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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210113T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210113T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024347
CREATED:20200522T002537Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210110T223829Z
UID:6232-1610539200-1610544600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:China's Economic Espionage and U.S. Security with Nicholas Eftimiades
DESCRIPTION:Nicholas Eftimiades recently retired from the US Department of Defense. His 34 year government career included working at CIA\, US Department of State/Diplomatic Security Service and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). His career included overseas postings to Moscow\, Frankfurt\, London\, and Tokyo. Nick’s more notable assignments include Chief of DIA’s Counterterrorism Operations\, Senior Technical Officer of the Future Technology Division\, and Chief of DIA’s Space Division. He served as DIA’s lead for national space policy and strategy development. Mr. Eftimiades authored books and number of scholarly articles on national security threats\, emerging technologies\, and space security issues. His book Chinese Intelligence Operations is an examination of the structure\, operations\, and methodology of the intelligence services of the People’s Republic of China. The book received worldwide recognition with the Chinese government declaring Eftimiades “an enemy of the people”. To date\, it remains the only scholarly analysis of China’s intelligence services and operational methodology. Nick Eftimiades is now an Assistant Teaching Professor at Penn State University\, Harrisburg\, School of Public Affairs/Homeland Security. He is a frequent public speaker on future technology and societal changes\, and national security issues. He has appeared on CBS Evening News\, Dateline NBC\, ABC’s Day One\, BBC\, BBC America\, National Public Radio\, and dozens of other television and radio broadcasts. He has been quoted in hundreds of newspapers and magazines across the world. Eftimiades testified before several US Congressional and Presidential Commissions concerning Chinese Espionage\, National Security issues\, emerging technologies\, and the future of the US space program. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, January 13th. \nClick here to register now!\nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nClick here to register via Zoom\nThe event will begin at Noon on January 13th \nOr join us on Facebook Live.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/international-security-with-nick-eftimiades/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Eftimiades.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20201216T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20201216T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024347
CREATED:20201009T135451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201214T195654Z
UID:6523-1608120000-1608125400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:My Friend the Spy. The Notorious Case of FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen with James Ohlson
DESCRIPTION:In February 2001\, Robert Philip Hanssen was arrested and charged with committing espionage on behalf of the intelligence services of the former Soviet Union and its successors. He pled guilty to 15 counts of espionage on July 6\, 2001 and was sentenced to prison without the possibility of parole.  The Hanssen case is described by the Department of Justice as “possibly the worst disaster in U.S. intelligence history.” \nDuring his FBI career\, James Ohlson was a close FBI colleague and friend of Hanssen; the two had even attended the same Chicago high school.  Jim Ohlson is a retired FBI special agent having served nearly 30 years\, primarily in New York City and Washington\, DC.  Subsequent to the FBI\, Jim worked in the Directorate of Security and Counterintelligence at National Security Agency (NSA)\, Fort Meade\, MD.   He currently lives with his wife in New Jersey. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, December 16th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nClick here to join via Zoom at Noon on December 16th.\nOr dial in to listen by phone\n(646) 558-8656\nMeeting ID: 899 8652 9065\nPasscode: 554831
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/my-friend-the-spy-the-notorious-case-of-fbi-special-agent-robert-hanssen-with-james-ohlson/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Jim-Ohlson-2020-e1602450757625.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20201209T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20201209T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200206T172117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201202T184324Z
UID:5916-1607515200-1607520600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Climate Change  with John Dernbach
DESCRIPTION:John Dernbach is a nationally and internationally recognized authority on sustainable development\, climate change\, and environmental law. He is the director of the Environmental Law and Sustainability Center\, and brings his expertise into the classroom in courses on property\, environmental law\, international law\, and sustainability. \nProfessor Dernbach writes and lectures widely on climate change\, sustainable development\, and environmental law. He has written more than 50 articles for law reviews and peer-reviewed journals\, and has authored\, coauthored\, or contributed chapters to more than 20 books. Most recently\, he and Professor Michael Gerrard edited Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States (Environmental Law Institute Press 2019)\, a comprehensive assessment and description of more than 1\,000 legal tools that could be used to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050.  He is also the editor or principal author of three comprehensive assessments of U.S. sustainability efforts that made recommendations for future action. They are Acting as if Tomorrow Matters: Accelerating the Transition to Sustainability (2012)\, Agenda for a Sustainable America (2009) and Stumbling Toward Sustainability (2002). In addition\, he was a member of the National Research Council Committee that\, in Sustainability and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011)\, made recommendations on how to institutionalize sustainability at EPA. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, December 9th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nThe public is invited to watch the meeting via Facebook Live. \nWatch live on Facebook \nClick here to join via Zoom at 10am on November 19th.\nOr dial in to listen by phone\n(646) 558-8656\nMeeting ID: 817 9259 3831\nPasscode: 99022967
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/climate-change-with-john-dernbach/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Unknown-1.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20201119T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20201119T113000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200917T170854Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201112T160029Z
UID:6490-1605780000-1605785400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:NATO from the European Perspective with Michal Baranowski
DESCRIPTION:Michał Baranowski is the director of GMF’s Warsaw office\, where he provides overall strategic direction and leadership for the organization’s work in Poland\, the Baltic states\, and the V4 countries. He writes and speaks extensively on NATO\, transatlantic relations\, and U.S. foreign policy\, and is frequently quoted in outlets such as Associated Press\, Financial Times\, New York Times\, Wall Street Journal\, Die Welt\, Rzeczpospolita\, Reuters\, Axios\, Le Soir\, Washington Post and Foreign Affairs. He publishes in Polish\, American\, and European media and policy journals. He is a member of the Polish-German reflection group established by presidents of Poland and Germany. He holds a master’s of European public affairs from Maastricht University\, and has studied at Mercer University in the United States and the University of Oxford. \nWatch Live on Facebook \nClick here to join via Zoom at 10am on November 19th.\nOr dial in to listen by phone\n(646) 558-8656\nMeeting ID: 861 3815 3178\nPasscode: 584059
