Author: admin

The Passport for January 2019

This is an online version of the monthly newsletter of the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area (WACMB). You may click here to see other online issues or click here to reach the archive of recent issues in PDF format.

Luncheon on January 21, 2019

For a number of years, ISIS has been engaged in the illegal antiquities trade, generating millions of dollars by looting priceless cultural artifacts. Jason Blazakis, the Director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) will address this practice in his talk on January 21. He will discuss the overall ways that ISIS finances itself, and will then delve more specifically into its process of exploiting antiquities for profit. He will also address some of the countermeasures employed by the US government to combat this problem.

Click the headline to read more.

Discussion Groups for Jan-Mar 2019

From January through March, WACMB presents Great Decisions, an eight-week program produced by the Foreign Policy Association of America (FPA). Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. Each year, the program provides background information and policy options for eight of the most critical issues facing the United States; this information serves as the focal text for discussion groups all across the country, including ones at MPC and OLLI/CSUMB.

Click the headline to read more.

Board Meeting on January 3, 2019

Click the headline to read more.

October Program Report

Dr. Thomas Bruneau

At the October luncheon, WACMB was honored to host Dr. Thomas Bruneau, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School. Bruneau spoke on “Patriots for Profit? America’s Experience with Private Military Contractors,” with a particular focus on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Using private military contractors can be an attractive option for decision makers because there are no long term costs committed to a particular job, just a shorter term contract. In addition, such contractors can be quite effective, as they are often retired special forces and other well trained American military personnel. These sorts of contracts provide significant flexibility to decision makers.

Still, according to Bruneau, the use of private military contractors has gotten out of hand. In 2017, the total Department of Defense budget for contractors was $320 billion, or 55% of the total DoD budget. Some people view contractors as mercenaries, a term Bruneau said is loaded. In reality, contractors are used by the DoD for a wide variety of jobs, from cooks to truck drivers to warriors. This kind of outsourcing is quite legal; indeed, it has been strongly encouraged in US law since the 1980s.

Contractors have become so pervasive in the DoD that most DoD contracting officers who write and oversee various contracts, are contractors themselves. At the end of the day, contractors report to the head of the company that employs them, not to the unit commander in whose office they work. Bruneau argued that significant reform is needed in the DoD contracting model in future American wars abroad.

— by Glenn E. Robinson

A Polite Request

Things become complicated when luncheon reservations reach the office after the deadline, and also when people arrive at the luncheons without making reservations beforehand. The luncheon venues charge WACMB a higher rate for meals that are ordered past the deadline. We don’t want to pass those extra costs on to our members, and so we ask that you please respect the deadlines for registration that are listed on the reservation form.

Did you forget to mail your reservation in time to meet the deadline? Don’t worry: you can now register online! Just go to www.wacmb.org and find the News and Events list on the right sidebar. Click on the link to the next luncheon, then scroll down to Registration. The first paragraph contains options to register by phone or fax, and the second contains a link to register online. Check it out: it’s easy and efficient!

This is the monthly newsletter of the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area (WACMB). Founded in 1951, the council is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization established to promote the presentation, discussion, and study of international affairs. WACMB is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) organization, EIN-770301206. Contributions are tax deductible as permitted by law. WACMB sponsors monthly luncheons, discussion groups, and student scholarships.

Corporate and institutional support for the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area is provided by:

  • California State University Monterey Bay
  • Defense Language Institute
  • Monterey Peninsula College
  • Naval Postgraduate School
  • Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
  • Rancho Canada
  • Horan & Lloyd Law Firm
WACMB Logo

Luncheon Meeting on December 6, 2018

Topic

Japan, America, and the New Nationalism

Speaker

Bill Clifford

President and CEO, World Affairs Councils of America

Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University

Overview

The alliance between the U.S. and Japan has long been the cornerstone of  American security interests in Asia, and is fundamental to regional stability and prosperity.  But while the partnership is based on shared vital interests and values, it now faces major challenges.  How will the administrations of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump chart the next phase of the relationship?

Bill Clifford, who was a Tokyo-based journalist for more than a decade, will discuss how recent political, economic, and social trends in our two countries are changing the dynamics of U.S.-Japan relations.  He will highlight how North Korea’s nuclear and cyber threats and China’s growing military might have profoundly affected Japan’s foreign policy.

