World Affairs Council of Miami

Does it feel like the Middle East is changing faster than you can keep pace with? Join the World Affairs Council of Miami on Thursday, February 6th from 11:30am - 1:00pm EST for a virtual Distinguished Speaker conversation on #Israel, #Iran, #Syria, and the Shifting Geopolitics of the #MiddleEast. ATTENDEES MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE VIA ZOOM TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION.  Register in advance for this meeting: -> https://lnkd.in/eNYJJp2E <- IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Tennessee World Affairs Council, World Affairs Council of Atlanta, World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, WorldBoston, World Affairs Council- Seattle, World Affairs Council of San Antonio, and World Affairs Council of Jacksonville. SPEAKER PROFILES - Dr. Nimrod Goren - President, Mitvim - The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies; Co-Founder, Diplomeds - The Council for Mediterranean Diplomacy - Alex Vatanka - Senior Fellow & Founding Director, Iran Program, Middle East Institute

Have a passion for policy and interested in advancing your career, network, and community impact? Eisenhower Fellowships' application period is now open for the USA Program, which sends 10 – 12 outstanding mid-career American leaders abroad each year for meetings with leaders and experts in their respective fields around the world. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and generally fall within the age range of 32 – 45 years old. Candidates are recruited from all sectors and professional backgrounds. Successful candidates have a track record of achievement and demonstrate high potential for growth and broader impact. Click here for more info: https://lnkd.in/eM7nYZq

A very happy new year from the World Affairs Council of Miami to our community in Miami and beyond! 🥂 Curious to see what the Council got up to over the past year? Check out a few snapshots of our 2024 Wrapped and watch this space for much, much more to come in 2025! As always, our most sincere thank you for your continued support as we work to advance international affairs education for our Miami community. 🌴🌎 Nancy Jackson, MPA, Nathan Haselton, Paul Griebel, Aaron Rosen, Moises I. Benhabib, Laura Dominguez, Nick Kallergis, Jessica Cohen, Kayla Henrichsen, Kristina Rosales Kostrukova, Patrick Misiewicz, MSLSCM, Darina Popova, Hernando Gómez CFA®, ASA, ABV, MBA, MF, MIB, CIBE, ITF, Roberto Carmona.

We are extremely proud to share that our very own World Affairs Council of Miami 2024-2025 high school intern and three-time Academic WorldQuest champion Roberto Carmona was accepted into Harvard University just four years after immigrating to the United States from Cuba. Roberto’s unparalleled academic excellence, extraordinary sense of civic engagement, and passion for international affairs have propelled him as one of Miami’s rising leaders. We are deeply fortunate to have him as part of the World Affairs Council team and are beyond excited to see where his success will lead him and our broader community. Go Roberto!

Interested in becoming a U.S. Foreign Service Officer? Check the post below or click this link -> https://lnkd.in/eNwe2JUv <- to learn how to take the Foreign Service Officer Test and embark upon the path of becoming an American Diplomat.

The World Affairs Council of Miami was proud to support the October visit to Miami by His Excellency Urban Ahlin, Sweden's Ambassador to the United States. Thank you to Global Miami Magazine for this media piece in examination of Florida-Sweden economic relations. To read further, click here: https://lnkd.in/eQTY39VY

It was a pleasure to sit down with Ålands Radio to share observations from recent travel to #Romania, #Moldova, and #Finland with Eisenhower Fellowships following a lecture at Åland University of Applied Sciences on the Swedish-speaking autonomous, demilitarized, and neutral Åland Islands. We discussed what makes some populations more effective at resisting manipulation via mis/disinformation and so-called “fake news”, and why Finland's democracy in particular is so resilient. Some answers include (1) high public trust in critical institutions such as military, press, crisis response systems, police, and government; (2) strong media freedom; (3) an inclusive national identity that cultivates good relations between majority and minority populations; and (4) strong instruction in the school system of media- and digital literacy skills, which teach students how to critically interpret information, whether graphic, textual, numeric, or other. Of course, a low level of poverty is part of the picture, too. Interview is mixed English & Swedish and can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eXMPqeWu

