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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200729T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200729T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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. \n\n \n\n\nRetired diplomat Larry Cohen from the US State Department joins us this Wednesday at Noon for a presentation and live Q&A on the current state of the US State Department. \nPosted by World Affairs Council Of Greater Reading on Monday\, July 27\, 2020
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-10-17-at-12.19.39-PM-e1574342750406.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191010T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191010T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190612T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190612T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190530T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190530T140000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190508T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190508T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190417T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190417T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190313T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190313T120000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190213T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190213T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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:20260424T043008
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181212T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181212T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181114T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181114T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20181014T191516Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181120T163651Z
UID:4832-1542196800-1542202200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Syria: Why it Matters\, What Can Be Done. Ambassador Fred Hof
DESCRIPTION:For Video replay\, click HERE\nAmbassador Fred Hof\nSyria: Why it Matters\, What Can Be Done\nSponsored by: Diversity\, Inclusion\, Global Committee of the Y \nFrederic C. Hof has been a soldier\, diplomat\, CEO\, author\, and the Director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.  He is currently on the faculty of Bard College and is a Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Hariri Center. A native of New York\, Ambassador Hof received a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and an MA in National Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School.  He studied Arabic in Tunisia and\, as a US Army officer\, served overseas in Vietnam and Lebanon.  He concluded his military service in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.  In the private sector he would become CEO of AALC Ltd.\, an international business consulting firm\, and would later establish a Syria practice at the Atlantic Council’s Hariri Center\, before becoming the Center’s Director in 2016. Ambassador Hof has written extensively on Middle Eastern political and security issues.  His published works have focused on Arab-Israeli boundary and water disputes and the Syrian crisis.  He served on the Department of Defense commission that investigated the 1983 bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut\, drafting portions of the final report.  He was chief of staff of the 2000-2001 Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee (investigating the October 2000 Palestinian intifada) and principal drafter of the report submitted by former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to President Bush and Secretary of State Powell.  He received the rank of ambassador in 2012 while serving as advisor to the Secretary of State on political transition in Syria. Ambassador Hof’s diplomatic mediation work has dealt with Jordanian-Israeli water issues\, Israeli-Syrian peace\, Lebanese-Israeli natural gas and exclusive economic zone disputes\, and Palestinian-Israeli security matters.  Among his military and civilian decorations is the Purple Heart.  He and his wife\, Brenda\, reside in Silver Spring\, MD\, and Kerhonkson\, NY.   To 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/syria-why-it-matters-what-can-be-done/
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/2018/06/hof_fred-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181010T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181010T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20181010T132552Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181010T132552Z
UID:4628-1539172800-1539178200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Nuclear Negotiations with North Korea: Moving Beyond Summit Diplomacy with Jenny Town
DESCRIPTION:Nuclear Negotiations with North Korea: Moving Beyond Summit Diplomacy\nJenny Town\nSponsored by: Suh \nSudhir Dalal\, CPA \nFor video recording\,\, click HERE \nEducation:\nMaster of International Affairs from Columbia University; BA in East Asian Studies and International Relations from Westmar University \nBackground:\nJenny Town is a Research Analyst at The Henry L. Stimson Center and the Managing Editor and Producer of “38 North\,” a web journal that provides policy and technical analysis on North Korea. She is the former Assistant Director of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies where she focused on North Korea\, US-DPRK relations\, US-ROK alliance\, and Northeast Asia regional security. She is an expert reviewer for Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index\, where she previously worked on the Human Rights in North Korea Project. She is an Associate Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at SAIS\, a Member of the National Committee on North Korea\, an Associate Member of the Council of Korean Americans and a Senior Fellow for Korea Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council. She serves on the Editorial Board for Inkstick\, an online foreign policy journal for emerging scholars. \n  \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/jenny-town/
