BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://wacreading.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260420T083000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260420T173000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20260311T153013Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T143729Z UID:8525-1776673800-1776706200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Excursion 2026: Two Treasures of Harrisburg DESCRIPTION:EXCURSION 2026\nTWO TREASURES OF HARRISBURG\nMonday\, April 20\, 2026 \nFeaturing the Pennsylvania State Capitol & National Civil War Museum \nThe Capitol Experience \nOur day begins at the Pennsylvania State Capitol\, where Senator Judith Schwank willhost our group for an inside look at state government in action. \nHighlights include: \n\nGuided tour of the historic Capitol\nLunch at the Capitol Café\nEscort to the Senate chamber for the opening of session\n\n  \nThe National Civil War Museum\nAfter lunch\, we will travel a short distance to the National Civil War Museum\, a Smithsonian-affiliated institution known for its balanced and comprehensive presentation of America’s defining conflict. \nOur visit includes: \n\nA special presentation by CEO Wayne Motts • Free time for a self-guided\ntour of the museum\n\n  \nItinerary \n8:30 a.m. – Depart from Walmart\, Wyomissing\n10:00 a.m. – Arrival at Capitol (go through security)\n11:00 a.m. – Capitol tour\n11:45 a.m. – Lunch at Capitol Café\n12:30 p.m. – Senate chamber session\n1:30 p.m. – Depart Capitol\n2:00 p.m. – Arrive at Civil War Museum\n4:00 p.m. – Depart for Wyomissing \nAbout Senator Judith Schwank\nSenator Schwank has represented Pennsylvania’s 11th District since 2011 and has devoted her career to public service. Her work focuses on agriculture\, food systems\, and the health and well-being of women and children. She previously served in leadership roles with the Penn State Cooperative Extension\, where she helped establish the Master Gardener Program. \nShe made history as the first woman elected Berks County Commissioner\, securing major renovations for Berks Heim and strengthening community services. She has also served as Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Services at Delaware Valley College. \nSenator Schwank holds both a B.S. and M.Ed. from Penn State and completed the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University. She currently serves as Democratic Chair of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee and sits on the Appropriations\, Game & Fisheries\, and Health & Human Services Committees. \n  \nAbout Wayne Motts\nWayne Motts is a nationally recognized Civil War historian\, museum leader\, and author. Before joining the National Civil War Museum\, he served as President and CEO of the Gettysburg Foundation\, where he played a key role in preserving and enhancing Gettysburg National Military Park. \nHe holds a B.A. in Military History from Ohio State University and an M.A. in American History from Shippensburg University. Motts has written extensively on Civil War history and is a frequent speaker\, educator\, and media contributor. His leadership has strengthened public understanding of this pivotal period in American history. \n  \n  \n  \n\nCost \n(includes transportation\, coffee\, snacks\, lunch & special programs) \n\nMembers: $120 per person\nAmbassadors/Benefactors: $110 per person(Spouse at member rate)\nStudents: $65 (limited to 3)\n\nSeating is limited to 25 participants(per request of Senator Schwank)\nReservations required by March 31\, 2026 – First come\, first served \nTo reserve your seat\, please contact:\nKristina Prislin\, Treasurer\, 610-376-2240 URL:https://wacreading.org/event/excursion-2026/ LOCATION:Harrisburg\, PA END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T130000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20251113T215841Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260209T154744Z UID:8433-1775647800-1775653200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Venezuela\, An Update with Dr. Paul Esqueda DESCRIPTION:Dr. Paul D. Esqueda is a Professor Emeritus Engineering. His areas of interest are project management\, negotiations\, and operations management. He has a particular interest in developing negotiation case studies. For the last 30 years\, Esqueda has been primarily dedicated to administration in academic institutions. Past positions include Division Head of Engineering\, Business\, and Computing at Penn State Berks; Dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Administration (IESA) in Caracas\, Venezuela and President of the Engineering Research Institute also in Caracas. Esqueda served as a consultant for the European Union to review the European Union Latin American Scholarship Program from 2003-2008. He was part of a 20 expert panel (10 from Europe and 10 from Latin America) that met every year in Brussels to audit the program and advise the EU on the development of the program. \nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/venezuela-an-update-with-dr-paul-esqueda/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/paul-esqueda-web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T083000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T140000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20260116T133014Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T192405Z UID:8498-1773304200-1773324000@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Academic World Quest 2026 DESCRIPTION:READING\, PA — The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosted the 2026 AcademicWorldQuest competition on March 12\, 2026\, at the McGlinn Conference Center at AlverniaUniversity. Teams of ninth- through twelfth-grade students from across Berks County faced offin a fast-paced test of international affairs knowledge\, with Wilson High School’s Red Teamclaiming first place and earning the right to represent Berks County at the National Competitionin Washington\, D.C. this April. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Competition Results\n1st Place:  Wilson High School — Red Team2nd Place:  Governor Mifflin — Maroon Team3rd Place:  Governor Mifflin — Gold Team \nThe first-place Wilson Team consisted of Chase Mitstifer\, William Cochran\, Jakub Mochon\, and Christina Rohm\, under the guidance of adviser Dr. Franklin Reese\, Gifted Support Teacher at Wilson High School. The second-place Maroon Team from Governor Mifflin consisted of Joshua Velez\, Ethan Kurtz\, Charles Shuker\, and Kuljeet Sangha\, and the third-place Gold Team consisted of Jamie Michalsky\, Madelyn Spayd\, Stella Belinski\, and Lillyanne DeLoretta. Both Governor Mifflin teams were advised by Michael Kurtz\, Social Studies Teacher and department chairperson at Governor Mifflin School District. \nAs the regional winner\, the Wilson Red Team is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading to attend the National Competition in April 2026. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n About Academic WorldQuest\nFounded in 2003\, Academic WorldQuest is a team-based competition testing high school students’ knowledge of international affairs. Four-person teams compete across ten thematic categories covering critical global and U.S. foreign policy issues. Students prepare using the official WACA Study Guide — available at worldaffairscouncils.org/2026awqstudyguide — which draws on curated sources from organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations\, the Financial Times\, and GlobalPost. The team with the most correct answers wins. \nThis year marks the 22nd year of Academic WorldQuest in Berks County. This year’s competition featured teams from Berks Catholic\, Boyertown\, Conrad Weiser\, Exeter\, Governor Mifflin\, Hamburg\, Muhlenberg\, Twin Valley\, Wilson\, and Wyomissing school districts. The competition is made possible by the generous support of the five Institutions of Higher Education in Berks County and other donors.  \nNational Competition — Washington\, D.C.\, April 2026\nThe Wilson Red Team will join 200–250 of the nation’s top high school students in Washington\, D.C.\, for a three-day event taking place April 26–28. Activities include a speaker and panel discussion at the National Press Club\, the four-hour national competition\, an evening reception\, and a visit to the Australian Embassy — a unique opportunity for students to engage with global affairs dignitaries and connect with like-minded peers from across the country. \nEvent Organizers\nThe 2026 Berks County competition was co-organized by Nicholas P. Nicoletti\, Ph.D.