Mid-Hudson Valley World Affairs Council

Panel Discussion: Soft Power in a Post-Liberal World: The Future of Values and Ethics in International Relations
2025-11-18 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Woodstock Public Library District, 10 Dixon Ave, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Date: November 18, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Panelists: Kevin Maloney & James Ketterer
In an era of shifting global narratives, the U.S. is rethinking its approach to diplomacy. What happens when foreign aid is slashed, soft power institutions are defunded, and values-driven engagement gives way to transactional diplomacy?
Kevin Maloney and James Ketterer, co-chairs of a Carnegie Council initiative on ethics in international affairs, will discuss the evolving role of ethics and values in shaping the global order.

SWAC - Student World Affairs Conference
2025-11-21 | NY
Student World Affairs Conference 2025
MARIST COLLEGE FLYER
Marist University Student Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
Date: Friday, November 21, 2025
Start Time: 9 am; Keynote speaker scheduled to start at 3:30 pm
Undergraduate students from across the Hudson Valley will present papers on wide-ranging topics in world affairs.
Keynote Speaker:
Omar G. Encarnación, Charles Flint Kellogg Professor of Politics at Bard College
He will discuss LGBTQ Rights in Latin America, drawing from his books Framing Equality: The Politics of Gay Marriage Wars and Out in the Periphery: Latin America’s Gay Rights Revolution, in conversation with Marist faculty.
Sponsored by:
The Global Studies Program at Marist, the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley, and the World Film Program at Marist.
For further information, please contact Michael O’Sullivan at Michael.osullivan@marist.edu

Annual WAC-MHV Members Dinner
2025-12-03 18:30 - 21:00 | Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604, United States
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Location: The lovely Vassar College Alumnae House. This year’s evening will be a real treat especially for music lovers. James Ketterer will be sharing a fascinating presentation on Jazz & Diplomacy that you won’t want to miss.
As always, this special event is just for our members, so please make sure your 2025 membership is up to date. You may register or renew your membership conveniently through our website at https://wacmhv.org/membership/.

Assessing the Trump Administration's New National Security Strategy
2026-01-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Woodstock Public Library District, 10 Dixon Ave, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
Panelists: Malia Du Mont and Michael Hauser
Date: January 13, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:00 pm
Location: Woodstock Library, 10 Dixon Ave, Woodstock
What does it mean when a U.S. National Security Strategy breaks sharply with tradition? This talk will
provide a primer on what an NSS is, how it is crafted, and why it matters and demonstrate into why the
current strategy stands out. Departing from decades of precedent, the new NSS shifts strategic attention
toward the Western Hemisphere, deemphasizes Europe, and places economics at the center of national
security through concepts like economic statecraft and the integration of defense and diplomacy into
U.S. economic policy. The discussion will explore how and why these changes matter, with particular
attention to their implications for U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific. Attendees are encouraged to read
the new NSS in advance to enrich the conversation.
About the Speakers
Malia Du Mont — Former Director of Strategy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, currently
serving as Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College
Michael Hauser — Former Executive, Political-Military Bureau and Foreign Area Officer, U.S.
Department of State and US Army Infantry Lieutenant Colonel and Military Attaché.
Moderated by Ambassador Donna Welton.
Presented by the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley in partnership with Woodstock Library

Great Decisions: Global Cooperation in an Era of Competition: Can Multilateralism Survive?
2026-03-06 16:30 - 18:00 | Woodstock Public Library District, 10 Dixon Ave, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
March 6, 2026, 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Ambassador Donna Welton will address the question of global cooperation. Can multilateralism survive amid shifting global power and rising nationalism? What will the future hold for global cooperation across trade, health, and finance? This pressing topic derives from the Foreign Policy Association’s “Great Decisions” program.

Academic WorldQuest 2026
2026-03-07 09:00 - 13:30 | Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center, 4079 Albany Post Rd, Hyde Park, NY, 12538, United States
March 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 – 1:30 pm
Location: Henry A. Wallace Center, FDR Library, Albany Post Road (Rt 9), Hyde Park, NY
Join us to watch this challenging international affairs quiz-bowl. This is our 20th year of holding the competition! High school students (grade 9-12) in Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties will compete in teams of four to answer question in 10 topic areas. Students prepare for months leading up to this event, and the winning team will represent our region at the national competition in Washington, D.C. in April.
If you have a question or would like to register, please contact Karen Nichols (karen.nichols722@gmail.com) by February 1st to request a spot for your team(s)

Music and Diplomacy Panel Discussion and Musical Performance
2026-03-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Old Dutch Church, Kingston, NY, 272 Wall Street, Kingston, 12401
March 29, 2026, 3-5 pm
Old Dutch Church, Kingston, NY
Bard College, together with the City of Kingston Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley, will host “Music and Diplomacy” – a panel discussion and musical performance. This event is part of Kingston’s USA250 series of celebrations. It aims to explore how music has served as an important element of intercultural exchange and American soft power throughout the country’s history.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Malia Du Mont, vice president for strategy and policy and chief of staff at Bard College. It will feature Jim Ketterer, jazz musician and former diplomat who served in the State Department and on the National Security Council. The panel will also feature Phil Tappan, deputy commander of the West Point Band, and Jindong Cai, director of Bard’s US-China Music Institute.
The panel discussion will be followed by a musical performance by musicians from the local community, Bard College and Jim Ketterer.