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/event-6-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180912T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180912T133000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180407T132245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191007T203115Z
UID:4624-1536753600-1536759000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Strategic Security Issues for the 21st Century with Nicholas Eftimaides
DESCRIPTION:For video playback\, click HERE \nSponsored by: Sam and Rosie DeWald\nNicholas Eftimiades recently retired from the US Department of Defense. His 34 year government career includes employment in CIA as a Technical Operations Officer\, Special Agent in the US Department of State\, Bureau of Diplomatic Security\, and a Senior Intelligence Officer in Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Mr. Eftimiades held positions in analysis\, human and technical intelligence collection\, and program management. He had overseas assignments in Vienna\, Frankfurt\, Moscow\, London\, and Tokyo. His long career in DIA includes senior assignments as the Chief of Counterterrorism Operations\, Transnational Issues Division\, Futures Division\, and Space Division. He has been awarded the National Intelligence Council Achievement Award and DIA Director’s Intelligence Award – that agency’s highest recognition of achievement. He distinguished himself numerous times in the senior ranks of the intelligence and defense communities. As a subject matter expert Nick was called upon to provide Congressional testimony and briefings to the Cox Commission\, the Joint Economic Committee\, President’s Commission on the Moon\, Mars\, and Beyond\, and individual meetings with Congressional Members and staff. \nMr. Eftimiades was also a Senior Research Fellow at King’s College War Studies Department\, London UK. He has an M.S. Strategic Intelligence\, National Defense Intelligence College; and a B.A. East Asian Studies\, George Washington University. Mr. Eftimiades has authored books and number of scholarly articles on national security\, technology\, and space issues. Nick’s book “Chinese Intelligence Operations\,” is an examination of the structure\, operations\, and methodology of the intelligence services of the People’s Republic of China. To date\, it remains the only scholarly analysis of China’s intelligence services and operational methodology. \nNick is a frequent lecturer and public speaker on future technology\, space\, and national security issues. He has appeared as an expert 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. \nExpertise: Intelligence Operations\, Terrorist Operations\, National Security Space\, Diplomacy\, Asia Security issues \n  \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/nicholas-eftimaides/
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/event-5-1-e1574343275803.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180613T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180613T090000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180407T131424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220919T142650Z
UID:4618-1528876800-1528880400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Bonnie Rohde
DESCRIPTION:Tariffs\, Trade\, and Tribuations\nBonnie is an Instructor of Business at Albright College \nD.B.A.: Wilmington University (in progress)\nM.B.A.: Saint Joseph’s University (international business)\nB.S.: Albright College (computer science and marketing)\nA.S.: Lincoln Technical Institute (electronics technology) \nData Science Certification Johns Hopkins University through Coursera\, 2015 \nMasters Certificate – Project Management\, Stevens Institute of Technology & Lucent Technologies School of Business\, 1998 \nCertified in Total Quality Management as a Trainer\, Facilitator\, Team Leader\, and Team Member\, AT&T School of Business and Technology\, 1987
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/bonnie-rohde/
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/event-4-1.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180509T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180509T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180407T130839Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190219T154259Z
UID:4614-1525852800-1525870800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Dr. Tara O
DESCRIPTION:North Korea\nFor video replay Part 1: click HERE \nFor video replay Part 2: click HERE \nDr. Tara O is an Adjunct Fellow at the Pacific Forum CSIS. She is the author of The Collapse of North Korea: Challenges\, Planning\, and Geopolitics of Unification. She serves on the board of directors of the International Council on Korean Studies and was the editor-in-chief of its journal International Journal of Korean Studies (IJKS). A retired Air Force officer\, she worked on national security\, intelligence\, alliance\, and political-military issues at the Pentagon\, the United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea\, and the U.S. European Command\, as well as intelligence agencies. She also worked counterterrorism\, counterproliferation\, and satellite issues. She worked in a variety of capacities\, including analysis\, liaison\, and leadership. \nAs a professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy\, she taught strategy and military operations. She was a faculty researcher at the Institute of National Security Studies. Her research areas include the Korean contingency and unification\, U.S. alliance relationships in Asia\, human rights in North Korea\, and the social integration of North Korean defectors. \nPrior to the military\, she also worked in the public\, private\, and non-profit sectors\, including the U.S. Agency for International Development in Nairobi\, Kenya\, working on drought assessment and food aid; the Asia Foundation in Bangkok\, Thailand and Vientiane\, Laos\, assisting the Laos Central Bank as it transitioned from a centrally-planned to a market-oriented economy; Bank of America\, managing syndicated loans to Latin America; the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica\, California\, assessing potential global flash points; and the United Nations Association of the USA in New York\,analyzing international economic institutions. \nShe holds a BA in International Relations from the University of California at Davis\, an MPA in Public Policy and International Affairs from Princeton University\, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/dr-tara-o/
