CCWA EVENTS & NEWS

Upcoming Signature Luncheon 

June 5th, 2012

"China's Mounting Water-Energy Crisis and Its Global Implications"

Dr. Christine Boyle

Research Fellow, University of North Carolina's School of Government and the Academy of Science in Beijing 

11:30am Check-in/Networking, 12:00-1:00pm Lecture/luncheon

WOSU@COSI--333 West Broad Street

Sponsored by: Squire Sanders

For more information and to register, click here.

GlobalColumbus

At the March 15th International Awards Ceremony, CCWA unveiled The Global REport as one piece of a larger GlobalColumbus initiative. The Global Report catalogs Columbus' global assets from languages spoken in area schools to international companies that employ local citizens. The full report and associated materials can be found at globalcolumbus.org. A constantly updating calendar of global events in Columbus is also available at the GlobalColumbus website.

Great Decisions is a grassroots educational program  designed to engage citizens in the foreign policy decision-making process. Discussion groups  meet to share their thoughts and ask questions after reading informed essays on 8 key foreign policy topics contained in a Briefing Book. The articles are not overly intellectual or theoretical but provide the necessary background for a stimulating conversation. 2012 topics are: Middle East realignment, Promoting democracy, Mexico, Cybersecurity, Exit from Afghanistan and Iraq, State of the oceans, Indonesia, and Energy geopolitics.

Each Briefing Book contains ballots for group members to record their opinions on key policy questions. These opinions are gathered, published, and presented to leaders at the Department of State and Department of Defense, as well as to major think tanks and media outlets.

Great Decisions is adaptable to any group--affinity groups, students, retirees, community groups, and friends. For more information as to how to start your own group, contact Shannon McAfee at smcafee@columbusworldaffairs.org. 

You are also invited to join the CCWA Great Decisions discussion group on Friday, May 18th at 7:00pm as we take on the topic "Exit from Afghanistan and Iraq: right time, right pace?" We will meet at the Global Gallery Coffee Shop at 3535 North High Street. Contact Shannon McAfee with questions or to purchase a Great Decisions Briefing Book.

CCWA membership

Don't forget to renew your CCWA membership by June 1st. You can do so online by following this link. Contact Rhonda Nicholas at rnicholas@columbusworldaffairs.org with any questions.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Global Cities Webcast

On May 9, the Metropolitan Policy program at Brookings and JPMorgan Chase will host a live webcast of "Going Global: Boosting Ohio's Economic Future," the second in a series of domestic and international forums being convened this year by the Global Cities Initiative. The forum will explore how metropolitan-led economic growth, including global trade and investment, are important for job creation and how Ohio can leverage its position in the global market. Visit here for more information and to register for the live webcast from 8:30am-2:00pm. 

The Island President

On Saturday, May 19th at 7:00pm and Sunday, May 20th at 2:00pm, the Wexner Center for the Arts will hold special screenings of the film "The Island President." In 2008, Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, a nation composed of 1,200 tiny islands in the Indian Ocean, after being imprisoned and tortured under the regime of longtime dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Upon taking office, Nasheed was faced with the fact that much of his country was disappearing into the sea because of global warming. "The Island President" depicts the charismatic Nasheed's transformation into one of the world's most active and outspoken activists against global warming and its numerous causes. More information is available here.

CALL TO ACTION

According to a recent Hart Research Associates Study of the high school graduating class of 2010:

• 44% say they wish they had taken different courses in high school
• 40% would have taken more or higher level math courses
• 37% would have taken courses that trained them for a specific job
• 33% would have taken more or higher level science courses

Sign the World Affairs Councils of America's petition and support WACA's commitment to leverage its resources to have an even greater impact in preparing our students to become the leaders and problem-solvers of tomorrow.