Special June Program

SUNDAY, June 29, at 7:30 p.m. As a special bonus program, SCWA is partnering with the JEA Speakers Series to bring Dr. Marshall I. Goldman to Savannah. Dr. Goldman is a nationally acclaimed expert on Russia and a professor at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. The Davis Center is Harvard’s center for interdisciplinary research and study of Russia and the countries surrounding it. Dr. Goldman also teaches at Wellesley College. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1961. His new book, Petrostate: Putin, Power and the New Russia, was written after several personal interviews with Putin, and is now at the publisher Oxford University Press. Dr. Goldman will be speaking on the subjects and ideas in this book. For more information about Dr. Goldman, please visit http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Profile/gl/marshallgoldman.html. For admittance to the lecture at no charge, be sure to tell the person at the welcome table that you are a member of SCWA. Dr. Marshall I. Goldman is a nationally acclaimed expert on Russia and the economics of high technology. From 1975 to 2006, he was Associate Director of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. The Davis Center is Harvard’s center for interdisciplinary research and study of Russia and the countries surrounding it. He also is Kathryn Wasserman Davis Professor of Russian Economics (Emeritus) at Wellesley College, having joined the Wellesley faculty in 1958. Dr. Goldman is a 1952 graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Russian studies and economics from Harvard University in 1956 and 1961, respectively. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1985. An internationally recognized authority on Russian economics, politics, and environmental policy, Dr. Goldman is known for his study and analysis of the careers of Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. He is the author of over a dozen books on the former Soviet Union, including The USSR in Crisis: The Failure of an Economic System and Gorbachev’s Challenge: Economic Reform in the Age of High Technology (1987), in which he envisioned the monumental problems that would confront Perestroika and which threw the country into economic and political turmoil. His works also include What Went Wrong with Perestroika: The Rise and Fall of Mikhail Gorbachev (W.W. Norton, 1991), monographs entitled Lost Opportunity: Why Economic Reforms in Russia Have Not Worked (W.W. Norton, 1994), Lost Opportunity: What Has Made Economic Reform in Russia So Difficult (Norton, 1996), and The Piratization of Russia: Russian Reform Goes Awry (Rutledge, 2003). His most recent book, Petrostate: Putin, Power and the New Russia (Oxford University Press, April 2008), was written after several interviews with Putin and forms the basis for his presentation on June 29th. Dr. Goldman will be available to sign this most recent book. Please visit http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Profile/gl/marshallgoldman.html for further information about Dr. Goldman.

Summer Break

As usual, we do not have programs in July and August. Have a great summer and we’ll see you in September!

Future Programs

Our Program Committee has already begun securing speakers and topics for this fall, and the outlook is for an exciting and stimulating series of lectures. As it stands now, the lineup is as follows.

Other Items of Interest

The Savannah Council on World Affairs, Inc. is a non-partisan, non-profit, all volunteer organization. Its purpose is to make available information, analysis, and strategic thinking about important international issues. The Savannah Council neither participates in political campaigns nor attempts to influence legislation. Founded in 1984, the Savannah Council is one of 86 councils affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America, established in 1918.

Past Programs

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in this year’s SCWA Student Essay Competition were announced. Robert Daniel, the author of the first place essay, present his essay to the audience.

Thomas E. Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at The Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, will present a program entitled “War and U.S. Public Opinion: Lessons From the Past and For the Future.”

Jeffrey Bader, Director of the John L. Thornton China Center and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, discussed “China’s Rise: What It Means for American Interests.”

Dr. El-Ansary, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, spoke on the topic "A Perennialist Perspective on Religion and Conflict."

Dr. Mark N. Katz, Professor of Government and Politics in the Department of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University (“GMU”), Fairfax, Virginia., spoke on the topic "Russian Foreign Policy in 2008."

Dr. Darin H. Van Tassell, Professor in the Center for International Studies at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, spoke on the topic "Predicting Earthquakes: A Look at 2008 and Beyond."

Dr. Olurode spoke on "Islam in Nigeria and West Africa" Recent lectures had addressed the social, economic, and political situations in Iran and Venezuela. Another area of the globe that is both rich in oil and experiencing social and political unrest is Nigeria and West Africa. While many of the underlying causes of the unrest have similarities to Iran and Venezuela, the unique regional characteristics of Nigeria and West Africa require specific understanding in order to formulate proper policy.