Bill Clifford is President and CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) in Washington, D.C., where he leads our national office and represents its network of more than 90 World Affairs Councils across the United States. In March 2017, he was appointed a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He also serves on the editorial board of the SAIS Review.

Before joining WACA five years ago, Clifford was president of WorldBoston, a WACA member council known for its innovative programming. Previously, he served as Asia Bureau Chief for the pioneering multimedia venture CBS MarketWatch, where he launched and directed news bureaus in Japan and Hong Kong. He holds an M.A. from Johns Hopkins SAIS, a B.A. summa cum laude in International Relations and French Literature from Tufts University, and a C.E.P. from Sciences Po in Paris.

 

Agenda

Thursday, December 6, 2018
11:30 am: Registration
11:50 am: Luncheon
1:00 pm: Program

Luncheon Menu

  • Hearts of Romaine Salad
  • Chicken Marsala
  • Roasted Red Potatoes
  • Vegetable Medley
  • Rolls and Butter
  • Coffee and Decaf
  • Chef’s Choice Dessert
  • Vegetarian Option: Tortellini in Pesto Cream Sauce
  • Special Holiday Treat: Champagne or Sparkling Cider

Luncheon Cost

  • $29 for members
  • $35 for guests
  • Lecture is open to the public at no charge, beginning at 12:50pm

Registration

Registration for the luncheon is now closed.  Audience seating for the lecture only may be available, depending on room capacity, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Location

Palo Corona Regional Park Headquarters
(formerly Rancho Canada Golf Club)
4860 Carmel Valley Rd
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923

Discussion Groups for December 2018

To see a list of recent Discussion Group events, click here.

MPC

America’s Role and Responsibility in the War in Yemen

The war in Yemen is shaping up to be one of the greatest humanitarian disasters since World War II. What is America’s responsibility in backing Saudi Arabia is in this war?

The MPC Discussion Group is free to the public and will meet on Monday, December 10 at 4:00 pm in the Social Science Building, Room 101, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey.  Parking is available in Lot D for $3.00.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.
Interactive Map of MPC Location

OLLI

The OLLI Discussion Group will meet on Monday, December 17 at 4:00 on the second floor of the CSUMB building at Ryan Ranch, 8 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Monterey. Free parking is available in front of the building.

For maps and more detailed directions, follow this link or see the map below.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.

Interactive Map of OLLI-CSUMB Location

Discussion Groups for November 2018

To see a list of recent Discussion Group events, click here.

MPC

Patriots for Profit?  America’s Experience with Private Military Contractors

Is the practice of relying on the private sector to wage war a strategic liability or a trend toward efficiency and cost effectiveness?  What is the impact of private contractors on U.S. troops and relations with host governments?

The MPC Discussion Group will meet on Monday, November 5 at 4:00 pm in the Social Science Building, Room 101, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey.  Parking is available in Lot D for $3.00.  (Note: this meeting will be on the first Monday of the month to avoid a conflict with Veteran’s Day.)

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.
Interactive Map of MPC Location

OLLI

The Effect of the National Mid-Term Elections

The OLLI Discussion Group will meet on Monday, November 19 at 4:00 on the second floor of the CSUMB building at Ryan Ranch, 8 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Monterey. Free parking is available in front of the building.

For maps and more detailed directions, follow this link or see the map below.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.

Interactive Map of OLLI-CSUMB Location

Luncheon Meeting on November 16, 2018

Topic

Chemical Weapons and Their Horrible, But Also Hopeful, Past, Present, and Future

Speaker

Philipp Bleek, MIISDr. Philipp C. Bleek

Associate Professor; Acting Program Chair, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies;

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Overview

Chemical weapons are back in the news, based on Syria’s repeated, indiscriminate use in the past few years, as well as targeted attacks by both North Korea (on Kim Jung-Un’s brother) and Russia (on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia).  How worrisome are these developments?  And what implications do they have
for the future use of chemical weapons?

