VCWA hosted a panel discussion on current and historical issues in Kenya. Click below to watch!

Kenya: Panel Discussion

Interested in hosting an international student this summer?

ASSE is currently looking for 15-20 Burlington area families to open their homes and hearts for our bright, young high school students from Germany who will be participating in a 4-week Culture and Current Events orientation program in Vermont this summer beginning July 24th. ASSE International is a non-profit organization that has been working to build a world of understanding through cross-cultural and educational programs since 1976.

Click to learn more about becoming a host family

Or, contact Chandra Leenheer

(802) 863-6276 chandra.asse@gmail.com

Many thanks to the sponsors of our 2nd Annual International Dinner Honoring Ambassador Madeleine Kunin

Ambassador Level

Saint Michael's College

Unviersity of Vermont

Diplomat Level

National Life Group

Attache Level

Associates in Rural Development

Burak, Anderson & Melloni

Carol Casey

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew

Hanson Investment Management

Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

Marc Monheimer and Louise Stoll

Ohavi Zedek Synagogue

Kit and Roger Stone

UPS Stores

Pat Robins and Lisa Schamberg

Bonnie and Andrew Tangalos

The Ship for World Youth 

SWY is a unique international cultural exchange program organized by the Japanese Government that brings together over 250 youth from around the world to learn about international cooperation and understanding.

To find out how you can participate click here.

There are brilliant ideas, expressed everyday in public discussions and events, all over the world.  Don't miss them.  FORA delivers discourse, discussions and debates on the world's most interesting political, social and cultural issues, and enables viewers to join the conversation.

A collection of public affairs lectures, panels and events from academic institutions all over the world
-- for you to view, listen to, stream or download.

SHOP AND RAISE MONEY FOR VCWA!

Like to help VCWA in a  big way? Buy something for yourself. Better yet, buy a lot of somethings for yourself! But first join www.iGive.com/VCWA Because whenever you purchase everyday items at the Mall at iGive, up to 26% of every purchase is donated to VCWA, at no cost to you!  

At iGive.com you get free membership and access to the over 600 brand-name merchants like Barnes & Noble, Eddie Bauer, LandsEnd and PETsMART; super savings and deals every day; and of course, free donations to VCWA! Join www.iGive.com/VCWA, and then shop till you drop.

Help VCWA earn money every time you search the internet!

VCWA has hooked up with GoodSearch, a Yahoo-powered search engine with a unique mission; 50% of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, is shared with the nonprofits selected by its users.  The more people use GoodSearch, the more money will be directed towards VCWA.  

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Vermont Council on World Affairs as the charity you want to support.  Just 500 of us searching four times a day will raise about $7300 in a year without anyone spending a dime!  And, be sure to spread the word!

Fall of 2008

Panel Discussions (free and open to the public)

details TBA

Russia: Post Putin

Panelists:
John O'Keefe, Former U.S. Ambassador and current Executive Director of the Open World program

South America: Shift to the Left? Panel Discussion

Panelists:
Caroline Beer, political science professor at the University of Vermont
Mark Williams, political science professor at Middlebury College

U.S. Defense Policy

Panelists:

John Isaacs, executive director of Council for a Livable World

Stanley Sloan, former CIA intelligence analyst and Air Force Officer

Admiral Henry G. Ulrich III, former Commander of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe

Private Philanthropy and International NGOs: How Vermonters Can Change the World

Panelists:

Bill Ryerson, of the Population Media Center

Kelsey Raap of the Institute for Sustainable Communities

Representatives from the New Sudan Education Initiative and St. Michael's Student Global AIDS Committee

The U.S. and the U.N.: Why the cold feet?

Panelists:

Stuart Holliday, President of Meridian International Center, U.S. Ambassador for Special Political Affairs and the United Nations (2003-2005)

Upcoming International Visitors

Local officials from Baghdad, Iraq meet with State Representative Denise Barnard at the Richmond Town Meeting

Upcoming International Visitor programs:

• Multi-regional (July 1-5): Twenty-one delegates from all over the world will be visiting to learn more about grassroots democracy.
• Multi-regional (July 20-23):  Nineteen delegates from Bangladesh, Burma, Costa Rice, Egypt, Hungary, Jordan, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Montenegro, Morocco, the People's Repubilc of China, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the Slovak Republic, Sudan, Turkey, and the West Bank will be visiting Vermont to learn more about accountability in government.
• Africa (August 26-30): Sixteen women delegates from Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, and Zimbabwe will be visiting to learn more about women as political leaders.

