The World Affairs Council of Hilton Head applied for, and has been awarded, a grant to participate in the World Affairs Councils of America’s grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This grant enables us to participate in the Carnegie Corporation’s new speaker series, Understanding Muslim Societies.  

This project is part of the Six Top Issues for US National Security, Engage America Series, that is being undertaken by the World Affairs Councils of America network between now and the 2012 election. The focus of WACA’s Six Top Issues, will be on countries in the Middle East, as well as Afghanistan/Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Marc Lynch, Ph.D., an expert drawn from the Carnegie Scholars Program, will  address “Understanding Muslim Societies” in our 2012-2013 program year on October 18.

China incorporates an open economic sector within an authoritarian political system. Progress in liberalizing economic activity has not been accompanied by comparable advances in democracy and human rights as had been anticipated by many in the developed world. Will China continue to achieve rapid economic growth based on this model and will its policies be emulated by other emerging societies?

The Reading List referred to by Ambassador McAfee has been posted to our site.

All of us can access almost any information, anytime, and anywhere.  These advances have fueled a nationwide and global increase in human productivity, scientific advancement, and social interaction.

This aggregation of information and the incredible connectivity to this information is a double-edged sword. Insiders can easily use their access to engage in disruption, denial, data espionage and theft.  Outsiders can gain access to our systems by social engineering attacks, insider agents and technical attacks such as viruses, worms, and other malware.  Our systems are porous and untrustworthy.  In addition, these accesses are being used for fraud, criminal gain, stealing the nation’s intellectual property, or to gain an information advantage in wartime.

Mr. Crowell  discusses these threats, their implications to our businesses and economic prowess and their implications for our National and Economic Security. Some of the ways that government, business associations and enterprises are trying to address and reduce these growing threats are reviewed.

Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East Program, Wilson Center, Washington, D.C.; author of “My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran”

Charles L. (Jack) Pritchard, President of the Korea Economic Institute
Dr. Young Tae Kim, Counselor for Construction, Transport & Maritime Affairs, Embassy of the Republic of Korea
Ms. Mary Beth Polley, DPRK Desk Officer, Office of Korean Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Jim Woodcock, Managing Director of JW Environmental, LLC

Adrienne Germain, President of International Women’s Health Coalition

Morris D. Busby, former United States Ambassador to Colombia

Barry R. Posen, Ph.D. , Ford International Professor of Political Science and MIT Security Studies Program Director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology