Foreign Policy Forums
CCWA’s Foreign Policy Forums bring subject matter experts, government officials, and renowned diplomats to Cleveland to explore relevant and timely geopolitical topics. These programs are held September to May and are open to CCWA members as well as the general public. Members receive reduced pricing on tickets; students attend for free thanks to the Dr. and Mrs. Wael and Sawssan Khoury fund.
UPCOMING FOREIGN POLICY FORUMS
For the latest events and upcoming Foreign Policy Forums, be sure to check our Calendar section.
Akriti Vasudeva Kalyankar, Fellow, South Asia Program and Editor-in-Chief, South Asian Voices at The Stimson Center
Tipping the Scales: An Emergent India on the World Stage2025-2026 Season Schedule
September 24, 2025
Making Sense of U.S. Policy in the Middle East
Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
October 15, 2025
Constructing Peace: How Diplomats Change the World
Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union
December 3, 2025
Sports Diplomacy in America's Decade of Sport
Mike Mulhall, Senior VP of Business Operations, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission; and Travis Murphy, Chief Executive Officer, Jetr Global Sports
January 14, 2026
The Global Economic Outlook for 2026
Michael Weidokal, Founder and Executive Director, International Strategic Analysis
February 18, 2026
The Future of the UN Security Council: An Evening with Ambassador Samuel Žbogar
Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations
March 11, 2026
What Comes Next for Venezuela?
Ambassador William Brownfield, Former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela
March 31, 2026
Inside the White House Situation Room
Marc Gustafson, former Senior Director of the White House Situation Room
May 20, 2026
Tipping the Scales: An Emergent India on the World Stage
Akriti (Vasudeva) Kalyankar, Fellow, South Asia Program and Editor-at-large, South Asian Voices at The Stimson Center
2024-2025 Season
Urgent Needs and Unique Challenges: An Inside Look at Humanitarian Aid in the Middle East
Ambassador David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, and U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues (Oct. 2023 - Apr. 2024)
Keeping the U.S. Competitive: The Role of the Export-Import Bank
Judith Pryor, First Vice President and Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Export-Import Bank of the United States
U.S. Leadership on the World Stage
Allison Lombardo, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State
A New Direction or More of the Same? The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy
Richard Fontaine, Chief Executive Officer, Center for a New American Security
Women's Rights: The Fight to Expand Access and Opportunity
Ambassador Roya Rahmani, Chair, Delphos International, and Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States (2018-2021)
Leading in a VUCA World: Global Business in Northeast Ohio
Frank Sullivan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, RPM International
2023-2024 SEASON
The Bin Laden Papers: Exposing the U.S. Misunderstanding of Terrorism
Dr. Nelly Lahoud, Associate Professor, Department of National Security and Strategy, U.S. Army War College; Senior Fellow, International Security Program New America
The Global Economic and Geopolitical Outlook for 2024: More Uncertainty Ahead?
Michael Weidokal, Founder and Executive Director, International Strategic Analysis
What's Next for Ukraine?
Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University; Vice Chair, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council
India: The Emerging Geopolitical and Economic Power -- Prospects and Challenges
Dr. Ajay Chibber, Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Institute for International Economic Policy, George Washington University; Non-resident Senior Fellow, South Asia Center, Atlantic Council
Global Population: Sorting Fact from Fiction
Dr. Jennifer Sciubba, Author of 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World, Senior Associate, Hess Center for New Frontiers, Center for Strategic and International Security
Geopolitics and National Security in the World of Tomorrow
Admiral James Stavridis, Former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO; Chair, Rockefeller Foundation Board; Vice Chair, Global Affairs, The Carlyle Group
2022-2023 SEASON
Can the U.S. Reset the Agenda with Latin America?
