World Affairs Councils of America

Our Mission

• Creating citizens well-informed in world affairs

• Building international interests among young people

• Fostering people-to-people relationships

• Enhancing international understanding

Our System

8686 Councils Councils

17 17 National AffiliatesNational Affiliates

11 11 International AffiliatesInternational Affiliates

484,000484,000 Members and Participants Members and Participants

20,000,00020,000,000 People Reached Annually People Reached Annually

Aggregate Funding

Speakers

• Largest international affairs speakers program in the country with 2,500 events a year

50th Anniversary Celebration

• Host 10 heads of state annually

Great Decisions

Grassroots foreign policy education program run by the Foreign Policy Association of New York

350,000 people participate in Great Decisions programs in 880 locations

Produces a PBS TV series and a national poll of informed citizen opinion

A National Flagship Program

School ProgramsWe reach 50,000 teachers and 2 million students.

We support international education in schools through:

• Teacher Workshops

• Organizing Model UN Events

• Field Trips for Students

• Study Tours Abroad for Teachers

• Bringing Speakers and International Visitors to Schools

• Scholarships and Awards

• Organizing World Affairs Knowledge Competitions

• Publishing Curriculum Units

World In Transition

Our multimedia curriculum series produced by the Southern Center for International Studies in Atlanta.

It covers Europe, Eurasia, Africa, East Asia, Middle East, Latin America, and South Asia.

Used by 38,000 teachers and 1.5 million students nationwide

A National Flagship Program

Academic WorldQuest

Our national competition for high school students testing knowledge of world affairs, current events, geography and more.

Councils send teams to Washington, DC each spring for a weekend of competition, networking, meetings with leaders, museum visits, and a whole lot of fun!

A National Flagship Program

Preparing for the game

Philly team scores in round six

It’s Your WorldOur weekly radio program run by the San Francisco council

• News and Commentary

• Interviews

• Human Interest Features

• Call-ins

Originates from KQED studios

Presents diverse views and balanced discussion

Currently carried by 21 NPR stations nationwide

A National Flagship Program

Council President Jane Wales moderating

On Television

• Atlanta council makes a PBS series with former Secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury and world leaders

• New York council makes a PBS series that parallels Great Decisions topics

• Councils participate in MacNeill-Lehrer’s election-year By The People events

• C-SPAN covers over 40 council programs annually

International Exchanges

• Host 5000 international visitors a year

• Support foreign student programs

• Handle protocol functions for various cities and states

Dallas Mayor Laura Miller hosts visitors of Riga, Latvia

Conferences

• National conference in Washington for the whole council system

• Asilomar conference in Monterey run by the San Francisco council

• World Leadership Forum in New York by the FPA in association with the opening of the UN General Assembly

• Chicago Council’s Atlantic Conference with Americans, Latin Americans, and Europeans

National Program Series

• Rising Anti-Americanism with American Academy of Diplomacy

• Future of the Korean Peninsula with Korean Economic Institute

• Human Rights Series with State Department

• By The People with MacNeill – Lehrer Productions

• The People Speak with UN Foundation

• Is America Secure? with Fourth Freedom Forum

• The New Transatlantic Relationship with European Union

• Space Weapons or Space Arms Control? with Carnegie Corporation

• Expanding Freedom and Creating Democracy with National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute

Travel

• National Leadership Missions

• Philadelphia Travel Program

• Study Tours for Teachers

• Field Trips for Students

• Membership Travel by Local Councils

• People-to-People Diplomacy Trips

Delegation visits War Remembrance Museum in Kuwait

Opinion Polls

• Global Views and US Foreign Policy Chicago Council on Foreign Relations

• National Opinion Ballot Report Foreign Policy Association

• Statewide Foreign Policy Survey World Affairs Council of Montana

Corporate Programs• Business roundtables on global economy

• Corporate breakfasts with international leaders

• Great Decisions in the workplace

• Young Professionals networking and social events

500 Corporate Executives Serve as Board Members

100 US and Foreign Corporate Leaders Speak to our Councils Annually

Our AffiliatesNational

American Academy of DiplomacyAmerican Forum for Global EducationAmerican Foreign Service Association

Brookings InstitutionCouncil on Foreign Relations

Center for Strategic and Int’l StudiesForeign Policy Research Institute

Inter-American DialogueInternational Center for Journalists

International Law InstituteKorean Economic Institute

Middle East InstituteNational Council for International Visitors

National Geographic SocietyNew York Times

United States-Indonesia Society

InternationalAmerican University of Kuwait

Canadian Institute of Int’l Affairs

Economist

Fares Foundation

Korea America Friendship Society

Japan Center for International Exchange

Mexican Council on Foreign Relations

Royal Institute for International Affairs

Singapore International Foundation

Turkish Business Confederation

Awards

• Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement Award

• Distinguished International Journalist Award

• Teacher of the Year Awards

• World Citizen Awards

• Scholastic Awards

• President’s Awards

Publications• Foreign Policy 500

• Recommended Speakers

• Headline Series

• Citizen’s Guide to US Foreign Policy

• Foreign Policy Book Review

• Policy Reports

• Leadership Mission Reports

• Program Series Reports

• Books

Sponsors

More than 2,000 Corporations, Foundations, and Individuals

Generously Support our Work

Our National Sponsors Include

American Airlines Claremont Group Gambrinus Samuel Aaron Int’l

Anheuser-Busch European Union Nike Siemens

Carnegie James H. Falk Sr. Northrop Grumman Wedge

What People Say about Us

“The world of world affairs councils is so very important because the future of mankind will be determined in the area of foreign policy.”

Walter CronkiteWalter Cronkite

“You in the world affairs council movement have done much praiseworthy work in building trust and affection among nations.”

Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan

World Affairs Councils of America

1800 K St. NW Suite 1014Washington, DC 20006

Phone 202 833 4557 Fax 202 833 4555waca@worldaffairscouncils.orgwww.worldaffairscouncils.org

Contact UsNational Chairman

Amb. James R. Jones

National President

Dr. Jerry W. Leach