DECEMBER 21, 2020
In the last edition of Comm(Unity) for 2020, we bring you the 2020 Luminary Award and a closing message from Council CEO Megan Torrey. We also recap the top stories from 2020, suggest gift ideas for your favorite global citizens and wave goodbye to 2020 with a cartoon.
Weekly Episode
In Case You Missed It — On Thursday, October 1, we had the honor of celebrating the local, national, and global leadership of Paul Bucha, Recipient of the Medal of Honor. And now, in our final video of 2020, we are thrilled to share the celebration with you.
Revisit the evening, including an opening by Genral David Petraeus (U.S. Army, Ret.), and an inspiring discussion on what leadership means to General Joseph Votel (U.S. Army, Ret.) and General Lloyd Austin (U.S. Army, Ret.), Biden’s new pick for Secretary of Defense.
Stream Now.
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Check out this article on defense secretary nominee General Lloyd Austin (U.S. Army, Ret.) and his career
Weekly Article Roundup
Follow along with the CTWAC staff on some of the top stories, events and topics from 2020 in the final article round-up of the year:
The biggest story of the year is (obviously) the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent vaccine authorization and distribution
Read more about the vaccine and what the road ahead looks like
In the middle of quarantine, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis set off a chain of protests throughout the United States
Systemic racial inequality is still an issue that we need to work on
In October, a deadly explosion in Beirut rocked the city and the world, adding issues to the already unstable nation
Revisit the fuel tank explosion and the impact it had on Lebanon
The U.S. presidential election had everyone in the world watching, and it brought up the conversation on election security again
Despite 2020’s success, there are still big questions ahead
Perhaps it was because everyone spent more time indoors and online, but 2020 seems to be the year of vast conspiracy theories
Check out this article that explains conspiracies and why we embrace them
Weekly Entertainment
Check out our top picks this week for holiday gifts to give to your favorite global citizen (last minute options included!)
FOR THE GLOBAL CITIZEN
Give the gift of community and global engagement in the form of a membership! Check out our various options
FOR THE ARTISAN
Check out the global artisan goods crafted by hand that are offered at this local shop
FOR THE COMEDIAN
CTWAC Exclusive Cartoon Book
Stay tuned for a book featuring all of the Council’s featured cartoons (coming soon!)
FOR THE FUTURE LEADER
This subscription box is designed to help kids interact with different cultures from the world
FOR THE CHEF
Calling all coffee lovers – buy an ibrik/cezve, a thick pot made of copper, so you can brew a fresh cup of Turkish coffee!
Global Good News
2020 Comedy Wildlife Photo Winners and Finalists
Even if there wasn’t too much to laugh about in 2020, at least animals continue to be funny. Check out the 2020 Comedy Wildlife photography winners if you want to laugh or as a reminder to not take yourself too seriously!
Read More.
Weekly Cartoon
Check in next week for another CTWAC exclusive cartoon:
I know that this has been a very difficult year for so many of us. It was a year that demonstrated how globally connected each and every one of us is, and that demonstrated that the mission of the World Affairs Council has never been more critical. I want to thank all of you for helping to transform our work and move forward together. I’m so grateful for the work of so many – and especially for you. As we look to 2021, I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year, and I can’t wait to see you in 2021.
Megan Clark Torrey
CEO
Image Credits: [1] Luminary Award: Background image: Nick Caito Photography; Headshots from respective guests; [2] Megan Torrey: Nick Caito Photography; [3] BLM Protest: Caroline Schaefer; [4] CTWAC members: Nick Caito Photography; [5] Cezve: photograph by Müslüm Bayburs via Wikipedia; [6] Bears: Yarin Klein; [7] Cartoon: Caroline Schaefer; [8] Megan Torrey: Caroline Schaefer
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