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Discussion Group July 18, 2022: Ukraine and Russia – Why the West vs the Rest?

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is in its fifth month. The invasion is illegal – it violates the territorial integrity of a UN member nation, and it goes against the norms of the post-war liberal international order. The nations of the world are not united in response to Russia’s aggression; while Western countries have condemned the invasion and imposed sanctions on Russia, many non-Western countries have not. Yet the war and the reaction to it are causing significant economic and social impacts worldwide. To discuss:

  1. What are the political and economic dynamics that have led nations not to call out Russia for its invasion of Ukraine?
  2. What can the US government do to convince “fence-sitters” that they can balance their own interests with the American and European drive to isolate Russia?
  3. What could be the long-term effects of the different sides taken by countries (i.e. support Ukraine, neutral, support Russia)?

The following resources provide background for our discussion:

Global Jihad’s Fourth Wave: How the Internet Has Changed Everything – Professor Glenn Robinson – Dinner Lecture July 27, 2022

Speaker

Professor Glenn Robinson (Retired)

Naval Postgraduate School

Topic

Global Jihad’s Fourth Wave: How the Internet Has Changed Everything

Overview

The internet and social media have dramatically changed how terrorist violence operates, empowering “lone wolves” and small cells like never before. While it was leaders within the Ku Klux Klan who first began thinking through the implications of inspiring violence through the internet in the 1990s, global jihadis have embraced such “personal jihad.” Virtually all jihadi attacks in the US in recent years—from San Bernardino to Orlando to Boston to New York City—have been this new form of terrorism.

In his latest book, Global Jihad: A Brief History (Stanford University Press, 2021), Glenn Robinson created a new paradigm by viewing the phenomenon of global jihad as a series of four distinct waves, each begun by a specific crisis and all with distinctive ideologies and agendas to point their way forward. Global Jihad was named a “Best Book of 2021” by both Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy journals. Join your World Affairs Council for an early dinner followed by a program in which Dr. Robinson will discuss the fourth wave of global jihad: personal, or lone wolf, jihad, which is still with us today.

In December 2021, Glenn Robinson retired as a Professor of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School after 30 years on the faculty. He remains affiliated with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley, from which he received his PhD in political science in 1992.

Please note the time for this event! We’re trying something new: this month’s program will be a dinner – not a luncheon.

Agenda

  • Wednesday, July 27, 2022
  • 5:30 pm: Registration and cash bar
  • 6:00 pm: Dinner
  • 6:50 – 8:00 pm: Program

Menu

  • Tossed Garden Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Panko-Crusted Chicken Breast with Peach and Apricot Salsa
  • French Beans
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Fresh Bread and Butter
  • Lemon Bars with Berries
  • Coffee
  • Vegetarian Option: Summer Zucchini Fritters with Grilled Peach and Apricot Salsa and Sour Cream

Cost

  • $36 for members
  • $42 for guests
Important: You Must Provide Proof of Full Covid-19 Vaccination in Order to Attend

All those attending WACMB in-person events must show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination, including a booster. To prove your vaccination status, you can present either your vaccination card or your State of California QR code. You only need to present such proof once. Your documentation will be noted, and that box will be automatically checked for future meetings.

For the time being, no auditors will be permitted to attend WACMB in-person meetings. This is to ensure that every person in the room has been vaccinated and boosted.

Thank you for your cooperation with our efforts to keep our members healthy!

Registration

Reservations are due by July 22.

Refunds are not available after the due date listed above.

Registration for the luncheon is now closed.

Location

Hilton Garden Inn, Monterey
1000 Aguajito Road
Monterey, CA 93923

Property and Parking Map

Click here for larger view.

WACMB Recommends – Issue #33 – July 2022

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Welcome to Issue #33 of our brief newsletter with selected content from the many sources regarding world affairs. There are various formats in the below events; enjoy their messages which will contribute to understanding these issues. We wish you a happy and healthy month.

 

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
 
 1) Wilson Center: “Open Data: What’s Next in policy and Practice?” July 26, 2022 2:00pm – 3:30pm EDT Register here.
 
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 2) Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft: “Can We Demilitarize the Economy? Loosening the Grip of the Pentagon.” Watch here.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
 
 3) Center for Strategic & International Studies: “Humanitarian innovation in Action.”  Read here.
 
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 4) Brookings Institute: “The Future of Crypto Regulation.” July 25, 2022 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET   Watch here.
 
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 5) Council on Foreign Relations: “Virtual Roundtable: The Expanding Monkeypox Outbreak.”  Watch here.
 

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WACMB members can view an archive of previous Recommendation emails in the Member Resources section of our website here.  Request the password by sending an email to info@wacmb.org.

 

WACMB members also have the opportunity to register to receive two weekly news summaries from The World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), our national parent Council in Washington D.C. These are Monday and Wednesday updates and listings of other USA Council events and global issues impacting the USA. To be added to their distribution please connect to this link https://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/Newsletters/

 

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter

Academic World Quest

Calling all high-school teachers, parents, students…

Interested in providing a focus on International Affairs and having your students compete locally for prize money and a trip to Washington DC for a national competition?

The World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay will sponsor a countywide Academic World Quest (AWQ) competition during the 2022-23 academic year.

Each Monterey County high school is invited to send a team of four students to compete in the Monterey County AWQ competition on February 11, 2023.

Each school must have a teacher serving as coach to a team of four high school students. Each coach who brings a team of four to the local competition will receive a stipend of $325.

Students in the top three teams in Monterey County will receive the following awards:

  • First place team members will receive $300 each and an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC to participate in the national AWQ competition in the spring of 2023. Their coach will also receive the trip and an additional $675.
  • Second place team members will receive $200 each.
  • Third place team members will receive $100 each.

