Global I.q. Minute With Jim Falk

The monarchy is a national symbol of the UK and a traditional unifying point, as we have just witnessed. As the United Kingdom said goodbye to its longest-reigning monarch, questions arose about how many of the 56 commonwealth nations would retain King Charles III as their sovereign. What is the impact of the Queen’s passing on the world? Does it change global order? Will the monarchy remain relevant, be slimmed down, or shift to a republican system? The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth will present a webinar featuring Lord Mark Sedwill, a British diplomat, member of the House of Lords, and former civil servant who served as Cabinet Secretary to Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson and Head of the Civil Service (2018-2020), and as National Security Adviser (2017-2020). He was previously the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, and Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connec

Hacking is no longer a far-off, fictional plot from science fiction. We all participate in the digital world. The threats to individuals and their identities are real and inevitable; no person or corporation is exempt from identity theft or data breach. Last year, Microsoft was infiltrated by at least 10 different hacker groups as a result of software flaws and unsuspecting users. Cyber-tech leaders Shawn Wiora and Mike Echols will show Global Forum members how to manage cyber risks and be empowered to safely navigate the tech world.   About the Speakers: Mike Echoles headshotMike Echols is the CEO of IACI, a Kennedy Space Center nonprofit, and CEO of Max Cybersecurity LLC. Echols spent 10 years at the Department of Homeland Security in critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity leadership and served as the point person for President Obama’s Executive Order Promoting Private Sector Cybersecurity Information Sharing, Chair of the Communications Sector and Network Security Information Exchange, and

Over the past century, Americans have seen several iterations of the Republican Party, from the post-WWII Eisenhower days to Reaganomics to the rise of Trump’s MAGA movement. Amid so much change, how does one define the modern-day Republican Party, and what does it mean to be a conservative in 2022? Political scholar Matthew Continetti seeks to answer these questions and more in his book, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism. In The Right, Continetti takes readers through the history of the party and how the ideology that drives it has evolved over the decades, in the face of changing social, political, and economic circumstances. From a “network of intellectuals” to a 21st century political organization, Continetti explains the intricacies behind what many see as the party’s “desire for mainstream acceptance and the pull of extremism.” Matthew Continetti is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies American political thought and history, emphasizin

When facing technical difficulties with your computer, the easiest solution is often just to reboot it. But can you hit control, alt, delete on a political party? In his book, American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done, former Republican congressman and CIA officer William Hurd argues you definitely can. Dubbed “the future of the GOP” by Politico and Texas Monthly, Hurd reveals his secrets to success in turning red a large district that has traditionally voted blue. He provides a clear-eyed path forward for America, grounded by what Hurd calls "pragmatic idealism"—a concept forged from enduring American values to achieve what is actually achievable. From his critical analysis of the GOP’s foggy vision for the future to discussing the impact of rapid technological advancements, Hurd will tackle five seismic problems facing the U.S. as outlined in his book. Join us as Hurd shares his unique experience as a Black republican in the House, with a vibrant career in intelligence, articulating

Honeybees seem to attract the spotlight but our pollinators in general are in a bind. We aren't helpless though. Everyone has the capacity to be a huge help to our bee populations, both native and introduced, but first we must discuss what’s threatening them and why we need to act. Join us in this special Earth Day conversation with Dr. Sammy Ramsey, founder and director of the Ramsey Research Foundation. Alongside his research focused on predatory and parasitic insect behavior, Dr. Sammy dedicates much of his time to making his work and other entomological efforts more accessible to the community at large. He has generated a significant online following through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube in the process of making STEM more inclusive, equitable, and diverse. About Dr. Sammy Dr. Sammy, founder and director of the Ramsey Research Foundation, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Entomology from Cornell University in 2011, and focused his research on Predatory & Parasitic Insect Behavior.

Only three months into the new year, the world has already faced a multitude of new challenges. From humanitarian crises to threats to global democracy to the resurgence of Covid-19 and crippled supply chains, there are many obstacles to clear in the months ahead. Furthermore, with the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine and increasing access to lethal autonomous weapons, the stakes are greater than ever. As we enter a novel era of interstate conflict and potential new world order, it becomes crucial to evaluate how the United States might take on these challenges. As part of the Council’s 2022 International Perspectives series, Richard Fontaine will walk us through what the future holds for U.S. foreign policy in an era of revolutionary global change. Drawing from his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and a lifetime career on the frontlines of foreign policy, Fontaine is uniquely equipped to forecast how the United States’ will navigate this time of great

The Abraham Accords represent the first public normalization of relations between an Arab nation and Israel since 1994. The future looms on the precipice of change as this joint statement between the State of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States signals an opening between Israel and the Middle East. This is evidenced by the American Jewish Committee’s recent announcement of opening a branch in Dubai. As a principal architect of the Accords, Robert Greenway will delve into their growth and evolution to the state of Israel-U.A.E. relations today. As part of the Council’s 2022 International Perspectives series, Greenway will advocate for the expansion of The Abraham Accords and the vitality of U.S. leadership in the matter. Drawing on his experience of developing strategies for the Middle East and with over 30 years in public service on the National Security Council (NSC), Greenway will attempt to map how the Accords could continue to alter the path to peace between Israel and the rest of the

