About Us

Founded in 1980, The World Affairs Council of Washington D.C. is a non-profit, non-partisan 501©3 organization dedicated to enlightening and educating the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area about international issues.

The World Affairs Council hosts monthly events for its diverse membership, which consists of professionals in business, academia, government, diplomacy, and other non-governmental organizations, as well as young professionals, educators, students, and all those interested in the issues facing the international community. Events – including the Embassy Series, Distinguished Speaker Series, Meet the Ambassadors Series, Town Hall Meetings, Author Series, Young Professional Events, and Foreign Policy forums- feature prominent international experts, diplomats, authors, and other distinguished speakers. Non-members are welcome to attend most events.

Over the past 27 years, the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C. has been dedicated and committed to supporting the education of international affairs in Washington, D.C. area students as well as middle and high school educators. Today, the Council sponsors a variety of programs during the academic year and summer to help enrich the knowledge of educators and students. Programs for educators include the Summer Institute and Professional Development Programs. Programs for students include Youth Forums, the Young Journalist Program, the Young Ambassadors Program, and Academic World Quest. These programs give educators and students in the Washington, DC metropolitan area the opportunity to develop and hone leadership and teamwork skills, gain knowledge of international affairs and of important global issues, and meet a variety of influential leaders, experts, and newsmakers.

Public Programs

Foreign Policy Series:
The Foreign Policy Series is traditionally a panel discussion of experts from differing fields and/or opposing viewpoints discussing an aspect of U.S. foreign policy. A recent Foreign Policy event was “Disengagement from Iraq: A Vital Step toward Winning the Fight against Global Terrorism?”, featuring former Ambassador Edward L. Peck and Major General William L. Nash, USA Ret.

Meet the Ambassadors Series:
The Ambassador Series allows members a unique perspective on specific issues and regions by speaking with both U.S. and Foreign Ambassadors. Recent Ambassadors who have spoken to the Council include His Excellency Bernardo Alvarez Herrera, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Honorable Cameron Hume, U.S. Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Sudan, His Excellency Ronald E. Neuman, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, and His Excellency Imad Moustapha, Ambassador of Syria.

Embassy Series:
Foreign Embassies located in Washington D.C. graciously open their doors to WACDC members and guest’s, demonstrating their country’s hospitality and sharing key views on current issues. Embassies recently visited include the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and France.

Author Series:
Author Series events allow members to engage with authors writing about current events and issues, such as the Iraq War, Israel-Palestinian Conflict, and U.S.-Foreign Relations. Recent authors include Josh Rushing, author of Mission: Al-Jazeera and Dr. Susan Shirk, author of China: Fragile Superpower.

Town Hall Meetings:
Town Hall meetings are open forums in which experts meet to share and debate views about topics affecting the entire world. Past Town Hall meetings have covered Global Climate Change, Nuclear Arms Proliferation, and Darfur.

Distinguished Speaker Series:
The Distinguished Speaker series is an opportunity for WACDC members and guests to meet and talk with prominent figures in the international community. Recent speakers have included Lloyd’s Chairman Lord Peter Levene and General (Ret.) Anthony Zinni.

Young Professional Events:
Only for our Young Professional members and guests, these events are hosted by the World Affairs Council at many locations around the D.C. area. The relaxed atmosphere allows the young, working community an opportunity to meet new people and share views on today’s most important international issues.

Educational Programs

Educational Programs are an important part of the WACDC’s focus. Each summer, the Council welcomes educators from the D.C. metro area and around the country to its Summer Institute on International Affairs. This week-long professional development program allows educators to interact with top experts on international issues, senior administration officials and foreign diplomats and to collect up-to-date classroom resources.

In addition to the Summer Institute, the World Affairs Council sponsors Youth Forums for area students on various international topics. In partnership with organizations such as the World Bank, the Council has focused its’ most recent forums on Global Poverty. Future topics for the Youth Forums might include Arab-Israeli Conflict, Climate Change, Energy, HIV/AIDS Pandemic, and Immigration.

Each year the Council also supports a scholarship program for DC students to study abroad in the summer. The Young Ambassadors program focuses on underprivileged students who demonstrate initiative to become more involved in the international community. This program is implemented in partnership with the DC Public School system and has proven to be a life-changing experience for those that participate. In the future, the Council hopes to expand the program to reach even more students within the D.C. metro area.

The World Affairs Council’s activities are funded through membership dues, and corporate, foundation and individual giving.

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