Facilitators: Umar Ahmad and Mirza Ashraf, WACMHV How will the Kashmir situation affect the region, both economically and politically? India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi rode a wave of Hindu nationalism to a historic reelection in 2019. His first order of business was to revoke the special status granted to the Kashmir region, inflaming the rivalry […]
Facilitator: Malia Du Mont, Bard College Almost every nation has enacted laws criminalizing human trafficking, and international organizations, governments, and NGOs sponsor a large variety of projects to curb trafficking and slavery. Billions of dollars have been allocated to these efforts. What is the international community doing to combat slavery and trafficking? What are the […]
Facilitator: Karen Nichols Climate change has become one of the defining issues of our time. As much of the world bands together to come up with a plan, the U.S. remains the notable holdout. What is the rest of the world doing to combat climate change? What impact will the effects of climate change have […]
Facilitator: Jean-Claude Fouere Policymakers in many countries are developing plans and funding research in artificial intelligence (AI). Global growth is slowing, and not surprisingly, many policymakers hope that AI will provide a magic solution. The EU, Brazil, and other Western countries have adopted regulations that grant users greater control over their data and require that […]
Join us on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at 7 pm for a talk by Ian Buruma. Dr. Buruma is a Professor of Human Rights and Journalism at Bard College. He will offer his perspective on the positioning of the United States within the international arena. Zoom link information: https://bard.zoom.us/j/9620507477 Meeting ID: 962 050 7477 One […]
Facilitator: Antonio Flores Lobos To register to attend this program at the library, use this link. Combatting illegal immigration has become a priority of the Trump administration. The Northern Triangle of Central America, made up of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, is a special target of the administration, which holds the nations responsible for the […]
Our council will host the 2021 regional Academic WorldQuest competition on Saturday, March 6th. Due to limitations related to COVID-19, we will be holding our competition in a remote format. We expect 14 high schools, fielding over 20 teams to participate! We hope to once again host our competition in person in 2022 at our […]
Facilitator: Martin Charwat, World Affairs Council Great Decisions Program: The Korean Peninsula is facing a defining era. Attempts by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump to repair the rift between North and South have lost any momentum as Pyongyang continues to test long-range missiles for its nuclear weapons program. As the […]
Facilitator: Jean-Claude Fouere, World Affairs Council - MHV U.S. President Donald Trump left many scratching their heads when it was rumored that he was looking to purchase the large island nation of Greenland from Denmark. While any potential deal was highly unlikely, the event showed the changing opinion within the U.S. government toward engagement with […]
Facilitator: Dr. Matthew Murray, World Affairs Council Is using military force a viable foreign policy option for 2021 and beyond? The Persian Gulf remains tense as the rivalry between the regional powers of Saudi Arabia and Iran continues. Tensions escalated in early 2020 as the United States began to intervene in the Gulf, launching an […]
Facilitator: Malia Du Mont, Bard College; World Affairs Council The COVID-19 crisis has put a massive strain on a growing positive economic and political relationship between China and the continent of Africa. As Chinese President Xi Jinping's centerpiece "Belt and Road Initiative" continues to expand Chinese power, the response to the spread of COVID-19, as […]
Facilitator: Karen Nichols, World Affairs Council The shutdown of global supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore an issue with the high level of global economic interdependence: what happens when one country is the main source for an item, say face masks or vaccines, and then can no longer supply the […]