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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220608T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220608T130000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
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SUMMARY:The Challenges of Our Newest Service: A Look at the US Space Force with Benjamin R. Ogden\, Colonel\, US Army
DESCRIPTION:COL Benjamin Ogden is the Space Operations and Education Officer at the U.S. Army War College. \nHe attended the United States Military Academy and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science. After completion of the Air Defense Artillery Basic Course\, COL Ogden was assigned to 1-44 ADA\, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood\, Texas\, where he served in a variety of Short Range Air Defense Artillery positions\, including Avenger Platoon Leader\, Linebacker Platoon Leader\, Battery Executive Officer and Battalion Adjutant. COL Ogden then went on to graduate from the Air Defense Artillery Officer Advanced Course before being assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team\, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson\, Colorado as an S3 Battle Captain. From there\, COL Ogden assumed command of Charlie Battery\, 1-44 ADA (Linebacker/Avenger) and deployed with the 4th Infantry Division to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon leaving battery command and redeploying\, COL Ogden served as a Plans Officer in the 1st German/Dutch Corps in Muenster\, Germany as a part of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps. \nAfter leaving Germany\, COL Ogden attended the Command and General Staff College before he was assigned to Headquarters\, Eighth United States Army in Yongsan\, South Korea as the G3\, Training Operations Branch Chief. He then was assigned to 1-44 AMD (Patriot/Avenger) based at Fort Hood\, Texas where he served as the Battalion Executive Officer. COL Ogden was then assigned to the 357th Air and Missile Defense Detachment in Kaiserslautern\, Germany\, first as the Brigade S3 and then as the Deputy Commanding Officer. From May 2011 until April of 2013\, COL Ogden served as the Chief of Staff for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC) in Kaiserslautern\, Germany. From there\, COL Ogden commanded 1-1 ADA (Patriot) – “Snake Eyes” – Battalion on Kadena Air Base in Okinawa from June 2013 until June 2015. Before attending the U.S. Army War College in 2016\, he deployed to Qatar for a year as the 32d AAMDC Operations Officer (FWD). Upon graduating the War College in 2017\, COL Ogden served three years as the Division Chief of the G37 (TREX) for U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) at Peterson Air Force Base\, Colorado. COL Ogden then returned to Carlisle Barracks and the U.S. Army War College to serve as the Space Operations Officer within the Center for Strategic Leadership in 2020. \nThis event is being held virtually on Wednesday\, June 8th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/space-force-with-benjamin-r-ogden-colonel-us-army/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220601T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220601T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20220411T215322Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220416T152118Z
UID:7167-1654084800-1654090200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Diversity in Israel with Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh
DESCRIPTION:Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh is the Jewish Agency’s first Druze emissary to the United States\, based in Washington D.C. Previously\, she was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Blue and White party\, making history as the first Druzewoman to become a Member of the Knesset. During her tenure\, she chaired the Caucus for Planning\, Zoning and Industrial Areas\, the Caucus for the Advancement of Druze Women and was a member of several committees. Kamal-Mreeh began working for the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation in 2011\, where she hosted a program in Arabic that focused on social and cultural issues concerning Arab youth in Israel. She was selected to host the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation’s daily newscast in Arabic\, and in 2017\, she began anchoring its main Hebrew Saturday evening newscast\, becoming the first non-Jewish anchorwoman in Israel to broadcast the evening news in Hebrew. \nKamal-Mreeh holds a degree with honors from Bar-Ilan University in Medical Imaging and Social Sciences and a master’s degree with honors in International Relations from Haifa University\, specializing in negotiations and international relations decision-making. She was born in the Druze village Daliyat al-Carmel. She is married to Shadi and has two children – Tom and Liam. \nThis event is being held virtually at 12:00 noon on Wednesday June 1\, 2022. \nClick here to register for this event now. \nCo-Sponsors; The Jewish Federation of Reading and The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/diversity-in-israel-with-gadeer-kamal-mreeh/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Gadeer_Kamal-Mreeh.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220511T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220511T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20220120T191724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220125T224942Z
UID:7080-1652270400-1652275800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Qatar: Its Emerging Role in the Middle East with James Garrett
DESCRIPTION:James Garrett is a 21 year old student at Penn State University. He will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and minor in history. He was one of nine students to receive a Student Leadership Mission scholarship from the Embassy of the State of Qatar. He traveled with the recipients in 2021 to Doha\, Qatar with World Affairs Councils of America president Bill Clifford. \nThe program began in March of 2020\, when James participated in an essay-and-video contest promoted by the World Affairs Councils of America to compose a policy memorandum on the relationship the United States shares with the State of Qatar and how such a relationship may be strengthened through bilateral cooperation. His writing\, along with that of another eight undergraduate students from across the United States\, was selected by a panel of judges as one of the winning submissions to the contest. \nApart from cooperation with the World Affairs Councils of America\, James has served a minor role in the local political sphere as a summer intern legislative aide under a representative in the Pennsylvania legislature. \nThis event is being held virtually at 12:00 noon on May 11th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/qatar-its-emerging-role-in-the-middle-east-with-james-garrett/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220505T111500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220505T130000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20220315T120033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220321T193141Z
UID:7123-1651749300-1651755600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Foreign Affairs Panel Discussions with U.S. Representatives Houlahan (D-PA-6) and Meuser (R-PA-9)
