Global I.q. Minute With Jim Falk

“To deeply know and understand others is a way of life,” observes New York Times bestselling author David Brooks in his upcoming book, How to Know a Person. Drawing on insights from psychology, neuroscience, theater, philosophy, history, and education, Brooks presents a comprehensive approach to fostering meaningful human connections that prioritize empathy and understanding. USA Today said, “Original and eye-opening… Brooks is a normative version of Malcolm Gladwell, culling from a wide array of scientists and thinkers to weave an idea bigger than the sum of its parts.” The Council welcomes Brooks to Fort Worth for a discussion moderated by Talmage Boston. David Brooks is one of the nation’s leading writers and commentators. He is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times, a writer for The Atlantic, and appears regularly on PBS Newshour. He is the bestselling author of The Second Mountain, The Road to Character, The Social Animal, Bobos in Paradise, and On Paradise Drive. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Talmage Bo

Congressman Colin Allred is currently serving his third term as the U.S. Representative for Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. Allred was born and raised in North Dallas where he was class president of Hillcrest High School and earned a full-ride football scholarship to Baylor University. He deferred his acceptance to law school to play in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans, where he was a linebacker for five seasons before sustaining a career-ending injury. This opened the door for him to become a civil rights attorney. He served in the General Counsel’s office and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development before returning to Dallas. His congressional priorities include lowering health care costs, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and creating an economy that works for all Americans. About the Moderator: Christopher Connelly is a reporter covering issues related to financial instability and poverty for KERA’s One Crisis Away series. In 2015, he joined KERA to report on Fort Worth and Tarra

In 2018 word broke out that Alphabet Inc’s Google, reacting to employee outrage, would not renew its contract with the Pentagon for Project Maven. Project Maven involved AI analysis of aerial drone imagery and Google employees claimed this association with warfare violated their “do no harm” principle. Autonomous weapons expert Paul Scharre reports on the struggle to control AI in his new book Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, and says that Big Data and the U.S. government must find ways to work together if the U.S. is to retain its superpower status in the fierce competition to develop and implement these game-changing technologies. About the author/speaker: Paul Scharre is the Vice President & Director of studies at CNAS. Scharre previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He led the Department of Defense working group that drafted the DoD Directive 3000.09, which established the department’s policies on autonomy in weapon systems. While at the DoD he led ef

Every year the U.S. Department of State International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award recognizes women from across the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage while advocating for everything from world peace to human rights. They bring great empowerment to women and girls, but often with personal risks and sacrifices. While the names of the awardees are kept confidential until just before the awards ceremony in Washington, DC with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Dr. Jill Biden, the Council and its International Visitor Programs will host three of the IWOC Awardees the week of March 11-15 in DFW. Join us to be a part of a powerful and uplifting conversation about the strength and resilience of these women sharing their stories and what it means to be a woman of courage. About the speakers: Meaza Mohammed is a veteran Ethiopian journalist and is the founder of Roha TV, an independent YouTube-based news and information channel. Mohammed has been a strong voice advocating for investigation of and a

President & CEO of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass joins the Council to discuss his latest publication The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens. Haass argues that good citizenship is not only a right, but also a duty, and that individuals must actively participate in the democratic process in order to maintain a healthy and functioning democracy. Join us for this thought-provoking discussion on the role of the individual in shaping the future of our society and the world. About the speaker: Richard Haass is the President & CEO of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a veteran diplomat and prominent voice on American Foreign Policy, serving the Council on Foreign Relations for 20 years. Dr. Haas has extensive government experience, serving as special assistant to President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993 and senior director of Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. Prior to this, he served in the Department of State from 1981-198

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson argues in her best-seller Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents that race in America can be compared to the caste systems of India and Nazi Germany. The New York Times called the book “an instant American classic.” Her 2010 best-seller, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, was based on more than a thousand interviews documenting the northern and western migration of African Americans in 20th century America. President Barack Obama awarded her the National Humanities Medal in 2016 for “championing the stories of an unsung history.” Join us online on March 1 to discuss social stratification with this distinguished American writer. About the Author: Isabel Wilkerson is the first Black woman in to win the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism, honored in 1994 for her feature writing at the New York Times. Howard University graduate Wilkerson has become a leading figure in narrative nonfiction, and has devoted fifteen years to journalism

