Past JWAC events: 2010-2011 season 28

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.

'Target America: Radical Islam, The Muslim Brotherhood, and the Death of Bin Laden' with Peter S. Probst

Wednesday, May 11th | 5:00 PM | JACC

Peter S. Probst served most of his 30-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Secretary of Defense addressing future terrorist threats and the development of strategies, tactics and policy initiatives to counter them. He is now a private consultant advising government and Fortune 100 business leaders on the issues of terrorism, political warfare, infrastructure vulnerability, and asymmetric conflict.

He spoke of what he identifies as a decades-long campaign of political and cultural reformation that has been carried on inside the US by religious extremists--primarily the Muslim Brotherhood. "Their campaign, in essence, is one of protracted political and cultural conflict that targets virtually all aspects of American life, including our education and legal systems, cultural identity and national defense. It involves a rewriting of American History and a systematic denigration of American values."

(c) Liz Brooks

Tuesday Night Travelogue: 'Ryukyu Primer: Civilian life in Okinawa' with Liz Brooks

Tuesday, May 10th | 5:30 | Gold Town Nickelodeon Theater

Most Americans know Okinawa for its strategic military bases and tragic WWII history, but when Juneaute Liz Brooks lived and worked there as an English-language teacher, she was unaffiliated with the U.S. military. She shared photos of her journey, told us about her experiences, and recounted some of the quirky things that make Okinawa unique.

(c) Kurt Smith

Tuesday Night Travelogue: 'Tanzanian Tent Camp Photographic Safari' with Kurt and Bev Smith

Tuesday, April 26th | 5:30 | Gold Town Nickelodeon Theater

Touring the woodland and savanna in open-top Land Cruisers is a great way to see and photograph the scenery and wildlife of eastern Africa. The show included photos of tent camp life, African tribespeople, and an amazing variety of Tanzanian birds and mammals. Areas visited included Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Arusha National Parks, as well as the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti Plain.

'Will Pakistan Become the Most Dangerous Country in the World?' with Dr. Stephen P. Cohen

Wednesday, April 20th | 5:00 PM | Centennial Hall Hickel Room

Dr. Cohen is a Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy with the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution. He joined Brookings in 1998 after a career as a professor of Political Science and History at the University of Illinois. Dr. Cohen’s current project attempts to characterize Pakistan’s future; a preliminary report is on the Brookings website as the Bellagio Pakistan Papers.

He has taught in India, Japan, and Singapore, and served on the Policy Planning Staff of the State Department. In 2004 he was named by the World Affairs Councils of America as one of America’s five hundred most influential people in the area of foreign policy. Dr. Cohen is the author, co-author, or editor of over fourteen books, mostly on South Asian security issues, the most recent being Arming without Aiming: India Modernizes its Military. Other recent books include Four Crises and a Peace Process: American Engagement in South Asia (2007), and The Idea of Pakistan (2004).

Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatross

Tuesday Night Travelogue: 'Galápagos Islands' with Adriana Alvarez-Botelho and Lupita Alvarez

Tuesday, April 19th | 5:30 | Gold Town Nickelodeon Theater

Adriana and Lupita shared photos and experiences from their travels to this Ecuadorian province of volcanic islands around the equator in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles from the continent.

'How the role of the German courts and the loss of judicial independence set the stage for Nazi atrocities' with Dr. William Meinecke

Tuesday, April 12th | 7:00 | Northern Light Church

In our own democracy, the judiciary plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of communities, protecting individual rights, and maintaining a fair and impartial justice system for all. At the time Hitler came to power, following a period of democratic governance in Germany, judges saw their role similarly. Yet over a period of time they gradually became complicit in the Nazis' agenda. Dr. Meinecke helped us examine the role of judges in Nazi Germany, and raise questions about their responsibility for the societal breakdowns that occurred in the 1930s and '40s -failures that led to the Holocaust.

Dr. William Meinecke attended the University of Bonn and Berlin in Germany. For the last nine years, he has worked with law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, and attorneys in the Law Enforcement and Society: Lessons of the Holocaust training program. He is currently working in the National Institute for Holocaust Education on Holocaust teachings for adult professionals. His book, Nazi Ideology and the Holocaust was published by the institute in 2007.

'Flawed Diplomacy: The United Nations & the War on Terrorism' with Victor Comras

Wednesday, Mar. 30th | 5:00 | Centennial Hall Hammond Room

Victor D. Comras is former Chief of Mission for the US Liaison Office in Macedonia and a leading expert and lecturer on international trade regulation, sanctions, export controls and the global effort to combat terrorism and terrorism financing. His work in the field has been described as "a courageous attempt to lift the veil of secrecy over the many failures of the war on terror." On the subject of his talk he says "there have been numerous attempts to engage the United Nations in a meaningful campaign against state-supported and other terrorist activities. But the inherently political nature of terrorism has made it exceedingly difficult to gain global consensus on who even qualifies as a terrorist, much less agreement on counterterrorism measures to pursue."

