Maintaining an Active Voice in World Affairs

​Promote global identity in the Upstate. Sustain international engagement in our region. Get involved in leading intellectual discussions on critical issues facing the world. At World Affairs Council Upstate, we are participants in shaping a global tomorrow. Join us in fostering a broad perspective of our ever increasing inter-dependent world by sponsoring, donating, or becoming a member of World Affairs Council Upstate.

Dedicated to fostering a deep understanding of global affairs and cultures, and supported by individuals and businesses, Upstate International engages globally-minded South Carolinians directly with each other and with elected officials, civic leaders, and professionals from around the world. Upstate International works with partner organizations to reach all generations and sectors and is always looking to enhance those partnerships and collaborations.

WACA-LogoAbout WACA

“The World Affairs Councils of America is the largest nonprofit  grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to educating and engaging Americans on global issues with nearly 100 councils across 40 states reaching more than half a million people a year.” Learn more at www.worldaffairscouncils.org.

World Affairs Council Upstate Events

Every year, the nation-wide network of World Affairs Councils collectively conducts more than 1200 programs in communities and cities across the nation. Each council sets is own calendar and programs. The WACA offers a number of programs every year, including our annual National Conference, national program series, Leadership Missions, and special programs. It also acts as a distribution center for five national flagship programs: Academic World Quest, It’s Your World!, Great Decisions, Travel the World, and World in Transition.

Upcoming 2019 WACU events:

FLASHPOINTS: America and the World Monthly Lecture Series to focus on global impact issues:
September 2019 – April 2020.  Save the remaining lecture dates: Wednesday, January 15 (2020); Wednesday, February 12; and Thursday, March 12.

  • Topics to include: Iran and Nuclear Weapons in January; Trade and Tariffs in February; Russian Hacking in March.Click on our calendar here for detailed information about each lecture and to register.

All lectures will be presented by published experts in their fields and will take place at the Ogletree Deakins meeting room, 300 N. Main St., Greenville, from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, and includes a light lunch.

Upcoming Distinguished Speaker Events: 

  • Friday, January 24: The Global Rise of China
    12:00 pm – 1:30 pm. at the The Poinsett Club, Greenville, SC 29601

    How should we understand China’s growing overseas presence and emerging international influence? How is China’s role as a global actor evolving, and what does this mean for U.S.- China relations?  Over the past two decades, China has gone from a minor actor on global issues to one of the world’s most influential countries. PRC government actors, as well as Chinese state-owned and private firms, now operate around the globe. Meanwhile, China’s military, particularly the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy), has been tasked with protecting China’s growing overseas interests, which include protecting the nation’s maritime energy security, maintaining access to markets for international trade, and protecting China’s growing overseas assets, including a growing number of Chinese citizens living and working abroad.

    $30 for UI Members; $35 for Non-Members.  Register here.  Questions?  Contact Tracie Frese at [email protected]

  • Thursday, February 6: Understanding Bitcoin and Why Blockchain Technology will be as Transformative as the Internet
    12:00 – 1:30 pm at the Gene Haas Center for Manufacturing Innovation, 575 Millenium Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29607

    What is bitcoin and blockchain technology?  How did it originate? What is the global impact?  Learn everything you need to know to prepare for the next big technological advancement.  Join the World Affairs Council Upstate and our co-hosts, the European American Chamber of Commerce-Carolinas and Upstate Alliance as we welcome Sheri Kaiserman, co-founder of Maco.la, a blockchain focused equity investment fund and advisory/HR services firm.  Sheri is an accomplished finance professional with over 30 years of Wall Street experience. After beginning her career at Oppenheimer and spending 10 years as an equity research salesperson, she went to Wedbush Securities and built and ran their equities business for 16 years.  Under Sheri’s leadership, Wedbush was the first Wall Street firm to begin publishing research on private companies (2010), and then was the first to publish research on the topic of bitcoin and blockchain (December 2013).   Lunch included: $15.00 UI Members; $20 Non-members.  Register here

  • There are other Upcoming WACU Events in the planning stage: If you have an idea for an interesting international business topic or speaker please let us know.

Join The World Affairs Council Upstate 

Join us in educating ourselves on, and promoting a global perspective in, our increasingly inter-dependent world by becoming a member of WACU.

WACU Memberships:

  • Individual Membership: $100.
  • Family Membership $125.
  • Corporate Business Memberships at various levels.  Contact Tracie Frese to find the right fit for your organization. Email her at [email protected]

WACU Benefits:

  • Free admission or discounts on events and programs
  • Automatic membership in Upstate International
  • Publication discounts, including: Foreign Affairs (30% off), Foreign Policy (40% off), The Economist (10% off), The New Yorker (80% off), Harper’s Magazine (38% off), Brookings Institution (20% off books) and World Policy Journal (20% off).
  • Access to World Affairs of Council of America (WACA) Resources: WACA Leadership Network; Discussion Boards, Resource Materials, Authors, Events, and Programming
  • WACA Weekly Digest with updates from around the WACA National Network, including attendance and virtual participation opportunities in programs and discussions with U.S. and international leaders, as well as access to a virtual library of renowned speakers and special events.

Join Now: Click Here 

Engage Opportunities with World Affairs Councils of America

Cover To Cover

Cover to Cover is a monthly program featuring the most influential authors on subjects of national and international importance.

Offered as a benefit to all current WACA Member Councils, Cover to Cover conference calls are opportunities for Council leaders, members, and supporters to engage with esteemed authors on critical issues. Cover to Cover authors often welcome invitations to speak at Councils. In short, the WACA National Office covers a topic with an expert so that Councils may discover a speaker and cover the topic in even greater depth in their own communities, spearheading a national conversation.

Learn More

Podcast

WACA Podcasts feature the most influential authors and experts on subjects of national and international importance. Moderated by WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford.

Listen to the Latest Podcast

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Know Now

KNOW NOW Conference Call Series

The World Affairs Councils of America is pleased to present the Know Now conference call series. These calls will feature global thought leaders hosted by WACA as well as local authorities in government, business, academia and cultural fields who are identified and moderated by local Councils, using our national conference call platform to bring local and national issues of global dimensions to our network.

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Leadership Mission

Leadership Missions

For more than two decades, the World Affairs Councils of America has been invited to bring small delegations of council leaders to learn about a host country.  A leadership mission is an overseas fact-finding visit to a city, country, or international organization by a national leadership delegation of the World Affairs Council movement.

More Information

Travel

TRAVEL the WORLD with World Affairs Councils of America.  Many of our WACA affiliates offer travel programs to cooperating councils, just another benefit of a WACU membership. The trips offer all the highlights of touring, as well as access to political leaders and local experts for behind the scenes briefings not available to most tourists.  Many WACA tours feature Council leaders who are experts in their fields of diplomacy, journalism or academia to create added-value experiences.  And, perhaps most importantly, travelers become Citizen Diplomats with an opportunity to ‘meet the people’ to foster the dynamic exchange of international cultures and ideas.

Please click for details about the World Affairs Council of Charlotte and the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia upcoming travel opportunities .

WACU Steering Committee

Alexander Akulli
Director, Center for International Studies, USC Upstate

Elizabeth Feather
Director of Research, Upstate SC Alliance

Katherine Palmer Kaup
James B. Duke Professor of Asian Studies and Political Science, Furman University

William Lasser
Executive Director, Calhoun Honors College, Clemson University

Rob Rowen, Chair
President, Global Action Coalition

Nathan Stock  Middle East Institute

Michael H. Watts PS Group