, she worked with nongovernmental organizations in multiple countries—experiences she brings to her classroom today. \nThis event will be held at 12:00 noon on September 13 at the McGlinn Conference Center.\nDEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS SEPTEMBER 5TH \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/war-crimes-and-the-conflict-in-ukraine-international-law-at-a-crossroads-with-dr-irene-langran/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Unknown.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230614T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230614T140000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151536
CREATED:20230307T155735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230606T093933Z
UID:7414-1686742200-1686751200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:New Crisis Narratives for Europe: Redefining Political Motives via Russian Disinformation about Ukraine with Dr. Marco Ehrl
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Marco Ehrl is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He earned his first M.A. in Communication and American Studies from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. He earned his second M.A. in Communication from Central Michigan University and his Ph.D. in Communication from Texas A&M University. His research explores European and International crisis narratives\, global media\, and political rhetoric. Using qualitative and quantitative methods\, Marco’s research examines how political crisis narrators like the media\, public spheres\, and political leaders define the causes\, consequences\, and cures of political crises. Dr. Ehrl’s recent publications appeared in the International Journal of Strategic Communication and Communication and the Public. In addition\, Dr. Ehrl regularly presents his research at conferences including the International Association for Media and Communication Research\, the International Society for the Study of Argumentation\, the National Communication Association\, and the Rhetoric Society of America. Dr. Ehrl is also a Faculty Leader for The Washington Program and has worked with the Pentagon-based Strategic Multi-Layered Assessment Group conducting open-source intelligence research. \nPlease note the location change. This luncheon event will be held at Sly Fox Taphouse in Wyomissing.  \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/new-crisis-narratives-for-europe-redefining-political-motives-via-russian-disinformation-about-ukraine-with-dr-marco-ehrl/
LOCATION:Sly Fox Taphouse\, 820 Knitting Mills Way (Parking/entry in rear)\, Wyomissing\, PA\, 19610\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230517T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230517T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T151536
CREATED:20230106T171020Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230430T215559Z
UID:7351-1684323000-1684330200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Race\, American Diplomacy and why Diversity is so Important with Ambassador Charles Ray
DESCRIPTION:Charles A. Ray is a retired Foreign Service Officer who served 30 years in the US Foreign Service\, and before that\, 20 years in the US Army. During his army service\, including two tours in Vietnam\, he served in Military Intelligence\, Special Operations\, and Public Affairs\, with tours of duty in Germany\, Korea\, Vietnam\, and Panama\, as well as posts throughout the U.S.\, and retired in 1982 with the rank of Major. \nDuring 30 years in the Foreign Service\, he was posted to China\, Thailand\, Sierra Leone\, Vietnam\, Cambodia\, and Zimbabwe. His overseas assignments included service as Deputy Chief of Mission in Sierra Leone during that country’s transition to democratic rule\, he was the first US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City\, Vietnam\, and was ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe. From 2006 to 2009\, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs and Director of the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. \nSince retirement from public service\, he has been a full time freelance writer and consultant\, and is the author of more than 60 books of fiction and non-fiction\, including three books on leadership. He is a frequent blogger and contributor to several Internet news and content sites. Ray is also a photographer and artist\, and has worked as a journalist and artist for a number of publications in the US and abroad. During the late 70s he was editorial cartoonist for the Spring Lake (NC) News\, a weekly newspaper near Fort Bragg\, NC. He was the first chairman of the American Foreign Service Association’s Professionalism and Ethics Committee. He runs a workshop on professional writing for Rangel Scholars at Howard University each summer\, and has lectured at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Johns Hopkins University\, speaking on global hotspots and the History of American Diplomacy. He has also done consulting work for the Department of Defense on personnel recovery (working with the Angel Thunder PR exercise) and as an interagency subject matter expert during army unit pre-deployment training. \nRay is a member of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)\, the Association of Black American Ambassadors\, and the American Academy of Diplomacy. \nA native of Texas\, Ray now makes his home in North Potomac\, MD\, a suburb of Washington\, DC. \nThis event will be held at Legend’s Restaurant at noon on May 17th. \nClick here to register for this event now. \nThe event is being sponsored by Vice Admiral Daniel Cooper (Retired).
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/race-american-diplomacy-and-why-diversity-is-so-important-with-ambassador-charles-ray/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230419T121500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230419T134500
DTSTAMP:20260423T151536
CREATED:20230213T161038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230403T203824Z
UID:7389-1681906500-1681911900@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Public Service Abroad: What is the U.S. Foreign Service? with Elizabeth Smith
DESCRIPTION:Elizabeth Smith currently serves as the Public Diplomacy Officer for Public Engagement (Cultural Affairs Officer) at U.S. Embassy San Jose\, Costa Rica.  Within this portfolio\, she works on educational and cultural programming\, particularly for socially disadvantaged communities.  Her work includes building relationships with Costa Ricans through people-to people programs such as cultural and academic exchanges\, English language teaching\, women and youth entrepreneurship\, STEAM initiatives\, and various grant programs which promote U.S. values. \nPreviously\, she has served the U.S. Department of State in our missions in Pakistan\, Mexico\, and Guyana.  Prior to joining the Foreign Service\, she taught English as a Second Language in New York City public high schools and trained English teachers in Nicaragua through the English Language Fellows Program.   \nShe holds a B.A. in Romance Languages\, Urban Studies\, and Immigration Studies from New York University and a M.S. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Fordham University.  In her free time\, she is currently pursuing a M.A. in International Law and Diplomacy from the University for Peace in Costa Rica\, charted by the United Nations.  She was raised in Lancaster\, PA. \nNo registration required. Simply join by 12:15pm on Wednesday\, April 19th. \nJoin here at 12:15pm on April 19th
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/costa-rica-with-elizabeth-smith/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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