Ambassador P. Michael McKinley, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Prosperity and Peace: A Hopeful Future for the Abraham Accords
Robert Greenway, Former Senior Director of Middle East and North Africa Affairs, National Security Council
The Future of Korea
Dr. Clint Work, Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs, Korea Economic Institute of America
Spotlight on the Environment: Debriefing COP27 and Global Water Crisis
Michael Jeans, Chief Executive Officer, Growth Opportunity Partners; and Stephen Love, Program Director, Environmental Initiatives, The Cleveland Foundation; and John Mitterholzer, Program Director for Climate and Environmental Justice, The Gund Foundation; and Jeff Opperman, Global Freshwater Lead Scientist, World Wildlife Fund
From Tires to Technology: How Goodyear is Shaping an Evolving World of Transportation
Rich Kramer, Chief Executive Officer, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
International Women of Courage Award: Honoring the 2023 Awardees
Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, Malaysian Senator; and Professor Daniele Darlan, Former President of the Central African Republic's Constitutional Court
Lessons from the Edge: Ukraine in Crisis
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2016-2019)
How the UN is Tackling Global Crises: An Insider's Perspective
Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, United Nations
Cleveland Committee on Foreign Relations
The Cleveland Committee on Foreign Relations (CCFR) has been a forum for in-depth geopolitical discussions since 1938. Today, this members-only dinner and dialogue program offers our Diplomat and Ambassador level members access to informed conversations, candid remarks, and interaction with top experts and diplomats. These intimate, conversation-driven events provide unparalleled access for serious engagement and understanding of today’s most pressing international issues. Participation is exclusive to Diplomat and Ambassador level members and their guests.
RECENT & UPCOMING CCFR PROGRAMS
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European Security Under a Shifting World Order
Rose Gottemoeller, William J. Perry Lecurer, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University; former Deputy Secretary General of NATO
Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
The Abandonment of Sudan
Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
Reluctant Conquest: America's Relationship with the Arctic
Kathryn Lavelle, Professor of World Affairs, Case Western Reserve University; Author of “Reluctant Conquest: American Wealth, Power, and Science, in the Arctic”
Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
The U.S. G20 Presidency: Narrowed Focus Amid Sharp Divisions
Caitlin Welsh, former Director for Global Economic Engagement, National Security Council (2018-2020)
Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
Yemen and the Houthi's: A Closer Look
Fatima Abo Alasrar, Senior Policy Analyst on the Middle East; Founder, The Ideology Machine
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
The Future of International Law and Legal Limits
Tess Bridgeman, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Just Security
Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
Nuclear Weapons Policy in a Hot World
Emma Belcher, President, Ploughshares
Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
Patience, Power, and Purges: A Closer Look at China's Security Policy
Brian Hart, Depurty Director and Fellow, China Power Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 5:45 PM | The Union Club
2024-2025 SEASON
- Christopher Rassi: The World's Forgotten Crises
- Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez: Regional Security in Southeast Asia
- Ambassador Paul Jones: Poland as the Linchpin of Europe
- Holly Dagres: Imagining a Different Iran: Can the U.S. Expect Change?
- Will Freeman: (Re)Organized Crime in Latin America
- Gracelin Baskaran: Critical Minerals: How They Shape U.S. Policy
- Melanie Sisson: The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and National Security
- Mvemba Phezo Dizolele: The 30-Year War: Conflict in Africa's Great Lakes
2023-2024 SEASON
- Martin Chorzempa: An Inside Look into the Chinese System
- Dr. Lauren Benton: Empires and International Conflict
- Danica Starks: Trade or Aid? Is There a Future for the International Development System?
- Ambassador W. Robert Pearson: Turkiye: Power Broker at Last?
- Ambassador J. Peter Pham: Instability in the Sahel: How Africa's "Coup Belt" Is Impacting the Continent
- Dr. Iulia Joja: The Ripple Effect: How the War in Ukraine Is Causing Waves Across the Black Sea
- Mark Simakovsky: A Crucial Piece of Foreign Policy: Why U.S. Aid Continues to Matter
- Dr. Ryan Berg: The Next Six Years: What to Expect from Mexico's New President
2022-2023 SEASON
- Ivan Kanapathy: An Uneasy Ambiguity: A New Path for U.S.-China Relations
- Dr. John Nagl: Why America Can't Win America's Wars: Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the Future of Conflict
- Oge Onubogu: Nigeria: What is at Stake for Africa's Largest Economy Facing Challenging 2023 Elections?