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:20180418T040000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180418T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180407T122316Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190219T154802Z
UID:4605-1524024000-1524056400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Thomas Wright
DESCRIPTION:The Contest for the 21st Century and the Future of American Power\nFor video replay Part 1\, click HERE\nFor video replay Part 2\, click HERE \nThomas Wright the director of the Center on the United States and Europe and a fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. He is also a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. Previously\, he was executive director of studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs\, a lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago\, and senior researcher for the Princeton Project on National Security. \nWright works on U.S. foreign policy and grand strategy\, Donald Trump’s worldview\, the future of Europe\, and Asian security. His book “All Measures Short of War: The Contest For the 21st Century and Future of American Power” was published by Yale University Press in 2017. \nWright has a doctorate from Georgetown University\, a Master of Philosophy from Cambridge University\, and a bachelor’s and master’s from University College Dublin. He has also held a pre-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a post doctoral fellowship at Princeton University. Wright’s writings have appeared in the American Political Science Review\, Orbis\, Survival\, The Washington Quarterly\, Financial Times\, International Herald Tribune\, and The Washington Post\, as well as a number of international newspapers and media outlets. \nWright’s affiliations include the Fulbright Commission\, Ireland\, vice chair and board member International Politics Reviews\, Palgrave Macmillan\, editorial board.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/thomas-wright/
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:20180314T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180314T090000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180407T134335Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220919T142724Z
UID:4638-1521014400-1521018000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Dr. Joseph Braude
DESCRIPTION:Broadcasting Change: Arabic Media as a Catalyst for Change\nSponsor:\nThe Reading Eagle Company\nJoseph Braude\, a Senior Fellow with FPRI’s Program on the Middle East\, is a Middle East scholar and author whose research appears in print and on air\, in Arabic as well as English. He studied in the departments of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale and Near Eastern Studies at Princeton. He developed his Arabic to broadcast quality through years of living and working in the Gulf states and North Africa\, and added fluency in Farsi to his knowledge of Persian literature as a graduate student at the University of Tehran. \nHis first book\, The New Iraq (Basic Books\, 2003)\, examines the challenge of civil society development in the country following the US-led invasion. His second\, The Honored Dead (Random House – Spiegel & Grau\, 2011)\, presents an unprecedented investigation of the inner workings of an Arab security service: Braude was embedded for half a year in an investigative unit of the Moroccan federal police in Casablanca\, where he read case files\, attended interrogations\, and accompanied police on nighttime forays into the shantytown. \nSince July 2010\, Joseph Braude’s weekly program in Arabic\, Risalat New York (Letter from New York)\, has aired nationally on Morocco’s MED Radio. He appears frequently as a commentator on Al-Arabiya and other satellite television networks. He writes a biweekly column in Al-Majalla\, the largest-distribution magazine in the Arabic language\, and contributes regularly to the daily newspaper Asharq Alawsat. In the United States\, he has written for The New York Times\, The Wall Street Journal\, The American Interest\, Foreign Policy\, The Atlantic\, and The New Republic. He provides commentary on public radio programs\, and produces documentaries on current affairs in the Middle East for PRI’s America Abroad. He hosts the English-language podcast Eye on Arabia\, a light-hearted roundup of reporting and analysis from the Arab world. He is also a contributing editor at Tablet. \nJoseph Braude is Advisor at the Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Center in Dubai\, a think tank specializing in Islamist movements across the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to leading seminars and contributing research to its monthly book\, he conducts outreach on behalf of the Center in the United States and elsewhere. \nAs a consulting advisor\, Joseph Braude has assisted non-profit groups\, government\, and private companies in matters related to Middle East policy\, public diplomacy\, security sector reform\, and counterterrorism. He has worked with the United States Agency for International Development\, the US State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs\, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty\, and Pyramid Research.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/dr-joseph-braude/
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:20180109T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180109T190000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180110T150602Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180110T150602Z
UID:4650-1515524400-1515524400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Dr. Shreeyash Palshikar
