World Affairs Council of Spokane

Hands that heal – anti human trafficking training

Jon — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:39:51 +0000

Human trafficking is modern day slavery. It is estimated there are between 10 and 30 million slaves in the world today. These individuals have been recruited, harbored, transported, or obtained by force, fraud and coercion. While the immensity of this crime is daunting, there is work being done in Spokane and around the world to combat this evil.

The World Affairs Council of Spokane is proud to support World Relief of Spokane as they host the 2012 Hands that Heal Event.

The Hands that Heal Anti-Human Trafficking Training is held this year in Spokane, WA, is an interactive community based approach to addressing issues of human trafficking and victim restoration. The content is designed to provide attendees with the tools necessary to best serve trafficking survivors and prevent human trafficking from occurring.

The primary text for this anti-trafficking training is “Hands That Heal: An International Curriculum to Train Caregivers of Trafficking Survivors” written and developed by the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAAST). The Hands that Heal curriculum is a culmination of over forty professionals from a varied cultural and vocational perspectives. Their collaborative voices have created an informed approach to addressing issues of human trafficking.

The intent of the training is to leave attendants of the conference with an ability to define human trafficking, describe the underlying causes of trafficking, learn tangible ways to prevent and combat trafficking and increased knowledge of the holistic needs of trafficked persons.

Quality Inn Conference Center
110 E 4^th Ave
Spokane, Washington 99202

June 7-9, 2012

The conference will include two full days with breakout sessions.

The sessions will include the following themes:

Introduction to Trafficking In Persons (TIP)
A Biblical Framework for a Christian Response to Human Trafficking
Fair Trade
Prevention, Raising Awareness & Mobilizing the Next Generation
Combating Legalization of Prostitution
Trafficking in Persons Community Assessment
Combating the Demand for Commercial Sex
Cultural Issues in Trafficking & Trauma
Introduction to Aftercare
A free film showing of “Sex & Money” with a panel discussion Thursday evening

For more information, please visit World Relief Spokane and the Hands that Heal website.

Culture and Cuisine: An Evening of Immersion in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan

Jon — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:00:24 +0000

Join us for Uzbek food and drink in the lobby of The Community Building as we learn about Religion and Traditions in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan. Tickets are available here

Presented by Dr. Bakhodir Pasilov
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence
Eastern Washington University

Food will be provided by Chaihana Central Asian Cafe located in the Spokane International District.

About the topic:

In 1991 Uzbekistan gained its independence from the Soviet Union and became one of five new nations that make up the region known today as Central Asia. This slide presentation provides an introduction to modern Uzbekistan, its diverse cultures and peoples, customs, traditions, and places. The long and very rich history of the nation is perhaps best known to Western audiences through its role in the expansion of East-West trade along the Silk Road. Some of the more unique parts of famous Silk Road cities including Kokand, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva will be illustrated along with the continuing importance of traditional beliefs and customs. Food, dance, other aspects of traditional lifeways continue to be important components in the daily lives of the Uzbekistani people.

Meet our new intern: Katelyn Bokma

Jon — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:42:38 +0000

What an exciting time to be a part of World Affairs Council! Vitality. Innovation. Relevancy. It is all here! Of all the choices available to students, I have found WAC’s Young Professional International Network (YPIN) a valuable investment in my educational and professional development experience.

As a Dean Scholar, I’ll be graduating in June 2012 from Eastern Washington University with a dual major in Economics and International Affairs with a minor in Government. Following graduation, I’ll watch for open doors and walk right through!

Fall 2012, WAC-YPIN will launch a multi-discipline leadership team comprised of leading student interns partnered with regional, seasoned professionals. I told you this was an exciting time to be a part of WAC! If you are interested in one of these coveted internships, get moving and contact WAC today. You won’t be disappointed – guaranteed!

Katelyn Bokma

Intern

World Affairs Council of Spokane

Colombian Author, Anti-Corruption Activist Ingrid Betancourt to Speak March 28

Jon — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:04:27 +0000

SPOKANE, Wash. – Ingrid Betancourt will share her extraordinary story of activism, persecution and resilience, including her kidnapping by rebels and six years of captivity in the Colombian jungle, when she delivers Gonzaga University’s next Presidential Speaker Series lecture at 7 p.m. March 28 in Gonzaga’s McCarthey Athletic Center.

The lecture by Betancourt (pronounced Bet-N-Kor with the ‘t’ silent) – an author, former Colombian senator and one-time Columbia presidential candidate – will focus on her compelling story and her ongoing efforts to free more than 700 people who remain hostages in Colombia. Tickets for the event are $10 for the public, $7 for senior citizens and $5 for students and employees of any educational institution. Tickets are available now online.

Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh cordially invites the Gonzaga community and the public to hear Betancourt’s inspiring story set against a backdrop of Colombia’s rain forest and the nation’s dark political realities.

Dr. McCulloh said he invited Betancourt to “provide our community with a unique opportunity to hear from an individual whose life has been immutably intertwined with the political realities of Colombia, and whose endurance was made possible by her faith in God.” Gonzaga, a Catholic and Jesuit university, exchanges faculty and educational programs with Colombia through a partnership between the Colombia and Oregon provinces of the Society of Jesus.

Kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Feb. 23, 2002 while a senator campaigning for president, she was held captive for 2,321 days in a case that drew widespread international attention. The French and Colombian governments fought for the release of Betancourt, a citizen of both countries. Suffering from malnutrition, torture and psychological terror, she and 14 others were liberated by the Colombian army in a dramatic 2008 helicopter rescue. Lauded for her moral courage and perseverance, she authored in 2010 “Even Silence Has an End,” which reached The New York Times Best Seller List and led to interviews by Oprah Winfrey, National Public Radio, and Democracy Now.

Here is a video of Ingrid on Democracy Now

Great Decisions Speaker Series

Jon — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:41:55 +0000

We are once again proud to work with Whitworth University to help promote their annual Great Decisions lecture series over the next two months. There are five lectures over the next two months and we have promoted the presentations that have international themes on our events calendar. We look forward to seeing you at Whitworth.

Bookclub Update

Jon — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:31:30 +0000

Spending more time with family, losing weight, and getting a pay raise are all great New Years resolutions but we here at WAC Spokane decided that we wanted to interact with our members more in 2012. One way we will accomplish this goal is by hosting a quarterly book club. Board Member Erin Peterschick has volunteered to lead the discussion and we hope you can join her for a casual get together to discuss a wide range of international topics.

We gave the honor of selecting our first book to Ambassador George Staples and he quite promptly recommended, “That Used to Be Us” by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum. A full review of the book can be found here.

The event will take place on Sunday March, 25 at Zola in downtown Spokane from 3:30 to 5:00. We look forward to seeing you at our inaugural book club meeting. Zola’s is located beside The Main Market and across the street from The Saranac Community Building.

We look forward seeing you at our inaugural book club event. To keep up to date with this event or future events, please like us on Facebook and sign-up for our email list on the right of this page.

Cultural Intelligence Event

Jon — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:48:17 +0000

UPDATE: this event is now sold out. Thank you for your support. Here the program for Thursday night. Cultural Intelligence Program

February 9| 6 PM | SIRTI Building on Riverpoint Boulevard | Executive Boardroom-4^th Floor

Meet-and-greet at 5:30

This event is free for WAC members and People to People guests. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. IMPORTANT Please RSVP by clicking here.

There is a new way to think about IQ based on a multiple intelligences model. Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is an academically validated model to prepare you to be a smarter global citizen. Developed by a community of international scholars from the United States and Singapore, CQ provides both a framework and assessment to improve your effectiveness in today’s globalized world.

Join recognized worldwide expert and one of the founders of this model, Dr. David Livermore, as he discusses CQ and how you can apply it in your own life.

BIO

David Livermore is a thought leader in cultural intelligence (CQ) and global leadership and the author of the new book, The Cultural Intelligence Difference. His book, Leading with Cultural Intelligence, was named a best-seller in business by The Washington Post. He’s president and partner at the Cultural Intelligence Center in East Lansing, Michigan and a visiting research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Dave has done training and consulting with leaders in 100 countries across the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Dave loves to take research and make it accessible to practitioners. He has been interviewed and referenced by major news sources such as Atlantic Monthly, CBS News, The Christian Post, Christian Science Monitor, Christianity Today, The Economist, Forbes, NBC, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

Dave and his wife Linda have 2 school-age daughters, Emily and Grace. Some of their favorite activities are traveling (fortunately!), hiking, eating Asian food, and walking to the local ice cream shop, Jersey Junction, near their home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

February Events

Jon — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:24:10 +0000

We have two events scheduled for February.

On the Saturday the 4th we will be hosting the presentation of “Surviving Progress” during the Spokane International Film Festival at The Magic Lantern

On Thursday the 9th we are hosting DR. David Livermore from the Cultural Intelligence Center at the Sirti building in the University District.

Check out our events section for more details.

Book Club

Jon — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:45:22 +0000

More details about the meeting will be sent out in the coming weeks. In the meantime, dust off your holiday gift cards or head to the local book store or library and pick up a copy of the book. If you walk to the store with a family member you are also achieving two more New Years Resolutions.

We look forward seeing you at our inaugural book club event. To keep up to date with this event or future events, please like us on Facebook and sign-up for our email list on the right of this page.

WAC Seattle will host President Carter on January 31

Jon — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:20:54 +0000

The World Affairs Council of Seattle will be celebrating their 60th anniversary this year and to celebrate they will host President Jimmy Carter on January 31. Please check out http://www.world-affairs.org/events-president-jimmy-carter for more details.