For a look at 2021-2022 academic year competition click here.

For more detailed information contact Linda Dilger at AWQ@wacmb.org

WACMB Recommends – Issue #32 – June 2022

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Welcome to Issue #32 of our brief newsletter with selected content from the many sources regarding world affairs. There are various formats in the below events; enjoy their messages which will contribute to understanding these issues. We wish you a happy and healthy month.

 

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 1) Wilson Center: “The Soviet Myth of World War II: Patriotic Memory and the Russian Question in the USSR.” Watch here.

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 2) Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft: “Al Qaeda: Evergreen Threat or Yesterday’s Fight?” June 21, 2022 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET Register here.

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 3) The Atlantic: “The Symbol of a New, Darker Hong Kong.”  Read here.

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 4) Brookings Institute: “A Fireside Conversation with US Ambassador to China R. Nicholas Burns.” June 16, 2022 9:00am – 10:00am ET   Register here.

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 5) Council on Foreign Relations: “World Economic Update: Inflation, Sanctions, and the Russia-Ukraine War.”  Watch here.

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 

WACMB members can view an archive of previous Recommendation emails in the Member Resources section of our website here.  Request the password by sending an email to info@wacmb.org.

 

WACMB members also have the opportunity to register to receive two weekly news summaries from The World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), our national parent Council in Washington D.C. These are Monday and Wednesday updates and listings of other USA Council events and global issues impacting the USA. To be added to their distribution please connect to this link https://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/Newsletters/

 

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter


Crowded Orbits: International Challenges in Space – Professor Clay Moltz – Luncheon Lecture, June 23, 2022

Speaker

Professor Clay Moltz

Department of National Security Affairs
Naval Postgraduate School

Topic

Crowded Orbits: International Challenges in Space

Overview

Space has remained peaceful since 1957, but safety in orbit will face new challenges. First, there is renewed great power competition among China, Russia, and the United States. Second, commercial actors like SpaceX are launching huge mega-constellations with thousands of satellites, making space traffic management much more difficult. Third, the volume of dangerous orbital space debris is growing and may become more uncontrollable. How will the international community manage these threats, and what is the possible role of the United States? Professor Clay Moltz will review these issues and consider possible solutions.

Clay Moltz is a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), where he also holds a joint appointment in the Space Systems Academic Group. From September 2020 to March 2022, he served as Dean of the Graduate School of International and Defense Studies at NPS. His books include The Politics of Space Security: Strategic Restraint and the Pursuit of National Interests (Stanford University Press, 2008, 2011, and 2019 editions) and Crowded Orbits: Conflict and Cooperation in Space (Columbia University Press, 2014). A prolific writer, Dr. Moltz has published op-eds in the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Professor Moltz holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA and BA (with Distinction) from Stanford University.

Important: You Must Provide Proof of Full Covid-19 Vaccination in Order to Attend Luncheons

All those attending luncheons (or any other WACMB in-person events) must show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination, including a booster.

To prove your vaccination status, you can present either your vaccination card or your State of California QR code.

You only need to present such proof once. Your documentation will be noted, and that box will be automatically checked for future meetings.

For the time being, no auditors will be permitted to attend any WACMB in-person meetings. This is to ensure that every person in the room has been vaccinated and boosted.

Thank you for your cooperation with our efforts to keep our members healthy!

Agenda

  • Thursday, June 23, 2022
  • 11:30 am: Registration
  • 12:00 am: Luncheon
  • 12:45 pm: Program

Luncheon Menu

  • Caesar Salad
  • Grilled Chicken Caponata Topped with Roasted Vegetables and Served on Creamy Polenta
  • Seasonal Vegetables
  • Fresh Bread and Butter
  • Carrot Cake
  • Coffee
  • Vegetarian Option: Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Served on Creamy Polenta and Topped with Roasted Vegetables

Luncheon Cost

  • $36 for members
  • $42 for guests

Registration

Reservations are due by June 19.

Refunds are not available after the due date listed above.

Registration for the luncheon is now closed.

Location

Hilton Garden Inn, Monterey
1000 Aguajito Road
Monterey, CA 93923

Property and Parking Map

Click here for larger view.

WACMB Recommends – Issue #31 – May 2022

Inline image

Welcome to Issue #31 of our brief newsletter with selected content from the many sources regarding world affairs. There are various formats in the below events; enjoy their messages which will contribute to understanding these issues. We wish you a happy and healthy month.

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 1) Wilson Center: “Statelessness in the Middle East.” May 25, 2022 10:00am – 11:30am ET Register here.

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 2) Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft: “The US-Australia Alliance and Australia’s Evolving Orientation in Asia.” May 25, 2022 6:00pm – 7:00pm ET Register here.

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 3) DW: “G7: Germany Pledges €1 billion in Grants for Ukraine.” Read here.

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 4) Brookings Institute: “Prospects and Challenges for Taiwan in the Years Ahead.” May 26, 2022 2:30pm – 3:15pm ET  Register here.

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 5) Commonwealth Club: “Francis Fukuyama: Liberalism and its Discontents.” Watch here.

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 

WACMB members can view an archive of previous Recommendation emails in the Member Resources section of our website here.  Request the password by sending an email to info@wacmb.org.

 

WACMB members also have the opportunity to register to receive two weekly news summaries from The World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), our national parent Council in Washington D.C. These are Monday and Wednesday updates and listings of other USA Council events and global issues impacting the USA. To be added to their distribution please connect to this link https://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/Newsletters/

 

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter