World Affairs Council
of Western Michigan

The media in a “Twitter universe,” global health, the future of American global leadership, the defense budget and Putin’s Russia are some of the dynamic topics being explored as the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan launches its 2018 Great Decisions Global Discussion Series. Discussions will take place January 29 through March 26, and feature national scholars and experts—including former ambassador and CEO of the Carter Center Mary Ann Peters, Susan Glasser of POLITICO and Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance at American University—who will stimulate conversations on global issues and foreign policy. “We call this edition of the Great Decisions se

Local businessman Hendrik Meijer long had a dream to give Michigan senator Arthur Vandenberg (1884-1951) his due—as a national leader who changed his isolationist views to become a leader in building consensus for major U.S. international initiatives such as the Marshall Plan, the United Nations and NATO. “I remember Hank telling me 20 years ago that he was determined to get his Vandenberg biography done,” said World Affairs Council of Western Michigan (WACWM) executive director emeritus Dixie Anderson. “He was convinced that the senator’s contributions had not been properly recognized.” Anderson said that at the time she immediately promised Meijer a Council-promoted gathering to celebrate

Russia has dominated our national headlines for months. Timely, then, that the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is bringing a Russian expert to town. On Tuesday, November 14, The Honorable John Beyrle, United States Ambassador to Russia (retired), will present on the topic “Russia 2018: Putin’s Last Act?” Beyrle will speak at 7:00 p.m. at the Western Michigan University Grand Rapids East Beltline campus. Ambassador Beyrle’s talk is the conclusion of the Council’s fall lecture series, titled “Dixie’s Picks” in honor of retiring executive director Dixie Anderson. “We look forward to John’s analysis, especially in the wake of the way Russia has dominated news coverage,” Anderson said.

On Wednesday, November 8, Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), will present on the topic “Top Five Threats to America’s National Security.” She will speak at 7:00 p.m. at the Western Michigan University Grand Rapids East Beltline campus. Just prior to joining the CFR, Murray held the Distinguished National Security Chair at the U.S. Naval Academy. Murray’s talk is part of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s fall lecture series, titled “Dixie’s Picks” in honor of retiring executive director Dixie Anderson. “Lori moderated the discussion with General David Petraeus when he visited the Council a few years ago. She did an impressive job

His Excellency H.E. Vasko Naumovski, the Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to the U.S., will give a presentation titled “Soft Power in the Balkans” on Tuesday, November 7, beginning at 5:15 p.m. at the University Club of Grand Rapids, located in the Fifth Third Bank building at 111 Lyon Street NW. The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is hosting this special event. The Balkans—which include the European countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia—are strategically located between Russian and Western zones of influence. Both Russia and the European Union are working hard to draw Balkan counties clo

The annual fall lecture series of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan features three of retiring executive director Dixie Anderson’s favorite speakers—heralded experts and outstanding presenters on international issues. And she has definitely chosen timely topics. With the Iran nuclear treaty in today’s headlines, Mr. Reza Marashi, the research director of the National Iranian American Council, will speak on “The Middle East: Regional Shifts and Global Responses” at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, at the Western Michigan University Grand Rapids East Beltline campus. “Reza has been with us twice and both talks concluded with standing ovations,” said Anderson. Marashi was an observ

Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 2, 2017 – Michael Van Denend is the new executive director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. He succeeds Dixie Anderson, who has held the post for 22 years and is retiring later this year after a lauded career of leadership that has seen the Council grow into a major community resource of global education—for businesses, educational institutions and the general community—through a wide range of successful and highly acclaimed programming. Van Denend, who recently completed 33 years of work as executive director of the Calvin College Alumni Association, was chosen after a three-month selection process, and his selection was confirmed unanimously

Affairs of state often seem remote from the everyday life we live in Grand Rapids. But our local community is influenced by and influences global affairs. World events shape our community. Consider the impact of war and conflict worldwide and how that has driven a decades-long effort to resettle refugees in Western Michigan. Through the arrival of newcomers, our neighborhoods are truly global. And our economy increasingly relies on global markets to maintain the economic growth we see in our community. In 2014, Grand Rapids was ranked among the top 10 emerging cities in the U.S. for global trade and the trend of globalizing businesses in Western Michigan continues. Our community has also inf