Happy Dog Takes on the World: COVID-19 and Women’s Leadership Around the World

In October 2020, the world will mark the 20th anniversary of the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which addressed the importance of women’s political participation for sustainable peace, among other issues. This anniversary comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend lives around the globe. For women, these affects are especially acute.…

Happy Dog Takes on the World: The Next President’s Foreign Policy Inbox

Regardless of which candidate prevails on November 3, the next President of the United States will inherit a complicated international landscape and mounting global problems. While this has been true for nearly every modern presidential election, what makes this election different is that Joe Biden and Donald J. Trump vastly disagree on almost every foreign…

Happy Dog Takes on the World: Coups and the Fragility of Democracy

On January 6, 2021, supporters of President Trump violently stormed the Capitol after attending a rally on the National Mall where Trump defended his belief that the election had been "stolen" from him. Five people died. Many saw it as inevitable, a cumulation of four years of President Trump and his administration testing the invisible…

Happy Dog Takes on the World: Russia, Putin, and the Pro-Democracy Movement

Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s most prominent critic, is determined to challenge the authoritarian leader and change Russia's political system. He was arrested on January 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Putin has denied being involved.…

Happy Dog Takes on the World: Why Rust Belts Matter Around the World

In America and other Western democracies, older industrial communities are in a painful process of economic transition. These geographic regions were once economic powerhouses, but have experienced a decline in manufacturing, and a subsequent decline in local economies, property taxes, education, and other community assets. Research has shown that when election season rolls around, residents…

Cleveland International Film Festival: To the Street

CCWA is proud to be a community partner again at this year’s Cleveland International Film Festival. Our partner film, To the Street (A La Calle), will be be available for streaming on April 8-20, 2021 during the virtual CIFF. Use the code CCWA to receive a discount when purchasing tickets. About the film: The crisis…

A La Calle: People, Protest, and the Road to Restoring Democracy in Venezuela

This forum is presented in partnership with The City Club of Cleveland and the Cleveland International Film Festival. The crisis in Venezuela has been making headlines for years. As violence erupts in the streets, people without food, water, or electricity have been fleeing the country in droves. Unsustainable economic practices compounded by Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian…

Happy Dog Takes on the World: 10 Years of War in Syria

In March of 2011, protestors took to the streets in Syria to show solidarity with the growing pro-democracy movements in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia. Across the region, these protests sparked a domino effect of citizens taking to the streets to demand democratic reforms and greater freedoms; on a larger scale, this period became known as…

Why U.S. Humanitarian Work Should Matter To Americans

The 2020-2021 Foreign Policy Forum Series is presented by Hitachi Healthcare Americas. Our community partner for this forum is The American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio.  This past year more than ever, we have learned that not all disasters are limited by national borders. Whether COVID-19, climate change, or political unrest, when international disasters occur around…

The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East

The 2020-2021 Foreign Policy Forum Series is presented by Hitachi Healthcare Americas.Our community partners for this forum are the Northeast Ohio Consortium for Middle Eastern Studies (NOCMES) and the CWRU Center for International Affairs. President Biden's Administration inherited a host of challenges and opportunities in the Middle East. It has become clear over the last…

CCWA’s 2021 Annual Meeting

Join us for our virtual 2021 Annual Meeting to celebrate our accomplishments from the past year! Our Annual Meeting will feature a report from Cleveland Council on World Affairs’ staff on our key program results, notable events, and our work as a team. As part of this celebration, we will highlight our international exchange work,…

Afghanistan’s Lessons for a More Sustainable Foreign Policy

After two decades of U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, America's longest war is ending with a dramatically unplanned evacuation of civilian personnel, U.S. citizens, and some vulnerable Afghans ahead of the September 11 deadline set for the formal withdrawal of U.S. forces. The rapid take-over of Kabul by the Taliban has prompted debate about the future…