Great Decisions: Rethinking Nuclear Energy
2026-03-30 18:30 - 19:30 | Boardman Library, 141 Boardman Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12603, United States
Monday, March 30, 6:30 pm, Boardman Road Library, Poughkeepsie
Edward A. Friedman of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley will discuss next generation nuclear energy and unique opportunities for this technology to mitigate global warming. Dr. Friedman will draw upon his recently published book for a lay audience, “Nuclear Energy: Boom, Bust, and Emerging Renaissance,” which recounts early optimism for nuclear energy followed by a clear account of the consequential nuclear accidents. He then explains the newly emerging designs and how they promise to curb previously unmanageable carbon emissions. He will place these developments into an international context where China and Russia exploit their nuclear dominance.
Edward A. Friedman holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physics from MIT and Columbia University as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Mathematics from Sofia University in Bulgaria. He served as Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Stevens Institute of Technology (1973-1986) and Director of a USAID Program to develop an indigenous college of engineering in Kabul, Afghanistan (1970-73). He received the Albert Einstein Education Medal from the State of New Jersey and the National Education Medal from the King of Afghanistan. He served as a member of the American University of Bulgaria’s Board of Trustees (2017-2025).

Great Decisions: The Gray Zone Dilemma - Irregular Warfare in the South China Sea
2026-04-27 18:30 - 19:30 | Boardman Library, 141 Boardman Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12603, United States
Monday, April 27, 6:30 pm, Boardman Road Library, Poughkeepsie
Facilitator Michael Hauser for the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley. Since World War II, the term Irregular Warfare (IW) has become an increasingly common aspect in the study of warfare and statecraft. Comprising concepts such as guerrilla warfare, counterterrorism, unconventional warfare, and counterinsurgency, IW today is seemingly ubiquitous as major powers utilize IW strategy to exploit the “gray zone” between peace and war. This presentation will summarize the scope of IW and focus on the South China Sea as a case study for modern IW. There is no assigned reading for this presentation, however, the Great Decisions materials are available for checkout from the library should you wish to read up on the topic before the talk. No Registration Required.

Great Decisions: The Gray Zone Dilemma – Irregular Warfare in the South China Sea
2026-05-19 16:30 - 17:30 | Woodstock Public Library District, 10 Dixon Ave, Woodstock, NY, 12498, United States
May 19, 2026, 4:30 pm
Woodstock Library, 10 Dixon Ave., Woodstock, NY
Facilitator Michael Hauser for the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley. Since World War II, the term Irregular Warfare (IW) has become an increasingly common aspect in the study of warfare and statecraft. Comprising concepts such as guerrilla warfare, counterterrorism, unconventional warfare, and counterinsurgency, IW today is seemingly ubiquitous as major powers utilize IW strategy to exploit the “gray zone” between peace and war. This presentation will summarize the scope of IW and focus on the South China Sea as a case study for modern IW. There is no assigned reading for this presentation, however, the Great Decisions materials are available for checkout from the library should you wish to read up on the topic before the talk. No Registration Required.

Middle East Update: Iran and Lebanon-Israel Security Talks
2026-06-04 17:00 - 18:00 | NY
Please join the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley for a timely and important online conversation with Ambassador Fred Hof:
Thursday, June 4 at 5:00 p.m. EDT – Online
This special online event is reserved for the members and supporters whose generosity makes our work possible. And if you are not yet a member or donor, we warmly invite you to join us today. Your support helps sustain thoughtful public dialogue and educational programming throughout the region.
At a moment of profound uncertainty in the Middle East, Ambassador Fred Hof will share unique firsthand insights into ongoing unofficial efforts to advance security arrangements between Israel and Lebanon. The efforts are aimed at helping communities on both sides of the border live in safety and stability.
Ambassador Fred Hof brings decades of diplomatic, military, and academic experience to this discussion. Ambassador Hof is the author of numerous works on Middle East diplomacy, including Reaching for the Heights (USIP, 2022), which recounts his 2010–2011 efforts to broker peace between Israel and Syria.
Please RSVP for this event by emailing wacmhv@gmail.com.

Great Decisions: American and the World - Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
2026-06-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Boardman Library, 141 Boardman Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12603, United States
Monday, June 8, 6:30 pm, Boardman Road Library, Poughkeepsie
Facilitator Rick Levitt of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley.Trump’s return has marked a break from 80 years of U.S. foreign policy leadership, embracing an “America First” approach. This topic explores the risks of isolation and diminished influence in relation to Trump 2.0 foreign policy. There is no assigned reading for this presentation, however the Great Decisions material is available for checkout at the library should you wish to read up on the topic before the talk. No Registration Required.

Great Decisions: Ukraine and the Future of European Security
2026-11-09 18:30 - 19:30 | Boardman Library, 141 Boardman Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12603, United States
Monday, November 9, 6:30 pm, Boardman Road Library, Poughkeepsie.
Facilitator Rick Levitt of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley. With reduced U.S. support for NATO and Ukraine, Europe faces strategic uncertainty. The Trump administration has signaled an intention to reduce its security role in Europe. What are America’s stakes in NATO and Europe’s strategic dilemmas, and how might Europe respond? There is no assigned reading for this presentation, however, the Great Decisions materials are available for checkout from the library should you wish to read up on the topic before the talk. No Registration Required.
