MAY 11, 2020
In this edition of Comm(Unity), we want to say thank you to all of the speakers, Councils, and communities around the country and world that participated in last week’s ideas summit, CxC:Amplified. Most of all, we want to thank you for joining in. It was a week full of engaging conversations, stimulating questions and widespread public discourse. This week, we will be focusing on ideas presented in the summit and we encourage you to check out last week’s presentations from CTWAC and Councils around the country.
Weekly Episode(s)
May 5, 2020 — Watch General David Petraeus (USA, Ret.) and CEO Megan Torrey discuss timely topics like leadership in a pandemic, give advice to graduating cadets, talk about the war in Afghanistan and share what’s on his bookshelf (psst… it’s linked below).
Stream Now.
May 8, 2020 — Our Friday feature, Putting the World Back Together with Gen. John Allen (USMC, Ret.), was a thoughtful conversation about the economy, technology, American resilience and hope for the future. Moderated by CEO Megan Torrey.
Stream Now.
Check out other videos from CTWAC and our fellow World Affairs Councils on Youtube now.
Weekly Article Roundup
Follow along with the CTWAC staff on this week’s article roundup (with some special recommendations!):
Gen. David Petraeus (USA, Ret.) and Vance Serchuck comment on whether the U.S. can trust the Taliban
Check out this Foreign Affairs article analyzing the Afghan Peace Deal
RECOMMENDED BY GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS (USA, RET.)
This Atlantic article discusses how the Internet surpassed expectations as society shut down around it
Charles Fishman explores the world wide web’s surprising capacity
Graham Allison wonders explores if the U.S. and China can escape Thucydides’s Trap, based on their trajectory
When a rising power challenges a ruling power, is war inevitable?
RECOMMENDED BY GEN. JOHN ALLEN (USMC, RET.)
Nicholas Eberstadt looks at the “New World Order” after COVID-19, particularly in Asia, in this essay
The National Bureau of Asian Research’s “The New Normal in Asia” series
According to experts, the threat of a pandemic has been looming for decades, but what other threats should we start preparing for now?Politico reports its own Worldwide Threat Assessment
Weekly Entertainment
READ
An annotated memoir of the famed Civil War general – we’ve been assured it’s easy to read!
RECOMMENDED BY GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS (RET.)
LISTEN
Is imagination the cure for isolation?
The Economist asks Isabel Allende, a Chilean author, on what she thinks can help during quarantine
STREAM
See current president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, star in this Netflix show as… the President
RECOMMENDED BY AMB. BILL TAYLOR (RET.)
PLAY
If you missed the webinar last week, see if you’re a rule breaker or rule maker with this quick quiz on social norms
RECOMMENDED BY DR. MICHELE GELFAND
COOK
This simple yet comforting Italian dish (lit. “Cheese and Pepper”) is easily adjustable to whatever cheese you have on hand! Insider tip: we hear sharp provolone is great here too.
Global Good News
U.S. renewable energy surpasses coal every day for a month
For the first time, U.S. renewable energy has surpassed coal for 40+ straight days, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Lower power demand as well as lower gas prices are some of the factors contributing to this milestone. Read More.
Weekly Cartoon
Check in next week for another CTWAC exclusive cartoon:
Thank you again for tuning in last week and staying engaged with our global community!
Another exciting announcement – CTWAC and a few of our fellow Councils hosted the first national, cross-border student discussion last week. Students from numerous states had a fantastic virtual discussion on how COVID-19 has impacted their communities and what Putting the World Back Together means to them. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and tune in next week for a new edition of Comm(Unity)!
Nicole Struth
Education Director
Special Thanks: Special thanks this week to Nick Caito, Nick Caito Photo, for his contributions!
Image Credits:
[1] Gen. David Petraeus (USA, Ret.): Spencer Sloan; [2] Gen. John Allen (USMC, Ret.) at GSF 2019: Nick Caito; [3] China v U.S. graphic: Mike Blake / Damir Sagolj / Reuters / Alessandro0770 / Shutterstock / Zak Bickel / The Atlantic; [4] Servant of the People cover image; [5] Cacio e Pepe: Tom Schierlitz / Bon Appetit; [6] Windmills: American Public Power Association / Unsplash; [7] Cartoon: Caroline Schaefer; [8] Nicole headshot: Caroline Schaefer
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