Reporter Kelly Weill has spent most of her journalism career covering misinformation and conspiracy theories. As a recent college graduate in 2016, Weill entered the media world at a time of immense change, when terms like “fake news” and “disinformation” became part of the mainstream American vocabulary. Coinciding with this time was the rise in “Flat Earthers,” a group of people who support the idea that “we all live on a flat plane, under a solid dome, ringed by an impossible wall of ice.” In Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything, Weill sets out to explain where the fringe theory of Flat Earth came from, how it relates to other conspiracy theories, and what it is about society that leads people to believe things that most consider inherently untrue. Kelly Weill is a reporter at The Daily Beast, where she covers extremism, disinformation, and the internet. She is a frequent media contributor on the topics of her work and has been featured on Nightline, CNN,

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia could not feel "safe, develop, and exist" because of what he claimed was a constant threat from modern Ukraine. Immediately after, a full-scale military invasion on Ukraine was launched, resulting in number of casualties, both military and civilian. With President Joe Biden’s recent decisions to increase sanctions on Russia and keep all Russian airlines out of U.S. airspace as tensions escalate, it is pertinent to analyze and evaluate the role the United States will play in this crisis. While current events are still current, the Council is dedicated to offering a RealTime Report, hosting speakers with firsthand knowledge of the issues at bay and the ability to best interpret the situation as it unfolds. For this Russo-Ukrainian crisis, we’ve invited the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, the 22nd permanent representative of the United States to NATO, in conversation with moderator and Russia and Near East expert Anna Borshchevskaya. Ambassador H

Not all heroes wear capes, but the best of them take brave stands for people most in need. With a life devoted to issues that affect people in the margins, that bravery is woven in the very fabric of who Shalonda Spencer is. She has spent her career affecting legislation regarding women’s rights, foreign affairs, immigration, healthcare, and education – notably issues pertaining to people of color. Her voice has been heard in some of the nation’s most important spaces, from serving as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives to working on presidential campaigns with bold platforms. She is a proven, decorated expert in women’s rights advocacy, serving in various advising roles for multiple organizations that elevate the causes of women. Today, Shalonda Spencer serves as the executive director of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS), a global organization that advances the voices of women of color in International Relations. Aligned with her own life mission, WCAPS places an e

Dan Hunt is no stranger to the professional sports industry. His father, Lamar Hunt, was key to the establishment of professional sports in the U.S. He founded professional leagues and owned many teams – notably the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) and FC Dallas (MLS). Dan inherited his father’s passion, working with him to make Toyota Stadium a reality and Frisco, TX a premier destination for both professional and youth soccer. In 2018, the National Soccer Hall of Fame opened in connection with Toyota Stadium, honoring the history of soccer but unmistakably focused on the future. If Hunt has his way, part of that future will include hosting 2026 World Cup tournament games in that stadium here in DFW. He’s part of a bid committee made up of elected officials, business leaders, and sports franchise executives lobbying FIFA for North Texas to host as many as six matches of the 2026 World Cup – including the final. Seventeen other cities are also contending for the ten or eleven North American locations to be chosen. C

There are countless examples of spies in modern popular culture. There are not, however, many examples of the reality behind modern espionage, a world that’s changing faster than most people realize. Rapid advances in technology, combined with ever-changing geopolitical dynamics, have created an intelligence world that Dr. Amy Zegart argues looks quite different from what is portrayed in spy novels, television shows, and movies. In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Dr. Zegart takes readers through the long history of American espionage, from George Washington’s Revolutionary War spies to the present day, providing context for the reality faced by American intelligence professionals today, and laying out what the modern landscape looks like today and where it may be heading. Considered “one of the ten most influential experts in intelligence reform” by the National Journal, Dr. Zegart has served in presidential administrations, co-authored a book with Condoleezza Rice, and published award-winning research on intell

Making important decisions under pressure can be tough for even the most confident individuals. Marc Polymeropoulos, a 26-year CIA veteran, has some solutions to offer. In his new book, Clarity in Crisis, Polymeropoulos shares his approach to leadership, an intentional process he honed over his long career, during which the consequences of his decisions held enormous weight. As an expert in counterterrorism, covert action, and human intelligence, Polymeropoulos stands as one of the most highly decorated field officers in intelligence history. Through Clarity in Crisis, he hopes to share strategies with the civilian world that can help to avoid the damage caused by bad decisions made under pressure and to inspire the confidence needed to “lead when others want to flee.” Marc Polymeropoulos is a nonresident fellow in forward defense at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Polymeropoulos retired from the CIA in 2019 after a 26-year career that brought him across the Middle East, S