- Ambassador Liliana Ayalde: Brazil's Presidential Elections and Implications for U.S.-Brazil Bilateral Relations
- Richard Fontaine: The Evolving World Order: How Geopolitics Shape American Security
- Dr. Courtney Freer: A New Era in U.S.-Saudi Arabia Relations?
- Dr. Liana Fix: What if?...: Scenarios for the Future of Ukraine
- Chase Sova: The State of Global Food Security
2021-2022 SEASON
- Ilan Goldenberg: The U.S.-Israel Relationship After Netanyahu
- Gregory Shaffer: Emerging Powers and the World Trading System
- Kaitlyn Johnson: Space Security - Threats and Foreign Policy Implications
- Terry Roberts: Implementing Cyber Risk Management Frameworks
- Andrew Yeo: Adapting the U.S.-South Korea Alliance to the Indo-Pacific Era
- Paul Angelo: Getting U.S. Security Assistance Right: Lessons from Mexico, Central America, and Colombia
- Cameron Hudson: The Horn of Africa and Its Strategic Implications
- Pierre Morcos: The Future of Europe: A French Perspective
2019-2020 SEASON
- Kemal Kirisci: Turkey, a U.S. Ally Adrift: Is a Reversal Possible?
- Dany Bahar: Venezuela: How We Got Here, and What’s Next?
- Richard Hoagland: The New Silk Road: U.S. Strategic Interests in the Caspian Sea Region
- Ambassador Stephen Young: Taiwan and the U.S.: What Does the Future Hold?
- Richard Rossow: India’s Rise as an Economic and Military Power
- Farah Pandith: How We Win: Defeating the Extremist Threat
- Chris Demchak: Cyber Conflict and New Global Reality: Threats and Possibilities for Democratic Survival
- Frances Burwell: The Post-Covid19 Transatlantic Relationship
Cleveland Connections: A Video Interview Series
Cleveland Connections is our newest way to help Clevelanders be informed and learn about the latest global events. These 20-30 minute interviews with renowned experts, all with a connection to Cleveland, are meant to cover impactful stories in world affairs with the people who understand them most.
Cleveland Connections Interviews
Global Impact Awards
CCWA's Global Impact Award recognizes an individual or organization whose leadership has led to greater global understanding and cooperation. This annual event includes dinner, a program, and the Brooks Emeny Distinguished Lecture, delivered by our honoree.
The Cleveland Council on World Affairs’ 2026 Global Impact Award event date and honoree will be announced soon! Stay tuned for more information about how you can join us to celebrate CCWA’s mission and global engagement in our community and around the world at this year's event.
For more information, contact Jenni Carney at jcarney@ccwa.org.
2025: Ambassador William J. Burns, Former Director of the CIA, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
2024: Senator Rob Portman
2023: The U.S. Diplomatic Corps (Award accepted by Ambassador Anne W. Patterson)
2022: The National Geographic (Award accepted by Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of National Geographic Society)
2019: Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations
2018: Senator George Mitchell
2017: Condoleezza Rice, Former U.S. Secretary of State
2016: James A. Baker, III, Former U.S. Secretary of State
2015: Senator Richard G. Lugar
2014: Strobe Talbott, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
2013: Governor Richard F. Celeste, Former Director of the Peace Corps
Contribute to Global Connections
SUPPORT THE CLEVELAND COUNCIL ON WORLD AFFAIRS
For a century, the CCWA has brought diverse perspectives on issues of international import to Cleveland. Much of our programming is made possible by the the support of our members and the generosity of our donors. Will you help us continue to create global connections?