\, Associate Professor of Political Science at Alvernia University and member of the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading Board\, and Brooke M. Nicoletti\, ELA Teacher at Wilson Southern Middle School\, who served as a volunteer organizer. \nFor more information about Academic WorldQuest or the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading\, please contact the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/academic-world-quest-2026/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Academic World Quest ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-21-at-11.00.07 AM-e1740234307449.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250820T182050Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T142434Z UID:8360-1773228600-1773235800@wacreading.org SUMMARY:The Plight of the Kurds with Kani Xulam DESCRIPTION:Kani Xulam is a native of Kurdistan. He studied International Relations at the University of Toronto\, holds a BA in history from the University of California Santa Barbara and an MA in the International Service program at American University. \nAt the University of Toronto\, he represented Kurdistan at the Model United Nations\, which passed a nonbinding resolution recognizing the right of the Kurdish people to self-determination.\nAt the University of California Santa Barbara\, he was part of a group of peace activists who protested the first Gulf War by taking part in a sit-in at Chancellor’s office in January 1991. Everyone was arrested. Mr. Xulam pled not guilty\, defended himself\, and was sentenced to 18 hours of community service to plant saplings in Santa Barbara. \nIn 1993\, at the urging of Kurdish community leaders in America\, he left his family business in Santa Barbara\, California to establish the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) in the nation’s capital. AKIN is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering Kurdish-American understanding and friendship. \nClick here to register for this live event now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-plight-of-the-kurds-with-kani-xulam/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/images.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250822T173513Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T145857Z UID:8367-1770809400-1770816600@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Securing the Indo-Pacific: Strategies for Keeping the Peace - Dr. Ely Ratner DESCRIPTION:Dr. Ely Ratner served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. Prior to confirmation\, he served as the Director\, DoD China Task Force and as a Senior Advisor to China to the Secretary of Defense. Before arriving at the Department of Defense\, Dr. Ratner was the Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS)\, where he was a member of the executive team and responsible for managing the Center’s research agenda and staff. \nDr. Ratner served from 2015 to 2017 as the Deputy National Security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden\, and from 2011 to 2012 in the office of Chinese and Mongolian affairs at the State Department. He also previously worked in the U.S. Senate as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and in the office of Senator Joe Biden. Outside of government\, Dr. Ratner has worked as a Senior Fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations\, a Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at CNAS\, and as an Associate Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. \nClick here to attend live \nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/securing-the-indo-pacific-strategies-for-keeping-the-peace-dr-ely-ratner/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/210830-D-D0439-030.JPG.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260121T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260121T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250820T173230Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T151604Z UID:8357-1768996800-1769002200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:The Saudi Arabian Vision and the Future of Saudi/U.S. Relations with Fahad Nazer DESCRIPTION:Fahad Nazer is the official spokesperson for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to the United States. He was\nappointed to this role on January 18\, 2019. Prior to this appointment\, Nazer was a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and served as an International Fellow at the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations. Additionally. He was also a columnist for the daily newspaper Arab News. His publications have appeared in Foreign Affairs\, The New York Times\, CNN\, Foreign Policy\, YaleGlobal Online\, The National Interest\, and Newsweek. Nazer earned his BA in political science from New York University and an M.A in political science from Saint John’s University in New York City. He has also completed the credit and examination requirements of the PhD program in political science at the Catholic University of America in Washington. \nClick here to register for this webinar now \n  \n  URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-saudi-arabian-vision-and-the-future-of-saudi-u-s-relations-with-fahad-nazer/ LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nazer.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250521T202156Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T161744Z UID:8251-1768390200-1768397400@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Transatlantic Security in an Era of Great Power Competition with Dr. Andrew T. Wolff DESCRIPTION:Andrew T. Wolff\, Associate professor of political science and international studies at Dickinson College in Carlisle\, PA. My primary research concerns are NATO\, European security\, and American foreign policy. At Dickinson\, he teaches courses on American foreign policy\, European security\, national security\, international diplomacy\, and international relations.  \nIn the Fall 2021 semester he was in Brussels\, Belgium as a Fulbright NATO Security Studies scholar. He was also a visiting professor with the College of Europe in Bruges\, Belgium teaching courses on European defense and security governance in Europe. \nWolff is an Associate Professor of International Studies & Political Science. Contributing faculty to Security Studies program. \nClick here to register for this live event now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/europe-and-nato-with-dr-andrew-t-wolff/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/wolffan.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251217T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251217T131500 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250813T163307Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251029T181748Z UID:8270-1765972800-1765977300@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Russia-Ukraine: Negotiated Settlement of Continued War with Ambassador Steven Pifer DESCRIPTION:Steven Karl Pifer (born 1953) is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States and Europe as well as the director of Brookings’ Arms Control Initiative. He was formerly senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington\, D.C.\, and the third United States Ambassador to Ukraine from 1998 to 2000. \nHe served at the United States Embassies in Warsaw\, London and Moscow\, and as advisor on the U.S. delegation to the negotiations on intermediate-range nuclear forces in Geneva. \nFrom 1978 to 2004 he was a foreign service officer with the US Dept. of State. From 1996 to 1997\, he served special assistant to the president and senior director for Russia\, Ukraine and Eurasia on the National Security Council. From 1998 to 2000\, he served as the United States Ambassador to Ukraine. From 2001 to 2004\, he served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs\, with responsibility for Russia and Ukraine. \nThis webinar event will he held on zoom. \nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/ukraine-with-ambassador-steven-pifer/ LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Pifer_headshot-1-e1755452754425.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250521T192830Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T173833Z UID:8237-1765366200-1765373400@wacreading.org SUMMARY:America in the Arctic: Foreign Policy and Competition in the Melting North with Mary Thompson Jones DESCRIPTION:Mary Thompson-Jones\, Ed.D. is a Professor at the U.S. Naval War College. Before joining the USNWC\, she directed a master’s program in Global Studies at Northeastern University. \nPrior to entering academia\, she had a highly successful diplomatic career\, spanning 23 years a as U.S. Foreign Service Officer in leadership roles in the Czech Republic\, Canada\, Guatemala\, Spain\, and Washington\, D.C. She retired with the rank of Minister-Counselor\, having received several Superior and Meritorious Honor awards along the way. \nDr. Thompson-Jones’ new book\, America in the Arctic\, Foreign Policy and Competition in the Melting North\, has been praised by Sen. Angus King\, I-ME\, as “a finely crafted chart that can guide us through rough seas ahead to a peaceful and prosperous future\,” and by Amb. Paula Dobriansky\, former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs\, as “a compelling testament to the importance of U.S. engagement and a must-read for policymakers.” She is also the author of To the Secretary: Leaked Embassy Cables and America’s Foreign Policy Disconnect \nRegister to Attend Virtually \nRegister to Attend Live URL:https://wacreading.org/event/america-in-the-arctic-foreign-policy-and-competition-in-the-melting-north-with-mary-thompson-jones/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jones.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250521T195501Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T151134Z UID:8247-1762947000-1762954200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:ISIS Funding and the Future of Terrorism with Colin P. Clarke DESCRIPTION:Colin P. Clarke is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation\, where his research focuses on terrorism\, insurgency and criminal networks. At RAND\, Clarke has directed studies on ISIS financing\, the future of terrorism and transnational crime\, and lessons learned from all insurgencies between the end of WWII and 2009. \nIn addition to his work at RAND\, he is an associate fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT)-The Hague\, in the Netherlands\, and a lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University where he teaches courses on terrorism\, insurgency and the future of warfare. \nClarke has briefed his research at a range of national and international security forums\, including the U.S. Army War College\, US Air Force Special Operations School\, Society for Terrorism Research International Conference\, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and the Counter ISIS Financing Group (CIFG)\, which is part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. \nHe appears frequently in the media\, has been quoted in The New York Times\, The Washington Post\, and The Wall Street Journal\, and has published his research in Foreign Affairs\, Foreign Policy\, The Atlantic\, Politico\, Lawfare\, and numerous scholarly journals\, including Small Wars & Insurgencies\, Historical Methods\, and Military Operations Research. \nClarke is the author of Terrorism\, Inc.: The Financing of Terrorism\, Insurgency\, and Irregular Warfare\, published in 2015 by Praeger Security International and is currently working on Terrorism: The Essential Reference Guide\, also by Praeger and due to be published in 2018. He received his Ph.D. in international security policy from the University of Pittsburgh. \nThis will be a hybrid event with the luncheon speaker live on zoom. \nClick here to register for this live event now \nAttend Virtually (Zoom Webinar) URL:https://wacreading.org/event/8247/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Clarke.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251029T210000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250904T203105Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T203105Z UID:8393-1761766200-1761771600@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Is the Midddle East at an Inflection Point? with Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer DESCRIPTION:Daniel Kurtzer is 45th annual Leo Camp Memorial Lecturer.\nKurtzer joined the United States Department of State and was serving as a junior officer at the American Embassy in Cairo when Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981. He served in Israel between the years of 1982 and 1986\, then became Deputy Director of the State Department’s Egypt desk in Washington\, D.C. He later served on the Policy Planning Staff\, as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs\, and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. When asked why he was drawn to the Middle East\, he later replied: “The work never seems to be finished in this region. It is not a place where tuxedos and cocktail parties characterize diplomacy.”\nKurtzer joined the staff of Secretary of State James Baker. He helped write Baker’s noteworthy speech to American Israel Public Affairs Committee in May 1989. The speech was originally drafted by Harvey Sicherman\, who used uncontroversial pro-Israel language in his text. Kurtzer’s revisions included an attention-getting line that encouraged Israel and its supporters to abandon the Greater Israel idea. According to Aaron David Miller\, he and Kurtzer wrote short memos for Baker on issues at hand\, rather than longer\, strategic papers.\nKurtzer was also part of the Clinton administration’s team of advisers on the Arab–Israeli peace process. According to Miller\, Kurtzer left in 1994 because he “felt shut out by” the Special Middle East Envoy\, Dennis Ross.\nIn 2006\, he retired from the State Department and the U.S. Foreign Service with the rank of Career-Minister and assumed a chair in Middle East policy studies at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He co-chaired\, with Scott Lasensky\, the Study Group on Arab-Israeli Peacemaking\, a project supported by the United States Institute of Peace. They published their recommendations in a 2008 book. \nKurtzer is the co-author of Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East; co-author of The Peace Puzzle: America’s Quest for Arab Israeli Peace\, 1989–2011; and editor of Pathways to Peace: America and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. He is also a frequent contributor of academic articles and opinion pieces. \nThis is a free event and open to the public. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/is-the-midddle-east-at-an-inflection-point-with-ambassador-daniel-kurtzer/ LOCATION:Albright College\, McMillan Student Center South Lounge\, 13th and Bern Streets\, Reading\, PA\, 19612\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Daniel_C._Kurtzer.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251024T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251024T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250818T174330Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T202516Z UID:8309-1761325200-1761336000@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Pub Global Trivia 2025 DESCRIPTION:Spotlight your business\, community organization\, school\, or circle of friends as a team in the Pub Global Trivia competition. \nSly Fox Taphouse on October 24th at 5pm* Parking and entrance at rear of building \n\nEnjoy an exciting\, fun-filled\, evening-and potentially major bragging rights- while the funds your team raise\, support the Alan Miller Scholarship Fund for Berks County students planning on majoring in International Relations\, Global affairs\, Political Science or Public Administration. \nMark the date in your calendar. Recruit your Team – four members. Plan to attend as a Cheerleader. \nAn evening of fun with the proceeds benefiting scholarships for outstanding Berks County High School Senior students interested in International Relations\, Political Science\, Public Administration\, and Global Studies. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Scholarships are in recognition of the late Alan Miller\, Esq.\, longtime World Affairs Board member and former Berks County Solicitor. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n October 24\, 2025 @ Sly Fox\n820 Knitting Mills Way\, Wyomissing\nBuffet begins at 5:30pm | Trivia begins at 6:30pm \nCheerleader Tickets: $35 includes food! \nJoin in an evening of enlightenment and fun. Audience guests are invited and encouraged to cheer on their favorite teams! \n \n \n \n \n \n Click here to register and pay at the door as a cheerleader! \n \n \n \n \n \n – or register and pay online with PayPal – \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Powered by \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Event Sponsors\nYour contribution will fund the Alan Miller Scholarships awarded annually to Berks County High School Students planning to major in International Relations\, Global Studies\, Political Science or Public Administration. \nIndividual or company name /logo will be:– on Constant Contact email blasts– displayed on video screen during the event– placed on the WAC website– announced throughout the evening of the event \nPlatinum – $1\,000Gold – $750Silver – $500Bronze – $250 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Team Participants\nTeam up with 3 or 4 adult participants! \n* Teachers\, corporate execs\, college professors\, young professionals\, friends and family* Answer fun\, challenging\, and internationally-themed questions* full year of bragging rights as winner in Pub Global Trivia! \nRegister your team now for a night of food\, fun\, and friendship! \nClick here to register your team! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n For registration\, sponsorship\, or general questions \nCall 610-375-7880 URL:https://wacreading.org/event/pub-global-trivia/ LOCATION:Sly Fox Taphouse\, 820 Knitting Mills Way (Parking/entry in rear)\, Wyomissing\, PA\, 19610\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T131500 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250810T181731Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251002T212129Z UID:8267-1760529600-1760534100@wacreading.org SUMMARY:The Promise and Peril of Trump's America First Statecraft - with Charles Kupchan DESCRIPTION:Charles Kupchan is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government.\nFrom 2014 to 2017\, Kupchan served as special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) in the Barack Obama administration. He was also director for European affairs on the NSC during the first Bill Clinton administration.  Before joining the Clinton NSC\, he worked in the U.S. Department of State on the policy planning staff.  Previously\, he was an assistant professor of politics at Princeton University.\nKupchan is the author of Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World (2020)\, No One’s World: The West\, the Rising Rest\, and the Coming Global Turn (2012)\, How Enemies Become Friends: The Sources of Stable Peace (2010)\, The End of the American Era: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Geopolitics of the Twenty-first Century (2002)\, Power in Transition: The Peaceful Change of International Order (2001)\, Civic Engagement in the Atlantic Community (1999)\, Atlantic Security: Contending Visions (1998)\, Nationalism and Nationalities in the New Europe (1995)\, The Vulnerability of Empire (1994)\, The Persian Gulf and the West (1987)\, and numerous articles on international and strategic affairs.\nKupchan has served as a visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs\, Columbia University’s Institute for War and Peace Studies\, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London\, the Centre d’Étude et de Recherches Internationales in Paris\, and the Institute for International Policy Studies in Tokyo. From 2006 to 2007\, he was the Henry A. Kissinger scholar at the Library of Congress and a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. From 2013 to 2014\, he was a senior fellow at the Transatlantic Academy.\nKupchan received his BA from Harvard University and MPhil and DPhil from Oxford University \nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-promise-and-peril-of-trumps-america-first-statecraft-with-charles-kupchan/ LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/cfr_kupchan_195final.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250521T191729Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250705T220526Z UID:8234-1759924800-1759930200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Putin's War Against the West with John J. Sullivan DESCRIPTION:Ambassador John J. Sullivan\, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation\, was recently named a Distinguished Senior Fellow in Columbia Law School’s National Security Law Program. He is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington DC and New York offices and co-leads the firm’s National Security practice. \nAmbassador Sullivan’s career spans four decades in public service in prominent diplomatic and legal positions under five U.S. presidents. His earlier positions included Deputy Secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush\, following his service from 2005 to 2007 as the general counsel of the department. In President Bush’s first term\, he served as deputy general counsel of the Defense Department. In the George H.W. Bush Administration\, Ambassador Sullivan was counselor to Assistant Attorney General J. Michael Luttig in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. \nIn private practice at Mayer Brown\, which he first joined in 1993\, Ambassador Sullivan has been a member of the Supreme Court and Appellate practice and was a co-founder of the National Security practice. \nAmbassador Sullivan received his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law\, where he was Book Reviews Editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was a law clerk for Associate Justice David H. Souter of the Supreme Court of the United States\, and for Judge John Minor Wisdom of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. His many professional honors include the Distinguished Alumnus Award of Columbia Law School’s DC Alumni Association. \nThis luncheon event is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center\, Alvernia University \nClick here to register for this live event now \nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/midnight-in-moscow-with-ambassador-john-j-sullivan/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/John_J_Sullivan.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250403T162953Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250706T193754Z UID:8211-1757503800-1757511000@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Europe in the Post-Atlantic Age with Ron Granieri DESCRIPTION:Ronald J. Granieri is a 2024 Templeton Fellow and the Director of the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He also hosts People\, Politics\, and Prose\, a monthly event series at FPRI. Dr. Granieri is also Professor of History in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the United States Army War College. A graduate of Harvard and the University of Chicago and a former Federal Chancellor Scholar of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung\, Dr. Granieri is the author of The Ambivalent Alliance: Konrad Adenauer\, the CDU/CSU\, and the West\, 1949-1966 (Berghahn\, 2003) as well as articles on German History\, European-American Relations\, the Cold War\, and contemporary politics in journals such as Orbis\, Central European History\, Foreign Policy\, and The International History Review and has also published op-ed essays in The Hill and the Washington Post. \nClick here to register for this live event now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/germany-europe-update-with-ron-granieri/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/RonMuseum-rotated-e1714230542531.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250618T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250618T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250521T160501Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250604T230009Z UID:8227-1750248000-1750253400@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Is There a New AmericaS First Policy? with Dr. Ryan Berg DESCRIPTION:Dr. Ryan C. Berg\, has focused broadly on U.S. – Latin American relations. He contends that the new administration will move from “An America First” foreign policy to an “AmericaS First”\, focusing more and more on Latin America\, due to the fact that its agenda intersects with the region so much. Dr. Berg will focus on these oft ignored regions of Latin America and the reasons for this enhanced US interest. More importantly\, he will attempt to share how this revived interest will be interpreted by our friends to the south. \nDr. Berg obtained a Ph.D. and an M.Phil. in political science and an M.Sc. in global governance and diplomacy from the University of Oxford\, where he was a Senior Hulme fellow. Earlier\, he obtained a B.A. in government and theology from Georgetown University. He is the director of the Americans Program and head of the Future of Venezuela Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He also serves as a professor at Catholic University of America and a course coordinator at the US Foreign Service Institute. Dr. Berg was a Fulbright scholar in Brazil and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed academic and policy-oriented journals. He routinely testifies before the Senate Foreign relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. \nTHIS EVENT IS BEING HELD VIRTUALLY \nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/is-there-a-new-americas-first-policy-with-dr-ryan-berg/ LOCATION:This event is being held VIRTUALLY CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/5berg-e1749077924781.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250611T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250611T210000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250218T184021Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T184114Z UID:8118-1749664800-1749675600@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Take Me Out To The Ballgame DESCRIPTION:Bring your family and meet other members of the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading for a night at the all new Redners Event Center in the First Energy Stadium\, aka “Baseballtown” . Watch the R-Phils play the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in a brand new climate controlled event center located above the home run wall! \nTickets are $60 per person for ages 5 and older. Kids 4 and under are free.  Price includes game ticket\, seating in the event center\, and a 2.5 hour AYCE buffett consisting of: \n\nBBQ Ribs\, Chicken\, and Sandwiches\nHot Dogs\, Hamburgers\, Cheeseburgers\nVeggie Lasagna\nMac & Cheese\, Baked Beans\, Pasta and Potato Salad\nTossed Salad\, Fruit\, Cookies\, Apple Crisp\n\n\n\n \n  \n\n\nPowered by \n  URL:https://wacreading.org/event/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame/ LOCATION:Redners Event Center\, First Energy Stadium\, 1950 Centre Avenue\, Reading\, PA\, 19605\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250521T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250521T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250213T204137Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250302T192907Z UID:8112-1747828800-1747834200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Sudan Nightmares: An Update with Dr. Randall Fegley DESCRIPTION:Dr. Randall Fegley\, Associate Professor of History at Penn State Berks\, was named Executive Director of the Sudan Studies Association (SSA) during the organization?s 32nd Annual Conference on May 24\, 2013\, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This followed his completion of a two-year term as SSA President. In this role\, Fegley will oversee the organization?s transition to a new generation of officers and board members. \nThe Sudan Studies Association (SSA) is an independent professional society founded in the United States in 1981. Membership is open to scholars\, teachers\, students\, and others with interest in the Sudan. The Association exists primarily to promote Sudanese studies and scholarship. \nTHIS EVENT WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY. \nClick here to register for this webinar URL:https://wacreading.org/event/sudan-nightmares-an-update-with-dr-randall-fegley/ LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Fegley.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250514T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250514T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250122T215838Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250513T213024Z UID:8100-1747222200-1747229400@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Threat Multiplier: Climate Change\, the Military\, and Global Security with Sherri Goodman DESCRIPTION:Sherri Goodman\, Senior Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program and Polar Institute\, and Secretary General of the International Military Council on Climate & Security\, is credited with educating a generation of US military and government officials about the nexus between climate change and national security\, using her famous coinage\, “threat multiplier\,” to fundamentally reshape the national discourse on the topic. Sherri serves as Vice Chair of the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board and on the EXIM Bank’s Council on Climate. A former first Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Environmental Security) and staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee\, Goodman has founded\, led\, or advised nearly a dozen research organizations on environmental and energy matters\, national security\, and public policy. \nHer new book\, Threat Multiplier:  Climate Change\, the Military and Global Security was published in August 2024.  It will be on sale at the luncheon event. \nThis hybrid luncheon event is being held at the Flynn Complex Alvernia University\, This event is also available virtually for those not wishing to attend the luncheon. \nImportant Notice: The venue for the  World Affairs Council luncheon May 14 has been changed from the McGlinn Conference and Spirituality Center to the Tom and Helen Flynn Complex of Alvernia University. The Flynn Complex is directly across 460 Bernardine Street from the McGlinn Center.  Instead of turning into the McGlinn Center from Bernardine Street turn just the opposite into the Flynn Complex.  Easy to see.  Plenty of parking.  Convenient short walk into the Flynn building.   \nClick here to register to attend live \nClick here to register for this webinar URL:https://wacreading.org/event/threat-multiplier-climate-change-the-military-and-global-security-with-sherri-goodman/ LOCATION:PA CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/last-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250410T083000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250410T160000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250221T203213Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250223T134159Z UID:8138-1744273800-1744300800@wacreading.org SUMMARY:WAC Annual Excursion 2025: The U.S. Army War College and Dickinson College DESCRIPTION:The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading presents: A Tale of Two Colleges. The U.S. Army War College and Dickinson College. An in-depth tour of The War College. \nAPRIL 10\, 2025\, ITINERARY8:30 a.m.: Tour bus departs from Walmart\, Wyomissing.10: a.m.: Arrive at Dickerson.11:30 a.m.: Depart for luncheon at Fiddler’s Bar & Grill.1:30 p.m.: Depart Fiddler’s for the War College.4:00 p.m.: Depart War College. \nCostMembers: $85.00Non-members: $100.00Ambassadors: $75.00 Spouse at member’s rateStudents: $45.00Includes transportation\, breakfast\, luncheon\, programs\, snacks. \nReceipt of payment confirms your reservation.Seating is limited. Reservations required by March 31\, 2025. \nPlease send checks to:WAC of Greater ReadingP.O. Box 6301Reading\, PA 19610610-375-7880 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dickinson College\n \n \n \n \n \n 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. \nAndrew T. WolffDickinson Collegewolffan@dickinson.edu \nDr. Andrew Wolff is an associate professor of Political Science and International Studies at Dickinson College in Carlisle\, Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics and European History from Washington and Lee University (1995)\, a master’s degree in European Studies from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (2003)\, and a doctorate in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS (2010). \nDr. Wolff has been a Fulbright NATO Security Studies scholar hosted by the College of Europe in Bruges\, Belgium (Fall 2021) and an associate fellow at Johns Hopkins University SAIS – Europe in Bologna\, Italy (2020-2021). From 2018 to 2020\, he served as the Dickinson College Director of European Studies at the K. Robert Nilsson Center for European Studies in Bologna\, Italy. Prior to pursuing graduate degrees\, Dr. Wolff worked as a legal staff assistant for Senator Paul D. Coverdell (Georgia) in the United States Senate (1996-1997)\, and he taught high school English in Prague\, Czech Republic (1997-1999). \nDr. Wolff’s