Three young sub-Saharan African immigrants left home in their teens to embark on their years-long journey to Spain. Crossing the Sahara Desert by foot, spending months to years living in the forests of Morocco, and finally making the dangerous crossing to the Spanish mainland or territories by land or sea, these three distinct immigration stories have one thing in common: their incredible optimism in the face of inconceivable adversity.
Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan
Deputy United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan
United States Consul General in Jerusalem
The World Affairs Council of Orange County invites you to join us Wednesday, March 13 at 6 pm for a discussion with Ambassador (ret.) David D. Pearce on “What Next in Saudi Arabia After Khashoggi?” Ambassador Pearce will discuss events leading up to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and examine the implications of his death for both Saudi Arabia’s internal stability and its external relations. We encourage you to read Ambassador Pearce’s blogpost on the subject here:https://t.co/hzm8zUmKPi
Now retired to Maine and California, Ambassador David D. Pearce served 35 years at 11 diplomatic postings in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Europe, in addition to several Washington tours. He was U.S. Ambassador to Greece and to Algeria, Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, and Deputy United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is the recipient of numerous State Department awards, two Presidential rank awards for distinguished service, and a U.S. Army Commander’s Award for Public Service, presented by General David Petraeus for his work in Iraq.
A native of Maine, Ambassador Pearce graduated from Bowdoin College in 1972 and received a Master’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University in 1973. After working as a journalist for nine years, he entered the Foreign Service in January 1982, serving first as a vice consul and political officer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has professional proficiency in speaking and reading Arabic, French and Italian. Elected in 2018 to the U.S. Academy of Diplomacy, he is a member of the American Foreign Service Association; the Association of Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired (DACOR); the Middle East Institute; and World Affairs Councils in both Portland, Maine and Orange County, California.
The World Affairs Councils of America’s flagship youth education program is a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students. Academic WorldQuest tests players’ knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures. Academic WorldQuest engages more than 4,000 high school students annually to test their knowledge of global issues and foreign policy in competitions across the country.
Be a SPONSOR or an UNDERWRITER for the March 2019 Academic WorldQuest to give a high school team a once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete in the national AWQ tournament in Washington DC!
To Become a Sponsor or Donate email us at madeenarafiq@worldaffairscouncil.org or call us at (949) 253—5751.
Parents & Students:
The 2018-2019 local Academic Quest Competition will be held at Chapman University. Local Orange County winners will go on to represent the county at the national competition in Washington D.C. Topics for this years competition are listed below, however only schools/teams that register will receive the full study guide from the World Affairs Council of America. If you wish to register please fill and return the form linked below before December 14, 2018.
Competition Structure: Four-person teams compete by answering rounds of questions projected onto a screen. A full competition is 100 questions, divided into ten rounds with distinct thematic categories. The winning team is the team with the most right answers.
“A Conversation with Former Ambassador John Negroponte”
Thursday, February 14th, 2019
*Lunch Event*
With
Ambassador John Negroponte
The World Affairs Council of Orange County invites you to attend a luncheon event at The Westin South Coast Plaza featuring Ambassador John Negroponte. Ambassador Negroponte is uniquely qualified to help us understand the shifting foreign and security policy landscape that confronts America. Ambassador Negroponte’s remarks will focus on the U.S. – China relationship, the evolution of U.S. security priorities since the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and U.S. leadership priorities in 2019.
The Ambassador has had a distinguished career in diplomacy and national security which includes service as the inaugural Director of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush, service as ambassador to the United Nations, Iraq, Mexico, Honduras, and the Philippines. He was awarded the National Security Medal by President Bush in 2009.
Our Moderator Dr. Clayton Dube!
Dr. Clayton Dube, Executive Director of USC US-China Institute, focuses on the multidimensional and always changing U.S.-China relationship. Dube has earned teaching awards at three universities. Trained as a historian, he first lived in China in 1982-85 and carried out research there in 1989 and 1991-92. He’s visited another fifty-plus times for research, teaching, and to lead groups of students and teachers. Dube is a director of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) and serves on the editorial boards of Education about Asia and the International Review of Chinese Studies. He was previously associate editor of Modern China. Dube has produced several documentary films and consulted on others. The best known of these is the twelve-part Assignment: China series on American media coverage of China since the 1940s.
Date:
Thursday, February 14th, 2019
Time: Registration 11:30 am
Lunch/Program 12:oo pm
Location: The Westin South Coast Plaza
686 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Price: WACOC Member+Program $65
VIP Reception + Lunch + Program $120
WACOC Premium Member Guest Lunch $65
WACOC General Member Guest Lunch + Program $75
WACOC Student Member Lunch + Program $45
Non-member Lunch + Program $75
Table and Lunch for 10 + Program $650
Presenting Sponsor: Mark Chapin Johnson Foundation
In January 1969, Richard M. Nixon became our nation’s 37th president. His most pressing foreign policy concern was ending the long war in Vietnam in a way, he hoped, would secure “peace with honor.” What perspectives can be gleaned from this conflict on foreign policy decision-making, on civil-military relations, and on the problems of departing from a war the United States had not won? Chapman professor and retired US Army Colonel Gregory A. Daddis will analyze how a fractious relationship between senior military leaders and the White House had a major impact on American strategy and foreign policy during the war’s final years, offering lessons for today in our current era of “perpetual war.”
Gregory Daddis is an associate professor of history and director of Chapman University¹s MA Program in War and Society. Daddis joined Chapman after having served as the Chief of the American History Division in the Department of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point. A retired US Army colonel, he has served in both Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Daddis specializes in the history of the Vietnam Wars and the Cold War era. He has authored four books, including Withdrawal: Reassessing America¹s Final Years in Vietnam (2017), Westmoreland¹s War: Reassessing American Strategy in Vietnam (2014) and No Sure Victory: Measuring U.S. Army Effectiveness and Progress in the Vietnam War (2011). He has also published several op-ed pieces commenting on current military affairs, to include writings in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and National Interest magazine.
U.S. Representative of California’s 39th Congressional District
Former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
“Royce has always been driven by a desire to do the right thing and not let partisan politics or special interests get in the way.” (Council on Foreign Relations blog, 1/17/18)
“In the last five years, we’ve produced legislation that has made the United States safer and stronger, helping advance our interests and values around the world. We’ve left politics at the water’s edge to do what’s right for our country. For all those accomplishments, we have Ed Royce to thank.” (WashingtonExaminer, 1/8/18)
Ed Royce “deserves particular praise for his years promoting human rights, especially in the fight to end human trafficking and protect the most vulnerable people around the world”. (Rollcall.com, 1/10/18)
Those warm salutes to Congress member Ed Royce by Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Few people have his grasp of international relations globally. Few people understand, as he does, the forces shaping the international arena, and, in turn, affecting our own lives and the freedoms that we treasure.
Now, after 36 consecutive years of public service representing Orange County in both the California State Senate and the US House of Representatives, and as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee since 2013, Ed Royce has announced that he will retire this year when his term is completed.
We at WACOC are most appreciative of his distinguished career and are excited to honor Ed Royce with a special retirement party to thank him for his service. We are excited that he will be our keynote speaker, for our third Annual Round the World Lecture & Holiday Celebration on Monday, December 3, 2018.
We look forward to his presentation of his perspectives on the implications of the most significant events of our time, where the game changers are leading us, and where we need to place our priorities moving forward. We will have an audience question and answer opportunity as well, so come prepared to inquire about what matters to you!
You can register now to attend the dinner, and/or the reception. Also, you may want to become a sponsor and help WACOC — our nonprofit, nonpartisan, trusted source of information — to continue to provide the public service our community needs. We can continue to bring renown leaders to our county, so our members and guests can interact with the decision makers who are shaping the future. Please see the attached materials to learn what levels of sponsorship and corresponding benefits might interest you.
We’re excited to have the opportunity to thank Congress member Ed Royce for his service and host his final local public event!
VENUE:
The Resort at Pelican Hill
(22701 S. Pelican Hill Road, Newport Beach, CA 92657)
TIME:
VIP and General Reception 5:30 PM
Dinner and Speaker Event 6:30 PM
TICKET PRICES:
$130.00
$90.00
$230.00
$130.00
$150.00
$1,300.00
Dietary Restrictions: Please e-mail orangecounty@worldaffairscouncil.org or call our office (949) 253-5751 by the registration deadline.
Refund Policy: Refund requests will not be accepted after the registration deadline. Cancellations must be made no later than the registration deadline.
Paying by Check: If sending in a check, please call our office.
Trustees Only- Complementary Dinner Event
*Bring One Guest* *Limited Seating*
Can Oğuz has been a career officer in the Turkish diplomatic service since 2000.
Before assuming his duties as Turkey’s Consul General to Los Angeles in December 2017, he served as Head of Department in the Deputy Directorate General for Iraq at the Turkish Foreign Ministry between 2015-2017.
He served in the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. as Political Counselor between 2010 and 2015. Prior to his tenure in Washington D.C. he worked as First Secretary in the Deputy Directorate for Iraq between 2008 and 2010.
The upcoming program with Can Oguz, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey, has come at an excellent time to give us a better understanding of the current situation in Turkey.
The news media have recently been covering several significant stories about events in Turkey. One long running story has been the arrest and lengthy detention of Andrew Brunson, the American Pastor, who had been a long-time missionary in Turkey. His recent release appears to have lowered the level of tension with the United States Government.
Then, the mysterious death of Washington Post contributor Jamal Kashoggi in the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Istanbul has recently raised questions about how the Turkish Government will react and what effect it may have on relations between the two countries.
US Congressman (1989-1993; 1995-2001)
Dean, Chapman Univ. Fowler School of Law (2011-2016)
interviews:
William Kristol
Founder and Editor-at-large of the political magazine The Weekly Standard Chief of staff to Reagan’s Secretary of Education, William Bennett Chief of Staff to the Vice President under Dan Quayle in the George H. W. Bush Administration
-Dinner Event- Monday, October 22, 2018
The Pacific Club
4110 MacArthur Blvd, Newport Beach, CA 92660
VIP Reception 5:30 pm
General Reception 6:15 pm
Dinner & Speaker Event 6:45pm
Pricing:
Student $40 /Premium Members $65 / General Members $65
Premium Member Guest $65 / Non-Member/General Member Guest $80
Please plan to attend our Annual Trustee Luncheon on September 23rd at the beautiful Balboa Bay Club! This important event is one of the occasions where all of our Trustees have the opportunity to engage and learn more about the Council’s past and upcoming year. It is also the time that the new officers are elected and individual members are recognized for exceptional service this past year.
VENUE:
Balboa Bay Club
[1221 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach, CA 92663]
TIME:
11:30AM- 3:00PM
TICKET PRICES:
WACOC Trustee- $75
WACOC Trustee’s Guest- $75
To Register please call our office at (949)253-5751
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY,SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
Dietary Restrictions: Please e-mail orangecounty@worldaffairscouncil.org or call our office (949) 253-5751 byFriday, September 14, 2018.Accommodations cannot be made after this date.
Refund Policy: Refund requests will not be accepted after the registration deadline. Cancellations must be made no later than the registration deadline.
Paying by Check: If sending in a check, please call our office byFriday, September 14, 2018