Dr. Olurode is Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria, and Professor in the Department of Sociology. He has taught courses in Women in Society, Rural Sociology, Women in Society, Theories of Gender Relations, and Social Inequality. He received an M.S. Sociology from the University of Lagos and a Ph.D. in 1984 from the University of Sussex, Britain.

Dr. Curtis R. Ryan spoke on "Shades of Green: From Democratic to Militant Islamism in the Middle East" No matter how much we read or hear about the Middle East we can learn more about the nuances and subtleties that appear slight to us but which loom large in those societies. This program will explore some of those differences and how they relate to secular and religious decision-making.

Dr. Curtis R. Ryan is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Dr. Ryan specializes in International and Middle East politics, with particular interests in inter-Arab relations, Islam and politics, alliances, democratization, and international security. He previously taught at Mary Washington College, Old Dominion University, and the United States Naval War College. He received a B.A. from Drew University and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1992 and 1993 Dr. Ryan served as a Fulbright Scholar and guest researcher at the Institute for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan, in the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan. He was twice named a Peace Scholar by the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.

The September program focused on "Engaging Iran." October's presentation wa the perfect companion to that discussion, focusing on Venezuela. Both countries are led by high profile leaders with agendas that defy U.S. foreign policy. Co-sponsored by Armstrong Atlantic State University, the October 18th program featured Dr. Michael Hall addressing "Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: Sorting Through the Rhetoric."

Many Americans would dismiss Iran and Venezuela if they did not control vast quantities of petroleum. Dr. Hall will help us sort through the rhetoric surrounding Venezuela's enigmatic leader by placing Chavez and Venezuelan foreign policy in an understandable historic context

Dr. Hall joined Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) in 1997, where he is an Associate Professor of History, specializing in U.S.-Latin American Foreign Relations. He offers upper division courses on Latin American and U.S. Diplomatic History. In addition to classes offered at AASU, he also offers continuing education classes at the Skidaway Community Institute and the Armstrong Center for the Continuing Education Program. Dr. Hall has led study abroad trips to the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. In 2008, he will lead study abroad programs in Brazil and China.

The Savannah Council on World Affairs and our co-sponsor, The Savannah Morning News, presented a program on the topic "Engaging Iran: The Rise of a Middle East Powerhouse and America's Strategic Choice." The speaker was Nathan Gonzalez.

Mr. Gonzalez is an Iran specialist and founder of NationandState.org, an open-source foreign policy think tank. A veteran of several political campaigns, Mr. Gonzalez became disillusioned with the extreme partisanship employed by both parties in handling foreign policy, and founded NationandState.org as a vehicle for serious, mature dialogue about American interests and security.

The Savannah Council and our co-sponsor, Memorial Health University Medical Center presented a program on the topic "Pandemics and the Avian Flu" which began at 8:00 p.m. with a viewing of the Great Decisions film "Global Pandemics." Great Decisions is a program of the Foreign Policy Institute and has served as a national discussion forum of foreign policy issues since 1954. The Savannah Council on World Affairs encourages and/or sponsors Great Decisions programs at Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah State University, and The Learning Center at Senior Citizens, Inc.

Following the Great Decisions film, Dr. Kathryn Rebecca Martin discussed both global and local impacts of a pandemic such as avian influenza. Dr. Martin has served as Chief Operations Officer of the Chatham County Health Department since 2005. Among many other positions, appointments, and distinctions, she served as an instructor in epidemiology at Mercer University from 2000-2004. She earned her undergraduate and master's degrees in sociology and public administration at Augusta State University, and her Ph.D. in health administration at Kennedy-Western University in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Peter C. White, founder, president, and board member of The Southern Center for International Studies (SCIS), a 42-year-old, nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution in Atlanta, spoke on the topic "Issues the US Ignores at its Peril."

Barry Lynn, Former Executive Editor of Global Business magazine, spoke on the topic "The Rise and Coming Fall of the Global Corporation."

The Savannah Council and our co-sponsor, Wachovia Bank, presented a program by Ambassador Marilyn McAfee (ret.) on the topic "Is Democracy Losing in Latin America?"

The Savannah Council and its co-sponsor, SunTrust Bank, Savannah, presented a program by Jennifer Ludden on the topic "The New Immigration Debate - Why Every State is a Border State." In her presentation to the Savannah Council, Ms. Luden provided some history, explained how immigrants are now bypassing big cities to go straight to suburbs and rural areas, and discussed how this has made immigration a current hot topic everywhere.

The Savannah Council and co-sponsor, Ron Josey of Sterne Agee, Skidaway Island, presented a program by Admiral William T. Pendley on the topic "National Strategy Options for a New Era." In his presentation to the Savannah Council, William T. Pendley, Rear Admiral U.S. Navy, Retired, discussed how the era in which we live demands that the U.S. adopt a new national strategy rather than getting bogged down making tactical level decisions without a strategic context. Without a new national strategy, he sees America continuing on a road of decline or a narrow crooked road of reactive curves and turns, both of which lead to a bleak future.

The Savannah Council and Chatham Steel Press presented a program on the topic "Expanding Freedom, Building Democracy, and Ending Tyranny Worldwide" as part of a national program series sponsored by World Affairs Councils of America in partnership with the International Republican Institute ("IRI") and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs ("NDI"). The core subject matter of the program series is the building of democratic institutions and practices, and the focus of our particular program was on Afghanistan. IRI and NDI both have in-depth experience on this topic, principally in areas where democracy is new, and have major roles in the creation of election systems and election monitoring. Each organization has worked recently on the elections in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Ukraine, and Georgia.

The Savannah Council and the Savannah News Press presented a program on the topic "On the Brink: Israel, Lebanon, and the Future of Peace," given by Jon B. Alterman, Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies ("CSIS"), Washington, D.C.

Savannah Council on World Affairs and Georgia Ports Authority presented a panel discussion on the topic “The Future of Korea” The Savannah Council is one of ten councils nationwide chosen to take part in the “Future of Korea” series sponsored by the Korean Economic Institute, the Korean Embassy, and the World Affairs Councils of America. May's program featured a timely discussion by three panelists:

• Chong-ghee Ahn, an economic counselor of the Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C.
• Jesse Curtis, a desk Officer for South Korean Political Affairs in the State Department’s Office of Korean Affairs.
• Charles L. Pritchard is the President of the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) in Washington DC.

The Savannah Council and The Solomons Family Foundation presented a student panel discussion on the topic "Nuclear Threats from Iran and North Korea: What Are the Options?" together with a presentation of the winning essay. This is our fifth year of sponsoring an essay competition to provide local high school students an opportunity to engage in significant research, thought, and writing, and sponsoring a panel discussion to provide students a public forum in which to express their positions on the topic.

George B.N. Ayittey, Ph.D., distinguished Economist at American University and President of The Free Africa Foundation, spoke on the topic "Why Africa Is Poor - And What Americans Can Do to Help,".

Sir Eldon Griffiths, Founder-Director of Chapman University's Center for International Business and a former National Chairman of the World Affairs Councils of America, spoke on the topic "Iraq and Beyond: Broadening the US-UK Partnership,".

Ambassador Jack F. Matlock, former U.S. ambassador to the USSR, spoke on the topic "Confronting the Past: How Russia's History Influences Current Policy."

Dr. William Daugherty, Professor, Armstrong Atlantic State University, spoke on the topic "In the Shadow of Iran: Troubled US Relations Past and Present."

Dr. Sheila R. Ronis, President of The University Group, Inc. in Rochester Hill, Michigan, a management consulting firm and think tank specializing in strategic management, visioning, national security, and public policy. present a program on the topic "US Energy Policy and National Security,".

Mr. Jerry Fowler, Staff Director of the Committee on Conscience at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. presented a program on the topic "Creating a Community of Conscience: Holocaust Remembrance and Contemporary Genocide,". The program was cohosted by the Savannah Council, the Georgia Historical Society, the Savannah Jewish Federation, and the Jewish Educational Alliance.

Dr. Banning Garrett, Director of Asia Programs at The Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington, D.C. presented the topic "US-China Relations in the Era of Globalization,"

The Savannah Council and The Solomons Family Foundation presented a panel discussion by several students from local public and private high schools on the topic "Solutions to Rising Anti-Americanism."

Pierre-Yyes Dugua, United States Business Correspondent for Le Figaro, the largest circulation of all Paris based newspapers, spoke on the topic "Why so much Friction with France?"