Professor Philipp Bleek will discuss the past, present, and potential future of chemical weapons.  He will argue that, while the use of chemical weapons in the past has been horrifying, there is also good news in the way that the international community has managed to progressively marginalize them.  He will explore some reasons to be optimistic about the future of chemical weapons, although he will warn that the progress we’ve seen may be more fragile than anticipated.Philipp Bleek is an Associate Professor and Acting Program Chair of the  Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.  His research and teaching focus on the causes, consequences, and amelioration of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons threats at the intersection of academia, non-governmental organizations, and government.  From 2012 to 2013, he served as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs.  In that capacity, he staffed the then-secret Syria Chemical Weapons Senior Integration Group, a Pentagon-based interagency effort to prepare for various chemical weapons-related contingencies.  He previously worked on a project that involved questioning the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo terrorists about their chemical and biological weapons programs that culminated in the 1995 sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway.

Professor Bleek has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University,  and a Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University.

Please note that this program will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Monterey.  Room capacity is limited.  Reservations will be accepted in the order they are received until the program is full.  Depending on demand, we may be unable to accommodate auditors at this event.

Agenda

Friday, November 16, 2018
11:30 am: Registration
Noon: Luncheon
12:50 pm: Program

Luncheon Menu

  • Classic Green Salad
  • Lemon and Garlic Herb Chicken with a White Bean Spinach Sauce
  • Classic Rice Pilaf
  • Sauteed Vegetables
  • Rolls and Butter
  • Coffee and Decaf
  • Chocolate Mousse Cake with Seasonal Berries
  • Vegetarian Option: Stuffed Peppers with a Harvest Apple Stuffing

Luncheon Cost

  • $29 for members
  • $35 for guests

Registration

Registration for the luncheon is now closed.  Audience seating for the lecture only may be available, depending on room capacity, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Location

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

 

Property and Parking Map (click map for larger view)

The Passport for November/December 2018

This is an online version of the monthly newsletter of the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area (WACMB). You may click here to see other online issues or click here to reach the archive of recent issues in PDF format.

Luncheon Meeting on November 16, 2018

Topic

Chemical Weapons and Their Horrible, But Also Hopeful, Past, Present, and Future

Speaker

Philipp Bleek, MIISDr. Philipp C. Bleek

Associate Professor; Acting Program Chair, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies;

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Overview

Chemical weapons are back in the news, based on Syria’s repeated, indiscriminate use in the past few years, as well as targeted attacks by both North Korea (on Kim Jung-Un’s brother) and Russia (on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia).  How worrisome are these developments?  And what implications do they have
for the future use of chemical weapons?

Professor Philipp Bleek will discuss the past, present, and potential future of chemical weapons.  He will argue that, while the use of chemical weapons in the past has been horrifying, there is also good news in the way that the international community has managed to progressively marginalize them.  He will explore some reasons to be optimistic about the future of chemical weapons, although he will warn that the progress we’ve seen may be more fragile than anticipated.Philipp Bleek is an Associate Professor and Acting Program Chair of the  Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.  His research and teaching focus on the causes, consequences, and amelioration of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons threats at the intersection of academia, non-governmental organizations, and government.  From 2012 to 2013, he served as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs.  In that capacity, he staffed the then-secret Syria Chemical Weapons Senior Integration Group, a Pentagon-based interagency effort to prepare for various chemical weapons-related contingencies.  He previously worked on a project that involved questioning the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo terrorists about their chemical and biological weapons programs that culminated in the 1995 sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway.

Professor Bleek has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University,  and a Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University.

Please note that this program will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Monterey.  Room capacity is limited.  Reservations will be accepted in the order they are received until the program is full.  Depending on demand, we may be unable to accommodate auditors at this event.