primary research interests are NATO enlargement\, European security issues\, transatlantic relations\, geopolitics\, and American foreign policy. He has published articles in International Affairs\, Contemporary Security Policy\, Journal of Contemporary European Studies\, and Journal of Transatlantic Studies. \nAbout Dickinson CollegeFounded in 1783 by Benjamin RushSlogan: Freedom is made safe through character and learning Enrollment: 2\,134Vision: To be a leader in global education \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The U.S. Army War College\n \n \n \n \n \n 1:30 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. \nThe US Army War College educates and develops leaders for service at the strategic level while advancing knowledge in the global application of Land power. \nThe purpose of US Army War College at this time in our Nation’s history is to produce graduates from all our courses who are skilled critical thinkers and complex problem solvers in the global application of Landpower.Concurrently\, it is our duty to the Army to also act as a “Think Factory “for Commanders and Civilian Leaders at the strategic level worldwide and routinely engage in discourse and debate on ground forces’ role in achieving national security objectives. We will accomplish this dual purpose along the following lines of effort: \n• Provide high quality Professional Military Education at the strategic level that further develops accomplished officers and civilians\, both graduates and faculty\, who depart our institution armed with the right balance of theory\, history\, practice\, and communication skills to clearly articulate options for solutions to complex strategic problems and immediately be of value to any organization. \n• Aggressively Conduct Research\, Publish\, Engage in Discourse\, and Wargame with the entire faculty\, staff\, students and fellows; generate ideas and test concepts as the Army’s intellectual broken field runner for the application of Land power at the strategic level. \n• Conduct Strategic Leader Development through agile\, constantly reviewed and updated courses of instruction and other products that advance strategic leadership skills and senior leader abilities in the Profession of Arms. \n• Attract\, Recruit\, and Retain a high quality faculty and staff. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/excursion-2025/ LOCATION:PA CATEGORIES:Annual Excursion END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20240930T195143Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250302T191946Z UID:8030-1744198200-1744205400@wacreading.org SUMMARY:The Role of the Inspector General in the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government with Glenn Fine DESCRIPTION:Glenn Fine is a nonresident fellow in the Governance Studies program at The Brookings Institution. \nFine served as the Inspector General for the Department of Justice from 2000 to 2011 in the Clinton\, Bush\, and Obama Administrations. As the Inspector General\, he supervised and issued reports of investigations and audits on many high-profile issues facing the Department of Justice. \nAfter practicing law at a firm\, Fine returned to government\, and in January 2016 he became the Acting Inspector General for the Department of Defense. In this role\, he led the largest inspector general’s office with more than 1700 staff in 50 offices around the country and the world\, for over four years. \nFine has testified more than 50 times before Congressional committees and has written articles on the role of inspectors general\, federal investigations\, and management in federal agencies. He has received numerous honors for his inspector general work\, including being named the Lawyer of the Year by the National Law Journal. \nFine graduated from Harvard College\, where he majored in economics. He was the co-captain of the Harvard basketball team and was selected in the 10th round of the 1979 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Instead of trying out for the Spurs\, he attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. \nFine earned a law degree from Harvard Law School. After law school\, he worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington D.C. Fine is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School. \nThis luncheon meeting is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center \nClick here to register URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-role-of-the-inspector-general-in-the-battle-for-honest-and-accountable-government-with-glenn-fine/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/glenn-fine-2-374x400-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250312T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20240930T194629Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250302T191910Z UID:8027-1741779000-1741786200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:The Status of Women's Global Leadership with Linda Robinson. An International Women's Day Event. DESCRIPTION:Linda Robinson is senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) where she writes about women’s political and economic leadership\, the relationship between gender equality and democracy\, technology-facilitated violence\, and current international affairs. She was previously a senior international researcher and director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation. She has also been a fellow at the Wilson Center\, the Merrill Center at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies\, the International Institute for Strategic Studies\, and the Nieman Foundation at Harvard. A former foreign correspondent for U.S. News & World Report and senior editor at Foreign Affairs\, Ms. Robinson provides frequent commentary on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. Her books include Masters of Chaos\, a New York Times bestseller; Tell Me How This Ends\, a Foreign Affairs bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book of 2008; One Hundred Victories\, about Afghanistan; and Intervention or Neglect\, about Central America. She received the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Reporting on National Defense and the Maria Moors Cabot Prize from Columbia University for reporting on Latin America. She has published over twenty RAND studies and hundreds of articles based on extensive field research\, and has testified before Congress on special operations\, the Iraq war\, and the Middle East. \nThis hybrid luncheon event is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center \nRegister to attend this live event in person! \nClick here to attend this live event virtually URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-status-of-womens-global-leadership-with-linda-robinson/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Linda-Robinson-Headshot-for-External-Use.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250311T083000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250311T140000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250221T161426Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T133714Z UID:8134-1741681800-1741701600@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Academic World Quest 2025 DESCRIPTION:The Greater Reading World Affairs Council’s local AWQ competition is scheduled for\nMarch 11th\, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Schmidt Training and Technology Center at Reading Area Community College.\n\nTen Berks County school districts (Antietam\, Boyertown\, Conrad Weiser\, Governor Mifflin\, Exeter\, Muhlenberg\, Schuylkill Valley\, Twin Valley\, Wilson\, Wyomissing) ten advisors and eighty-nine students will compete for a chance to advance to the National level\, with hotel and dining expenses covered by individual\, college and corporate sponsors. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/academic-world-quest-2025/ LOCATION:Reading Area Community College\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Screenshot-2025-02-21-at-11.00.07 AM-e1740234307449.