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/nato-from-the-european-perspective-with-michal-baranowski/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Baranowski_Michal-cropped.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20201110T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20201110T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200206T171721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201103T195259Z
UID:5913-1605009600-1605015000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Long March of Virtue: China's Views of its Development\, Power and U.S.-China Relations with Robert Daly
DESCRIPTION:Robert Daly was named as the second director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson Center in August 2013.  He came to the Wilson Center from the Maryland China Initiative at the University of Maryland.  Prior to that\, he was American Director of the Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing.  Robert Daly began work in U.S.-China relations as a diplomat\, serving as Cultural Exchanges Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing in the late 80s and early 90s.  After leaving the Foreign Service\, he taught Chinese at Cornell University\, worked on television (北京人在纽约) and theater projects in China as a host\, actor\, and writer\, and helped produce Chinese-language versions of Sesame Street and other Children’s Television Workshop programs.  During the same period\, he directed the Syracuse University China Seminar and served as a commentator on Chinese affairs for CNN\, the Voice of America\, and Chinese television and radio stations.  From 2000 to 2001\, he was American Director of the U.S.-China Housing Initiative at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Mr. Daly has testified before Congress on U.S.-China relations and has lectured at scores of Chinese and American institutions\, including the Smithsonian Institution\, the East-West Center\, the Asia Society\, and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.  He has lived in China for 11 years and has interpreted for Chinese leaders\, including Jiang Zemin and Li Yuanchao\, and American leaders\, including Jimmy Carter and Henry Kissinger. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Tuesday\, November 10th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nThe public is invited to watch the meeting via Facebook Live. \nClick here to join via Zoom at Noon on November 10th.\nOr dial in to listen by phone\n(646) 558-8656\nMeeting ID: 815 9977 6732\nPasscode: 298964
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/china-with-robert-daly/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Robert-Daly-scaled-e1585061096619.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20201022T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20201022T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200206T171257Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200818T204925Z
UID:5910-1603368000-1603373400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Inspired: Stories of triumph and tragedy from the Congo with Sasha Lezhnev
DESCRIPTION:Sasha Lezhnev is Deputy Director of Policy at The Sentry\, where he focuses on conflict\, governance\, corruption\, and corporate accountability issues in central Africa. He is also Founding Director of the Grassroots Reconciliation Group\, an organization that works to reintegrate former child soldiers and refugees in northern Uganda. Sasha is a founding member of the Public-Private Alliance on Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA). He previously worked at Global Witness\, the International Crisis Group\, and the U.S. Institute of Peace on U.S. policy and conflict resources\, extractive industries transparency\, and peace processes in Africa. He was based in Uganda for 2 1/2 years as Senior Program Officer with the Northern Uganda Peace Initiative and advisor to the chief mediator of the peace process with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). \nHe is the author of the book Crafting Peace: Strategies to Deal with Warlords in Collapsing States. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Cambridge University and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Thursday\, October 22th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nThe public is invited to watch the meeting via Facebook Live. The link will be posted one week prior to the event.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-with-sasha-lezhnev/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Sasha_Lezhnev_UNSC_headshot-e1585061495420.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20201014T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20201014T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200409T181835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201009T122927Z
UID:6021-1602676800-1602682200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Foreign Interference in Democracies: What to Watch in 2020 with Jessica Brandt
DESCRIPTION:Jessica Brandt is the Head of Research and Policy at the Alliance for Securing Democracy and a Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Her research interests include international security\, multilateral institutions\, and the geopolitical consequences of state fragility. Jessica previously served as special adviser to the president in the Executive Office and as an associate fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings\, an International and Global Affairs fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University\, and as the director of Foreign Relations for the Geneva Accord in Tel Aviv. She earned a BA in international relations with a concentration in conflict and security studies from Johns Hopkins University and an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the American Ditchley Foundation\, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations\, and a David Rockefeller Fellow of the Trilateral Commission. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, October 14th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nClick here to join via Zoom at Noon on October 14th.\nOr dial in to listen by phone\n(646) 558-8656\nMeeting ID: 862 3251 5478\nPasscode: 446113 \nhttps://www.facebook.com/wacreading/posts/4569411023100478 \n 
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/foreign-interference-in-democracies-what-to-watch-in-2020-with-jessica-brandt/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Brandt-Jessica-thumbnail-min-min-e1574342844905.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200930T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200930T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200916T175923Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200923T173002Z
UID:6484-1601467200-1601472600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:NATO from the American Perspective with Ron Granieri
DESCRIPTION:Ron Granieri is an FPRI Templeton Fellow\, the Executive Director of FPRI’s Center for the Study of America and the West\, Editor of the Center’s E-publication The American Review of Books\, Blogs\, and Bull\, and Host of Geopolitics with Granieri\, a monthly series of events for FPRI Members.  He is a specialist in Contemporary German and International History with degrees from both Harvard and the University of Chicago. He is the recipient of a Federal Chancellor Scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and is a member in the American Council on Germany’s Young Leader Program. He has taught at the University of Pennsylvania\, Temple University\, Syracuse University\, Furman University\, and the University of Tubingen. He is the author of The Ambivalent Alliance: Konrad Adenauer\, the CDU/CSU\, and the West\, 1949-1966 (Oxford and New York: Berghahn Books\, 2003)\, and is currently completing a book entitled: The Fall and Rise of German Christian Democracy\, From Detente to Reunification\, for Oxford University Press. \nClick here to join via Zoom at Noon on September 30th\nOr dial in to listen by phone\n(646) 558-8656\nMeeting ID: 862 3251 5478\nPasscode: 446113\n\nhttps://www.facebook.com/wacreading/posts/4485492901492291