Mr. Comras advises clients on OFAC regulations and compliance related to restrictions on Cuba, Iran, Myanmar and North Korea, as well as Patriot Act and Bank Secrecy Act Regulations. He also counsels financial institutions, companies, governments, international organizations, and other clients on international financial and trade matters and international political risk mitigation.

You can read about his published work on Amazon.

[Empire Article]

'Reflections on a Tectonic Middle East, the View from Jerusalem' w/ Akiva Tor.

Tuesday, Mar. 22nd | 5:00 | Centennial Hall Lobby

Akiva Tor is the Consul General of Israel for the Pacific Northwest region. He has served as World Jewish Affairs Adviser to the President of Israel, as Director of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, and as Deputy Director for Palestinian Affairs in the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is a graduate of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and has written and lectured extensively on Jewish values in the foreign policy of Israel, and on ethical considerations in international relations. He served as a paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Force and was an infantry captain in the IDF reserves. He is interested in running, mountain biking and ascending high places. Mr. Tor makes his home in Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, with his wife and their four children.

[Empire Article]

'The Coast Guard's Future in the Arctic' w/ Rear Admiral Christopher Colvin & Captain Melissa Bert

Tuesday, Mar. 1st | 5:00PM | Hickel Room at Centennial Hall

Christopher Colvin and Melissa Bert brought us up-to-date on their agency's views and goals for the Arctic and their anticipated role in its opening, based on both policy and their own research experience.

Rear Admiral Christopher Colvin assumed his duties as Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, headquartered in Juneau, in July, 2009. The district includes portions of the North Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea, and encompasses an area approximately the size of the continental United States. He is highly experienced in coordinating disaster assistance operations, having served as Deputy Director of Operations for U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs prior to coming to Alaska.

Captain Melissa Bert currently serves as Commander, Coast Guard Sector Juneau. The command consists of approximately 250 active duty, reserve, auxiliary, and civilian members, with ten field commands and detachments. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University Law School, is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College, and completed a National Security Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2009.

'International politics of natural resource development in the Arctic' with Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell

Wednesday Feb. 16 | 5:00 | Centennial Hall Hickel Room

Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell spoke on Alaska’s role as an Arctic State. Treadwell was appointed to the United States Arctic Research Commission by President George W. Bush in 2001 and designated by the President as the Commission’s chair in 2006. Under his leadership, a new United States Arctic Policy was developed and adopted by President Bush and is now being implemented by the current administration. In his JWAC presentation, he addressed the opening Arctic and Alaska's role in its future.

T.R. Reid: 'The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care.'

Saturday, Feb. 5th | 5:00PM | JACC

T. R. Reid's talk was based on his 2009 book of the same name, the research for which involved traveling to many different countries and comparing their health care systems. America did not fare well in this process. The rest of his time, T. R. Reid is one of the nation’s best-known correspondents through his coverage of global affairs for the Washington Post, his books and documentary films, and his light-hearted commentaries on National Public Radio. He is a member of the board of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, the Japan-America Society of Colorado, the University of Colorado Medical School, and numerous other community and educational organizations, and has taught at the University of Michigan and at Princeton.

'Current Political Climate in the two Koreas' with Dr. Jocelyn Clark

Thursday, Jan. 27th | 5:00PM | JACC Gallery Room

Assistant Professor in East Asian Studies at Pai Chai University, Appenzeller School for Global Business in Daejeon, South Korea, Dr. Clark is also a board member of JWAC. Clark holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in East Asian Languages and Civilizations. She spoke about the tense situation between the two Koreas as viewed from the ground.

WorldQuest 2011

Friday, Jan. 21st | Doors opened at 6:30 | Centennial Hall

WorldQuest is JWAC's largest fundraiser: An international buffet, no-host bar, silent auctions, and our delightfully amusing trivia contest. Click here for more info.

Dr. Gerhard Kuska: 'Marine and Coastal Management in Abu Dhabi: Toward Sustainable Diversification'

Thursday, Jan. 20th | 4:30-6:00 | JACC Gallery Room

Dr. Kuska is President and CEO of Ocean Strategies LLC, a dynamic ocean management consulting firm that provides strategic advice and services to public, private, academic, and international entities on a broad array of ocean, coastal, and maritime issues. He will be introduced by Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell.

'Ushuaia, Argentina and the Antarctic Peninsula' with Loren and LaRae Jones

Tuesday, Dec 14th @ 5:30 | Gold Town Theater | [map]

In Jan-Feb of 2008, Loren and LaRae Jones took an organized trip to Antarctica. The journey included time in many southern locales, but this travelogue's photos and discussion will focus on their time in Ushuaia, Argentina and a nine-day cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula. Ushuaia looks much like many places in Alaska, while Antarctica itself was different from what they expected. They had some awesome penguin pictures.