DESCRIPTION:We are excited to host a discussion on foreign affairs with United States Congressional Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Dan Meuser. The program will take place May 5\, 2022 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading. The program will start at Noon. Registration and lunch beginning at 11:15. It is a luncheon event with a panel discussion moderated by World Affairs Council of Greater Reading president Solomon Lausch. \nRepresentative Meuser represents the 9th Congressional District\, including most of western Berks County. Among his committee assignments\, he serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Representative Meuser is an American businessman. As a Republican\, he previously served as the secretary of commerce in the cabinet of Governor Tom Corbett. \nRepresentative Houlahan represents the 6th Congressional District\, including Reading and much of eastern Berks County. Among her committee assignments\, Representative Houlahan serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She is an Air Force veteran\, engineer\, entrepreneur and educator. She is a Democrat and the first woman to represent the 6th Congressional District. \nCost to attend is $40 for members\, $50 for non-members. \nREGISTRATION DEADLINE APRIL 25TH. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/foreign-affairs-panel-discussion-20220505/
LOCATION:DoubleTree by Hilton\, 701 Penn St.\, Reading\, 10601\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220420T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220420T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20220226T202838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220328T183742Z
UID:7120-1650456000-1650461400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:U.S. - China Competition with Richard Fontaine
DESCRIPTION:U.S\, China rivalry has emerged as a defining feature of today’s world\, with competition rising along with tension\, particularly as it related to Taiwan. Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine\, Beijing’s alignment with Moscow puts even greater stress on its relations with the United States. This talk will discuss the nature of U.S. – China competition today\, the global implications of it\, and where things may go from here. \nRichard Fontaine is the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He served as President of CNAS from 2012-19 and as Senior Fellow from 2009-12. Prior to CNAS\, he was foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and worked at the State Department\, the National Security Council\, and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. \nMr. Fontaine served as foreign policy advisor to the McCain 2008 presidential campaign and subsequently as the minority deputy staff director on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Prior to that\, he served as Associate Director for Near Eastern Affairs at the National Security Council (NSC) from 2003-04. He also worked on Southeast Asian issues in the NSC’s Asian Affairs directorate. \nAt the State Department\, Mr. Fontaine worked for the Deputy Secretary and in the department’s South Asia bureau. Mr. Fontaine began his foreign policy career as a staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee\, focusing on the Middle East and South Asia. He also spent a year teaching English in Japan. \nMr. Fontaine currently serves as Executive Director of the Trilateral Commission\, on the Defense Policy Board\, and as a Sine Institute Fellow at American University. He has been an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. \nA native of New Orleans\, Mr. Fontaine graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in International Relations from Tulane University. He also holds a M.A. in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington\, and he attended Oxford University. He lives in Virginia with his wife and their four children. \nThis event is being held virtually on Wednesday\, April 20th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-current-state-of-relations-between-china-and-taiwan-with-richard-fontaine/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Fontaine.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220413T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220413T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20220206T230430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220307T205322Z
UID:7100-1649851200-1649856600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Immigration Crisis in Europe: The Case of Spain with Laura López Calonge
DESCRIPTION:Laura López Calonge is a Visiting Instructor of Spanish at Albright College. \nLaura realized she loved languages even before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Philology at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid\, the city where she was born but left almost 10 years ago. She enhanced her education at other institutions in Spain (Universidad de Cantabria\, Universidad de Sevilla) and Europe (Charles University of Prague) and focused on Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language for her Master’s Degree. She is currently preparing her PhD thesis on Spanish Pragmatics and Conversation Analysis at the University of Valencia. She has taught for over five years in high schools in England and India\, as well as at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. She has worked in collaboration with the Cervantes Institute as an evaluator of Spanish-language proficiency for non-native speakers of Spanish and with the Embassy of Spain in Trinidad assisting in the organization of cultural events. She loves nature\, sports (India brought the practice of yoga to her)\, connecting with other cultures\, learning from them and trying to make this world a better place to live. \nThis event is being held virtually at 12:00 noon on April 13th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-immigration-crisis-in-europe-the-case-of-spain/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lopez.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220316T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220316T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20211129T153356Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220217T212137Z
UID:7031-1647432000-1647437400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Take Action: Fighting for Women & Girls with Stephenie Foster
DESCRIPTION:Stephenie Foster is the author of a well sourced and important workbook/toolkit\, Take Action: Fighting for Women and Girls covers the basics of activism and advocacy and gives the reader specific information about four issues related to girls\, women and gender equality. The power and importance of education\, expanding economic opportunities\, eliminating gender-based violence and participating in politics and public life. This book will help would-be activists start their work and stay focused and goal-oriented. \nStephenie Foster has deep and broad expertise in women’s economic and political empowerment\, with decades of experience on Capitol Hill\, in the Executive Branch\, the nonprofit sector\, and the law. She has been fighting for women and girls her entire career — empowering women in Afghan war zones\, monitoring elections in Ukraine\, representing the U.S. State Department in meetings with government and civil society leaders\, serving as a Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate. Having traveled\, lived\, or worked in over 100 countries\, she has consistently used her voice and actions to change discriminatory laws and policies and help shift cultural norms and inequalities. She is a founding partner of Smash Strategies\, which provides strategic advice to corporations\, institutions\, and philanthropists to ensure that their investments in women and girls are effective and transformational. \nThis event will be held virtually on March 16\, 2022 \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/take-action-fighting-for-women-girls-with-stephanie-foster/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/250521974_107559841726037_7256113697208162559_n.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220223T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220223T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20211208T212821Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211214T224425Z