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/nato-the-american-prospective-with-ron-granieri/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ronald_granieri-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200910T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200910T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200206T170642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200909T122318Z
UID:5907-1599739200-1599744600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:India in the COVID-19 Era - Can Modi Turn the Tide with Milan Vaishnav
DESCRIPTION:Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His primary research focus is the political economy of India\, and he examines issues such as corruption and governance\, state capacity\, distributive politics\, and electoral behavior. \nHe is the author of When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics (Yale University Press and HarperCollins India\, 2017)\, which was awarded the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation book prize for the best non-fiction book on contemporary India published in 2017. He is also co-editor (with Devesh Kapur) of Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India (Oxford University Press\, 2018) and (with Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Devesh Kapur) of Rethinking Public Institutions in India (Oxford University Press\, 2017). His work has been published in scholarly journals such as Asian Survey\, Governance\, India Review\, India Policy Forum\, Studies in Indian Politics\, and PS: Political Science and Politics. He is a regular contributor to several Indian publications. \nPreviously\, he worked at the Center for Global Development\, where he served as a postdoctoral research fellow\, the Center for Strategic and International Studies\, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an adjunct professor in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and has previously taught at Columbia and George Washington Universities. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Thursday\, September 10th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nhttps://www.facebook.com/wacreading/posts/4381915085183407
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/india-with-milan-vaishnev/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/1505458844_milan.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200805T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200805T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200617T144640Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200804T144711Z
UID:6304-1596628800-1596634200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Ukraine/Russia with Amb. John Herbst
DESCRIPTION:Ambassador Herbst joined the United States Foreign Service in 1979. He has worked as a political counselor at the U.S. embassies in Tel Aviv\, Israel\, Moscow\, Russia\, and Riyadh\, Saudi Arabia. He has also worked as the Director of Regional Affairs in the Near East Bureau of the United States State Department\, as Director of the Office of Independent States and Commonwealth Affairs\, as Principal Deputy to the Ambassador-at-large for the Newly Independent States\, and as U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem. He was appointed Ambassador to Uzbekistan in 2000\, and to Ukraine in 2003. In 2006\, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed Ambassador Herbst as Coordinator for the Office of Reconstruction and Stabilization. He assumed the new position in the summer of that year. \nAmbassador Herbst assumed the position of Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization in the summer of 2006. During his tenure\, Ambassador Herbst launched the Civilian Response Corps\, grew its ranks to over 1\,000\, and oversaw their missions in countries that include Sudan\, Chad\, Haiti\, Lebanon\, Kosovo\, Iraq and Afghanistan. Under Ambassador Herbst’s direction the Civilian Response Corps and the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization supported over 20 U.S. Embassies. His responsibilities included planning and coordinating to prevent conflict and deliver sustainable stabilization solutions to countries in danger of\, emerging from or in conflict. \nAmbassador Herbst was particularly successful in building interagency support and using the concept of smart power through policy committees and coordination teams that include persons from the United States Agency for International Development and the departments of Justice\, Commerce\, Agriculture\, Homeland Security\, Health and Human Services and Treasury. \nDuring the period that became known as the Orange Revolution in Ukraine\, Ambassador Herbst was involved in the events which led up to and defined Viktor Yushchenko‘s presidency. Ambassador Herbst was described by Pakistan’s Daily Times as “an erudite\, charming and linguistically gifted diplomat” whose accomplishments “conveyed Bush policy that Ukraine should not join the Common Economic Space with Russia\, Belarus and Kazakhstan because ‘it is not in [its] interests to have this integration complicated’.” \nIn 2005\, Ambassador Herbst\, serving as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine\, called the reputation of Mykola Bilokin\, Minister of the Internal Affairs of Ukraine from 2003 to 2005\, “unacceptable.” Later in the month Ambassador Herbst worked with newly appointed Minister of the Internal Affairs of Ukraine\, Yuri Lutsenko\, to reform the ministry. The new ministry was restructured to meet the changing political and socio-economic environment in Ukraine. During the meeting Ambassador Herbst offered the support of American law enforcement officers and noted that the U.S. is willing to provide aid to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. \nFollowing the Orange Revolution\, Ambassador Herbst facilitated funding of objective sources of news in Ukraine. His efforts led to the United States Agency of International Development funding $2.4 million to be spent towards the development of mass media in the country. Ambassador Herbst implemented his strategy by focusing on readying trainers and educators in the communications discipline\, including Ukraine‘s Center for Ukrainian Reform Education and Kiev non-governmental organization Telekritika. Ambassador Herbst oversaw tertiary funding including the Open Media Fund\, sponsored by the International Renaissance Foundation and worked with his associates at the U.S. Embassy\, including press attaché Brent Byers\, to allocate $750\,000 in 2005. Ambassador Herbst oversaw funding in support of independent media in Ukraine. Ambassador Herbst coordinated with the European Commission to Ukraine and effectively secured an additional 3.5 million Euros between 2003 and 2005. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, August 5th. \nhttps://www.facebook.com/wacreading/posts/4231811840193733 \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/ukraine-russia-with-amb-john-herbst/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AmbassadorHerbstBioPicture.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200729T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200729T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200628T235454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200727T142148Z
UID:6332-1596024000-1596029400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The State of the State Department with Lawrence Cohen
DESCRIPTION:Lawrence Cohen is a retired diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. During his Foreign Service career\, Mr. Cohen served in Mexico\, Honduras\, India\, Hungary\, Nigeria\, Brazil\, and Afghanistan. His Washington\, D.C.\, assignments included stints in the Office of Environmental Policy working on bilateral U.S.-Mexico and NAFTA issues\, and as State Department Desk Officer to the Inter-American Development Bank. Mr. Cohen has also served on short-term Foreign Service assignments in Erbil\, Iraqi Kurdistan Region; Tunis; Jeddah; and Kuwait. \nMr. Cohen created the Foreign Service Institute’s Afghanistan pre-deployment training program\, facilitated Afghan training for USAID personnel\, and developed diplomatic tradecraft training for the South Sudanese Foreign Ministry in Juba. Mr. Cohen served as the Retiree Vice President on the Governing Board of the American Foreign Service Association (2013-15). He delivered a presentation on Afghanistan to the Reading World Affairs Council in September 2008. \nMr. Cohen earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and Mideast Studies from Dickinson College and his Masters of Arts degree in International Relations\, specializing in Middle East Affairs from the University of Chicago. He resides in Schwenksville\, Montgomery County. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, July 29th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nThe public is invited to watch the meeting via Facebook Live. The link will be posted one week prior to the event. \nhttps://www.facebook.com/wacreading/posts/4196727813702136