'A Month in Finland and Estonia with Rotary International' with Sharon Gaiptman and Alysia McLain

Tuesday, Nov. 16th @ 5:30 | Gold Town Theater | [map]

In September of 2009, a group of four young professionals under the auspices of Rotary International (District 5010 -- Alaska and the Yukon) took off for a month in Finland (Helsinki area) and Estonia. The team included Juneauites Alysia McLain -Public Programs Curator for the Juneau City Museum, and Rotary Team Leader Sharon Gaiptman. Over the course of a month, the Rotary Group Study Exchange Team not only experienced how their vocations are practiced abroad, but were able to see the region in a way most never get to -- exploring its history and culture, exchanging ideas, and developing professional and personal relationships and incredible memories.

'U.S. Latin American Relations: How did we get here? Where are we going?' with Ambassador G. Philip Hughes

Wednesday, Nov. 10th @ 5:30 | JACC Gallery Room | [map]

G. Philip Hughes draws on a wealth of high-level foreign policy experience in developing and managing message campaigns for international companies. He has served in many senior foreign policy posts in the White House and departments of State, Commerce and Defense. As U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean from 1990 to 1993, he oversaw a staff of 250 interacting with more than a dozen Caribbean states. For almost five years he held the position of Deputy National Security Affairs Advisor to Vice President George Bush. He served on the National Security Council staff during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George Bush as, among other positions, Director for Latin American Affairs. He is fluent in both French and Spanish.

'Addressing Today's Nuclear Threats' with US Ambassador Susan Burk

Wednesday, Oct. 20th @ 5:30 | Hammond Room, Centennial Hall

Ambassador Burk is the Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation. She is responsible for working with other nations to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the international nonproliferation regime. Ambassador Burk plays a lead role in preparing for the NPT Review Conference, and through international diplomacy, promoting the United States’ goal of renewing and reinvigorating the NPT. Ms. Burk served as the first Deputy Coordinator for Homeland Security in the State Department’s Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. She coordinated the Department’s handling of cross-cutting policy issues related to homeland security and counterterrorism. She established and chaired the State Department’s Homeland Security Coordinating Committee, and her office served as a point of contact for the Department of Homeland Security and other Federal agencies.

The Fall Meeting
Featuring Dr. Craig Etcheson

Thursday, Oct. 7th @ 5:00 | JACC Main Hall | [map]

The new season was discussed, memberships were renewed, and we had a chance to meet some of the panel members for this year’s Fall Forum. JWAC volunteer opporunities were discussed. At 6:00 there was a talk by Dr. Craig Etcheson titled, 'Prosecuting Genocide in Cambodia: Conflicting Views on Peace, Justice and Reconciliation.' Dr. Etcheson is currently an expert investigator for the Co-Prosecutors, Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia -also known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal- in Phnom Penh.

'Living With the World--The Role of Diplomacy' w/ Ambassador Nicholas Veliotes

Wednesday, Sept. 22nd @ 5:30 | JACC Gallery Room | [map]

Ambassador Nicholas Veliotes’ discussion with us drew on his decades of experience in the international community. Prior to retirement in 1986, Ambassador Veliotes had a distinguished career in the US Foreign Service, culminating in his tenure as Ambassador to Egypt. He has served in, or as ambassador to, Jordan, Vientiane, New Delhi, Rome and Naples, and was once Deputy Chief of Mission in Tel Aviv. He is an international consultant and is a member of the Middle East Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also serves on the Boards of AMIDEAST, ANERA, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, the Mediterranean Quarterly, and the American Academy of Diplomacy. He is Chair of the US Egypt Friendship Society and the Congressionally mandated Hollings Center for International Dialogue whose mission is to enhance contacts between Americans and counterparts in Muslim countries.

Travelogue: 'Eighteen Eye-Opening Days in China' with Barbara and Doug Belknap

Tuesday, Sept. 14th @ 5:30 | Gold Town Theater | [map]

The Belknaps went on a tour of China and Hong Kong this spring, visiting all the "must-sees" that could be crammed into two and a half weeks. There was a "learning and discovery" component to the trip that brought them into people's homes and a classroom of excited 5th graders, as well as educational tours of various factories (also known as "shopping opportunities"). Doug and Barbara came away with a sense of wonder and many lingering questions about the world's most populous country and its strange hybrid of communism and capitalism.

Travelogue: 'Hut to Hut Hiking in Slovenia' with Lu Seapy

Tuesday, Oct.5th @ 5:30 | Gold Town Theater | [map]

This Tuesday night travelogue featured Lu Seapy's tales of adventure from a hu-to-hut hiking expedition in the mountains of Slovenia.