The Honorable Mike Pompeo is the 70th Secretary of State (2018-2021). Previously, he served as the Director of the CIA from 2017-2018. Pompeo graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1986, and after leaving active duty received a law degree from Harvard Law school. He began his legal career in 1998, and later turned to entrepreneurship in aerospace and oil, funding Thayer Aerospace, where he served as CEO for over 10 years. Pompeo began his political career in 2011 when he was elected to the House of Representatives for Kansas’ 4th congressional district, where he served for four terms before joining the Trump administration.Mike Pompeo Book Cover Having been the only person to have served both as Secretary of State and Director of the CIA, Pompeo details his interactions with world leaders and analysis of geopolitics in his new book Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love. The Honorable Mike Pompeo will talk about his experience working for the Trump administration with Council Presi

In 2019, Marie Yovanovitch was serving as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. A seasoned diplomat, Yovanovitch watched the 1993 constitutional crisis and street fighting in Russia. For years, she witnessed Putin’s election meddling, cyberattacks, and vast misinformation in Ukraine. Yet, upon president Volodymyr Zelenskyy being democratically elected, then-President Trump suddenly recalled her from her post. It was in the following month that President Trump made the infamous phone call to president Zelenskyy about investigating his then political rival, now President Biden. The resulting investigation and impeachment hearings would mark the end of Ambassador Yovanovitch’s career in government and Ukraine’s relationship with Russia has been notably unstable since that time. As we near the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, join us on Thursday, February 16 with former Ambassador Yovanovitch to recount her career in public service in Russia and Ukraine and her experience testifying before Congress. A

Each year, The Economist publishes “The World Ahead” series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring. On December 14, Standage rejoins the Council to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2023. "The World Ahead" is one of the most prestigious launches in The Economist’s annual publishing calendar. This future-gazing publication prepares audiences for the year to come with mind-stretching insights and expert-level analysis. Written by The Economist correspondents and editors alongside globally recognized public figures, it is regarded as essential reading by individuals, professionals, and policymakers alike. It circulates in more than 90 countries, in 24 languages, to a world audience in excess of 2.8 million people. About the Speaker: Tom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, “The Wo

The world changed on that day in August 1945 when the American B-29 bomber released the 7,900 pound “Little Boy” nuclear bomb over the city of Hiroshima, Japan, and 77 years later nuclear weapons remain a primary global issue. Today, a nuclear weapon can fit into a suitcase. Join us for a special Mel Kusin National Security Lecture on nuclear threats with former National Security Council member Robert Litwak. Litwak will discuss the nuclear capabilities and ambitions of Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as well as historical nonproliferation precedents. Ultimately, Litwak will ask us to reevaluate the concept of deterrence and mutually assured destruction. About the Speaker Robert Litwak is the senior vice president and director of international security studies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC, as well as a consultant to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Litwak served as the director for nonproliferation on the National Security Council during the Clinton administrati

From the presence of drones to the power of social media, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is changing the face of warfare as we know it. How will the U.S. military adapt to the evolving future of warfare? Join us for a discussion with former Under Secretary of Defense Michèle Flournoy on America’s strategy for success in the uncertain times ahead, including insights from Lt Gen John "Jack" Shanahan, USAF (Ret.) and Rear Admiral Norman Hayes, USN (Ret.) on the role of new technology like artificial intelligence. Our panelists will evaluate the possibility of a new world order in geopolitics and military strategy.  . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one

Today, American democracy faces a polarized population. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham has found a timely message to American leaders in the example of Abraham Lincoln: the survival of democracy demands a firm conscience. A frail, imperfect man, Lincoln overcame his limitations and was willing to risk his career to uphold his deep faith in liberty and equality. Meacham joins the Council December 6 to discuss his new biography, And There Was Light. About the Author: Jon Meacham is an American historian and Pulitzer-prize winning author who holds the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University, where he is also a visiting professor and co-chairs the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & Democracy. Meacham has chronicled the lives of a range of U.S. political figures including John Lewis, George H.W. Bush, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Andrew Jackson in his multiple New York Times bestsellers. Meacham is celebrated for democratizing larger-than-li

The political polarization of America in 2022 is not a new phenomenon, but what is often missing is the political will to find a middle ground. Even while in fierce opposition to the policies of President Ronald Reagan, who was swept into office in a landslide, Democrat House Speaker Tip O’Neill said, “In the best interest of America, the hand of cooperation ought to go out.” Last year, the Pew Research Center found that 86% of Trump supporters and 89% of Biden supporters wanted their elected official to address the needs of all Americans “even if it means disappointing some of his supporters.” Join us for the Mike Rawlings Endowed Lecture as Democrat Mayor Mike Rawlings, Republican and former Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus, and Rudy Bush of the Dallas Morning News discuss how to slow the polarization of our electorate and find a middle ground where opposition does not become obstruction. About our Speakers: The Honorable Mike Rawlings was the longest serving Mayor of Dallas (2011-2019) in over 50 y

