The World Affairs Council of the Desert, a non-partisan and non-profit organization, located in the Coachella Valley, California. The Council provides an opportunity for the discussion of current national and international topics.
Contents
- Mission statement
- Programs and events
- Speaker Program
- Distinguished Speakers Series
- Youth programs
- Notable speakers
- References
Founded in the early seventies as the “Desert Forum”, it served initially as a branch of the Los Angeles Council. By 1975, the organization had changed its name to The World Affairs Council of the Desert and is currently located in Indian Wells, CA. Over the years the Council has increased its membership, program series and established itself as a separate non-profit corporation.
Mission statement
It states that its mission is "to provide education on vital issues of global importance to diverse audiences in the Coachella Valley".
Programs and events
The World Affairs Council organizes a number of events in the Coachella Valley geared toward providing educational opportunities focused on international affairs. These events include public programs featuring journalists, public officials, and foreign policy experts, seminars for educators, and outreach programs for students.
Speaker Program
The Speaker Program is a series of dinner lectures open to the public featuring speakers that are experts in their fields of endeavor such as ambassadors, foreign dignitaries, corporate leaders and higher education professors. Presentations by the speakers cover current national and international issues.
Distinguished Speakers Series
The Distinguished Speaker series allows council members and guests to attend talks with leading, environmental figures in the international community.
Youth programs
The World Affairs Council of the Desert, invites high school and college students to its dinner events and conducts the annual Academic Worldquest in the Coachella Valley. Worldquest is an academic competition with programs geared toward high school students in which teams answer questions pertaining to foreign affairs, geography, foreign culture, international organizations, and recent history. The winning team, with four members, goes on to a national competition arranged by the World Affairs Councils of America in Washington, D.C.
Notable speakers
Notable speakers at World Affairs Council of the Desert events have included: