Welcome to the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head

Our mission, like that of the World Affairs Councils of America, is to empower citizens to participate in the national debate on world affairs, build citizen support for American engagement in the world, stimulate communities to interact effectively in the global economy, help people relate their local concerns to global issues, improve international education locally, nationally, and internationally, foster international interests in America's young people, build alliances with counterpart organizations locally, nationally, and internationally and to increase council professionalism by disseminating best practices

The World Affairs Council is approaching the end of our 2008-2009 season after an exceptionally informative series of speakers and programs that continues to draw positive reviews from our members.

Our program for 2009-2010 beginning next October promises an equally entertaining and educational experience and we encourage you to review our schedule and mark your calendars. 

As part of our outreach to the community we are hosting for the third season our 2009 summer lecture and discussion series.  Under the leadership of Dr. Donald Snow, the Global Affairs Forum program seeks to open our offering to non-members as well as to the residents of TidePointe and the Cypress, two retirement communities that provide venues for our sessions.  This year we will have our August presentation and discussion in the Hilton Head Island branch of the Beaufort County Library.  Our focus-the Israeli-Palestinian issue in June, Afghanistan in July, and China in August-promises a look at some of the leading foreign policy challenges facing the new administration.

In 2009-2010 we intend to continue to provide quality programming for our members and events like the summer lecture and discussion series that are available to the broader community.

We welcome your comments, suggestions and participation.  Don't forget: the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization and all donations are tax deductible.

Local group has waiting list for people who love to think globally

By DANIEL BROWNSTEIN
Published Monday, April 27, 2009 

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As Isobel Coleman began a presentation about Saudi Arabia's relationship with the United States, she asked if anyone had ever been to the kingdom that is notoriously difficult to visit.

More than a half-dozen hands shot up.

Coleman, a senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, clearly was impressed by the higher-than-expected number.

She was in town Friday to speak at the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head, a group of mostly retirees that meets twice a month to hear presentations by national, nonpartisan experts on a wide range of world issues.

In Beaufort County, and particularly on Hilton Head Island, the concentration of retirees who have worked either for the government or military is quite high, explaining the number of audience members who had been to Saudi Arabia.

For them and others interested in tackling complex subjects that can't be reduced to a sound bite, the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head has provided an important forum for nearly 25 years.

The local group, previously called the Foreign Affairs Seminar, was founded by former foreign service officers, military officials, intelligence officers and people with international business experience who met in homes and at the library.

Interest continued to grow, so meetings moved to bigger venues, first an island synagogue, then to Main Street Theater. About four years ago, the group became affiliated with the World Affairs Council, parent organization of about 100 chapters in cities and small towns across the country.

The local chapter now has 425 members and about 200 names on a waiting list, some of whom will be on that list for several years before they're able to join because of space constraints at the theater. Membership costs $70 a year.

"We have really done something here that, I think, is simply a reflection of the growing sense in this country that we are connected to the world in many more ways than we were just a decade ago," said Kent Harrington, a retired senior CIA official who serves as president of the group. "By and large, the majority of our members are genuinely curious about a broad range of issues and reflect that curiosity by their attendance at our meetings, which cover a broad range of topics."

The council pays speakers a modest fee and arranges their travel and accommodations.

They don't aim to bring in former senior administration officials, in part because of the money it would cost, but also because those who have operated in the political arena often are most interested in preserving a legacy, Harrington said.

Instead, they go for the behind-the-scenes experts, who have in-depth knowledge of specific issues.

"We shoot for the people who are experts and bring that expertise with an opportunity to speak candidly," Harrington said.

Because of the large number of people vying to get into the group, the World Affairs Council has added three summer sessions that are open to the public It's also branched out in recent years, providing speakers to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes at Hilton Head Island High School, Hilton Head Preparatory School and soon, Beaufort High School.

At the Main Street Youth Theatre on Friday, many in the audience had moved to the South from major cities. They miss the robust international coverage of large newspapers and use the forums to supplement the news they get from smaller media outlets.

James Shufelt, a retired Army general who lives on Lady's Island, joined the World Affairs Council about four years ago after taking part in a panel discussion about the Iraq War.

"We come because it's really the only forum that we're aware of that you can really look at current events and listen to people who are participants of Washington and elsewhere," he said. "It's a great forum."

© 2009 The Island Packet & The Beaufort Gazette   The McClatchy Company