Past JWAC events: 2013-2014 season 31
This is a partial archive of past JWAC events. In over a decade of service to the community, we've put on hundreds of events that have brought scores of speakers before the community.
'How the Venezuelan music program - El Sistema- has spread worldwide and how Juneau is a part of it through Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM)' with Tony Woodcock
Wednesday | May 21st | 5:15 | KTOO Studios
Tony Woodcock is President of the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston. The NEC just graduated its fifth class of Sistema Fellows. These Fellows are educated in Venezuela's El Sistema music principles, which Tony will explain in his talk. The Fellows are creating and leading musical education centers for children throughout the United States and beyond. Lorrie Heagy, director of Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM), was a member of the first class of Fellows, and has created a program here in Juneau that embodies the ideals of El Sistema. She and her program are nationally admired as leaders in the American movement.
'Combating Rural Poverty Through "Last Mile" Solutions' with Alex Counts
Thursday | May 15th | 5:15 | The JACC
Alex Counts is President & CEO of the Grameen Foundation, which he founded, after having worked in microfinance and poverty reduction for 10 years. A Cornell University graduate, Counts’ commitment to poverty eradication deepened as a Fulbright scholar in Bangladesh, where he witnessed innovative poverty solutions being developed by Grameen Bank. He trained under Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder and managing director of Grameen Bank, and co-recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Since its modest beginnings, sparked by a $6,000 seed grant provided by Prof. Yunus (who was a founding board member and continues as director emeritus), Grameen Foundation has grown to a leading international humanitarian organization with an annual budget of approximately $25 million.
Travelogue: 'Cuba' with Elfrida Nord
Tuesday, May 6th | 5:30 | Gold Town Nickelodeon
Elfrida Nord shared images and experiences from her 2013 visit to Cuba. Here are some initial insights about her trip: "To travel to Cuba on a US Passport one must sign up for an educational tour. The tour I went with was a cultural exchange through the University of Washington Alumni Association. It was enlightening to see how education and culture fare within a totalitarian government, and how the lack of funds impacts maintenance of historic buildings. The currency situation was interesting!" Thanks for joining us to learn more about this still-uncommon destination for American travelers.
'"Who are these guys?" Staying ahead of Emerging Markets' with Ambassador Richard Boucher
Wednesday | April 23rd | 5:15 | KTOO Studios
Richard Boucher was the longest-serving Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, serving as spokesman under Secretaries of State Larry Eagleburger, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in 2006, serving until his retirement 2009.
Among his many diplomatic posts, Boucher served as Ambassador to Cyprus (1993-1996), Consul General in Hong Kong (1996-1999), and led U.S. efforts for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from 1999-2000. Fluent in Chinese, Richard contributed to developing U.S.-China relations throughout his Foreign Service career. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal from 1973-1975.
'Russia-Ukrainian Relations: Looking Back and Looking Forward' with Alexander Dolitsky
Tuesday | April 15th | 5:15 | KTOO Studios
Alexander B. Dolitsky is President of the Alaska-Siberia Research Center and a former Adjunct Assistant Professor of Russian Studies at the University of Alaska Southeast. He earned graduate degrees from US and Ukrainian institutions, and worked and conducted field work in many countries. He will give us a primer on Ukrainian history from an ethnographic / social perspective, and then specifically discuss current events in Crimea and how they're being presented in the Russian media to Russians.
360 North video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4LW-rTLP9E
Peace Corps in Ukraine: Evacuated Last Week with Mary Miller
Thursday | Mar 13th | 5:00 | KTOO Studios
Former JWAC board member Mary Miller has been a peace corps volunteer in Ukraine for almost a year, but was pulled out and sent home in the week prior to speaking to us. She had much to share about the nation, her experience, and hopes for the future.
{Partner Program} UAS Honors Spring Forum: 'Pacific Peoples: Translocal Identities and Cultural Connections.'
Three days in March | UAS | [Non-JWAC Event]
All these presentations are free and open to the public:
Wednesday, March 5, 7:00 p.m. Student Recreation Center
"Asian Americans On Stage: Are We There Yet?"