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-state-of-the-state-department-with-lawrence-cohen/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Cohen-e1600347292446.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200610T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200610T140000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200228T164006Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200607T180037Z
UID:5972-1591788600-1591797600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Infectious Disease Including COVID-19 (Coronavirus) with Marie Keim
DESCRIPTION:Marie Keim\, BS\, MT\, CIC:Director Epidemiology\, Infection Control and Prevention Reading Hospital \nMs. Keim has more than 30 years of healthcare experience\, with over 20 years in infection prevention and includes clinical microbiology. She is currently the director of the epidemiology\, infection control and prevention department at Reading Health System. Ms. Keim has expertise in all scopes of healthcare encompassing hospitals\, clinics\, ambulatory centers and physician offices. She assists clients in all aspects of project design and construction through occupancy to proactively minimize risks for patients and a staff from both the microbiology and infection prevention perspective. She has successful incorporated work flow\, instrument/equipment and product selection to improve patient outcomes.\n\n\nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, June 10th. \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \nJoin via www.wacreading.org/live\nPlease join a few minutes early so you don’t miss anything! \n\n \n\n\nWill there be a second wave? What happens if we don't develop a vaccine soon enough? Are there worse threats… \nPosted by World Affairs Council Of Greater Reading on Sunday\, June 7\, 2020
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/infectious-disease-including-covid-19-coronavirus-with-marie-keim/
LOCATION:PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MarieKeim_80w.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200520T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200520T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200417T182752Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200515T201405Z
UID:6084-1589976000-1589979600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Climate Change with Dr. Spencer Stober
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Spencer S. Stober is a Professor of Biology at Alvernia University\, Reading\, PA\, USA.  He has taught Biology for 30 years including undergraduate courses in genetics\, botany\, and environmental science.  Since earning his doctorate at Temple University\, with a specialization in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies\, he teaches graduate courses in leadership and supervises dissertations.  In 2005 he received Alvernia’s Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching\, and he was awarded the Neag Professorship in 2011.  He has also served in a number of key administrative positions at Alvernia University\, including Department Chairperson\, Ph.D. Program Director\, Dean of Arts and Sciences\, and Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies.  Dr. Stober currently serves on the international Advisory Board for the “On Sustainability Research Network” sponsored by Common Ground Publishing.  His work on environmental\, cultural and socio-economic sustainability has enabled him to travel\, frequently with students\, to universities in countries such as Japan\, Croatia\, Malaysia\, India\, Ecuador\, Mauritius\, Denmark\, and New Zealand.   Dr. Stober recently served as a co-editor with Dr. David Humphreys for a volume entitled Transitions to Sustainability: Theoretical Debates for a Changing Planet\, and he co-authored Nature-centered Leadership: An Aspirational Narrative\, with two Ph.D. students (Tracey L. Brown and Sean J. Cullen); both volumes were published by Common Ground in 2014 and 2013 respectively.  Dr. Stober also co-authored a book with Dr. Donna Yarri\, Associate Professor of Theology at Alvernia University\, entitled God\, Science\, and Designer Genes: An Exploration of Emerging Issues in Genetic Technologies\, published by Praeger in 2009; they are currently working on a new book entitled God\, Darwin\, and the Origins of Life. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, May 20th.\n \nMembers are invited to join by Zoom and participate in the live Q&A. Zoom details will be emailed in our weekly email newsletter. If you are a member and have not received this email\, please send a message to contactus@wacreading.org. \n\n \n\n\nThis third session of our virtual Great Decisions series will feature a live presentation and member's Q&A with Dr. Spencer Stober\, Professor of Biology at Alvernia University. \nPosted by World Affairs Council Of Greater Reading on Friday\, May 15\, 2020
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/climate-change-with-dr-spencer-stober/
LOCATION:PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Unknown.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200513T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200513T140000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190523T152703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200419T222754Z
UID:5521-1589371200-1589378400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:CANCELLED: Turkey - West Relations with Dr. Oya Dursun Ozkanca
DESCRIPTION:CANCELLED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC \nDr. Oya Dursun-Ozkanca is the College Professor of International Studies (Endowed Chair) and Professor of Political Science at Elizabethtown College. A native of Turkey\, she received her BA in Political Science and International Relations at Bosphorus University in Istanbul\, and MA and PhD in Government at the Univesity of Texas in Austin. Her research interests include Turkish foreign policy\, tranatlantic security\, European politics\, the Balkans\, and peacebuilding missions. \nDr. Dursun-Ozkanca is the author of a number of scholarly articles in leading peer -reviewed journals. In Summer 2013\, she served as a LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics\, and conducted fieldwork in Serbia and Bosnia on Turkish foreign policy in the Balkans. Her first co-authored book\, External Interventions in Civil Wars: The Role of Impact on Regional and International Organizations\, was published by Routledge in July 2013. She is author of the forthcoming book\, Turkey-West Relations: The Politics of Intra-alliance Opposition by Cambridge University Press. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/turkeys-challenges-with-dr-oya-dursun-ozkanca/
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/2018/04/Oya_Dursun-Ozkanca.png-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200422T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200422T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20200409T173406Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200517T215411Z
UID:6008-1587556800-1587562200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:U.S. relations with the Northern Triangle with Dr. Kirwin Shaffer
