World Affairs Councils of America

The World Affairs Councils of America is a network of 93 autonomous and nonpartisan councils across 40 states.

The World Affairs Councils of America
Formation1986 (1986)
TypeNonprofit educational/cultural organization
HeadquartersWashington, DC United States
Chairman
Roman Popadiuk
President & CEO
Bill Clifford
Revenue (2016)
$584,449[1]
Expenses (2016)$722,580[1]
Websiteworldaffairscouncils.org

History

The World Affairs Councils of America was founded in 1918. It is the largest nonprofit international affairs organization in the United States.

In mid-February 2011, Chairman of the Board Ambassador Marc Grossman stepped down to become the United States Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, replacing Richard Holbrooke. In June 2011, Ambassador Paula Dobriansky filled the position of Chair of the National Board. In June 2015, WACA announced that Ambassador Roman Popadiuk who served as the first United States Ambassador to Ukraine under George H.W. Bush, from 1992 to 1993, has been elected the new chairman of the national Board of Directors.

In 2014, the World Affairs Councils of America won the Diversity and Inclusion (DANDI) Award in the international category.[2]

Programs

The World Affairs Councils of America supports a group of 93 councils who present programs annually. The Councils sponsor international exchanges, school programs, teachers workshops, foreign policy discussions, national opinion polls, travel programs, young professionals’ programs, conferences, and corporate programs.

The national association organizes an annual conference, leadership missions to other nations, a speaker referral system, international speaker exchanges, people-to-people diplomacy missions, educational workshops, book tours, subscription discounts, operations workshops, and video-conferences. It has also run national program series such as World Bank Town Meetings, Two Koreas, Future of Russia, Western Hemisphere, Human Rights Worldwide, the EU, Rising Anti-Americanism, American Security, UN Reform, and The People Speak.

WACA has four flagship programs: Academic WorldQuest, Leadership Missions, the annual National Conference, and the Engage America speaker series. The National Conference is an annual event that engages diplomats, experts, members from the business, civic, and education communities with leading policy. Academic WorldQuest is an annual team-based international affairs, geography, history, and culture competition for high school students sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America.[3] The WorldQuest has been held every year since 2003. WorldQuest was created in 1995 by Jennifer Watson Roberts of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte.

In order to compete at the national WorldQuest competition, teams must first win at their regional council level (usually held from November to March). Every year, 4,000 high school students across the country participate in local competitions hosted by their World Affairs Council.

National champions
Year
High School
Council
2006 Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology World Affairs Councils of Washington D.C.
2007 Daniel Hand High School World Affairs Forum (Stamford)
2008 North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics International Affairs Council of Raleigh
2009 DuPont Manual High School World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana
2010 DuPont Manual High School World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana
2011 Plano Senior High School World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
2012 Plano Senior High School World Affairs Councils of Dallas/Fort Worth
2013 Plano West Senior High School World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
2014 Plano West Senior High School World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
2015 DuPont Manual High School World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana
2016 Keystone School World Affairs Council of San Antonio
2017 Plano West Senior High School World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
2018 Plano West Senior High School World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

Leadership Missions

For more than a decade, the WACA has been invited to bring small delegations of council leaders to learn about a host country. A leadership mission consists of an overseas fact-finding visit to a city, country, or organization by a delegation of the World Affairs Council.

Host Countries
Year
Country
Year
Country
1998 China 2006 Taiwan
South Korea Tunisia
Taiwan 2007 Germany
1999 Japan Saudi Arabia
Singapore Taiwan
2000 Morocco 2008 Israel
Northern Ireland South Korea
2001 Taiwan UAE
2002 Israel 2009 China
Lebanon Iraq
Libya Oman
2003 Jordan 2010 Taiwan
Mexico 2011 Azerbaidjan
Poland Taiwan
1996 Japan 2012 Afghanistan
1997 Brazil China
2004 Kuwait 2013 Taiwan
Lebanon 2014 China
Taiwan 2015 Taiwan
2005 Egypt 2016 Israel
2018 Qatar
EU/NATO

Engage America Speakers Series

The Speakers Series includes partnerships between the National Office and think tanks, foundations, publishing companies, and government agencies to provide speakers to America's communities through our local councils on the critical global issues of our times.

Individual councils

Members councils are located in 40 states, as well as in D.C. and Puerto Rico. Councils are funded through membership dues, corporate sponsorships, grants, in-kind donations, fundraising events, and fee-for-service activities. Over 2,000 corporations, foundations, and individuals help support council work.

StateNameOffice
Alabama Alabama World Affairs Council Montgomery
Alaska Alaska World Affairs Council Anchorage
Juneau World Affairs Council Juneau
Arizona World Affairs Council of Arizona Scottsdale
California World Affairs Council of Orange County Irvine
Los Angeles World Affairs Council Los Angeles
World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay Area Monterey
World Affairs Council of the Desert Palm Springs
World Affairs Council of Inland S. California Riverside
World Affairs Council California Central Coast Ventura
San Diego World Affairs Council San Diego
World Affairs Council (Northern California) San Francisco
World Affairs Council of Sonoma County Santa Rosa
Colorado Colorado Springs World Affairs Council Colorado Springs
Denver World Affairs Council Denver
Colorado Foothills World Affairs Council Littleton
World Affairs Council of Western Colorado Grand Junction
Connecticut World Affairs Council of Connecticut Hartford
World Affairs Forum Stamford
Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council Waterford
Delaware World Affairs Council of Wilmington Wilmington
District of Columbia World Affairs Council of Washington, DC Washington, D.C.
Florida World Affairs Council of Jacksonville Jacksonville
Naples Council on World Affairs Naples
World Affairs Council of Palm Beach Palm Beach
Sarasota World Affairs Council Sarasota
World Affairs Council of Central Florida Orlando
Georgia World Affairs Council of Atlanta Atlanta
Savannah Council on World Affairs Savannah
Hawaii Pacific and Asian Affairs Council Honolulu
Illinois Peoria Area World Affairs Council Peoria
World Affairs Council of Central Illinois Springfield
Indiana Indiana Council on World Affairs Indianapolis
Iowa World Affairs Council of the Quad Cities Davenport-Bettendorf
Kentucky World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana Louisville
Louisiana World Affairs Council of New Orleans New Orleans
Maine World Affairs Council of Maine Portland
Massachusetts WorldBoston Boston
World Affairs Council of W. Massachusetts Springfield
Worcester World Affairs Council Worcester
Michigan World Affairs Council of Detroit Detroit
World Affairs Council of W. Michigan Grand Rapids
International Affairs Forum Traverse City
Minnesota Global Minnesota Minneapolis
Missouri International Relations Council Kansas City
World Affairs Council of St. Louis St. Louis
Montana Montana World Affairs Council Missoula
Nevada World Affairs Council of Las Vegas Las Vegas
Northern Nevada International Center Reno
New Hampshire World Affairs Council of New Hampshire Manchester
New Jersey World Affairs Council of New Jersey Paramus
New Mexico Santa Fe Council on International Relations Santa Fe
New York International Institute of Buffalo Buffalo
International Center of the Capital Region Troy
Foreign Policy Association New York City
World Affairs Council of Mid-Hudson Valley Poughkeepsie
World Affairs Council of Rochester Rochester
North Carolina World Affairs Council of W. North Carolina Asheville
World Affairs Council of Charlotte Charlotte
Ohio Akron Council on World Affairs Akron
Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council Cincinnati
Cleveland Council on World Affairs Cleveland
Columbus Council on World Affairs Columbus
Dayton Council on World Affairs Dayton
World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio Stony Ridge
Oregon World Affairs Council of Oregon Portland
Pennsylvania World Affairs Council of Harrisburg Harrisburg
World Affairs Council of Philadelphia Philadelphia
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh
World Affairs Council of Greater Reading Reading
Puerto Rico World Affairs Council of Puerto Rico
Rhode Island World Affairs Council of Rhode Island Providence
South Carolina Columbia World Affairs Council Columbia
World Affairs Council of Hilton Head Hilton Head
World Affairs Council of Charleston Charleston
World Affairs Council Upstate Greenville
South Dakota South Dakota World Affairs Council Brookings
Tennessee Tennessee World Affairs Council Nashville
Texas North American Borderplex Council El Paso
World Affairs Council of Austin Austin
World Affairs Council of South Texas Corpus Christi
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth Dallas
World Affairs Council of Greater Houston Houston
World Affairs Council of San Antonio San Antonio
Utah Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy Salt Lake City
Vermont Vermont Council on World Affairs Burlington
Windham World Affairs Council Brattleboro
Virginia World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads Hampton Roads
World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond Richmond
Washington Olympia World Affairs Council Olympia
World Affairs Council of Seattle Seattle
World Affairs Council of Spokane Spokane
World Affairs Council of Tacoma Tacoma
Wisconsin Institute of World Affairs Milwaukee

Notes
  1. "World Affairs Councils of America" (PDF). Foundation Center. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  2. "The DandI Awards Post Release" (PDF).
  3. "WorldQuest on the World Affairs Councils of America Website".
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