Presentation by Ralph Peña, Artistic Director of the Ma-Yi Theater Company, New York.
Dramatic reading of selected passages from the play Flipzoids (2011) by Ralph B. Peña.
Friday, March 7, 7:00 p.m., Egan Lecture Hall (112)
"Illusion and Reality in Tahiti's Tourist Cocoons."
Presentation by Miriam Khan, Professor of Anthropology, University of Washington. Author of Tahiti Beyond the Postcard: Power, Place, and Everyday Life (University of Washington Press, 2011
Monday, March 10, 7:00 p.m., Egan Lecture Hall(112)
"Oceans Connect: Pacific Peoples and Global Histories."
Presentation by Matt Matsuda, Professor of History and Dean of the Honors College, Rutgers University. Author of Pacific Worlds: A History of Seas, Peoples, and Cultures (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and Empire of Love: Histories of France and the Pacific (Oxford University Press, 2005)
Travelogue: 'Malawi' with Paul Beran
Wednesday, Feb 19th | 5:30-6:30 | Gold Town Nickelodeon
Paul Beran, a retired pastor, has traveled to Malawi in east Africa in 2004, 2008, and 2013. His visits' purpose is the installation of shallow wells in the Malawian bush -the poorest regions of one of the world’s poorest countries, where most of the people live a subsistance lifestyle in small rural villages. Polluted, contaminated water is a major cause of childhood illness and death. Thus, clean, sealed, sustainable wells are vitally important to public health.
The wells project is a 3-way partnership between the African church, the recipient villages, and Marion Medical Mission. This year, 2,999 new wells were installed in 6-8 weeks, during the dry season. Each well serves between 45 to 250 people. Paul and his partners, along with with two Malawians, installed 149 pumps in 2.5 weeks. The $400 cost of each well is paid by numerous U.S. donors, and while each volunteer pays their own way, they return home having received "far more in intangible gifts than we had to pay to get there."
Paul's presentation showed a narrated sequence of pictures which portray the land, the people, the need, and the well installation process.
WorldQuest 2014!
Friday, Jan 24th | 6:00 | Centennial Hall
WorldQuest is JWAC's largest fundraiser, featuring an international buffet, no-host bar, silent auctions, and our delightfully amusing trivia contest. This year's winner was Team Legume. Thanks for coming, everyone!
Travelogue: 'Apulia, Italy' with Elfrida Nord
Tuesday, Dec 10th | 5:00 | Gold Town Nickelodeon
Apulia is a region of Italy-- "the heel of the boot." It is a charming area that has not yet been discovered by mass tourism. It abounds with ancient history, millions of olive trees, lots of vineyards and an abundance of Baroque architecture. JWAC superstar Elfrida Nord told us all about it.
German Federal Elections 2013: The Emerging Grand Coalition with Bruce Botelho
Wednesday, Dec 4th | 5:00 | KTOO Studios
JWAC board member-elect Bruce Botelho was in Germany during that nation's recent federal election, and shared with us some key observations and insights into how the economic powerhouse of Europe operates politically. He notes that Chancellor Merkel's leadership was largely affirmed in September's vote--Germans appear generally satisfied with the pre-election course of government, though the likely coalition with the Social Democrats will cause some domestic course corrections.
Click here to watch on YouTube.
Immediately followed by: The Fall Meeting
Wednesday, Dec 4th | about 6:00 | KTOO Studios
Following Bruce Botelho's talk, we transitioned into JWAC's Annual Meeting, which occurs every Fall, and is the time when we gather to make goals, prioritize, and elect new board members (interested? Send us an e-mail!). This year we had changes to the organization's constitution to discuss (Click Here for an agenda | Click Here for the proposed changes). There was also be a German-themed potluck. Thank you to those who brought bratwurst and sauerkraut.