DESCRIPTION:For Video replay\, click HERE \nDr. Kirwin Shaffer is Professor of Latin American Studies. He teaches courses on Latin American and Caribbean History\, Latin American Studies\, Global Terrorism and Political Violence\, Dissent\, and International Literature and Film. When not teaching\, he continues research on transnational anarchism in the Americas. In 2005\, he published his book Anarchism and Countercultural Politics in Early Twentieth-Century Cuba (University Press of Florida). In 2013\, he published his second book Black Flag Boricuas: Anarchism\, Antiauthoritarianism\, and the Left in Puerto Rico\, 1897-1921 (University of Illinois Press).  In 2015 he published the book In Defiance of Boundaries: Anarchism in Latin American History (University Press of Florida) which he co-edited with Geoffroy de Laforcade. He is currently working on a new book that looks at anarchist networks that crisscrossed the Caribbean region\, including Panama\, Mexico\, Puerto Rico\, Cuba and the United States. The tentative title for the book is Caribbean Anarchism: Countercultural Politics and Transnational Networks in the Age of US Expansionism\, 1890s-1920s. \nThis event starts at Noon on Wednesday\, April 22nd.\nJoin via Zoom (Full invitation details below)\nWatch on Facebook Live\nPlease join a few minutes early so you don’t miss anything!\n \nTopic: Great Decisions: U.S. Relations with the Northern Triangle with Professor Kirk Shaffer\nTime: Apr 22\, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://zoom.us/j/98928072750?pwd=Q2JwaHFDN1M4NXZBa1FjSlk1ZkFzUT09 \nMeeting ID: 989 2807 2750\nPassword: 018086 \nOne tap mobile\n+16465588656\,\,98928072750#\,\,#\,018086# US (New York) \nDial by your location\n+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)\nMeeting ID: 989 2807 2750\nPassword: 018086 \n  \n 
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/u-s-relations-with-the-northern-triangle-with-dr-kirwin-shaffer/
LOCATION:PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/kirwin-shaffer-author-crop-e1600347186822.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200313T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200313T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190807T191544Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200227T180532Z
UID:5571-1584100800-1584106200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Half of Heaven: Why Women are Needed in National Security with Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese
DESCRIPTION:Sponsored by Comcast Keystone Region. \nInternational Women’s Month speaker: Joan Johnson-Freese \nDr. Joan Johnson-Freese is a University Professor\, holds the Charles F. Bolden\, Jr. Chair in Science\, Space & Technology\, and is former Chair of the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval War College (NWC). In her faculty capacity she teaches Security Studies to US military officers and security practitioners from the United States and over 50 other countries. She has also been part of the Government Department faculty of Harvard Extension School and Harvard Summer School since 2004\, where she teaches courses on Women\, Peace & Security\, Leadership in War and Peace\, and Grand Strategy and US National Security.  \nAs a political scientist and educator\, her research focuses on space security and Women\, Peace & Security. She is the author of seven books on space security\, the most recent (2016) Space Warfare in the 21st Century: Arming the Heavens and over 100 published articles\, many with a particular focus on the Chinese space program. Dr. Johnson-Freese has also published multiple articles on aspects of Women\, Peace & Security and her book\, Women\, Peace & Security: An Introduction\, was released in December 2018.  She regularly works with media including CNN\, NPR\, The New York Times\, ABC\, CBS\, and Time Magazine on these topics.  \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/half-of-heaven-why-women-are-needed-in-national-security/
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/2019/08/DSC_1555-e1574342820665.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200212T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200212T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190314T145203Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200210T131814Z
UID:5409-1581508800-1581514200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Haiti 10 Years after the Earthquake with Prof. Adam John
DESCRIPTION:Sponsored by the Diversity\, Inclusive\, Global Committee of the YMCA \nAlbright University professor Adam John will provide an update on what has happened in Haiti in the 10 years since a devastating earthquake when the World Affairs Council holds its Wednesday\, Feb. 12\, luncheon program at the Inn at Reading. \nMore than 200\,000 people reportedly died as a result of the magnatude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12\, 2010. About 300\,000 were injured and 1.5 million were left homeless. \nJohn holds a Ph.D. in French and Francophone cultures and civilizations from Pennsylvania State University. He is an associate professor of French and Spanish and the director of the interim program in Martinique. His research interests include Haitian literature and culture\, French language media and post-colonialism. He teaches courses on the Caribbean\, contemporary France and French-speaking Africa. \nHe received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research for his doctoral dissertation in Martinique in 1993-1994. He has been a member of the Haitian Studies Association for almost 20 years. He also served on the board of directors of the Haitian Studies Association from 2005-2009. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/haiti-after-the-earthquake-with-prof-adam-john/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/adam_john.gif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200108T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200108T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190404T154334Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200116T162058Z
UID:5431-1578484800-1578490200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Venezuela: a tough transition to democracy
DESCRIPTION:For Video playback\, click HERE \nDr. Paul D. Esqueda\, Sr. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Penn State Berks and a Professor of Engineering\, will discuss Venezuela during the World Affairs Council’s Jan. 8 luncheon program. He will give an update on main events in Venezuela during 2019 and will share his vision of a potential transition to democracy. \nEsqueda’s 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. \nHis previous 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. \nEsqueda 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 panel of 20 experts (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. \nHe earned an engineering degree from the University of North London\, England\, and a master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Penn State. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/venezuela-with-prof-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/2019/04/Esqueda_Paul-e1574342621620.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191211T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191211T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190311T201549Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190924T215334Z
UID:5406-1576065600-1576071000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Making Sense of the Iranian Escalation with Behnam Ben Taleblu
DESCRIPTION:SPONSORED BY WEIK CAPITAL MANAGEMENT \nBehnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at FDD where he focuses on Iranian security and political issues. Behnam previously served as a research fellow and senior Iran analyst at FDD. Prior to his time at FDD\, Behnam worked on non-proliferation issues at an arms control think-tank in Washington. Leveraging his subject-matter expertise and native Farsi skills\, Behnam has closely tracked a wide range of Iran-related topics including: nuclear non-proliferation\, ballistic missiles\, sanctions\, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\, the foreign and security policy of the Islamic Republic\, and internal Iranian politics. Frequently called upon to brief journalists\, congressional staff\, and other Washington-audiences\, Behnam has also testified before the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament. \nHis analysis has been quoted in The Washington Post\, The Wall Street Journal\, Reuters\, Fox News\, The Associated Press\, and Agence France-Presse\, among others. Additionally\, he has contributed to or co-authored articles for Foreign Affairs\, Foreign Policy\, Fox News\, The Hill\, War on the Rocks\, The National Interest\, and U.S. News & World Report. Behnam has appeared on a variety of broadcast programs\, including BBC News\, Fox News\, CBS Interactive\, C-SPAN\, and Defense News. Behnam earned his MA in International Relations from The University of Chicago\, and his BA in International Affairs and Middle East Studies from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/iran-with-behnam-ben-taleblu/
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/2019/03/BehnamBenTaleblu-e1574342682497.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191106T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191106T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190211T192238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191112T160815Z
UID:5364-1573041600-1573047000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Brazil Wants Results: Less Violence\, Economic Growth\, and Respect for the Rule of Law with Anna Prusa
DESCRIPTION:For video replay\, click HERE \nAnna is currently an Associate at the Brazil Institute at the Wilson Center. Before joining the Brazil Institute\, Anna was at the Albright Stonebridge Group and U.S. Department of State’s Office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs. While at the State Department\, among other roles\, she assisted in preparations for President Obama’s 2011 trip to Brazil and Chile and covered regional security issues\, including coordinating State’s participation in the 2011 Latin American follow-up to the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit\, held in Santiago\, Chile. She lived in São Paulo\, Brazil for several years\, and is a specialist in U.S. foreign policy and U.S.-Brazil relations.  \nAnna holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University\, an M.A. in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies from the George Washington University\, and a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Florida. She has been interviewed and quoted by the BBC\, ABC News\, Newsweek\, CBC\, CGNT\, Think Progress\, and other media.  \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/brazil-with-anna-prusa/
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:20191010T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191010T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190506T201057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191015T215127Z
UID:5481-1570708800-1570714200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Crisis in U.S. Immigration Policy: Headache along the U.S. - Mexican Border with Lawrence Cohen
DESCRIPTION:For video replay\, click HERE \nMr.Cohen will describe current US immigration policy\, examination the roots of the crisis on our southern border\, and raise questions about the current\, unsustainable situation. \nLawrence Cohen is a retired diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. During his Foreign Service career\, Mr. Cohen served in Mexico\, Honduras\, India\, Hungary\, Nigeria\, Brazil\, and Afghanistan. His Washington\, D.C.\, assignments included stints in the Office of Environmental Policy working on bilateral U.S.-Mexico and NAFTA issues\, and as State Department Desk Officer to the Inter-American Development Bank. Mr. Cohen has also served on short-term Foreign Service assignments in Erbil\, Iraqi Kurdistan Region; Tunis; Jeddah; and Kuwait. \nMr. Cohen created the Foreign Service Institute’s Afghanistan pre-deployment training program\, facilitated Afghan training for USAID personnel\, and developed diplomatic tradecraft training for the South Sudanese Foreign Ministry in Juba. Mr. Cohen served as the Retiree Vice President on the Governing Board of the American Foreign Service Association (2013-15). He delivered a presentation on Afghanistan to the Reading World Affairs Council in September 2008. \nMr. Cohen earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and Mideast Studies from Dickinson College and his Masters of Arts degree in International Relations\, specializing in Middle East Affairs from the University of Chicago. He resides in Schwenksville\, Montgomery County. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/united-states-immigration-policy-with-lawrence-cohen/
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/2019/05/Cohen-e1574342802337.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190912T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190912T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190118T161651Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190923T150204Z
UID:5333-1568289600-1568295000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Kurdistan: An Island of Stability in a Turbulent Middle East with Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman
DESCRIPTION:For video playback Part 1\, click HERE\nFor video playback Part 2\, click HERE \nBayan Sami Abdul Rahman is the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representative to the United States of America. \nKey to her role are strengthening ties between Kurdistan and the United States\, advocating her government’s position on a wide array of political\, security\, humanitarian\, economic\, and cultural matters and promoting coordination and partnership. Prior to her US appointment in 2015\, Ms. Abdul Rahman was the High Representative to the United Kingdom. She was elected to the Leadership Council of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in 2010. \nBefore her career in public service\, Ms. Abdul Rahman worked as a journalist for 17 years. She began her career on local newspapers in London and won the Observer Newspaper’s Farzad Bazoft Memorial Prize in 1993\, which led her to work at The Observer and later at the Financial Times. She worked for the FT in Britain and in Japan\, where she was Tokyo Correspondent. \nHer late father\, Sami Abdul Rahman\, was a veteran of the Kurdish freedom movement\, joining the Kurdistan Democratic Party in 1963 and playing a critical leadership role in the Kurdish and Iraqi opposition to Saddam Hussein’s regime. He held the post of Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and General Secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Sami Abdul Rahman was killed alongside his elder son Salah and 96 others in a twin suicide bombing in 2004. \nMs. Abdul Rahman was born in Baghdad. Her family briefly lived in Iran in the mid-1970s before moving to Britain in 1976. She is a history graduate from London University. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/kurdistan-with-bayan-sami-abdul-rahman/
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/2019/01/bayan-xan-e1574342927714.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190612T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190612T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20181026T191251Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190122T164100Z
UID:4920-1560340800-1560346200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Terror Finance: The War Behind the War on Terror with John Cassara
DESCRIPTION:Sponsored by: Hillcrest Racquet Club \nJohn Cassara began his 26 year government career as an intelligence officer during the Cold War. He later served as a Treasury Special Agent in both the U.S. Secret Service and US Customs Service where he investigated money laundering\, trade fraud and international smuggling. He was an undercover arms dealer for two years. Assigned overseas\, he developed expertise in Middle East money laundering\, value transfer and underground financial systems. Mr. Cassara pioneered the concept of trade transparency units (TTUs) and has worked to demonstrate the link between trade fraud and underground financial systems. He also worked six years for Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and was later detailed to the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Mr. Cassara’s final assignment was with Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI). Since his retirement\, he has consulted for both government and industry. He has lectured in the United States and around the world on a variety transnational crime issues. Mr. Cassara testified four times before Congressional committees on various topics related to threat finance. Mr. Cassara has authored or co-authored several studies\, articles and books\, including Hide and Seek\, Intelligence\, Law Enforcement and the Stalled War on Terrorist Finance\, On the Trail of Terror Finance – What Intelligence and Law Enforcement Officers Need to Know\, Demons of Gadara\, and Trade-Based Money Laundering: The Next Frontier in International Money Laundering Enforcement. More information can be found at www.JohnCassara.com   \n\nTo Register: Call (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org Cost to attend: Members $23 Non-Members $30 Without Meal $10 Ambassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/terror-finance-the-war-behind-the-war-on-terror-with-john-cassara/
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/2018/08/JCassara-2-1-1-e1574343116343.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190530T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190530T140000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190513T211509Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190610T181848Z
UID:5503-1559215800-1559224800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Transatlantic Relationship in an Era of Great Power Competition with Consul General David Gill of Germany
DESCRIPTION:For video playback of this event\, click HERE \nYour World Affairs Council of Greater Reading is excited and proud to have been selected by The World Affairs Councils of America as one of the top World Affairs Councils in the U.S. to take part in Wunderbar Together: The Year of German-American Friendship. This comprehensive and collaborative initiative is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and supported by the Federation of German Industries. The goal is to create a positive understanding of the strong economic\, social and political ties the United States shares with Germany. \nWe are therefore extremely pleased to have the opportunity to host Mr. David Gill\, the German Consul General from the German Mission in New York City\, who will discuss the positive ties between our two countries.  Mr. Gill is responsible for consular and legal assistance for U.S. and German citizens within Pennsylvania\, New York\, New Jersey\, Connecticut and Bermuda. As he states in his Mission write-up: his role is to explain Germany\, understand America and foster successful discussions and exchange of ideas. \n \nThis event is Open to the Public \nDoors open at 11:30 AM\nRSVP required by May 28th: Call 610-375-7880 or Email contactus@wacreading.org\nCost: $20.00\, non-eating attendees – $10.00\, students – free. \nConsul General David Gill\, German Consulate General New York   Born in 1966\, Gill grew up in a protestant minister’s family in Herrnhut\, Saxony\, in former East Germany. He was denied a higher education by the communist regime for political reasons. Instead\, he trained and worked as a plumber before joining a preparatory protestant school and later the theological seminary of the Protestant Church in Berlin-Brandenburg. In 1990\, he initially was the chairman of Normannenstrasse Citizens’ Committee which oversaw the dissolution of the Ministry of State Security at the Stasi headquarters and served as the secretary of the Special Committee for the dissolution of the Stasi of the East German Parliament. After reunification\, Gill became spokesman and head of the research division of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi-Files before studying law in Berlin and Philadelphia. After holding positions in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and at the Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Berlin\, he served as the Deputy Representative of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany to the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union. During Federal President Joachim Gauck’s term from 2012-2017\, he was state secretary and chief of staff of the President. Since August 2017\, he has been the German Consul General in New York.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-transatlantic-relationship-in-an-era-of-great-power-competition-with-consul-general-david-gill-of-germany/
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/2019/05/DavidGill-e1574342833354.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190508T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190508T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20180801T191709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190513T005905Z
UID:4924-1557316800-1557322200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe with Sheri Berman
DESCRIPTION:For video replay\, click HERE \nSheri Berman is a professor of political science at Barnard College\, Columbia University. Her research interests include the development of democracy and dictatorship\, European politics\, populism and fascism\, and the history of the left. She is author of books on European social democracy and the fate of democracy during the interwar years\, social democracy and fascism in 19th and 20th century Europe and her latest book\, Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe: From the Ancien Régime to the Present Day is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. In addition to her scholarly work\, she has published in a wide variety of non-scholarly publications including the New York Times\, the Washington Post\, Foreign Affairs\, Foreign Policy\, VOX\, The Guardian and Dissent. In her spare time she runs\, cycles and helps run an animal rescue organization in Brooklyn\, New York. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/populism-in-the-west-with-sheri-berman/
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/2018/08/MJB_3530-1-e1574343106221.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190417T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190417T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20190307T163310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190421T175328Z
UID:5398-1555502400-1555507800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:BREXIT  with Dr. Randall Newnham
DESCRIPTION:For video replay of the lecture\, click HERE\nFor video replay of the Q&A\, click HERE \nDr. Randall Newnham\, Professor of Political Science\, Penn State Berks \nAt the end of March\, after two years of negotiation and confusion\, the United Kingdom is scheduled to leave the European Union. What will happen? Will this deadline be met? Or will the UK and EU postpone it\, prolonging the uncertainty? Will there be a ‘No-Deal Exit\,’ with potentially disastrous consequences? A so-called ‘Soft Exit\,’ leaving Britain still partly tied to the EU? Or could Brexit be cancelled entirely\, with a ‘Breturn?’ In any case\, the looming deadline is already having a serious impact on Britain and its partners. This talk will explore many questions\, although answers may be more difficult to find. \nDr. Newnham received his BA from Penn State University and his MA and PhD from UCLA. He has taught since 1995 at the Berks College of Penn State. He teaches courses in several subfields of Political Science\, including International Relations\, Comparative Politics\, and American Government. His research interests center on the role of economic linkage (sanctions and incentives) in International Relations. He has published 25 refereed articles\, in journals such as International Studies Quarterly\, German Studies Review\, International Politics and International Studies Review. His book “Deutsche Mark Diplomacy” focuses on the role of German economic influence in shaping its ties to Russia and Poland. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included \n\n\n 
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/brexit-with-dr-randall-newnham/
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/2019/03/Newnham.jpeg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190313T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190313T120000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20181228T203700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190421T175440Z
UID:5301-1552478400-1552478400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Israel: Prospects for Conflict Resolution with Dr. Eran Lerman