Agenda

Friday, November 16, 2018
11:30 am: Registration
Noon: Luncheon
12:50 pm: Program

Luncheon Menu

  • Classic Green Salad
  • Lemon and Garlic Herb Chicken with a White Bean Spinach Sauce
  • Classic Rice Pilaf
  • Sauteed Vegetables
  • Rolls and Butter
  • Coffee and Decaf
  • Chocolate Mousse Cake with Seasonal Berries
  • Vegetarian Option: Stuffed Peppers with a Harvest Apple Stuffing

Luncheon Cost

  • $29 for members
  • $35 for guests

Registration

Registration for the luncheon is now closed.  Audience seating for the lecture only may be available, depending on room capacity, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Location

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

 

Property and Parking Map (click map for larger view)

 

Luncheon Meeting on December 6, 2018

Topic

Japan, America, and the New Nationalism

Speaker

Bill Clifford

President and CEO, World Affairs Councils of America

Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University

Overview

The alliance between the U.S. and Japan has long been the cornerstone of  American security interests in Asia, and is fundamental to regional stability and prosperity.  But while the partnership is based on shared vital interests and values, it now faces major challenges.  How will the administrations of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump chart the next phase of the relationship?

Bill Clifford, who was a Tokyo-based journalist for more than a decade, will discuss how recent political, economic, and social trends in our two countries are changing the dynamics of U.S.-Japan relations.  He will highlight how North Korea’s nuclear and cyber threats and China’s growing military might have profoundly affected Japan’s foreign policy.

Bill Clifford is President and CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) in Washington, D.C., where he leads our national office and represents its network of more than 90 World Affairs Councils across the United States. In March 2017, he was appointed a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He also serves on the editorial board of the SAIS Review.

Before joining WACA five years ago, Clifford was president of WorldBoston, a WACA member council known for its innovative programming. Previously, he served as Asia Bureau Chief for the pioneering multimedia venture CBS MarketWatch, where he launched and directed news bureaus in Japan and Hong Kong. He holds an M.A. from Johns Hopkins SAIS, a B.A. summa cum laude in International Relations and French Literature from Tufts University, and a C.E.P. from Sciences Po in Paris.

 

Agenda

Thursday, December 6, 2018
11:30 am: Registration
11:50 am: Luncheon
1:00 pm: Program

Luncheon Menu

  • Hearts of Romaine Salad
  • Chicken Marsala
  • Roasted Red Potatoes
  • Vegetable Medley
  • Rolls and Butter
  • Coffee and Decaf
  • Chef’s Choice Dessert
  • Vegetarian Option: Tortellini in Pesto Cream Sauce
  • Special Holiday Treat: Champagne or Sparkling Cider

Luncheon Cost

  • $29 for members
  • $35 for guests
  • Lecture is open to the public at no charge, beginning at 12:50pm

Registration

Registration for the luncheon is now closed.  Audience seating for the lecture only may be available, depending on room capacity, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Location

Palo Corona Regional Park Headquarters
(formerly Rancho Canada Golf Club)
4860 Carmel Valley Rd
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923

 

Discussion Groups for November 2018

To see a list of recent Discussion Group events, click here.

MPC

Patriots for Profit?  America’s Experience with Private Military Contractors

Is the practice of relying on the private sector to wage war a strategic liability or a trend toward efficiency and cost effectiveness?  What is the impact of private contractors on U.S. troops and relations with host governments?

The MPC Discussion Group will meet on Monday, November 5 at 4:00 pm in the Social Science Building, Room 101, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey.  Parking is available in Lot D for $3.00.  (Note: this meeting will be on the first Monday of the month to avoid a conflict with Veteran’s Day.)

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.
Interactive Map of MPC Location

OLLI

The Effect of the National Mid-Term Elections

The OLLI Discussion Group will meet on Monday, November 19 at 4:00 on the second floor of the CSUMB building at Ryan Ranch, 8 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Monterey. Free parking is available in front of the building.

For maps and more detailed directions, follow this link or see the map below.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.

Interactive Map of OLLI-CSUMB Location

Discussion Groups for December 2018

To see a list of recent Discussion Group events, click here.

MPC

America’s Role and Responsibility in the War in Yemen

The war in Yemen is shaping up to be one of the greatest humanitarian disasters since World War II. What is America’s responsibility in backing Saudi Arabia is in this war?

The MPC Discussion Group is free to the public and will meet on Monday, December 10 at 4:00 pm in the Social Science Building, Room 101, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey.  Parking is available in Lot D for $3.00.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.
Interactive Map of MPC Location

OLLI

The OLLI Discussion Group will meet on Monday, December 17 at 4:00 on the second floor of the CSUMB building at Ryan Ranch, 8 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Monterey. Free parking is available in front of the building.

