News and updates

We are well into our 2019-2020 program year and have seen record attendance at the first six Friday morning presentations.  Our speakers so far have presented diverse views on a variety of issues and two recent speakers shared important insights on China from a historical perspective as well as China's current moves to increase its international influence.  This was particularly timely given the signature of a "Phase 1" trade deal between the US and China this month.  And we can't overlook the fact that all of our speakers have commented on your perceptive questions that led to lively Q&A sessions!!!

We have eight more speakers lined up to add even more valued and timely perspectives.  The next, Sean McFate, will speak on the new rules of warfare, which is a topic that became even more significant after developments in late 2019 and earlier this month.  Our speakers in February are Dr. Bhavya Lal, a widely respected expert on space technology, and Joby Warrick, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Washington Post reporter.  Dr. Lal will discuss developments in commercial and military space technology applications and Joby Warrick will discuss the significance of conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.

We now have over 1100 members and more than 225 are new this year.  Several guests have also attended each of the Friday sessions.

Besides our Friday speaker series, other WACHH programs are complete or moving forward -

• The 2019 Fall Forum is complete, and attendees enjoyed lively discussions in several locations and next year's program is already being planned.
  
  
• The Evening Speaker Series starts on January 21 and has a full lineup for February, March, and April at the SoundWaves facility near Coligny Circle.  The January speaker will be Bing West, a part-time Hilton Head resident who co-authored General Jim Mattis's recent book on leadership and loyalty.  The January session is sold out, but a few spaces are available for the remaining three sessions.
  
  
• Great Decisions books have been delivered and discussion session signups have proceeded quickly.  A few spaces remain open.
  
  
• Our Summer Forum is on track to offer a program of three local speakers for June, July, and August 2020.

In addition to these programs available to WACHH members, we also support two school-focused programs - Academic World Quest and Model UN.  More than 150 local students are participating this year and over 35 World Affairs Council members and supporters have visited local schools to share their experiences living or working in over 25 countries with Model UN contestants.   Other volunteers have been working with local high schools in advance of the Academic World Quest competition, which is scheduled for March 7 at Bluffton High School.  Your financial support for the past few years has been important and will provide additional opportunities for local students this year.

I want to thank all of you for your attendance and the many questions you asked of our speakers.  I also want to thank members who brought guests to our events and hope you continue to encourage interest and involvement by your friends and neighbors.

Sincerely, 

John Gilbert, President
World Affairs Council of Hilton Head

A big thanks to the Bargain Box volunteers, board members, and employees for the generous grant WACHH received today. The grant will help numerous students in Beaufort County participate in the Model UN program as well as fund the AWQ Washington, DC trip in April. They gave away over $450,000 to 49 deserving charities today. That is amazing!

Thrift stores are a fabulous asset for our community.  They help recycle items that might otherwise get thrown away.  They give people on a budget a chance to find household items at a reasonable price. They give people the opportunity to volunteer their time and talent and best of all, they donate all the proceeds to local charities to fund diverse programs which will have a positive impact on residents of HHI and beyond.

 Please donate, volunteer or shop at this wonderful organization.  You will be making a difference in someone's life.

On Feb. 18, 2020, Alex Kershaw, will discuss a new perspective on the most important day of the twentieth century, D-Day. June 6, 2019 marked the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. 

An honorary colonel in the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division, Alex Kershaw is the widely acclaimed award-winning author of several New York Times best-selling books about WWII including “Escape from the Deep” ”The Liberator” and “Avenue of Spies”. A graduate of University College, Oxford, he worked as a journalist for The Guardian and other newspapers before moving to the U.S. in 1994. His latest book, “The First Wave: The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory in World War II”, published in May 2019, marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day. He lives in Savannah, GA and regularly leads battlefield tours and lectures on WWII. His 2012 book” The Liberator”, is being made into a drama series to be aired by Netflix in 2020.

The event will be held on Feb. 18, 2020 from 5:15 p.m. - 07:15 p.m. at SoundWaves, 7 Lagoon Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC. Copies of the book “The First Wave” will be available for purchase at the event and a book signing will follow the presentation.

This event is open to the public, but reservations must be made in advance. For fees, reservations or information about this event: 843-384-6758 or https://wachh.org/event-3587977

Razeen Sally, a Friday Speaker Series presenter in April 2018, has just published a new book,  Return to Sri Lanka: Travels in a Paradoxical Land.  Sri Lanka seemed like a version of paradise to Razeen Sally as a child, but conflict was soon to follow, tearing the family apart and severing their bond with Sri Lanka. Return to Sri Lanka is the story of a twenty-first-century reconciliation between Sally, now an academic and political adviser, and the land of his birth.