Delegations who have already visited Vermont in 2008:

• Ukraine (June 5-26): Eleven Ukrainians visited to learn about forest preservation and national park management.
• Georgia (June 25-28): Five delegates from Georgia visited to learn more about tourism promotion.

• Russia (May 28-31): Five delgates from Russia visited to learn more about housing issues.
• Europe (April 19-23):Eleven delegates from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia visited Vermont to learn more about alternative energy.  They toured Blue Spruce Farms, the South Farms “net zero” energy efficient housing development in Hinesburg, and NRG.  They met with Lt. Governor Brian Dubie and members of the Vermont legislature, and had meetings at the Clean Energy Group and the Vermont Department of Public Service.  They also participated in an Interfaith Seder at Ohavi Zhedek Synagogue.

• Iraq (March 1-6) Seven local government officials from Baghdad,Iraqi visited Vermont to learn about grassroots democracy. During their stay, they attended the Richmond Town Meeting and talked with State Representative Denise Barnard; visited polling places in Colchester and Shelburne where the Town Clerks explained the election process; made presentations to a senior class at Colchester High School and the "Transitions to Democracy" class at Saint Michael's College; and participated in other election-related events.

• Multiregional group (February 7-9): Twenty delegates from 20 different countries (Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, Romania, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, and Uganda) visited Vermont to learn more about intellectual property rights, copyrights, and patent law. During their stay, they met with Governor Douglas, Lt. Governor Dubie, Vermont Supreme Court Justice Brian Burgess, Michael Chernick of the Vermont Legislative Council Peter Kunin at the Vermont Law School, Andrew Manitsky of Gravel and Shea, Mark Oettinger, and Emily Wetherell, a law clerk at the Vermont Supreme Court.

• Belarus (January 17-20): Four university officials from Belarus visited Vermont and during their visit they met with Gail Stevenson, Director of International Programs at Champlain College; Professor Kevin McKenna of the Russian and Eastern European Studies Program at the University of Vermont; and Professor Robert Niemi, Coordinator of the American Studies Program at Saint Michael's College. They also enjoyed dinner at the home of Evan & Mary MacEwan and were our featured guests at the “East Meets West” potluck dinner.

In calendar year 2007, we hosted 25 delegations of international visitors totaling 124 delegates from 49 different countries (Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Germany, Guatemala, India, Japan, Iraq, Korea, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia, the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Moldova, Montenegro, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela, and the West Bank). The delegates were accompanied by 49 officials from the U.S. Department of State and other government agencies. The topics of their visits included criminal justice, community development, environmental education, grassroots democracy, journalism, the judiciary, local government, political parties, renewable energy, rural health care, sustainable agriculture, telecommunications, and youth leadership. For more information about these delegations, CLICK HERE

If you would like to be involved in these programs, please contact Carol Casey, Director of the International Visitor Leadership Program, at ccasey@vcwa.org or call 654-2727.

 

*Special Notes:

Host Families Needed in Southern Vermont for High School Exchange Students: Several high school students from Afghanistan and other Muslim countries will be spending the 2008-2009 academic year in Vermont as part of the Youth Exchange and Study Program coordinated by the American Councils of International Education.  Kara Lozier, the Vermont Coordinator of the program, is seeking host families for these students.  If you are interested in being a host family, please contact Kara at karalozier@yahoo.com.

The Vermont Studio Center in Johnson will be hosting two visual artists of Himalayan origin for a 2 month residency program. 
For more information, go to http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/vsc-to-host-himalayan-artists/

 

Upcoming Community Events

October 9-May 27, 2008

The Center for Technology in Essex is offering a Focus on China in its International Studies Academy for students and adults wishing to learn about the language and culture of China in a series of four courses from October 9, 2007 through May 27, 2008 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  For more information, contact Charles Brady by phone (802-879-5560)