For maps and more detailed directions, follow this link or see the map below.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.

Interactive Map of OLLI-CSUMB Location

 

Board Meeting on November 1, 2018

Open to Members
Begins at 4:30 pm

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.

Location

McCone Building Conference Room, MIIS

September Program Report

Summary of “From Cold War to Hot Peace” presentation by Dr. Michael McFaul of Stanford University on September 28, 2018

The World Affairs Council was honored to host Dr. Michael McFaul at our September luncheon.  McFaul previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, and is currently a professor at Stanford University in Palo Alto.  McFaul is also the author of the new book From Cold War to Hot Peace, which recounts his time as U.S. ambassador in Putin’s Russia.

In his presentation, McFaul struck a balance between analyzing U.S. – Russia relations and relating often-harrowing personal stories of incidents that occurred during his time as ambassador in Moscow.  Those stories included how he became a proxy target of Putin’s enmity against the U.S., leading to public disinformation that was put out by the regime to undermine McFaul’s standing and threaten him personally.

2011 was a key year in Russia’s turn against the West under Putin, and McFaul pointed to two critical events.  The first involved the events of the ‘Arab Spring’ that year and specifically what happened in Libya. Putin felt he had been duped by the West: that a humanitarian intervention to prevent a slaughter in the eastern city of Benghazi turned into full-on regime change, which Russia did not support.  Second, later in 2011, Russia held parliamentary elections, which were widely seen as fraudulent.  Secretary of State Clinton called out Putin over these rigged elections, an action that set in motion Putin’s later subterfuge to undermine her presidential bid in 2016.

McFaul painted a dire picture of Putin, and the thuggish and kleptocratic regime he has established in Moscow. Putin was, and is, very much the byproduct of the KGB, where he worked for many years.

Summary by Glenn E. Robinson

Scholarships!

At the October luncheon, Scholarship Committee Chair Naomi Terman announced the 2018-2019 recipients of the World Affairs Scholarships.  They will each receive $1000 to use toward their studies.

  • Marantha Croomes is a B.A. candidate at CSUMB, majoring in World Languages and Culture.  She has studied abroad in Germany, Australia, and Japan.
  • Nicholas De Golla is a Dean’s Fellow and a dual degree candidate at MIIS, working toward a Fisher M.B.A. in Global Impact Management and an M.A. in International Environmental Policy.
  • Brianna V. Hartley is an M.A. candidate at MIIS, with a focus on Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies.  She is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).
  • Sandy Her is a B.A. candidate at CSUMB, majoring in Global Studies and Human Communications, with a focus on Asian Studies.  This spring, she studied abroad in South Korea.
  • Paul S. Warnke is an M.A. candidate at MIIS, where he is studying Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies.  He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and has competency in French.

Those in attendance at the October luncheon had the opportunity to meet some of these impressive young scholars.  Many thanks to Naomi and the other members of the Scholarship Committee, Barbara Zellmer and Michelle Amirkhanian, for all their good work in selecting the winners!

 

The Passport for October 2018

This is an online version of the monthly newsletter of the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area (WACMB). You may click here to see other online issues or click here to reach the archive of recent issues in PDF format.

Luncheon Meeting on October 19, 2018

Topic

Patriots for Profit?  America’s Experience with Private Military Contractors

Speaker

Dr. Thomas Bruneau, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Naval Postgraduate SchoolDr. Thomas Bruneau

Distinguished Professor Emeritus,
Naval Postgraduate School

Overview

For decades now, the centrality of contracting in American warfare – both on the battlefield (sometimes called mercenaries) and in support of those on the battlefield – has been growing.  Today’s private military industry is a multi-billion dollar business.  In Fiscal Year 2017 in the U.S. Department of Defense alone contracting out totaled $320 billion, more than 50% of the DOD budget.  Erik Prince, former owner of Blackwater and possibly the world’s best known military contractor, has recently proposed contracting out the war in Afghanistan.  As the U.S increasingly relies on the private sector to wage war, some see this as a strategic liability.  Others consider the trend more efficient and cost effective.