DESCRIPTION:For video playback\, click\nHERE \nDangerous Neighborhood: A Historical Background of the India-Pakistan Tensions\nSponsored by Weik Capital Management\nDr. Shreeyash Palshikar is an Assistant Professor of History at Albright College. He received his Ph.D. from The University of Chicago\, where he received a Fulbright fellowship to research in India. He also holds a B.A. from Amherst College\, and did a post-doctoral fellowship at Yale University. Before coming to Albright two years ago\, he served in the intelligence community as a South Asia political analyst. \nDr. Palshikar works on language politics and democracy in South Asia\, with a focus on modern India. He is currently completing a manuscript analyzing how formation of linguistic states relates to the development of India’s democracy with a special focus on the area around Bombay/Mumbai city. He has previously analyzed how vernacular propaganda helped create emotional appeal for an opposition political coalition\, and revealed how a contemporary political party appropriated rhetoric of a 1950s regional-linguistic movement. He teaches courses on World History\, South and East Asian History and the global history of magic
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/dr-shreeyash-palshikar/
LOCATION:PA
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171212T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171212T190000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180407T142808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180407T142808Z
UID:4656-1513105200-1513105200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Dr. Paul Esqueda
DESCRIPTION:For video playback\, click\nHERE \nVenezuela – Derailed Democracy?\nAlso reference the December 18\, 2017 New York Times article\, “Venezuela – Overwhelmed by malenution\, mortality of children.” \nDr. Paul D. Esqueda is the Sr. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Penn State Berks and a Professor of 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.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/dr-paul-esqueda/
LOCATION:PA
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171107T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171107T190000
DTSTAMP:20260424T043008
CREATED:20180407T143109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180407T143109Z
UID:4659-1510081200-1510081200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Philip J. (P.J.) Crowley
DESCRIPTION:For video playback\, click\nHERE \nRed Line: Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics and Failing States\nSponsored by Mountain Springs Restaurant and Captains Cove Bar and Lounge\nIn this book\, RedLine -Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics and Failing States\, former Deputy Secretary of State P. J. Crowley\, one of America’s most insightful national security commentators\, unpacks the legacy of American triumphs and failures in Iraq . He argues that presidents have fallen victim to the Iraq Syndrome—the disconnect between politics\, policy\, strategy\, and narrative—that has hampered America’s foreign policy in the Middle East and hotspots throughout the world. In order to maintain America’s global leadership role\, Crowley argues that the next president must realign American’s national security politics\, policies\, strategies\, and narrative for the long term. \nPhilip J. (P.J.) Crowley is a Professor of Practice and Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication at The George Washington University\, where he currently teaches courses on public diplomacy and crisis communications. P.J. appears frequently as a national security commentator on national and global television networks. His opinion pieces have been published in a wide range of print and on-line outlets\, including The Washington Post\, The Guardian and the BBC. \nHe served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Spokesman for the U.S. Department of State between 2009 and 2011 under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and was the primary U.S. government interlocutor with major media regarding the impact of the release of classified diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks. He resigned from that position after making public comments critical of the government’s pre-trial treatment of Private First Class Bradley/Chelsea Manning. Atlantic Magazine named him as one of 21 Brave Thinkers in 2011. \nAfter leaving the State Department\, P.J. held the 2011-2012 Omar Bradley Chair of Strategic Leadership at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law and School of Public Affairs\, Dickinson College and the Army War College. While there\, he authored The Rise of Transparency and Decline of Secrecy in the Age of Global and Social Media for the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs. \nBefore joining the Obama administration\, P.J. was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress\, with a particular focus on homeland security in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He authored a number of detailed analyses on security issues\, including Safe at Home\, a national security strategy to protect the American homeland\, improve national preparedness and rebuild the U.S. standing in the world. He remains engaged on these issues as a member of the Aspen Institute Homeland Security Group. His most recent analysis in this area is Homeland Security and the Post-9/11 Era\, published by the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy. \nP.J. is a retired Air Force colonel and is a veteran of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991. He served on the National Security Council staff at the White House as a special assistant to President Clinton and deputy press secretary. He deployed to NATO Headquarters in Brussels during the 1999 Kosovo crisis to support then NATO Secretary General Javier Solana\, helping to develop a strategic communication capability in support of the NATO campaign.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/philip-j-p-j-crowley/
LOCATION:PA
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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