Our challenge is to remain good citizens in a politically and socially divided world. The Freedoms Foundation’s David Harmer says, “When we recognize what we share in common and work through our differences with civility, we can preserve and advance freedoms for all.” At the Bill and Barbara Benac Human Dignity and Fairness for All Lecture, Harmer will focus on the twin ideals of freedom and individual responsibility and the effect our political past, social structure, and economic entity have on them and on citizenship today. About the Speaker: David Harmer: David Harmer is currently the CEO of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge and previously served as counsel to a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. A fellow of the Heritage Foundation who has been published by the Cato Institute and is considered an expert in constitutional law, Harmer has litigated in defense of personal and economic freedoms recognized by the First and Fifth Amendments. He has spent the heart of his career at the Los

Do massive floods worldwide and soaring heatwaves foreshadow changes in the global climate status quo? Last February, the freeze in Texas caused massive power outages, damage to infrastructure, and 172 people lost their lives. What does a system more resilient to catastrophic risk look like? Is our response coming too late? Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment Alice Hill will talk with us about confronting the dangers ahead in our November 1 webinar. About the speaker: Alice Hill is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. She previously served as a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and as senior counselor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2009. Hill led developments of policy regarding national security and climate change as special assistant to the President and senior director of resilience policy at the National Security Council during the Obama Administrat

The Civil War may have ended on April 9, 1865, but over 150 years later, the fight for a stable democracy continues with polarizing civil tension in the United States. The fight to preserve the Union is more tightly knit with the fight for democracy than any of can imagine. What are the implications of our forgotten history and what impact does it have on our future? Join us and Suri at the Gail Koppman History lecture for a book signing and discussion on our country’s history. We’ll discuss his argument that there was never a united country post the Civil War and what emerged was a country striving to rebuild and unite, but ultimately unable to. About the Speaker Jeremi Suri is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, where he holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs. Suri teaches award-winning graduate and undergraduate courses on strategy and decision-making, leadership, globalization, internationa

No recent administration has been so intensely scrutinized as that of President Donald Trump. “Insiders,” media, and Congressional hearings attempt to interpret what happened behind the scenes at the Trump White House. Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, and Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker and founder/editor at Politico, offer their front-row perspective in "The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021" based on sources including President Trump himself. Join us for this timely conversation with these historians as the former President considers a 2024 reprise of his political campaign. Peter Baker is an award-winning journalist who has covered Washington for more than 30 years. He is the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times. Susan Glasser is a staff writer at The New Yorker and has served as a top editor for several Washington publications as well as editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy. This is the third book the married couple has co-authore

The monarchy is a national symbol of the UK and a traditional unifying point, as we have just witnessed. As the United Kingdom said goodbye to its longest-reigning monarch, questions arose about how many of the 56 commonwealth nations would retain King Charles III as their sovereign. What is the impact of the Queen’s passing on the world? Does it change global order? Will the monarchy remain relevant, be slimmed down, or shift to a republican system? The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth will present a webinar featuring Lord Mark Sedwill, a British diplomat, member of the House of Lords, and former civil servant who served as Cabinet Secretary to Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson and Head of the Civil Service (2018-2020), and as National Security Adviser (2017-2020). He was previously the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, and Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connec

Hacking is no longer a far-off, fictional plot from science fiction. We all participate in the digital world. The threats to individuals and their identities are real and inevitable; no person or corporation is exempt from identity theft or data breach. Last year, Microsoft was infiltrated by at least 10 different hacker groups as a result of software flaws and unsuspecting users. Cyber-tech leaders Shawn Wiora and Mike Echols will show Global Forum members how to manage cyber risks and be empowered to safely navigate the tech world.   About the Speakers: Mike Echoles headshotMike Echols is the CEO of IACI, a Kennedy Space Center nonprofit, and CEO of Max Cybersecurity LLC. Echols spent 10 years at the Department of Homeland Security in critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity leadership and served as the point person for President Obama’s Executive Order Promoting Private Sector Cybersecurity Information Sharing, Chair of the Communications Sector and Network Security Information Exchange, and

Over the past century, Americans have seen several iterations of the Republican Party, from the post-WWII Eisenhower days to Reaganomics to the rise of Trump’s MAGA movement. Amid so much change, how does one define the modern-day Republican Party, and what does it mean to be a conservative in 2022? Political scholar Matthew Continetti seeks to answer these questions and more in his book, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism. In The Right, Continetti takes readers through the history of the party and how the ideology that drives it has evolved over the decades, in the face of changing social, political, and economic circumstances. From a “network of intellectuals” to a 21st century political organization, Continetti explains the intricacies behind what many see as the party’s “desire for mainstream acceptance and the pull of extremism.” Matthew Continetti is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies American political thought and history, emphasizin