Filipino Community Dinner Presentation and Fundraiser
Saturday, Nov 23rd | 5:00 | Filipino Community Hall, 251 South Franklin [Non-JWAC Event]
Recent JWAC presenter Jenny Gomez Strickler and the Filipino Community hosted a dinner at the Filipino Community Hall which included a slideshow and discussions about current and recent events, as well as expertly-prepared Filipino and American dishes. This dinner, being held in lieu of the Community's annual Thanksgiving dinner, was also a fundraiser, with all proceeds to benefit disaster relief in the Philippines.
Travelogue: 'Hope for Haiti' with María Offer
Tuesday, Nov 19th | 5:30 | Gold Town Nickelodeon
In February 2013, María Offer traveled to Haiti with a team of construction workers, nurses and doctors with Partners In Development, which strives to help the extreme poor attain independence and whole life improvement. She shared her experiences of teaching literacy activities and yoga to orphans and children who have been homeless since the 2010 earthquake.
2013 Fall Forum on Canada: Al-Can Summit - A Road Map
Oct. 17,18,19; Thurs. Fri. Sat. | UAS Egan Room 221 and Egan Lecture Hall
This year's forum centered on Canada. It began Thursday at 7:00 with a keynote primer on our nearest neighbor by William Morrison, and covered a variety of topics during 13 presentations and panel discussions by 21 experts. A full program, including schedule and speaker bios, is avalable here.
'Not My Life' human trafficking (modern slavery) documentary and panel discussion
Thursday, Oct. 3rd | 5:00 | Gold Town Nickelodeon
Friday, Oct. 4th | 7:00 | UAS Egan Lecture Hall (Evening at Egan)
After each showing of the film, there was a panel discussion with Robin Bronen, Executive Director Alaska Institute for Justice, Matt Judy, Southeast Alaska Region agent for the FBI, and Joseph Mathews, Alaska Department of Public Safety -moderated by former mayor Bruce Botelho and then UAS chancellor John Pugh. We learned about trafficking in Alaska and what resources are available to victims and service providers.
Fact: At any given moment, over 2.5 million people are in forced labor throughout the globe as a result of human trafficking. The majority of these victims are between the ages of 18-24, have at least a mid-level education, and 1.2 million are children. The estimated global annual profits of this horrific industry top $31.6 billion. What does this mean in Alaska? What can be done to end this?
[This was a program of the World Affairs Councils of America with support provided by a grant from Carlson & The Carlson Family Foundation.]
'Two Wheels, Six Continents, & the Neglected Tropical Diseases' with Dr. Steve Fabes M.D.
Wednesday, Sept. 18th | 5:00 | Egan Room at Centennial Hall
Steve Fabes is a British medical doctor, a freelance writer, a photographer and an adventure cyclist. Like most decisions of great consequence, Steve's plan to cycle the length of six continents was made in a pub, beer in one hand, mini-atlas in the other. Three and a half years and more than 30,000 miles later, Steve has arrived in Alaska and will share the story of his ongoing journey -which has taken him so far through 43 countries on five continents- through a multimedia presentation. Dr. Fabes visits remote medical clinics en route with an aim to finding out more about the global effort by medical NGOs to eradicate the Neglected Tropical Diseases.
'Alaska-Philippine Relations: Exploring the possibilities' with Jenny Gomez Strickler, Philippines Honorary Consul to Alaska
Wednesday, Sept. 11th | 5:00 | Egan Room at Centennial Hall
J. G. Strickler has lived in Alaska since 1977. She was Juneau's first female president of the Filipino Community, and in 2012 was appointed as the first Honorary Consul to the Republic of the Philippines for the State of Alaska. Her presentation spoke to the upcoming projects that she and her organization hope to initiate.
'Telephone Town Hall to Discuss Possible U.S. Intervention in Syria' with Senator Mark Begich
Thursday, Sept. 5th |6:00 | Click here to sign up [Non-JWAC Event]
''In an effort to keep you updated on the ongoing situation in Syria, I would like to invite you to join me for a telephone town hall. During this event, I’m inviting Alaskans to share your thoughts and allow me to answer your questions while the U.S. considers possible intervention. As Congress continues to debate possible next steps, I hope you will take the time to sign up and join me for this important discussion.'' Click here to sign up.