by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
When it comes to international affairs, these days it’s a good idea to stay in tune with what’s happening on foreign shores.
Locally, the World Affairs Council (WAC) of Jacksonville, is doing just that.
Formed in Jacksonville in 1985 as the National Interest Forum, the organization united with WAC in 1995 to expand its base of resources.
“WAC offers an intellectual framework for a global loop for Northeast Florida,” said Marilyn McAfee, president of the council and former ambassador to Guatemala. “Our goal is to become an integral part of Jacksonville and be part of the efforts to expand Jacksonville’s vision in trading internationally.”
As a not-for-profit, non-partisan educational forum, WAC’s mission is to promote public understanding of international issues and current U.S. foreign policy through a series of lectures featuring some top drawer speakers.
As a retired diplomat, McAfee has scheduled speakers such as former U.S. Rep. Bruce Morrison, who took part in drafting the Northern Ireland peace agreement, missile defense system expert David Isby, retired Gen. Fred Woerner, John Dawson from the U.S. State Department and assistant U.S. trade representative Carmen Suro-Bredie.
One goal, said McAfee, is to provide a certain level of insight into world events for the average citizen. Case in point: The New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman spoke Sept. 5 at the University of North Florida.
“He said that the real problem is angry, super-powered individuals like Osama,” recalled McAfee. “This was one week before Sept. 11. That is the kind of insight we want. We want Jacksonville to be a place where people of his caliber are available to offer insight.”
Although they may sound intimidating, McAfee insists the monthly meetings are more than just high-brow, esoteric banter.
“We bring in people who are good communicators,” she said. “We try to get people that are practitioners and not just academic. Most know we don’t have lots of money and are usually being asked to speak for expenses [airfare, hotel accommodations] only. They’ll often agree to it as a professional courtesy to their colleagues.”
The lecture series is offered monthly from September to May.
Most programs are held at UNF or Jacksonville University but some take place in the homes of individual members. Attendees are invited to quiz the speaker. Staying connected is the objective.
“The world is our neighborhood,” said McAfee. “It’s difficult to think we don’t have a stake in it and that our future doesn’t depend on theirs. The impact is instantaneous.”
Each year WAC members nationwide descend on Washington, D.C. in April for their annual conference. President Bush addressed the group last year on foreign policy in Latin America. This year, Asia is the hot topic.
Locally, the executive committee includes City Council member Lad Daniels, attorney George Gabel, Joan Carver from JU, Sherry Burns, general manager at Ch. 4, and William Stubbs, retired from the Foreign Service.
“Most boards look for people who can bring different strengths,” said McAfee. “We want to represent all different parts of Jacksonville and its industry. All the members believe in the importance of informing the community.”
Financial support for honorary speakers, including their travel expenses, is deducted from membership dues. Members total over 300 with some corporate members such as First Union and Wachovia.
Emphasis is placed on securing retired ambassadors as speakers rather than those still on the payroll to avoid political quagmires.
“These people are very plugged in to what’s happening,” said McAfee. “They don’t have the constraints on their analysis [to please the current administration]. We want their insights, to know what’s beyond the headlines.”
Working in tandem with other organizations such as the Rotary and Meninak clubs, McAfee is looking to expand membership. More members translates into more speakers. In McAfee’s view, greater dissemination of knowledge means a better quality of life.
“There was a poll back not too many years ago about how much money people thought was in our foreign assistance budget,” she said. “Most people thought it was in excess of 15 percent of our GNP [Gross National Product]. When asked they said, ‘We’re spending way too much money.’ In fact, it was less than .01 percent. In our global world, the future depends on our ability to work with other countries. We can’t do that if we’re not intelligently involved. We need to be an active agent. Helping inform the community builds support for foreign policy for whatever administration is in office.”
She summed up her thoughts by relaying what a colleague had shared with her: “If Jacksonville wants to be more than a 1-800 job site, it needs to think globally.”