UID:7038-1645617600-1645623000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:A Journey of Heart and Soul Across Spain with John Gallen
DESCRIPTION:  \nJohn Gallen will be talking about his recent trip to Spain and his pilgrimage on the Spanish Camino de Santiago. In 2018 and 2021\, he walked the Camino de Santiago from France across Northern Spain to the Atlantic Ocean.  On the Camino\, he discovered that when one walks 15-20 miles a day for several weeks\, one enters a state of mind few experience.  In Galicia\, he reached this summit of introspection\, spiritual rejuvenation\, and inner peace. \nJohn is the owner of Ethosource\, LLC\, a Reading based office furniture manufacturer and dealer\, and owner and President of Wyatt Seating\, an office seating manufacturer. \nGallen has served on the boards of the YMCA of Reading and Berks County\, Greater Reading Economic Partnership\, Caron Foundation and United Way of Berks County\, and served his community as a Wyomissing Borough councilperson for four years and Finance Committee chairperson for the past 13 years. He also currently serves on Alvernia’s President’s Advisory Council. \nGallen has been recognized by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance as a two-time Entrepreneur of the Year and has earned several awards for his community service by Safe Berks\, Easy Does It\, the Caron Foundation and the YMCA of Reading and Berks County. He attended Villanova University graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science degree in languages and linguistics. \nThis program will be held virtually at 12:00 noon on February 23rd. \nClick here to register for this event now. \n 
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/a-journey-of-heart-and-sole-across-spain-with-john-gallen/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220209T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220209T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20220125T152611Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220201T160018Z
UID:7091-1644408000-1644413400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Continued Diplomatic Standoff and a Looming Invasion with Maia Otarashvili
DESCRIPTION:Maia Otarashvili is a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Eurasia Program. Maia also serves as the Deputy Director of Research at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). She is co-editor of FPRI’s 2017 volume Does Democracy Matter? The United States and Global Democracy Support. Her research interests include geopolitics and security of the Black Sea-Caucasus region\, Russian foreign policy\, and the post-Soviet “frozen” conflicts of Abkhazia\, South Ossetia\, and Transnistria. Maia is a PhD candidate at the War Studies Department at King’s College\, London. She holds an M.A. in Globalization\, Development and Transition from the University of Westminster in London\, with emphasis on post-authoritarian transitions. \nThis meeting will be held virtually at noon on February 9th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/russia-and-the-ukraine-with-maia-otarashvili/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220126T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220126T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20220104T020858Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220106T204137Z
UID:7058-1643198400-1643203800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:'Vaccine Diplomacy': A New Source of Power in International Relations with Dr. Randall Newnham
DESCRIPTION:Dr.Randall Newnham is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Penn State Berks. His research focuses on the role of the economic aid and sanctions as foreign policy tools. Recent articles include Coalition of the Bribed and Bullied?  US Economic Linkage and the Iraq War Coalition and Nukes for Sale Cheap? Purchasing Peace with North Korea (both in International Studies Perspectives\, 2004 and 2008). He has a special interest in Germany\, Eastern Europe\, and the former Soviet Union. This is seen in his book\, Deutsche Mark Diplomacy: Positive Economic Sanctions in German-Russian Relations (PSU Press\, 2002)\, and several recent articles on German\, Polish\, and Russian foreign policy. Dr. Newnham teaches introductory courses in International Relations\, Comparative Politics\, and American Government. He also teaches advanced courses on “The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union” and International Political Economy as part of PSU Berks’ four-year Global Studies degree. \nEducation:\nPh.D.\, Political Science\, UCLA\, 1995\nM.A.\, Political Science\, UCLA\, 1990\nHonors B.A.\, Foreign Service and International Relations\, Penn State University\, 1988 \nPublications:\n“Oil\, Carrots\, and Sticks: Russia’s Energy Resources as a Foreign Policy Tool.” Journal of Eurasian Studies\, Vol. 2\, No. 2 (2011)\, 134-143.\n“Coalition of the Bribed and Bullied? U.S. Economic Linkage and the Iraq War Coalition.” International Studies Perspectives\, Vol. 9\, No. 2 (May 2008)\, 183-200. \nThis event is being held virtually at 12:00 noon on January 26\, 2022 \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/vaccine-diplomacy-a-new-source-of-power-in-international-relations-with-dr-randall-newnham/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Newnham2.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211208T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211208T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210901T142123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211130T195028Z
UID:6930-1638964800-1638970200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The WHO and Global Health Governance: Lessons from the Pandemic with Dr. Irene Langran
DESCRIPTION:Irene Langran is professor and chair of the Political Science Department at Albright College\, where she also directs the interdisciplinary programs in International Relations and Public Health. Her research interests include globalization\, global health\, and global governance. A passionate advocate of interdisciplinary studies\, Dr. Langran co-edited Globalization and Global Citizenship: Interdisciplinary Approaches (Routledge\, 2016). She has published in several academic journals\, including Journal of Asian and African Studies\, Asian Studies\, New Global Studies\, Canadian Journal of Political Science\, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences\, and Journal for Peace and Justice Studies. An innovative teacher dedicated to the promotion of civil and productive political conversations in the classroom\, Dr. Langran received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching at Albright College in 2016. \nDr. Langran received her doctorate from the University of Toronto\, specializing in the comparative politics of developing countries. The field research for her dissertation focused on health sector reform in the war-torn southern Philippine region of Mindanao. Before joining Albright’s faculty\, she worked with nongovernmental organizations in multiple countries—experiences she brings to her classroom today. \nTeaching in an Era of Political Discord\nDr. Langran is engaged actively in the effort to promote civil and productive political conversations in the classroom. Reflecting the polarization of our society\, these conversations can be challenging—yet understanding how to use them as a learning tool can help students gain lifelong skills. \nCourses Taught\nPOL 202\, Introduction to International Relations\nPOL 242\, Human Rights and Genocide\nPOL 273\, Globalization\nPOL 352\, International Law & Organizations\nSYN 330\, Global Health\nPOL 420\, International Development\nPOL/PUH 440\, Globalization\, Health and Environment \nThis virtual program is scheduled for 12:00 noon on December 8th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-who-and-global-health-governance-lessons-from-the-pandemic-with-dr-irene-langran/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IreneLangran150-e1560280051410.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211201T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211201T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210825T160743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211026T004402Z
