World Affairs Council of the Desert

Click on the photo for additional information on each speaker...

Michael Ryan, CFA®
The World Economy
***Sunday,* *November 13, 2022***

What is the current state of the global economy? How did we get here? Who and what are the primary influences? What role has the Federal Reserve played? Is a recession imminent or are we already there? What does the path forward look like? The answers affect all of us. Don't miss the opportunity to hear Mike Ryan share his insights and expertise on these and other important economic issues.

James Coyle, Ph.D.
Ukraine: How we Got Here and the Way Forward
Sunday, December 4, 2022

Dr. James Coyle, a leading authority on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, will help us understand the possible future outcome of this ongoing conflict.

Rushan Abbas
The Uyghur Crisis in China: Activism & Advocacy for Change
Sunday, January 15, 2023

The Uyghurs are a Muslim Turkic group in China, living in East Turkistan, at a crossroads of culture and empire. Today it's estimated that more than 1 million Uyghur people have been detained by China in re-education camps, camps where they have been subjected to torture, forced labor, religious restrictions, even forced sterilization. Rushan Abbas is a full-time activist advocating for Uyghur people facing genocide by the Chinese regime, promoting human rights and democratic freedoms for Uyghurs, while mobilizing the international community to stop the human rights atrocity in East Turkistan.

Academic WorldQuest Competition
Thursday, February 2, 2023

The Academic WorldQuest Competition will be held live and in-person at the Indian Wells Theater at California State University San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus. Members and guests are invited to view and participate in this program where Coachella Valley High Schools compete for scholarships and prizes as well as an opportunity to win an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC in April, 2023 and participate in the World Affairs Councils of America National WorldQuest Competition.

Global Perspectives You Will Get Nowhere Else...Come Join Us

The World Affairs Council of the Desert brings uniquely informed perspectives from internationally recognized speakers on global and national affairs to the Coachella Valley that you will get nowhere else.

The World Affairs Council is a non-profit, non-partisan, member- and sponsor-supported association with over 200 members. Sponsors include California State University San Bernardino-Palm Desert Campus, UBS Financial Services, Anderson Children's Foundation, County of Riverside and others.

Our Headliner Dinner/Speaker Series this year will bring us internationally recognized authorities on the most current topics of interest to all. Details will be updated on this page but mark your calendars with the dates shown below so that you will be available as soon as each announcement is made.
The Academic WorldQuest Competition helps prepare our students for life in the globally-connected, rapidly transforming world of the 21st century. We plan to hold the competition live and in-person on February 2, 2023.

Please join us today! Information on MEMBERSHIP is available HERE

In order to remain current, our speakers will be announced as the season progresses...