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250220T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250220T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20240930T193608Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250210T154017Z UID:8024-1740051000-1740058200@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Oversight of Government Programs and Funds: Domestic and International Structures and Challenges - with Ann Calvaresi Barr DESCRIPTION:This event is rescheduled for Thursday February 20 due to an inclement weather forecast. \nFormer Inspector General Ann Calvaresi Barr led the oversight of activities conducted by USAID\, the U.S. African Development Foundation\, the Inter-American Foundation\, the Millennium Challenge Corporation\, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. In fiscal year 2017\, USAID alone managed nearly $30 billion in budgetary resources to provide humanitarian assistance and advance economic growth and democracy around the world. Ms. Calvaresi Barr also works with the Inspectors General of the Department of State and the Department of Defense to coordinate each OIG’s activities under the Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations initiative. Ms. Calvaresi Barr took office in November 2015 and worked tirelessly to strengthen OIG’s contributions to and support of integrity\, efficiency\, and effectiveness in the Nation’s complex foreign assistance programs and operations. \nMs. Calvaresi Barr previously served as the Deputy Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation from 2010 to 2015. In that position\, Ms. Calvaresi Barr provided leadership and direction of audits and investigations of transportation issues\, as well as oversight of Office of Inspector General operational support activities. \nMs. Calvaresi Barr joined the U.S. Department of Transportation as the Principal Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and Evaluation in March 2009. She directed and oversaw all audit work on the Department’s air\, highway\, public transit\, maritime\, and rail programs\, including implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009\, which invested over $48 billion in the Nation’s transportation infrastructure. She assumed this position after a 25-year career at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. \nAt GAO\, Ms. Calvaresi Barr served as a director in the Acquisition and Sourcing Management team in Washington\, DC. As a senior executive\, Ms. Calvaresi Barr was responsible for directing numerous engagement teams\, producing reports\, and delivering congressional testimony on technology transfer\, the defense supplier base\, and contract management. Ms. Calvaresi Barr started her GAO career in 1984\, working on healthcare and intergovernmental relations issues. From 1988 to 1993\, she completed an overseas tour in GAO’s former European office in Frankfurt\, Germany\, where she worked largely on defense\, international affairs\, and national security issues. Prior to her GAO career\, she worked for the City of Reading\, PA\, and for the City Manager of Rockville\, MD. \nMs. Calvaresi Barr is a graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle\, PA\, where she earned a B.A. degree in political science in 1982. She also holds a 1984 master of public administration degree from American University in Washington\, DC; is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellows Program; and received a Massachusetts Institute of Technology fellowship in Foreign Politics\, International Relations\, and the National Interest. \nThis event is rescheduled for Thursday\, February 20 due to an inclement weather forecast. \nClick here to register for this event. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/oversight-of-government-programs-and-funds-domestic-and-international-structures-and-challenges-with-ann-calvaresi-barr/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ann-calvaresi-barr.png.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250219T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250219T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20250118T200530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250207T130454Z UID:8096-1739966400-1739971800@wacreading.org SUMMARY:How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impacts of Economic Warfare with Dr. Narges Bajoghli DESCRIPTION:Narges Bajoghli (pronounced: Nar-guess Baa-jogh-lee) is a scholar\, public intellectual\, and award-winning author whose work explores the intersections of media\, power\, and resistance in global politics. She serves as the Faculty Lead of  Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and is the co-director of the Rethinking Iran Initiative. Narges is also the co-Editor-in-Chief of Visual Anthropology Review\, where she helps shape the conversation around innovative approaches to visual storytelling in anthropology. \nHer first book\, Iran Reframed: Anxieties of Power in the Islamic Republic (Stanford University Press)\, received widespread acclaim and multiple awards for its groundbreaking ethnographic approach. Her second book\, How Sanctions Work in Iran\, offers an in-depth analysis of the impact of sanctions on Iranian society. Narges’s forthcoming book\, Workshop of War\, examines the legacy of chemical warfare in the Middle East and its broader implications for global military experimentation and violence. \nNarges’s research and writing have been featured in prominent outlets\, including Foreign Affairs\, The New York Times\, and The Atlantic. She is a frequent commentator on issues such as sanctions\, resistance movements\, and the role of media in shaping political ideologies. Her graphic novella\, Sanctioned Lives\, visually captures the everyday realities of life under sanctions and is part of a broader transmedia project bringing critical discussions of sanctions to new audiences. \nAs an educator\, Narges has received multiple teaching awards for her innovative courses on ethnography\, media\, and the politics of resistance. She is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of global leaders and thinkers\, fostering intellectual curiosity\, and bridging the gap between academia and public discourse. \nBeyond academia\, Narges leads The Big Invisible Initiative\, a film series amplifying stories excluded from mainstream discourse\, and Feminist Futures\, a multimedia platform for cutting-edge essays and art. She is passionate about creating accessible spaces for dialogue on complex global issues and inspiring others to envision a more just and equitable future. \nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/how-sanctions-work-iran-and-the-impacts-of-economic-warfare-with-dr-narges-bajoghli/ LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Unknown-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20241231T164301Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250103T163426Z UID:8076-1736956800-1736960400@wacreading.org SUMMARY:American Foreign Policy: The Next Four Years DESCRIPTION:The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading will hold a forum on “American Foreign Policy: The Next Four Years”\, Wednesday\, January 15\, 2025\,  4-5 p.m.\, the McGlinn Conference and Spirituality Center\, 460 Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA.   The event is free of charge.  Advanced registration is encouraged but not required. \nDr. Irene Langram\, vice president for academic affairs\, Albright College\, Dr. Randall Newham\, professor of political science\, Penn State University\, Berks Campus\, and Dr. Nicholas Nicollete\, associate professor of political science\, Alvernia University will address aspects of American foreign policy as it projects within the incoming presidential administration. The panelists each will present for about 8 minutes followed by question and answer and the opportunity for robust exchange with the audience in attendance. \nThe forum presents a good opportunity for people to attend a World Affairs Council of Greater Reading program who are not normally available to attend during the day.  Eighty-eight people attended a parallel event on the Israeli and Palestinian conflict this past January 17.  We welcome members and non-members alike.  The event is attractive for teachers who may want to bring students outside of the school day and for faculty and students at all levels to attend independently. \n\nClick here to register for this webinar now URL:https://wacreading.org/event/american-foreign-policy-the-next-four-years/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screenshot-2025-01-02-at-4.52.23 PM.