UID:6924-1638360000-1638365400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Reflections on Afghanistan\, what might we learn and where might the US go? with Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann
DESCRIPTION:Currently\, Ronald Neumann is President\, American Academy of Diplomacy. Formerly a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State\, Ronald E. Neumann served three times as Ambassador; to Algeria\, Bahrain and finally to Afghanistan from July 2005 to April 2007. Before Afghanistan\, Mr. Neumann\, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service\, served in Baghdad from February 2004 with the Coalition Provisional Authority and then as Embassy Baghdad’s liaison with the Multinational Command\, where he was deeply involved in coordinating the political part of military actions. \nPrior to working in Iraq\, he was Ambassador in Manama\, Bahrain (2001-2004)\, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near East Affairs (1997-2000) with responsibility for North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula\, and Ambassador to Algeria (1994 to 1997). He was Director of the Office of Northern Gulf Affairs (Iran and Iraq; 1991 to 1994). Earlier in his career\, he was Deputy Chief of Mission in Abu Dhabi\, United Arab Emirates\, and in Sanaa in Yemen\, Principal Officer in Tabriz\, Iran and Economic/Commercial Officer in Dakar\, Senegal. His previous Washington assignments include service as Jordan Desk officer\, Staff Assistant in the Middle East (NEA) Bureau\, and Political Officer in the Office of Southern European Affairs. \nAmbassador Neumann is the author of a memoir\, Three Embassies\, Four Wars: a personal memoir (2017) and The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan (Potomac Press\, 2009)\, a book on his time in Afghanistan. He has returned to Afghanistan repeatedly and is the author of a number of monographs\, articles\, and editorials. His writings have focused most heavily on Afghanistan\, stabilization\, and Bahrain. At the Academy he has focused particularly on efforts to maintain adequate State and USAID budgets and staffing and upgrade professional formation to enable these institutions to carry out their responsibilities. Ambassador Neumann is on the Advisory Board of a non-profit girls’ school in Afghanistan\, the School of Leadership\, Afghanistan (SOLA) and the Advisory Board of Spirit of America. He is on the board of the Middle East Policy Council and the Advisory Council of the World Affairs Councils of America. \nAmbassador Neumann speaks some Arabic and Dari as well as French. He received State Department Superior Honor Awards in 1993 and 1990. He was an Army infantry officer in Viet Nam and holds a Bronze Star\, Army Commendation Medal and Combat Infantry Badge. In Baghdad\, he was awarded the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. He earned a B.A. in history and an M.A. in political science from the University of California at Riverside and is a graduate of the National War College. He is married to the former M. Elaine Grimm. They have two children. \nThis virtual program is scheduled for 12:00 noon on December 1st. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/afghanistan-with-ambassador-ronald-e-neumann/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Ronald-Neumann-min-681x1024-1-e1638133620158.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211117T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211117T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210806T143852Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211018T201525Z
UID:6890-1637150400-1637155800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Cyber Security as an instrument of National Power - a perspective from the US Naval Academy with Captain Paul Tortora\, USN (ret)
DESCRIPTION:Captain Paul Tortora\, USN (ret)\, is the Director of the Center for Cyber Security Studies and was the first Chair of the new Cyber Science Department at the United States Naval Academy.  Paul recently retired from the Navy following a 26-year active duty career as both a Nuclear Submarine Officer and a Naval Intelligence Officer.  During his active service he served and deployed on two nuclear fast attack submarines\, two amphibious assault ships\, and a nuclear aircraft carrier\, conducting peacetime and combat operations across the globe.  His ashore assignments included Director of Training at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center\, on the staff of the Director of Naval Intelligence\, as the Intelligence Officer and Naval Aide to the Secretary of the Navy\, and on the staff of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.  Paul is a 1989 graduate of the Naval Academy\, where he majored in Mathematics\, minoring in Spanish.  He holds a Masters of Science in Management from the University of Maryland\, and a Masters of Arts in National Security Strategy from the Naval War College.  His personal awards include the Legion of Merit\, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal\, and the Meritorious Service Medal.  He is a recipient of both the National Military Intelligence Association’s Vice Admiral Rufus Taylor Award for Intelligence Leadership and the Rear Admiral Edwin T. Layton Award for outstanding leadership in Naval Intelligence. \nThis virtual program is scheduled for 12:00 noon on November 17th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/cyber-security-with-captain-paul-tortora-usn-ret/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Tortora.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211103T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211103T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20211013T203310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211014T135816Z
UID:6970-1635940800-1635946200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Antisemitism\, White Nationalism and Racism in the World Today with Eric K. Ward
DESCRIPTION:Eric K. Ward\, a nationally-recognized expert on the relationship between authoritarian movements\, hate violence\, and preserving inclusive democracy\, is the recipient of the 2021 Civil Courage Prize – the first American in the award’s 21-year history. In his 30+ year civil rights career\, Eric has worked with community groups\, government and business leaders\, human rights advocates\, and philanthropy as an organizer\, director\, program officer\, consultant\, and board member. Eric’s widely quoted writings and speeches are credited with key narrative shifts. He currently serves as Executive Director of Western States Center\, Senior Fellow with Southern Poverty Law Center and Race Forward\, and Co-Chair for The Proteus Fund.  \nThis virtual presentation will take place at 12:00 noon on November 3rd. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/antisemitism-white-nationalism-and-racism-in-america-today-with-eric-k-ward/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/eric-ward-16-scaled-e1634217174653.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211027T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211027T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210921T204047Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210930T123159Z
UID:6957-1635336000-1635341400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:What Went Wrong in Afghanistan with Dr. Larry Goodson
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Larry P. Goodson will discuss “What went wrong in Afghanistan” at WAC’s Wednesday\, Oct. 27\, virtual program\, beginning at noon. \nDr. Goodson is Professor of Middle East Studies at the U.S. Army War College\, where he is the only person to hold the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Chair of National Security twice (2014-2017\, 2004-2007) and served as the inaugural Faculty Council Chair (2012-2014). In 2019 he was on sabbatical from the War College as a Visiting Fellow in the Changing Character of War Center\, Pembroke College\, Oxford University. Since joining the U.S. government in 2002\, Dr. Goodson has been continually called upon to serve as a regional advisor on Afghanistan\, Pakistan and the Middle East by senior U.S. military and political leaders. \nAmong his other academic appointments\, Dr. Goodson taught at the American University in Cairo (1994-2000) and conducted his dissertation field work in Peshawar\, Pakistan (1986-1987). Dr. Goodson completed all his academic work at the University of North Carolina. He is the author of The New York Times bestselling “Afghanistan’s Endless War: State Failure\, Regional Politics\, and the Rise of the Taliban” (2001) as well as numerous chapters and articles. Currently\, he is writing “The First Great War of the 21st Century: From Syria to the South China Sea\,” which argues that a war between China\, Russia and the United States is underway and that Syria is one of the most significant theaters in the early stages of that war. \nDr. Goodson has lived in Egypt\, Pakistan and Afghanistan and traveled extensively in the Middle East and South Asia\, including India\, the Gulf countries\, North Africa\, Israel\, Jordan\, Lebanon\, Syria\, Turkey and Cyprus. He has lectured on Afghanistan\, Pakistan\, Islam and the Middle East to audiences at more than 100 universities\, schools and organizations and has been interviewed more than 1\,200 times on those subjects since September 11\, 2001. \nThis event will be held virtually at noon on October 27th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/what-went-wrong-in-afghanistan/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Goodson-2019-Albania-2-e1633004998218.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211005T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211005T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210905T190840Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210907T130228Z
UID:6936-1633435200-1633440600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Unexpected Spy with Tracy Walder
DESCRIPTION:Tracy Walder is a former CIA officer and FBI special agent. \nTracy worked as Staff Operations Officer (SOO) at the Central Intelligence Agency’s Counterterrorism Center Weapons of Mass Destruction Group. During her time at the CIA\, Tracy traveled to Afghanistan\, Jordan\, Uzbekistan\, Algeria\, Morocco\, Denmark\, Sweden\, Italy\, and England. During this time Tracy received many awards for her service from both the CIA and from foreign intelligence offices as well. Among her awards were four Exceptional Performance Awards from the Director of the CIA\, two Special Activity Awards\, a Meritorious Unit Citation Award\, a DCI Counterterrorism Center Medal\, and two Operation Enduring Freedom Targeting Awards. After the CIA\, Tracy became a Special Agent at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations. Tracy has done a TED talk and is a sought after public speaker through the World Affairs Council. \nThis virtual program is scheduled for 12:00 noon on October 5th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-unexpected-spy-with-tracy-walder/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WebCover_Walder-by-Kent-Baker-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210929T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210929T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210809T133539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210819T123542Z
UID:6898-1632916800-1632922200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:New Wine for New Wineskins: The Way Forward for Caribbean Tourism in the Post-pandemic Era with Dr. Pauline Milwood
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Milwood is a 2011 Fulbright scholar and graduate of Temple University’s School of Tourism & Hospitality Management. She received her B.Sc. (Hotel Management) and Executive MBA (General Management) degrees from The University of the West Indies at Mona\, Jamaica\, and has twenty-five years managerial experience in Jamaica’s hospitality sector. \nHer research focuses on systems perspectives of entrepreneurship and innovation\, social innovation performance\, and destination management organizations (DMOs) in tourism destination networks. She has presented at several international conferences\, and is the recipient of the 2014 Best Paper Award for the Advances in Destination Management Conference in St. Gallen\, Switzerland. Dr. Milwood serves as reviewer for the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management\, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management\, International Journal of Hospitality Management\, and the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. \nIn collaboration with her colleagues at Temple University\, York University\, and The University of the West Indies\, Dr. Milwood has published in peer-reviewed journals on subject areas which include the role of DMOs in the orchestration of innovation networks; entrepreneurial ecosystems in tourism; and social innovation and sustainability performance among hospitality and tourism MSMEs in the Caribbean. \nAt Penn State Berks\, Dr. Milwood teaches Hospitality-focused courses in Entrepreneurship and Innovation\, Operations Management\, Strategic Management\, and multi-level courses in Food Production and Service Management. \nDr. Milwood serves on Penn State Berks’ Diversity\, Equity\, and Inclusion Committee. \nThis virtual program is scheduled for 12:00 noon on September 29th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/wine-for-new-wineskins-the-way-forward-for-caribbean-tourism-in-the-post-pandemic-era-with-dr-pauline-milwood/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Pauline-Milwood-Headshot-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210915T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210915T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210721T191159Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210819T235439Z
UID:6868-1631707200-1631712600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order with Dr. Thomas Wright
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Thomas Wright is the director of the Center on the United States and Europe and a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. He is also a contributing writer for The Atlantic and a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. He is the author of “All Measures Short of War: The Contest For the 21st Century and the Future of American Power” which was published by Yale University Press in May 2017. His second book\, “Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order\,” will be published by St Martin’s Press in 2021. Wright also works on U.S. foreign policy\, great power competition\, the European Union\, Brexit\, and economic interdependence. \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. He was previously executive director of studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Harris School for Public Policy. \nThis virtual program is scheduled for 12:00 noon on September 15th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/aftershocks-pandemic-politics-and-the-end-of-the-old-international-order-with-thomas-wright/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Wright.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210818T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210818T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210614T210453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210629T192234Z
UID:6837-1629288000-1629293400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Perspectives on the Upcoming German Election with Ron Granieri
DESCRIPTION:Ron Granieri is an FPRI Templeton Fellow\, the Executive Director of FPRI’s Center for the Study of America and the West\, Editor of the Center’s E-publication The American Review of Books\, Blogs\, and Bull\, and Host of Geopolitics with Granieri\, a monthly series of events for FPRI Members.  He is a specialist in Contemporary German and International History with degrees from both Harvard and the University of Chicago. He is the recipient of a Federal Chancellor Scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and is a member in the American Council on Germany’s Young Leader Program. He has taught at the University of Pennsylvania\, Temple University\, Syracuse University\, Furman University\, and the University of Tubingen. He is the author of The Ambivalent Alliance: Konrad Adenauer\, the CDU/CSU\, and the West\, 1949-1966 (Oxford and New York: Berghahn Books\, 2003)\, and is currently completing a book entitled: The Fall and Rise of German Christian Democracy\, From Detente to Reunification\, for Oxford University Press. \nThis virtual event is scheduled for Noon on Wednesday\, August 18th \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/perspectives-on-the-upcoming-german-election-with-ron-granieri/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ronald_granieri-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210721T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210721T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210614T205906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210713T182924Z
UID:6834-1626868800-1626874200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Lebanon: A Nation in Crisis and the Family That Lives Through It with Jayson Casper
DESCRIPTION:Jayson Casper is the Middle East correspondent for Christianity Today\, resident since 2019 with his family of six in Beirut\, Lebanon. Prior to that he reported from Cairo\, Egypt since 2011\, and has lived additionally in Jordan\, Tunisia\, and Mauritania. He is seconded through IDEAS\, an organization connecting skilled Christian professionals with educational and development opportunities throughout the world. Competent in Arabic and with a degree in Islamic Studies\, Jayson reports at the intersection of religion\, politics\, and culture\, thankful for his role in bringing understanding between misunderstood peoples. \nChristianity Today is the leading evangelical publication in the US. Reaching 4.5 million readers every month)—30% international—it serves both the American and global church community with thoughtful journalism in support of its vision for “beautiful orthodoxy.” Founded by Billy Graham in 1956\, its award-winning coverage of contested issues highlights the best of evangelical perspective\, with faithfulness to the gospel message of Jesus Christ. \nThis virtual program is scheduled for 12:00 noon of July 21st. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/reflections-on-living-in-the-middle-east-with-jayson-casper/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Jayson-Casper-e1624993604276.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210715T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210715T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210617T224634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210617T224803Z
UID:6841-1626375600-1626379200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:WAC Trivia Live
DESCRIPTION:Join us again on July 15th for WAC Trivia Live! \nConnection details at wacreading.com/trivia.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/wac-trivia-live/
LOCATION:McGlinn Conference Center\, 460 Saint Bernardine Street\, Reading\, PA\, 19607\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/WAC-Video-Title-Cards.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210714T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210714T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210508T193522Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210601T135715Z
UID:6792-1626264000-1626269400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Emerging Great Power Competition in the Arctic with Rebecca Pincus
DESCRIPTION:Rebecca Pincus is Assistant Professor in the Strategic and Operational Research Department (SORD) in the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the US Naval War College\, and a member of the Institute for Future Warfare Studies within SORD. She previously served as primary investigator (PI) at the US Coast Guard’s Center for Arctic Study and Policy\, located at the US Coast Guard Academy. \nThis event starts at 12:00 noon on Wednesday\, July 14th \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/great-power-competition-in-the-arctic-sea-lanes-with-rebecca-pincus/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PincusRebecca-e1624993587619.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210622T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210622T093000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20200120T204023Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210628T114926Z
UID:5887-1624350600-1624354200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Ukraine:  A Personal Perspective with Dr. Timothy Medianick
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Timothy Medianick\, Boulevard Dental Associates\, Kenhorst\, is a native of Ukraine. One of 10 children\, his family immigrated to the United States when he was 13. A naturalized U.S. citizen\, Dr. Medianick is a graduate of Messiah College and the Temple University of School of Dentistry. \nDr. Medianick has returned to Ukraine twice in recent years to perform much needed dental services. A planned trip in May 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic. He has treated soldiers in a dangerous area of conflict in the eastern border of Ukraine. In May 2019\, he provided dental services to 80 children at the Mykhaylivka Orphanage in the Cherkasy region of central Ukraine. \nDr. Medianick will share his perspective on the current political\, social and economic conditions in Ukraine today. He will relate compelling\, human stories about treating the soldiers and the children in the orphanage. \nDr. Medianick and his wife Ann (a native of Berks County) are the proud parents of three children. They devote much of their personal time to their church and he enjoys road biking\, exercise\, and travel. \nThis event starts at 8:30 A.M. on Tuesday\, June 22nd \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/ukraine-a-personal-perspective-with-dr-timothy-medianick/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Breakfast Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Blvd-Dental-HiRes-19-scaled-e1579553725814.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210609T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210609T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210426T212420Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210426T235304Z
UID:6783-1623240000-1623245400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Dollars for Scholars
DESCRIPTION:Since the inception of the Alan Miller Scholarship Program\, nine Berks County High School graduates have been awarded scholarships to help them pursue further studies in International Relations\, Political Science\, Public Administration\, or related global studies.  The broadcast discussion will provide an update on the scholarship program\, feature interviews with previous student recipients\, and introduce 2021 grant recipients.   In addition\, members of the Scholarship Committee who have been instrumental in planning\, guiding\, and directing the awards program\, will join in. \nThe Alan Miller Scholarship program was established in his memory.  Alan was a longtime\, active member of the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading and a former solicitor for Berks County.  The scholarship fund financial support is provided by generous donations and the popular Pub Global Trivia program. \nA comment from one of the recipients\, provides a meaningful reflection of her experience.  “I am honored to have been awarded the World Affairs Council Scholarship to pursue my studies of International Affairs.  Thank you to the World Affairs Council for providing me with the support to achieve my goals.” \nPlan on joining us on June 9 to hear more about “Dollars for Scholars.” \nClick here to join live at Noon on May 9th \nNo registration required.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/dollars-for-scholars/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210519T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210519T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210317T143715Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210320T123953Z
UID:6736-1621425600-1621431000@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:From Trump to Biden: Navigating Isolationist and Internationalist Traditions in U.S. Statecraft with Dr. Charles Kupchan
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Kupchan will discuss the potential course of U.S. foreign policy after four years of the Trump Administration’s America First approach. Drawing on both U.S. history and an assessment of the emerging geopolitical landscape\, he will discuss what aspects of Trump’s statecraft President Biden should reject\, what aspects he should retain\, and how the Biden Administration can best go about meeting the many strategic challenges now facing the United States. \nCharles Kupchan is Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University. From 2014 to 2017\, he served as Special Assistant to the President on the National Security Council in the Obama White House. He also served on the NSC during the Clinton Administration. Dr. Kupchan’s most recent book\, Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World\, was published in 2020. He received his BA from Harvard University and MPhil and DPhil from Oxford University. \nThis event starts at 12:00 P.M. on Wednesday May 19th \nClick here to register for this event now. \nThe public is invited to watch the meeting via Facebook Live. The link will be posted one week prior to the event.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/from-trump-to-biden-navigating-isolationist-and-internationalist-traditions-in-u-s-statecraft-with-dr-charles-kupchan/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Unknown.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210512T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210512T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20200616T213400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210411T150239Z
UID:6296-1620820800-1620826200@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Arab/Israel Relations with Joseph Braude
DESCRIPTION:Joseph Braude\, founder and president of the Center for Peace Communications\, studied Near Eastern Languages at Yale and Arabic and Islamic history at Princeton. He is fluent in Arabic\, Hebrew\, and Persian. Over the past 20 years\, he has lived and worked in North Africa\, the Levant\, the Gulf states\, and Iran. His most recent book is Reclamation: A Cultural Policy for Arab-Israeli Partnership (Washington Institute for Near East Policy\, 2019). \nIn the United States\, his articles have appeared in The New York Times\, The Wall Street Journal\, The Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine\, The Atlantic\, The American Interest\, Foreign Policy\, Glamour\, Tablet\, BookForum\, The Fix\, and Men’s Health\, among other publications. In the Arab world\, his articles have appeared in Al-Ittihad\, Al-Majalla\, Asharq Alawsat\, Al-Arabiya\, and Al-Ahdath al-Maghrebiya\, among other publications. Joseph Braude also writes a weekly column in the pan-Arab magazine Majalla. \nOn the airwaves\, Joseph Braude has contributed to Public Radio International’s America Abroad. He is a periodic commentator on NPR and PRI news programs\, and the host of Eye on Arabia\, a podcast in English. Since July 2010\, his weekly commentary in Arabic\, “Risalat New York” (“Letter from New York”)\, has aired nationally in Morocco on MED Radio. It is now available as a podcast. He makes guest appearances on leading pan-Arab TV networks\, including Al-Arabiya and Rusya al-Yawm. \nAs Advisor to the Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Center in Dubai\, Braude contributes research to its Arabic-language publications\, and participates in a variety of strategic initiatives. As Strategic Advisor to America Abroad Media in Washington\, he assists in content development and special projects in the Middle East and North Africa. He is Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute\, and a contributing editor at Tablet magazine. \nHe has served as a consulting advisor to non-profit organizations\, the U.S. government\, and the private sector in the realms of Arab civil society engagement\, strategic communications\, and counterterrorism. \nBraude’s most recent book\, Reclamation\, is the latest among four. \nThis event is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Reading. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, May 12th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/arab-israel-relations-with-joseph-braude-2/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Braude.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210428T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210428T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210128T180142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210130T171248Z
UID:6695-1619611200-1619616600@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:The Importance of Advancing Women\, Peace and Security in Qatar with Melissa Deehring
DESCRIPTION:Melissa Deehring is a licensed attorney in the State of California and works as a Clinical Assistant Professor and the founding director/creator of the Externship Program at Qatar University College of Law in Doha\, Qatar. Since 2011\, Melissa has negotiated agreements with more than 115 legal employers in Doha\, developed clinical curricula\, and taught legal skills\, ethics and advocacy classes to more than 1000 QU law students. \nDuring her years as Director of the College of Law’s Externship Program\, student participation per semester increased by 850%\, the number of jobs offered per semester increased by more than 800% and employer participation per semester increased by almost 400%. In addition\, her class became the “Capstone” graduation requirement for all graduating senior law students. \nSince stepping down as Director\, Melissa has focused on developing new clinical courses and advocacy efforts advancing SDGs 5 & 16 and the global Women\, Peace and Security agenda (WPS) in Qatar. One of Melissa’s newest courses\, “Justice\, Equality & Leadership in Law”\, was QU Law’s first full-semester course dedicated to teaching concepts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Education 4 Justice (E4J) Integrity & Ethics Modules to address core integrity issues such as ethical leadership\, strategies for ethical actions\, corruption and human rights\, and gender diversity. \nMelissa’s research focuses on how culture affects local legal professions\, legal education\, professional responsibility notions\, and women’s ability to join the bar and bench. Her most recent paper\, The Emerging Legal Profession in Qatar: Diversity Realities and Challenges\, published with the International Journal of the Legal Profession\, focuses on gender diversity in the Qatari legal community. Her forthcoming paper\, The News Media: A Catalyst for Women\, Peace and Security in Qatar\, an extension of her presentation at Qatar University’s Law and Media Conference\, argues that a Qatari National Action Plan and framework for WPS\, that significantly incorporates and utilizes local media\, is needed. As for research funding\, to date\, Melissa has been a joint author and key member of research teams that have won three significant research grants from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and secured almost $3\,000\,000 in external research funding. \nPersonally\, Melissa is an active community volunteer and advocate for WPS. As one of her College’s first female faculty members\, Melissa has been a prominent voice encouraging women to join and lead in Qatar’s legal profession. She organized and hosted Qatar’s first Women in Law Conference on March 22\, 2018 and won her College’s Excellence in Community Service Award in August 2018. Melissa was awarded a NIFTEP (National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism) fellowship during December 2018 and has volunteered with the UNODC\, THIMUN Qatar\, and researchers at the University of Oxford. In 2019\, Melissa was awarded two consultancies with the UNODC and named an ‘Education for Justice (E4J) Champion’. She has presented conference papers and taught seminars to advance SDGs 5\, 16 & WPS in Qatar\, the United States\, the UK\, Russia\, Indonesia\, and China. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, April 28th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/the-importance-of-advancing-women-peace-and-security-in-qatar-with-melissa-deehring/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Unknown.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210421T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210421T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20200616T213037Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210415T154915Z
UID:6294-1619006400-1619011800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Did the Cold War Ever End?: The Current State of U.S.-Russian Relations with William Pomeranz
DESCRIPTION:William Pomeranz is the Deputy Director of the Kennan Institute\, a part of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars located in Washington\, D.C.  He also has taught Russian law at the Center for Eurasian\, Russian\, and East European Studies (CERES)\, Georgetown University.  He hold a B.A. from Haverford College\, a M.Sc. from the University of Edinburgh\, a J.D. cum laude from American University\, and a Ph.D. in Russian History from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies\, University of London. \nPrior to joining the Kennan Institute\, Dr. Pomeranz practiced international law in the United States and Moscow\, Russia.  He advised clients on investment in the Russian Federation as well as on U.S. anti-money laundering requirements\, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)\, and various U.S. sanctions programs.  His research interests include Russian legal history as well current Russian commercial and constitutional law. His academic articles have been published in the Russian Review\, Slavonic and East European Review\, Kritika\, Review of Central and East European Law\, Demokratizatsiya\, and Problems of Post-Communism. He also has provided commentary and conducted numerous press interviews with CNN\, NPR\, C-SPAN\, Reuters\, VOA\, Bloomberg\, and other media outlets. \nThis event is made possible by the Kennan Conversation series from the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute. The Kennan Conversations take the Institute’s experts on Russia and the region to meet with and engage local audiences across the United States who are fascinated by what they read and hear in the news\, but often do not have the opportunity to hear directly from leading experts. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, April 21st. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/russia-with-william-pomeranz-2/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/william_pomeranz-e1600347235687.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210331T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210331T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20210117T165836Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210324T191409Z
UID:6667-1617192000-1617197400@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Does Africa Matter to the United States with Ambassador Charles Ray
DESCRIPTION:Ambassador Ray is member of the Board of Trustees at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of Zimbabwe. In addition\, he was the first U.S. Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City\, Vietnam\, opening the Consulate General there in 1998. \nPrior to this\, Ray joined the United States Army. in 1962 and retired 20 years later with the rank of major. During his time with the Army\, he served in Vietnam (1968–1969\, 1972–1973)\, Germany\, Okinawa\, and South Korea. In the course of his 20-year Army career\, he earned two Bronze Stars and an Armed Forces Humanitarian Service Metal. \nHe has written over 100 books of fiction and nonfiction. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, March 31st. \nClick here to register for this event now. \nThe public is invited to watch the meeting via Facebook Live.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/does-afria-matter-to-the-united-states-with-ambassador-charles-ray/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/7cb08800-7f45-4cf8-84cc-b6411735b313.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20210317T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20210317T133000
DTSTAMP:20260423T213450
CREATED:20200522T003328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210128T203942Z
UID:6235-1615982400-1615987800@wacreading.org
SUMMARY:Role of U.S. Diplomats with Nick Kralev
DESCRIPTION:Nicholas Kralev is an author\, journalist and entrepreneur specializing in diplomacy and international affairs\, whose work of more than 20 years has taken him to almost 100 countries. \nHe is the executive director of the Washington International Diplomatic Academy\, an independent organization that provides practical professional training in diplomacy and international affairs. \nA former Financial Times and Washington Times correspondent\, he witnessed firsthand the conduct of American diplomacy while accompanying U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton\, Condoleezza Rice\, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright on their travels around the world. He is also the host and executive producer of the TV series on diplomacy Conversations with Nicholas Kralev. \nHe is the author of America’s Other Army\, Diplomats in the Trenches and Decoding Air Travel. His work has been published in The New York Times\, The Atlantic\, Foreign Policy Magazine and The Huffington Post\, and has appeared on NPR\, CNN\, BBC\, Fox News\, C-SPAN and local stations across the United States and around the world. \nHe holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and speaks five languages. \nThis event starts at 12:00 PM on Wednesday\, March 17th. \nClick here to register for this event now.
URL:https://wacreading.org/event/role-of-u-s-diplomates-with-nick-kralev/
LOCATION:Virtual Event\, PA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Luncheon Meeting
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacreading.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Screen-Shot-2020-05-21-at-8.47.09-PM-e1600347250936.png
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END:VCALENDAR