To preview the book, visit Amazon.com.

Congratulations to Dr. Sean McFate, our upcoming speaker on January 24, 2020. The Economist magazine recognized his book, The New Rules of War, as one of their "Books of the Year"! 

Some of the principles of warfare are ancient, others are new, but all described in The New Rules of War will permanently shape war now and in the future. By following them Sean McFate argues, we can prevail. But if we do not, terrorists, rogue states, and others who do not fight conventionally will succeed—and rule the world.

Sean McFate has spoken at our council before and his presentations are standing room only.

Monica Araya, our speaker on November 1st, received the 2019 Crusader of the Year Award from the CRUSA Foundation. CRUSA is a non-profit organization that was established in 1996 to further cooperation between the US and Costa Rica.

Congratulations Monica!

WACHH speaker Monica Araya was interviewed on Coastal Sunrise about Costa Rica's quest to become energy independent. View the interview online here: WSAV Coastal Sunrise_2019_11_01.mp4

On October 25, Amb. Peter Ammon spoke to a packed house of more than 600 at the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head’s Friday Speaker Meeting. Amb. Ammon, who served as German Ambassador to the United Kingdom (2014-2018) and to the United States (2011–2014), now lives part of the year in Hilton Head and spoke of the welcome he has found in the community here.

Amb. Ammon thanked America, particularly its service members, saying, “Together we won the Cold War.” His speech addressed the complex issues that have arisen in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall and cautioned that we are now at a critical juncture as America becomes more isolated from world affairs. “We should not put doubt in a Trans-Atlantic alliance for which many of you have worked so hard… The world needs American leadership,”  he concluded.

A program hosted in partnership with Wunderbar Together, World Affairs Councils of America, and the American Council on Germany.

HILTON HEAD, October 10, 2019—The World Affairs Council of Hilton Head announces the appointment of John Gilbert as the new President of the Board of Directors. Mr. Gilbert has been a board member for two years, managing the in-reach member programs for the council. He is replacing Lee Wilwerding, who graciously served six years as president on the WACHH Board.  

John Gilbert is a retired U.S. Air Force officer with over 40 years of experience in strategic operations, intelligence, and arms control.  While on active duty, he traveled widely in Europe and Asia, including numerous visits to the former Soviet Union as an inspector at long-range missile facilities.  He also served on U.S. delegations negotiating arms control agreements in Geneva, The Hague and Moscow.

Since retirement from active duty, he has been an advisor and consultant to several U.S. government and industry organizations and foreign governments on arms control issues. He appeared on a CNN segment regarding an al Qaeda chemical weapon program in Afghanistan and presented several papers on arms control at international conferences.

Gilbert semi-retired to Hilton Head Island with his wife Lesley in 2007. He teaches courses on arms control and intelligence at Lifelong Learning of Hilton Head and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

A Thank You note….

To the members of the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head.

Thank you for the opportunity of a life-time…accompanying thirteen high school students from across the country as the guests of the Foreign Ministry of the State of Qatar for a week of high-level briefings and cultural tours of Doha, Qatar and the desert.

But wait…you say…I had nothing to do with that!

Oh, but you did!

First:

By virtue of your membership in the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head, you support the mission and programs of a national organization…the World Affairs Councils of America. This trip was made possible by a grant received by WACA from the Foreign Ministry of Qatar.

Second:

Three of the students treated to this great adventure were the 2019 national winners of the Academic WorldQuest competition, a flagship program of the World Affairs Councils of America.  The winning team was from Jasper High School in Jasper, Texas.  The Hilton Head Council participates in this program and sends its winning team to the national competition, this year our winning team was from Bluffton High School. Your financial support of the WAC HH high school outreach programs makes that possible!

As a WACA National Board member with long-time involvement with AWQ, I was invited to be a chaperone for this wonderful group of teenagers.  So that’s why I am thanking you for the opportunity to go to Doha, Qatar. 

And…like anyone who’s had a great trip, I have lots of photos and stories to tell.  Our trip was chronicled on Flickr….here’s the url if you’d like to see some photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wacamerica/albums/with/72157709360411666

And….I’ve attached a link to a slide show  (PDF) which I have prepared as I share my experience when invited to speak.

Once again…Thanks!

I’ll see you in September,
Joan Apple Lemoine