SCWA 2022-2023
WELCOME BACK!
SCWA SEPTEMBER PROGRAM
Thursday, September 15
Ambassador (ret.) Douglas A. Silliman
Retired U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Kuwait and President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
“The United States, Joe Biden, and the Changing Landscape of the Middle East”
When President Biden took office, his foreign policy prioritized reestablishing America’s traditional alliances in Europe and Asia, dealing with the challenge of a rising China, and watching an unpredictable Russia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine created global energy price spikes in food and energy, and strained U.S. relations with traditional partners in the Middle East. What did President Biden accomplish on his July trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, and what more needs to be done?
Ambassador Douglas A. Silliman is currently President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW). He previously served as United States Ambassador to Iraq from 2016 to 2019 and U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait from 2014 to 2016. From 2013 to 2014, Ambassador Silliman served as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the U.S. Department of State, working on Iraq issues and the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Ambassador Silliman was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq from 2012 to 2013, Minister Counselor for Political Affairs in Baghdad from 2011 to 2012, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Ankara, Turkey from 2008 to 2011. He joined the Department of State in 1984 and was a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. He retired from the Foreign Service in April 2019 after 35 years.
Ambassador Silliman served as Director and Deputy Director of the Department of State’s Office of Southern European Affairs, as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, and as the Regional Officer for the Middle East in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Additionally, he served in many State Department positions focused on the Middle East.
In 2018, Ambassador Silliman received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award from President Donald J. Trump. He has received numerous awards from the Department of State, including the Secretary’s Award for Public Outreach in 2007 and senior performance awards.
Ambassador Silliman received a Bachelor of Arts in political science, Summa Cum Laude, from Baylor University in Texas, where he was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a Master of Arts in international relations from the George Washington University.
In addition to his position as president of AGSIW, Ambassador Silliman also serves on the board of advisors of the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, which helps American businesses expand their international business and trade ties, especially in the Middle East and Gulf region. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy.
In case you missed it, our September program is now available on the
SCWA YouTube channel!.
Our next program is Thursday, October 13
Chris Giorgianni,
JCB Vice President for Government and Defense, Product & Marketing
“The Importance of Savannah in World Trade: One American’s Perspective Working for an International Company in the Coastal Empire”
Watch past SCWA Programs…Subscribe to the SCWA YouTube Channel!
Members, Sponsors, and Partners are the lifeblood of the Savannah Council on World Affairs
SCWA 2022-2023 Platinum Sponsor
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SCWA appreciates our September In-Kind Sponsor
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US World Affairs Councils are offering our Members Real-time Analysis through Free & Fee Webinars
Members can stay engaged & participate in various FREE & FEE Virtual Webinars offered by US World Affairs Councils. Both FREE & FEE Virtual Opportunities are listed below and updated weekly simply follow the links to register.
All programs below are accessible online unless otherwise indicated.
FEATURED PROGRAMS ~
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Mark your calendars for WACA’s 2022 National Conference
November 15-18 at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. WACA’s signature annual event will explore new ideas, voices, and challenges transforming the foreign policy and international business landscape.
- Tuesday, November 15: WACA Board Meeting and 1918 Society Dinner
- Wednesday, November 16: Leadership Day Workshops and Keynote Awards Dinner
- Thursday/Friday, November 17-18: Keynote Speakers, Panels, and Exclusive Offsite Sessions
REGISTER NOW!
WACA Embassy Row Live!
Rescheduled: Tuesday, Oct. 4 ~ 2:00-3:00 PM ET
Her excellency, Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S., discusses the Russian-Ukraine conflict; their accession into NATO; Swedish-U.S. trade relations; workforce development; green innovation, and more. The conversation and Q&A session are open to our audience of Council members across the U.S., international partners, and the public at large. WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford will moderate the program.
Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter has been serving as the Ambassador of Sweden to the United States since 2017, being the first female to take up this posting. Ambassador Olofsdotter has long been a strong advocate for Swedish trade and diplomatic relations with the United States. Trade and economic growth remain top priorities for the Ambassador, along with defense cooperation, public diplomacy, and strong collaboration with the international community.
REGISTER NOW!
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS ~
Free & Fee ~ Click to Register
Monday 9/26
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston hosts David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, and New York Times, bestselling author of How to Lead: The American Experiment and The American Story, for “Luncheon – David Rubenstein: How to Invest” (Hybrid)
World Affairs Council of Austin hosts a panel of experts, for “Kozmetsky Center of Excellence: World Order Challenges, Transition, Collapse? Western & Global Perspectives on Conflict in Ukraine” (Virtual)
Tuesday 9/27
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts Peter Baker, Chief White House Correspondent for the New York Times, and Susan Glasser, Staff Writer at the New Yorker, for “The Divider: Trump in the White House” (In Person)
Cleveland Council on World Affairs hosts Michael McKinley, four-time U.S. Ambassador, and Senior Adviser in the Americas Program at CSIS, for “Can the U.S. Reset the Agenda with Latin America?” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of Rochester hosts Dr. Ivana Stradner, Visiting Research Fellow at American Enterprise Institute, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Veteran Journalist, for “The Mind of Vladimir Putin: How He Wages War” (In Person)
Global Minnesota hosts Marc Polymeropoulos and Patrick Weninger, Retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service, for “Ukraine, Russia & Leadership from the Shadows” (In Person)
World Affairs (Northern California) hosts Peter Bartu, Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley, for “Marin – The Gulf States: Prospects and Problems” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of the Quad Cities hosts Julie Kettmann, Professor and Department Chair in the Psychology Department at St. Ambrose University, for “The Effects of the Pandemic on Adults and Children” (In Person)
World Affairs Council Austin presents “Business Opportunity with Malaysia” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston presents “Washington DC: Travel and Info Session” (Virtual)
Wednesday 9/28
WorldBoston hosts Major General Jeannie Leavitt, Department of the Air Force Chief of Safety Headquarters, Commander, Air Force Safety Center, and Lieutenant General (Retired) Jack Weinstein, Air Force, Professor of International Security at Boston University, for “Special Event: The Role of the U.S. Air Force” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts Darren Kew, Executive Director and associate professor of the Center for Peace, Democracy and Development and the University of Massachusetts, for “A Less Free World? The Future of Democratization in Africa” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts hosts Dennis Yasutomo, Professor Emeritus of Government at Smith College, for “Instant Issues: Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific” (In Person)
Foreign Policy Association presents “2022 World Leadership Forum” (In Person)
World Affairs Council Upstate presents “International Women’s Group” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston presents “Tanzania: Travel Info Session” (Virtual)
Thursday 9/29
WorldBoston hosts Kevin Rudd, President of the Asia Society and former Prime Minister of Australia, for “Great Decisions: The Quad Alliance” (Virtual)
Global Santa Fe hosts Vicki Huddleston, former U.S. Ambassador to Mali and Madagascar, for “Benedicte Valentiner in Conversation with Ambassador Vicki Huddleston” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of Seattle hosts Ian Easton, Senior Director at the Project 2049 Institute and the author of The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy for, “The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy” (In Person)
Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts Ali Maisam Nazari, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the National Resistance Front, and Masouma Tajik, Alumna of the American University of Afghanistan, for “Afghanistan One Year Later: Accessing Consequences of the U.S. Withdrawal” (Virtual)
Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Arne Holm, Executive Editor of the High North News, for “As Told From the North: A Journalist’s Perspective on Russia, Ukraine, & the Arctic” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of Rhode Island hosts Sarah Williams, visiting assistant professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies at Brown University, and Hannah Mayne, doctoral candidate in Anthropology at the University of Toronto, for “Roe Overturned: A Model for the World?” (In Person)
WorldDenver presents “WorldDenver Dines Out” (In Person)
World Affairs Council of Austin presents “Web-Based CEO Business Meeting Event for Innovative Industry” (Virtual)
Friday 9/30
Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Donald Smith, Retired Army Officer and author of Steinsueken: A Little Pocket of Freedom, for “A Little Pocket of Freedom” (In Person)
Kentucky and Southern Indiana hosts Don Samford, Retired History/Social Science Instructor from Eureka Highschool and Illinois Central College, for “Legendary Turkey” (In Person)
Saturday 10/1
World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts Kyle Longely, WAC Orange County Programs Co-Chair, for “Master Class: The War in Ukraine and the Struggle Against Authoritarianism” (Hybrid)
SCWA: Educate, Engage & Inform
Thank you for your SCWA Membership!
We are grateful to our members for their continuing strong support and are counting on it in the future! Stay well & informed until we personally see each other again soon.
Glory to Ukraine! Слава Україні!,
Glory to the heroes! Героям слава!
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