World Affairs Council of Northern California
Encyclopedia
The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947 and headquartered in San Francisco, CA, offers a forum where diverse audiences engage in critical issues that inform their actions. Policymakers, business executives, philanthropists, academics, students, civic leaders, and an attentive public join in the Council's programs to listen, learn, discuss, and debate.
Council public programs are extended throughout the region via its Regional Chapters located in the East Bay
, Marin
, the Peninsula
, and Sacramento
.
The Council also oversees the North American Forum
, the Global Philanthropy Forum, and the Young Professionals International Forum (IF).
Presiding over the forum are three Co-Chairs: former US Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former Mexican Finance Minister Pedro Aspe, and former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. While, tri-national in scope and design, the agenda each year is shaped by the organizing country. The World Affairs Council of Northern California has served as the Secretariat for the North American Forum since the inaugural meeting which took place in October 2005 in Sonoma, California. Subsequent meetings rotate among the three countries.
Council public programs are extended throughout the region via its Regional Chapters located in the East Bay
East Bay
-Places:In Canada:*East Bay, Nova Scotia, a small town in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia*East Bay , the east arm of the Bras d'Or Lake located in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton IslandIn the United States:...
, Marin
Marin
-Places:*Marin, Haute-Savoie, a commune in France*Le Marin, a commune in the French overseas department of Martinique*Marín, Nuevo León, a town and municipality in Mexico*Marín, Pontevedra, a municipality in Galicia, Spain*Marin County, California...
, the Peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, and Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
.
The Council also oversees the North American Forum
North American Forum
The North American Forum is an annual meeting of U.S., Canadian and Mexican government and business representatives to discuss issues related to continental economic and social integration...
, the Global Philanthropy Forum, and the Young Professionals International Forum (IF).
Public Programs
In more than 200 public programs per year, the Council offers a forum for dialogue that brings together the worlds of policy, business, and philanthropy. Topics cover a broad spectrum of international concerns, including development, security, peace and conflict, global health, government policy, diplomacy, business, and economics. Venues range from intimate conversations at the San Francisco headquarters to large, special events with world leaders. Public programs are open to all members of the Council and the community.International Affairs Conferences
For more than 60 years, the World Affairs Council has been hosting the most prestigious international affairs conferences on the West Coast. Speakers at these conference have included many respected officials and leaders in foreign policy and global affairs, among them former President of the United States John F. Kennedy, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, and philanthropist and Chairman of the Open Society Institute George Soros.Richard and Judith Guggenhime Speaker
Richard and Judith Guggenhime Speakers was launched in 2006 as part of an ongoing effort to provide the Bay Area with greater access to information on global issues. Speakers are interviewed in a conversation-style setting for unusual, unscripted remarks and integrates questions from the live audience during the evening.Exhibits
The Council hosts free art exhibitions on political, social, and cultural issues of countries around the world. Each of the featured artists discusses their work at the opening reception.Global Philanthropy Forum
The Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF) aims to build a community of donors and social investors committed to international causes, and to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their giving and social investing. Through an annual conference, summer seminar and special events, the GPF creates a safe environment where donors and social investors learn from one another and share best practices. The GPF seeks to increase the number of philanthropists who will be strategic in their pursuit of international causes.North American Forum
The North American Forum is a community of Canadian, Mexican and American thought leaders, whose purpose is to advance a shared vision of North America, and to contribute to improved relations among the three neighbors. They come together annually to explore the interactions among the mutually reinforcing goals of security, prosperity and enhanced quality of life. The purpose of the NAF is to create the political and conceptual basis for increased cooperation among countries and across sectors. The NAF identifies actions that governments and private actors can take to help build societal resilience so that the three countries can avoid shocks when possible—be they natural or man-made—and withstand and rebound from shocks when necessary. NAF members are selected based on their commitment to the NAF’s goals and their ability to effect positive change.Presiding over the forum are three Co-Chairs: former US Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former Mexican Finance Minister Pedro Aspe, and former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. While, tri-national in scope and design, the agenda each year is shaped by the organizing country. The World Affairs Council of Northern California has served as the Secretariat for the North American Forum since the inaugural meeting which took place in October 2005 in Sonoma, California. Subsequent meetings rotate among the three countries.