News and updates

Take a look at what an amazing year we had this past year! Cherish the memories and insights . . . Annual Report 2024.pdf

What a great season we had! Here is an archive of the programs from the 2023-2024 season. If you'd like to print a copy, make sure to select the print on both sides option.

John Bolton 10.6.23

Bruce Jentleson 11.3.23

Anna Wieslander 11.10.23

Brad Ringeisen 12.1.23

Phillip Saunders 1.5.24

Peter Ammon 1.19.24

Michael Singh 2.2.24

L Silverman 2.16.24

Rami Khouri 3.1.24

Gustavo F. Macias 3.15.24

Richard Heydarian 4.5.24

Ed Schoonveld 4.16.24

Paige Alexander 5.3.24

Take a look back on our 2022-2023 season and learn more about us in our Annual Report: https://www.wachh.org/resources/2022%202023%20Annual%20Report.pdf

After many years of service, our Executive Director has decided to retire and spend more time with her family. The Council is currently seeking applications for the Executive Director position. 

Position Summary:  The priority of the Executive Director will be expanding WACHH’s development and marketing programs to rebuild membership and diversify WACHH’s revenues from a membership fee-based structure to stronger engagement with business sponsors, other donors, and partners. Additional responsibilities will include ensuring the operational excellence of WACHH’s flagship Distinguished Speakers Program and overseeing operations of the organization with substantial support from committees of volunteers. The Executive Director reports to and works closely with the Board of Directors. The position is full-time and in-person (Hilton Head Island), with some remote work possible.

The Ideal candidate will be experienced in marketing and development, highly organized, both strategic and detail-oriented, and an effective communicator with strong connections in the communities of Hilton Head and Bluffton.

Start Date: January 3, 2023

To Apply :Please e-mail a cover letter and resume to vicepresident@wachh.org with “Executive Director Application” in the subject line. For a complete job description, click here. 

The WACHH Book Club discussed The Chancellor – The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton.   There was lively debate and here are their key takeaways from the book:

• It was refreshing to read about a leader who is clearly value-driven, authentic, humble, accountable, scandal-free, effective user of soft-power, extremely smart, and concerned about the well-being of people, climate, and democracy.  She takes a moral approach to solving problems.
• Merkel is a great contrast to “ignorance and bluster” that has become so pervasive in politics.
• She was the perfect leader for the period she was Chancellor of Germany – she earned the trust of her people and the respect of even the most difficult world leaders.

Three questions were raised at the end of the discussion:

• How as a scientist did, she come to the decision to move her country away from nuclear energy, and hasn’t that decision made Germany’s current energy situation much worse?  This is a question participants would love to ask Merkel and wish the author had covered in more depth.
• If Merkel was still Chancellor of Germany, would Putin have again invaded Ukraine? Views of the group were mixed – some said “yes" and some said “no."
• If Merkel was in the United States, could she, or a leader like her, ever be elected President?  The consensus was “probably not” because American politics has a bias against such high intellect and steadiness.

Would they recommend this book to others- Absolutely! 

The Council has been very busy this past year. We invite you to take a look at our 21/22 Annual Report and see what we have been up to. WorldAffairsCouncil-AnnualReport final.pdf

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head announces the winner of the Beaufort County 10^th Annual Academic WorldQuest Competition

Sports competitions between high school teams abound, but this past Saturday, 38 students across Beaufort County stretched their brains, not their muscles.  Academic WorldQuest, a student outreach program of the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head, challenged eight teams from seven area high schools who answered 100 questions on topics related to world affairs. The competition is much like the “College Bowl” of the 1960s, where four-person teams engage in a fast-paced quest to demonstrate their knowledge of global issues. The event was held at Bluffton High School, the 2020 Academic WorldQuest Competition winner.

Since September, students, and their coaches at participating schools (Battery Creek High School. Bluffton High School, Heritage Academy, Hilton Head High School, Hilton Head Christian Academy, John Paul II Catholic High School, May River High School) have been preparing for the competition with many hours beyond their regular school workload. The impressive global knowledge skills of these students were certainly on display. The competition was intense, with many schools just points away from winning. 

In the end, after ten rounds of competition and two tie-breaking rounds, the 2022 Academic WorldQuest trophy was awarded to Hilton Head Christian Academy.  May River High School earned a second-place finish.

Hilton Head Christian Academy competed in the 2022 Academic WorldQuest Competition based in Washington, DC, on April 26^th representing the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head. Congratulations to all the coaches, students, and supportive parents for their outstanding efforts!

Take this short quiz and see if you are as smart as our High School students competing in the local AWQ competition. ( answers at the bottom).

1.     Despite contributing only ______ % of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, Sub-Saharan Africa is a region suffering most from climate change impact.

A.     2.7%, B.     7.1%, C.     10.7%, D.     21.0%

2.     In 2010, Afghan National Security Advisor Rangin Spanta said that “corruption is not just a problem for the system of governance in Afghanistan; it is the system of governance
A.     True, B.     False

3.     Taiwan’s greatest strength when viewed on the International stage is_____?
A.     It is a huge supplier of semi-conductors
B.     A thriving democratic society
C.     A critical link in global supply chains
D.     A friend of the US, Japan and Australia 

4.     Allied with the AFL-CIO, The Solidarity Center is the largest US-based international worker rights organization. The Center’s mission includes  _______________ . 

A. petitioning governments to increase spending on business ventures.   B. insisting that workers comply with safety regulations          C.  requiring employers to provide training programs                            D. empowering workers to raise their voices for dignity on the job

 5.     Currently, Covid-19 is estimated to cost the world __________?

A.     $11 billion. 
B.     $5 trillion. 
C.     $2 trillion.
D.     $11 Trillion 

6.     Autocratic states such as China control their domestic information environments by:                                                                                                                 A. Manipulating information.                                                                                             B. Limiting internet use.                                                                                                     C. Charging unaffordable premiums for internet access.                                           D. Enacting laws that restrict freedom of information.

7.     The Israeli surveillance company added to the US trade blacklist is called: 

 A. Malware                                                                                                                           B.  NOS                                                                                                                                     C. Veracode                                                                                                                          D. Norton

 8.     Which Persian State has the largest Shia population?

A.     Yemen
B.     Iran
C.     Oman
D.     U.A.E                                                                            

      

9.     China has demonstrated interests in the Arctic for all but which of the following reasons?

A.  Fisheries.                                                                                                                            B.  Shipping routes.                                                                                                                C. Territorial land rights as a continental state                                                               D. Oil and Gas explorations

10.  What additional feature(s) is key to helping blockchain fight corruption?
A.     Reduced mining
B.     Mandated use
C.     Lack of anonymity
D.     All of the above

Answers 1)B, 2) A, 3) B, 4) D, 5) D, 6) A, 7) B, 8) B, 9) C, 10) C

We are so grateful for the wonderful presentation that Dr. J. Micheal Williamson gave at our Evening Speaker Program on January 11, 2022. His passion for these animals, along with all his knowledge made for a great evening. If you missed it, here are a few highlights of what he covered:

Why are they called Right Whales?

Centuries ago, whalers & fishermen recognized that these types of whales where the “right” type of whale to hunt and kill because 1), they stayed close to shore and were easy to catch, 2) they float when killed so it was easy to access them, 3)they have baleens which are very useful and sought after, and 4) have a lot of blubber and oil.

How big does a Right Whale get?

An adult will be about 45- 52 Feet long and weigh up to 51,000 pounds

How often does a Right Whale have a calf and how big are the calves when born?

They can have a calf every three years and calves are between 15-23 feet long and can weigh up to 2000 pounds!

What do the whales eat?

They eat copepods, which is a form of plankton. They eat a lot of it!

What is the biggest reason for their current population decline?

The leading threats to right whales involve human interaction, including vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Experts agree that there is no question that human activities are driving this species toward extinction.

They live all along the lower SC and GA coast, so keep an look out for them over the spring when they head down to Puerto Rico to mate. 

 

When did the United Nations get started?

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. 

The UN has 4 main purposes:

• To keep peace throughout the world.
• To develop friendly relations among nations.
• To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease, and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms.
• To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals

Click here to learn more about the UN.