Professor Thomas Bruneau, author of Patriots for Profit: Contractors and the Military in U.S. National Security (Stanford University Press, 2011), will discuss the pros and cons of contracting security support.  Highlighting the American experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, he will explore the many dimensions of using private contractors, including effectiveness, cost, accountability, and ethics.  The impact of private contractors on regular U.S. troops and relations with host governments are among the issues he will examine.

Thomas Bruneau is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS).  During his career at NPS, he served as Chairman of the Department of National Security Affairs (1989-1995) and Director of the Center for Civil Military Relations (2000-2004).  Prior to joining the faculty of NPS Dr. Bruneau taught in the Department of Political Science at McGill University.  In addition to his long academic career, and ten years of administrative responsibilities at the Naval Postgraduate School, Bruneau is also Vice President of Global Academic Professionals, LLC, a contracting firm.

On this occasion annual World Affairs Council awards will be presented to Peninsula area college students pursuing careers in international relations.

Agenda

Friday, October 19, 2018
11:30 am: Registration
11:50 am: Luncheon
12:45 pm: Program

Luncheon Menu

  • House Salad of Mixed Greens with Ranch Dressing
  • Panko-Crusted Chicken with Sherry Cream Sauce
  • Roasted Potatoes
  • Steamed Vegetables
  • Freshly Baked Rolls and Butter
  • Chef’s Choice Dessert
  • Coffee and Tea
  • Vegetarian Option: Pasta with Marinara Sauce

Luncheon Cost

  • $29 for members
  • $35 for guests
  • Lecture is open to the public at no charge, beginning at 12:50pm

Registration

Registration for the luncheon is now closed.  Audience seating for the lecture only may be available, depending on room capacity, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Location

Palo Corona Regional Park Headquarters
(formerly Rancho Canada Golf Club)
4860 Carmel Valley Rd
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923

 

Discussion Groups for October 2018

To see a list of recent Discussion Group events, click here.

MPC

Evolving Coalitions: What Does the New Russia/Turkey/Iran Partnership Portend for International Relations?

Does the recent Russia/Turkey/Iran Summit signal a reordering of the international alignment?  What do Russia, Turkey and Iran hope to gain in this new partnership? How should the U.S. reformulate its policy in response?

The MPC Discussion Group will meet on Monday, October 8 at 4:00 pm in the Social Science Building, Room 101, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey.  Parking is available in Lot D for $3.00.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.
Interactive Map of MPC Location

OLLI

The topic for October’s discussion will be the #MeToo movement and its implications.  The OLLI Discussion Group will meet on Monday, October 15 at 4:00 on the second floor of the CSUMB building at Ryan Ranch, 8 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Monterey.  Free parking is available in front of the building.

For maps and more detailed directions, follow this link or see the map below.

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.

Interactive Map of OLLI-CSUMB Location

 

Board Meeting on October 4, 2018

Open to Members
Begins at 4:30 pm

Click the calendar icon to get an electronic event notice for your calendar.

Location

McCone Building Conference Room, MIIS

 

Some Facts About the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area

In 1951, a group of individuals interested in worlds affairs organized the World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area (WACMB).  At that time, the Board chose WWII U.S. Navy Admiral (Ret.) Raymond Spruance, one of the greatest admirals in American naval history, as its first president.

At its founding, WACMB chose to be an affiliate council of the World Affairs Council of Northern California.  This relationship continued successfully for more than 40 years until 1992, when WACMB became a totally independent
Public Benefit Corporation as a 501(c)(3).

WACMB is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA), and participates in the national activities arranged by that organization.  It also is a “Cooperating Council” in the Travel Program of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, which you may already have read about in these pages.

WACMB is now approaching its seventh decade of providing our members and the residents of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties with intellectually challenging programs that address significant international issues.

Scholarships!

Did you know that your Monterey Bay World Affairs Council awards $1000 merit-based scholarships to students at California State University Monterey Bay, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and Monterey Peninsula College?  Recipients must be high academic achievers and interested in international affairs.

This year’s winners will be introduced at the October 19th luncheon.  Please join us as we honor these outstanding young scholars!

Welcome to Our New Members
Summer 2018

  • Roger Gayman
  • Seung-Jae Oh
  • Loretta Patterson
  • Katharina Harlow
  • Susan Hinde
  • Thomas Rowland and Christine Hallas