The Economist’s “The World Ahead” series is published every year as an outlook of what is likely to occur in the upcoming year. Tom Standage, the series’ editor, will share an overview of the publication’s content, delving into informed predictions of the year to come, analysis of world affairs from experts and public figures, and important topics to think about as 2021 draws to an end. In 2022, what state will Western democracy be in? How will the Earth fare in the face of unprecedented climate change? Will it become more common for regular civilians to leave the Earth via space travel? Standage will cover these questions and more. Tom StandageAbout Tom Standage Tom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist, where he is editor of the publication’s annual “The World Ahead” series. Standage has been with The Economist since 1998 and is currently in charge of digital strategy and product development. He has written six history books, and his work has been featured in The New York Times and The Guardian, among

About Jessica L. Bedoya Global financial services firm Deloitte projects that the collective economies of Latin America will grow by 3.8 percent in 2022. Some countries, like Colombia, are expected to grow by as much as 5.8 percent. What’s going on down south? On January 11, regional expert Jessica Bedoya will share her insight into Latin America’s recent economic growth, drawing on nearly two decades of experience guiding American policy in the region. Bedoya was instrumental in executing the América Crece initiative, working with the private sector to grow private investment in Latin American and the Caribbean. Her efforts have led to investment growth of up to $1 billion in agriculture, infrastructure, and technology, key industries for the region. Jessica L. Bedoya is chief of staff and chief strategy officer in the Office of the Presidency at the Inter-American Development Bank, where she focuses on institutional strategy and investment policy. Her extensive leadership experience in international affair

In the first half of the twentieth century, the United States and Japan navigated a tumultuous relationship. When devastating attacks from both sides during World War II led both countries to a desire to avoid any future conflict, a strong alliance formed. Today, that alliance has grown into a closely intertwined friendship, as the American and Japanese economies work together for mutual benefit. Increasingly, North Texas is playing an important role in this critical alliance. More than 170 Japanese companies, including major companies like Toyota and Fujitsu, have made their homes in North Texas and provided job opportunities and services to the region. In this program, we’ll dive into how DFW came to be a desired destination for Japanese businesses, explore the attraction and the mutual benefits to our population and the greater U.S. economy. Panelist: Yasuhiro Uozumi is the executive director of Keidanren USA in Washington DC. He has been with the organization for more than 20 years. Uozumi is a certifie

As one of the largest cities in the South, Atlanta has recently been the focus of news coverage on everything from election controversies to significant social justice reforms. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has found herself at the center of many of these headlines. Through the lens of her One Atlanta initiative, Mayor Bottoms sees the future of Atlanta as a “an affordable, resilient, and equitable city of commerce and compassion.” Her efforts have led to major reforms in financial transparency, diversity and inclusion, criminal justice, and policing, both locally and nationwide. In conversation with former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Mayor Bottoms will discuss the importance of cities, like Dallas and Atlanta, in terms of the role they play on the world stage. Keisha Lance Bottoms is the 60th mayor of Atlanta. She currently serves as chair of the Community Development and Housing Committee and on the Census Task Force for the United States Conference of Mayors. Honored as 2020 Georgian of the Year by Georgia T

Attorney Adam Schiff was in his 18th year as a California congressman in the summer of 2019 when President Donald Trump made a telephone call to the newly elected president of Ukraine. That phone call resulted in an abuse of power allegation against the President and Adam Schiff became the man charged with proving it. He served as a lead investigator for the December 18, 2019 House impeachment of President Trump and as manager of the unsuccessful 2020 Senate impeachment trial. Schiff writes about his experience in a new book that Kirkus Reviews describes as “a full-throated denunciation of Donald Trump and his congressional enablers.” Midnight in Washington Congressman Adam Schiff represents California's 28th Congressional District. Schiff currently serves as the Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees the nation's intelligence agencies. Schiff is on a leave of absence from the House Appropriations Committee, where he remains an ex-officio member. After Schiff graduated

Dr. Sandro Galea was born in Malta, spent his formative years in Canada, and entered adulthood in the United States. Multinational at his core, Dr. Galea learned early on that global health would be his life’s passion. While volunteering as a physician with Doctors Without Borders in Somalia, Dr. Galea realized that the only way to eliminate suffering at the individual and community levels was to look at health from a macro perspective. The experience led Dr. Galea to leave behind “the immediate gratification of medicine to labor in the vineyard of public health.” Named an “epidemiology innovator” by Time magazine and one of the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” by Thomson Reuters, Dr. Galea stands at the forefront of global public health. His latest book, The Contagion Next Time, discusses ways that the United States can address underlying health issues to lay a solid foundation for American public health — an endeavor that may unlock the United States’ next phase as a “truly vibrant and equitable

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommends that global CO2 emissions should decrease by 50%–80% by 2050. This goal is particularly challenging for hydrocarbon-based economies that depend on fossil fuel exports and for the oil and gas industry –but there are solutions- such as the use of renewable energy, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), among others. It is, however, especially vital that technological solutions be customized based on each country’s unique emission profile. This talk will look into different energy transitions, the role of hydrogen, policies and technologies from a systems perspective. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please