World Affairs Council of Miami President Aaron Rosen traveled to #Moldova to meet with the following experts in the context of Eisenhower Fellowships' exploration of mis/disinformation, media literacy, public trust, and democratic resilience. - Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration (former Eisenhower Fellow): Discussed the government's work to become an EU member by 2030, as well as how Pres. Maia Sandu overcame interference by Russia to win re-election and narrowly a referendum on EU membership in 2024. Sandu is the first female president of Moldova and is leading the former Soviet republic's movement toward the West. - Vladimir Soloviov, journalist and prior Kommersant correspondent: Discussed the status of Transnistria—an unrecognized separatist region supported by Russia, one of the ex-USSR "frozen conflicts"—and how the reintegration of the region appears unlikely; Moldova does not want to invite further tension with Russia amid the Ukraine war next-door. This complicates Moldova’s desire for EU integration. - Mihai Lupascu, Director, Agency for Cybersecurity of Moldova: Reviewed the task of the newly established agency in enhancing cyber resilience in the public and private sectors by identifying and strengthening the defenses of Moldova's most essential institutions and firms. Discussed recent support by the U.S. government (USAID) to help Moldova train a new generation of cybersecurity experts through the CyberCor educational facility. - Nadine Gogu, Director, Independent Journalism Center in Chișinău: Discussed the Center's promotion of independent media, journalist training and legal support, as well as its efforts to teach media information literacy in Moldovan schools. Assessed the development of press freedom in Moldova since the end of Soviet control and its role in a healthy democracy -Valeriu Pasha, Chairman, WatchDog.MD Community: Discussed Moldova's vulnerability to Russian influence operations including media manipulation, vote buying, and targeted social media campaigns, which nearly resulted in a "no" on Moldova's recent EU referendum and did succeed in significantly inflating the number of anti-EU votes. This created the perception of a 50/50 split in society, even as prior polls showed a clear majority of Moldovans supporting the EU. -Liliana Busuioc, Executive Director, Alliance of Small and Medium Enterprises from Moldova: Discussed the impact of propaganda, fake news, and misinformation on a bilingual Romanian/Russian society; and how Moldova can continue to build its democracy amid the obstacles of hybrid war. - Stella Jemna, County Rep., Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (former Eisenhower Fellow): Participated as a judge in an Upcelerator by Dreamups AI-themed startup pitch to observe Moldova's innovation ecosystem; visited the winery Mileștii Mici, which boasts the world's largest wine cellar and epitomizes the grandeur and scale of Moldova's wine industry. #efjourney

Eager to learn the latest about what's happening in #Syria? The World Affairs Council of Miami is proud to join the Alaska World Affairs Council, World Affairs Council of Orange County, and WorldOregon in co-sponsoring a virtual program by the World Affairs Council- Seattle featuring former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford on what's next for Syria and the broader implications for the Middle East and global stability. Register here -> https://lnkd.in/efbftrmj <- to join us virtually on Friday, December 13th from 9:00am-10:00am PST. More info here: https://lnkd.in/g_gaaCMK

World Affairs Council of Miami President Aaron Rosen traveled to #Romania's historic #Transylvania region to meet with the following experts in the context of Eisenhower Fellowships' exploration of mis/disinformation, media literacy, public trust, and the status of national minorities. Romania is a general mix of three historic regions. ⬇️ South: Wallachia, historically connected to Balkans and Turkey. ➡️ East: Moldova region, formerly influenced by Russia. ⬅️ West: Transylvania, influenced by German settlers, Austrian imperial rule, and approximately 700 years of full or partial Hungarian association. Today, whole regions remain Hungarian speaking and strongly supportive of neighboring Hungary's Viktor Orbán. Complex relations between Hungarians and Romanians are a contention point between the two states, despite both being NATO and EU members. - Dr. Stefan Tobler, Professor of Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. Discussed the status and religious identity of the Roma minority, the role played by German settlers in the historical development of the Transylvania region and scale of religiosity in Romania. - Dr. Ciprian Cucu, Disinformation Expert & Lecturer, Universitatea „1 Decembrie 1918” din Alba Iulia: Discussed the obstacles to media literacy and civic engagement due to political resistance and lack of institutional follow-through. Explored trends of nationalist and anti-Western sentiment, often blending extreme right and left ideologies, and concerns about Romanian democracy. - Codruta Simina, Cluj Napoca Journalist and Co-Founder, Misreport: Discussed coordinated networks of fake accounts and pages, often linked to local political actors and Russia, and how social media platforms have increasingly limited access to research tools on misinformation. Assessed the role of AI in spreading but also combating fake news. - Zoltán Sipos, Founder and Editor, Átlátszó Erdély, investigative journalism promoting transparency among Transylvania’s Hungarians: Discussed identity related to the Hungarian minority and how their consumption of state-led information from neighboring Hungary influences the community's political trends and relations with Romania. - Istvan Szakatz, President, AltArt Foundation and Fabrica de Pensule: Discussed empowerment of marginalized Roma communities through community radio and cultural projects, and how local initiatives challenge the state's control over information, allowing communities to create their own narratives. Reviewed tension between development funding and the need for communities to define success on their own terms. - Dr. Valentin Muresan, Digital Advisor to Mayor of Timișoara: Discussed efforts to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in Romania, and the challenge of encouraging global scalability for Romanian startups. Explored how to leverage the Romanian diaspora’s resources and expertise, with attention to diaspora development models in Ireland, Israel, and Armenia. #efjourney