The Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA) is excited to announce that starting with the 2022-2023 season, students are invited to attend our Foreign Policy Forum programs for free, thanks to a generous donation from Dr. and Mrs. Wael and Sawssan Khoury.

Wael and Sawssan are passionate about supporting the next generation of globally-minded citizens in Cleveland. Dr. Khoury is the immediate past board chair of CCWA, and a long-time member and board member. He and his wife, Sawssan, wanted to make a significant gift in celebration of CCWA’s upcoming Centennial to establish an endowed fund to support student participation in CCWA programs.

“We are so grateful for the generous gift from Dr. and Mrs. Khoury to support student participation in our public programs. It is critical for CCWA to ensure that the rising generation in our community is internationally minded, knowledgeable about world affairs, and has a global perspective. CCWA has been engaging the community in conversations about world affairs for one hundred years, and it is very special for us to enter our second century by engaging the community in world affairs in such a meaningful way,” says CEO Carina Van Vliet.

“World affairs belong to everyone. It is CCWA’s role to help our community to learn more about global events and the issues that impact us here locally, and about our U.S. foreign policy responses. Being able to welcome all students to CCWA programs for free really underscores that CCWA welcomes all voices to participate in these conversations. This is important to us,” reflect Wael and Sawssan on the impact of their gift.

CCWA’s Foreign Policy Forum series brings national experts to Cleveland to explore relevant and timely topics about world affairs and key global issues. These public programs are open to CCWA members, as well as the general public.

The 2022-2023 Foreign Policy Forum will begin with Ambassador P. Michael McKinley from the Center for Strategic and International Studies discussing “Can the U.S. Reset the Agenda with Latin America?” on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.

For tickets and information about upcoming programs, visit CCWA online at jetpackgroup.com or call (216) 781-3730. Thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Khoury, students now attend for free but advance registration is required. CCWA members receive discounted pricing to programs.