DESCRIPTION:Colonel (res.) Eran Lerman Ph.D.\nIsrael: A Study in Conflict Resolution\nFor video replay of this lecture\, click HERE.\nFor video replay of the Q&A session\, click HERE \nDr. Lerman is Vice President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies. Previously\, Dr. Lerman was deputy director for foreign policy and international affairs at the National Security Council in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. He held senior posts in IDF Military Intelligence for over 20 years. He also served for eight years as director of the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIViJ5sU2Qk&t=21sIsrael and Middle East office of the American Jewish Committee. He teaches in the Middle East studies program at Shalem College in Jerusalem\, and in post-graduate programs at Tel Aviv University and the National Defense College. He is an expert on Israel’s foreign relations\, and on the Middle East. A third-generation Sabra\, he holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics\, and a mid-career MPA from Harvard University. His recent publications include The Mediterranean as a Strategic Environment: Learning a New Geopolitical Language and The Game of Camps: Ideological Fault Lines in the Wreckage of the Arab State System. \nTo Register:\nCall (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:\nMembers $23\nNon-Members $30\nWithout Meal $10\nAmbassadors Included \n\n\n 
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/israel-prospects-for-conflict-resolution/
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/2018/12/lerman-160x160-1.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190213T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190213T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20180213T173914Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190201T195120Z
UID:5059-1550059200-1550064600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Cuba At A Crossroads:  Family\, Revolution & the United States\, 1959-2018 with Dr. Robert Portada
DESCRIPTION:Sponsored Anonymously Dr. Robert Portada is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He teaches courses in comparative politics and international relations. He has expertise in a variety of political science subfields\, including international relations theory\, modernization theory\, democratization theory\, revolutionary theory\, and security studies. His area of regional specialization is Latin American and the Caribbean\, and he has expanded his regional studies to include East Africa\, North Africa\, and the Middle East. He is author of a chapter entitled “Indirect Confrontation: The Evolution of the Political Strategy of the Cuban Catholic Church in Handbook of Contemporary Cuba: Economy\, Politics\, Civil Society\, and Globalization\, published by Paradign Publishers in 2013. Dr. Portada has also published research in the Journal of Third World Studies analyzing the role of private security companies in the process of security sector reform in South Sudan. Dr. Portada continued researching private security companies in South Sudan in 2017 and 2018. His areas of Expertise include: \n\nComparative politics and political modernization\nInternational relations theory\nAmerican foreign policy\nPolitics of Latin America and the Caribbean\nCuban politics\, religion\, and society\nDemocratization theory\nMarxism and revolutionary theory\nInternational security studies\nComparative methodology.\n\nHe received his B.A. from Hunter College\, CUNY; M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. To  \nTo Register:Call (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org \n\n\nCost to attend:Members $23Non-Members $30Without Meal $10Ambassadors Included \n\n\n 
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/cuba-u-s-relations-with-robert-portada/
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/2018/02/Dr.-Robert-A.-Portada-III-Photo-e1574342950457.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190109T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190109T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20180109T233134Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190113T165738Z
UID:4810-1547035200-1547040600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Entrepreneurship in an Accelerating Global Technology Market with John Weidenhammer
DESCRIPTION:Entrepreneurship in an Accelerating Global Technology Market\nJohn Weidenhammer\nFOR VIDEO PLAYBACK\, CLICK HERE \nSponsored by: ComcastFounder and President. An IT Solutions Integrator and diversified provider of information technology related services and products. Weidenhammer Systems has three primary lines of business: 1) provides administrative application software to primary and secondary public education; 2) develops custom application software and IT consulting; 3) provides and manages computing infrastructure. The business takes a proactive\, strategic approach to assisting clients and seeks to help create competitive advantage via the innovative use of information. Clients range in size from Fortune 500 to emerging\, new businesses including K-12\, public and private sector organizations. Business activities include strategic consulting\, software development\, application software products\, systems integration and technology outsourcing. Technologies related to the Cloud Computing and e-Business are a company focus. Weidenhammer has received awards for innovations in wireless\, mobile computing and software achievement including being recently recognized as the MVP of Cloud Computing Sales by Ingram Micro. The company this year joined the prestegious VAR500 list of the largest 500 firms in the US providing IT solutions. The firm is headquartered in Wyomissing\, PA and employs 200 professionals. Clients are located nationwide and the firm has branch offices in Wayne\, Lancaster and Bethlehem\, PA; Kalamzzoo\, MI; Denver CO and Mesa\, AZ. Weidenhammer can be found on the web at www.hammer.net Graduate of Reading High School\, and Lehigh University with a BS in Industrial Engineering. Project Leader for Carpenter Technology 1969-1874. Consultant for Ernst & Young 1974-1978. \nTo Register: Call (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org Cost to attend: Members $23 Non-Members $30 Without Meal $10 Ambassadors Included
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/entrepreneurship-in-an-accelerating-global-technology-market/
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/2018/05/John_Weidenhammer_headshot-1-e1574343182112.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181212T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181212T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T024348
CREATED:20181012T190841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181218T152641Z
UID:4917-1544616000-1544621400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Q&A with Ambassador Rick Barton
DESCRIPTION:For video replay\, click HERE \n\nAmbassador Frederick (“Rick”) Barton \nPeace Works Q&A \n\nSponsored  \nby Weik Capital Management \nAMBASSADOR RICK BARTON teaches at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University\, where he serves as a co-director of Princeton’s Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative and Ullman Fellowships. His 2018 book\, Peace Works: America’s Unifying Role in a Turbulent World\, uses a mix of stories\, history\, and analysis to offer an affirmative approach to foreign affairs through concrete and attainable solutions. Barton started USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives\, and was America’s ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in New York\, the UN’s Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva and the first Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations. He led conflict management initiatives in over 40 crisis zones across the globe\, from Haiti\, Iraq\, Nigeria\, Burma\, Pakistan to Turkey. Published in The New York Times\, the Washington Post\, Politico\, The Boston Globe\, and numerous other international outlets\, Barton is a guest on news shows ranging from NPR to all of the major networks. He resides in Washington\, D.C. with his wife of 43 years\, Kit Lunney.   \n\nTo Register: Call (610) 375-7880 or email contactus@wacreading.org Cost to attend: Members $23 Non-Members $30 Without Meal $10 Ambassadors Included\n\n  \n\n  \n\n  \n\n 
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/qa-with-ambassador-rick-barton/
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/2018/08/P1250226-2-1-e1574343128813.jpg
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