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Olympia Capitol building and Mount Rainier

EVENTS

Speaker Series Schedule

The Olympia World Affairs Council's program year runs September through May, usually on the third Thursday of the month. Speakers include professors, economists, diplomats, historians, scientists, non-profit organization leaders, business executives, and public officials.

Programs are free and open to the public, in-person and on Zoom!

Speaker Series Programs
September 2024 - May 2025

Karen Fraser

September 19

Mongolia

Join OWAC board member and former Washington State Senator, Karen Fraser, as she recounts her experiences traveling in Mongolia in 2023. She will share her knowledge of Mongolian history, economy, and international relationships, as well as a wide range of Mongolian cultural traditions.

October 17

Ukraine & Gaza

Join Professor Seth Weinberger of University of Puget Sound as he discusses the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, their futures, and what they tell us about the future of conflict around the world. What effect do drones, long-range missiles, artificial intelligence, and social media play in current and future wars?

Seth Weinberger
Edith Bayer

November 21

Energy Revolution in Europe

Join Edith Bayer, with the Oregon Dept of Energy, to explore what we can learn from the European decarbonization journey as we tour the continent from Brussels to Germany, Poland, France, and the Netherlands. What will it take for the US and Europe to achieve climate neutrality by 2050?

January 7th

Trivia Night Fundraiser

Second international trivia night fundraiser for the OWAC Study Abroad Scholarship, assisting Evergreen, SPSCC, and St. Martin's students cover initial costs of study abroad programs. *This event will be held at River's Edge Restaurant at 7PM on TUESDAY January 7th.

Trivia Night
Steve Niva

February 20th

Syria: Assad's Overthrow & the End of Syria's Uncivil War

Professor Steve Niva will answer questions about HTS and the future of post-Assad Syria, but will largely focus on how the fall of the Assad regime marks the final end of the Syrian civil war that began in 2011.

March 20th

Global Framework on Chemicals

Susan Wilburn, consultant to the WHO and leader in the global environmental health community, will present the "Global Framework on Chemicals" for a planet free of harm from chemicals and plastic pollution.

Susan Wilburn
Rick Lorenz

April 17th

The War in Ukraine: Prospects For Peace

Join Rick Lorenz, Retired Colonel of Marines and 

Senior Peace Fellow with the Public International Law and Policy Group, for a discussion on the prospects for peace in Ukraine.

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Click the link below to see Rick's powerpoint and more helpful links.

May 15th

Food Security

Join Professor Prita Lal, from The Evergreen State College, for a discussion on global food security.

Prita Lal

May 28th

Steve Niva

Special Event
The Authoritarian Playbook: Abroad and at Home

A growing number of elected leaders around the world are transforming their democratic and constitutional systems into more authoritarian regimes, from Hungary's Viktor Orban to Turkey's Reccip Tayyep Erdogan to India's Narendra Modi.

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Evergreen State College Professor, Steve Niva, will discuss how this is taking shape in The United States.

Missed a speaker? No Problem! Check out all previous programs on our YouTube page!

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