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250115T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20240930T185836Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T153619Z UID:8019-1736942400-1736947800@wacreading.org SUMMARY:North Korea under Kim Jong Un-A Security Challenge with a Few Good Options - with Dr. Terrence Roehrig DESCRIPTION:This will be a virtual event. \nProfessor of national security affairs\, Terrence Roehrig has been a research fellow at the Kennedy School at Harvard University in the International Security Program and the Project on Managing the Atom. He is a non-resident expert at the Center for Korean Legal Studies at Columbia University. He has published numerous books\, articles and book chapters on Korean and East Asian security issues\, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program\, the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance\, Korean maritime issues\, human rights and transitional justice. He has given presentations to U.S. Forces Korea\, the U.S. Embassy Seoul and the ROK JCS J-5. He has been a past president of the Association of Korean Political Studies. \nClick here to register for this webinar now. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/north-korea-under-kim-jong-un-a-security-challenge-with-a-few-good-options-with-dr-terrence-roehrig/ LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/roehrig.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250108T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250108T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20240607T235021Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250102T195353Z UID:7775-1736335800-1736343000@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Sudan with Dr. Randall Fegley - EVENT CANCELLED DESCRIPTION:EVENT CANCELLED \nDr. Randall Fegley\, Associate Professor of History at Penn State Berks\, was named Executive Director of the Sudan Studies Association (SSA) during the organization?s 32nd Annual Conference on May 24\, 2013\, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This followed his completion of a two-year term as SSA President. In this role\, Fegley will oversee the organization?s transition to a new generation of officers and board members. \nThe Sudan Studies Association (SSA) is an independent professional society founded in the United States in 1981. Membership is open to scholars\, teachers\, students\, and others with interest in the Sudan. The Association exists primarily to promote Sudanese studies and scholarship. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/sudan-with-dr-randall-fegley/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IMG_8465-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241218T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241218T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20240830T172826Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T153111Z UID:7950-1734523200-1734528600@wacreading.org SUMMARY:The War in Ukraine in 2025 and Beyond-Tell Me How This Ends with Michael O'Hanlon DESCRIPTION:Michael E. O’Hanlon is a senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution\, where he specializes in U.S. defense strategy\, the use of military force\, and American national security policy. He directs the Strobe Talbott Center on Security\, Strategy and Technology\, as well as the Defense Industrial Base working group\, and is the inaugural holder of the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy. He co-directs the Africa Security Initiative as well. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia\, Georgetown\, and George Washington universities\, and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He also serves as a member of the Defense Policy Board at the U.S. Department of Defense. O’Hanlon was a member of the external advisory board at the Central Intelligence Agency from 2011-12. O’Hanlon’s latest book\, “Military History for the Modern Strategist: America’s Major Wars Since 1861” (Brookings and Rowman & Littlefield\, 2023) was published in January 2023. \nO’Hanlon’s other books include “The Art of War in an Age of Peace: U.S. Grand Strategy and Resolute Restraint” (Yale\, 2021); “Defense 101: Understanding the Military of Today and Tomorrow” (Cornell\, 2021); “The Senkaku Paradox: Risking Great Power War over Limited Stakes” (Brookings\, 2019); “Beyond NATO: A New Security Architecture for Eastern Europe” (Brookings\, 2017); “The Future of Land Warfare” (Brookings\, 2015); and “Strategic Reassurance and Resolve: U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century” (with Jim Steinberg\, Princeton University Press\, 2014).  He edited “Brookings Big Ideas for America” (Brookings\, 2017). Previously\, he wrote “Crisis on the Korean Peninsula” (with Mike Mochizuki\, McGraw-Hill\, 2003); “Winning Ugly: NATO’s War to Save Kosovo” (with Ivo Daalder\, Brookings\, 2000); and about a dozen other books. \nO’Hanlon has written several hundred op-eds in major domestic and international newspapers. His articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs\, The National Interest\, Survival\, Washington Quarterly\, Joint Forces Quarterly\, and International Security\, among other publications. O’Hanlon has appeared on television or spoken on the radio more than 4\,000 times since September 11\, 2001. \nO’Hanlon was an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office from 1989-1994\, where he won the Director’s Award in 1992. He also worked previously at the Institute for Defense Analyses. His doctorate from Princeton is in public and international affairs\, where he was awarded a National Science Foundation fellowship. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees\, also from Princeton\, are in the physical sciences. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1982-84\, where he taught college and high school physics in French. Earlier\, he worked on a dairy farm in Upstate New York\, where he grew up\, and attempted (unsuccessfully) with a team of Princeton experimental physicists in the “Gravity Group” to disprove Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. \nAffiliations:\nColumbia University\, adjunct professor\nGeorge Washington University\, Elliott School of International Affairs\, professional lecturer\nGeorgetown University\, Center for Security Studies\, adjunct professor\nU.S. Department of Defense\, Defense Policy Board\, member \nClick here to register for this event now. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-war-in-ukraine-in-2025-and-beyond-tell-me-how-this-ends-with-michael-ohanlon/ LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States CATEGORIES:Special Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-30-at-1.05.07 PM.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241211T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241211T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T102727 CREATED:20240804T231019Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241211T185854Z UID:7846-1733916600-1733923800@wacreading.org SUMMARY:Don’t Give Up on Haiti- There is a Way Forward with Keith Mines DESCRIPTION:Keith Mines is vice president of the Latin America program at USIP. \nMines joined USIP after a career at the State Department\, where he was most recently director for Andean and Venezuelan affairs. In 32 years of diplomatic and military service\, he has worked on governance and institution building in Central America and Colombia; Middle East peace in Israel and the West Bank; post-conflict stabilization in Haiti\, Iraq and Afghanistan; global financial stability and the environment in Brazil; security sector reform in Hungary; famine relief and tribal reconciliation in Darfur and Somali; and creating a culture of lawfulness as the first director of the Merida Initiative in Mexico City. \nA frequent contributor to publications such as the Foreign Service Journal and Orbis\, Mines has written extensively on post-conflict stabilization\, peacebuilding and negotiations\, and the roots of civil conflict. His book\, “Why Nation Building Matters: Political Consolidation\, Building Security Forces\, and Economic Development in Failed and Fragile States\,” was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2020. Mines has a bachelor’s in history from Brigham Young University and a master’s in foreign service from Georgetown University. \nThis event is being held at the McGlinn Conference Center on December 11. \nClick here to register for this event now. URL:https://wacreading.org/event/dont-give-up-on-haiti-there-is-a-way-forward-with-keith-mines/ LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-04-at-7.04.26 PM.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR