|
Bringing the World to Hampden County
|
| |
|
John Zogby
|
The World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts
By Ken Furst
For more than 80 years the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts has been instrumental in making the city of Homes a City of Firsts serving not only as a great educational resource but also by providing the citizenry with opportunities to make high level contacts that are very useful in operating in the global economy.
Many remember that President Ronald Reagan visited Springfield in 1988. Some know that that speech played a key role in the resolution of the Cold War, sending shockwaves from here to the Kremlin. Few, however, realize that President Reagan was here as the guest of the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts.
Other notable speakers have included Ambassador L. Bruce Laingen who was the senior American official held during the Iran hostage crisis, National Public Radio President Kevin Klose and NBC UN Correspondent Linda Fasulo. This year they look forward to a visit from political pollster John Zogby in December. Mr. Zogby is President of Zogby International and author of The Way We'll Be (Random House 2008).
Established in Springfield in 1926, the World Affairs Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to connecting the people and businesses of western Massachusetts to the world. A member of the World Affairs Councils of America, it is one of 89 similar groups across the United States.
In addition to the astonishing array of speakers, diplomats, journalists, academics, military personnel, executives and others with expertise in international affairs, the Council also provides important programs for Springfield-area schools, and hosts up and coming leaders from around the world through the US Department of State International Visitors Leadership Program. The Council's programs are supported by a membership of nearly 300 individuals and companies, corporate sponsorship and grants.
The board of directors is made up of two dozen bankers, lawyers, educators, retired diplomats, executives and community members. They are ethnically diverse and represent towns from across western Massachusetts.
Perhaps the most popular program fielded by the World Affairs Council is their Instant Issues brown bag lunchtime discussion series. Informal but substantive these events take place at least once a month and feature a varied group of presenters, experts in their field, on current events and international affairs. This fall these programs will run the gamut from the impact of exporting on the region's economy, world hunger and food scarcity, China behind the headlines, Europe's changing relationship with the US and Qatar's emergence as a Middle East peacemaker. These events meet the needs of busy people who none the less enjoy the opportunity to participate in lively and informative discussions about the world around them, but want to be back at their desk in an hour. Audiences tend to be substantial and varied including senior and junior executives, academics and students, retirees and others.
In addition to the roster of forums, the World Affairs Council will also present its fourth annual Academic WorldQuest international affairs competition in January at Western New England College. Open to teams from Springfield Public high schools, the program offers an important opportunity for students to test their academic skills against their peers. The winning team earns the right to advance to a national competition in Washington where they face off against representatives from other Councils around the country. The World Affairs Council's Classroom Conversations Program places Council speakers in area classrooms or brings students to regular Council events. Since 2006 more than one thousand area students have participated in a Council program. This success resulted in national recognition when the Council was awarded the Carol Marquis Award for Excellence in School Programs in 2007. The programs have served as models for other often much larger Councils that are seeking to create or rebuild their own school programs.
|
|
