World Affairs Council great for community

• Published September 02, 2008

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For 25 years, the Olympia World Affairs Council has tried to shrink the planet by hosting informative lectures on issues of importance in distant lands. The more we understand about the world we live in, the more opportunity for constructive dialogue and resolution of issues.

We salute the council on its silver anniversary, which will be marked Sept. 18 with speaker Fleet Ratliff of Olympia discussing the geopolitics of Antarctica.

The Council is one of the many underappreciated groups that make Olympia a culturally rich and special place. South Sound is fortunate to have many residents with a passion and deep understanding of foreign nations and their residents.

As an affiliate of the World Affairs Councils of America, the largest international affairs non-profit in the United States, the local council provides our community with multiple opportunities to increase our knowledge about the world we share.

For example, monthly programs are offered with expert speakers focusing on international political, economic, cultural and scientific affairs. In the past year, professor Charles McKhann from Whitman College discussed issues regarding minorities in China, and professor Sean Williams from The Evergreen State College spoke on the effect of musical traditions of Islam.

The lectures are free, open to the public and generally occur at The Olympia Center.

The council was formed and incorporated in early 1984 by several public-spirited citizens. Past presidents include former Secretary of State Ralph Munro; John Ishii, former president at Saint Martin's College; Elmer Wagner, sinologist and long-time Grays Harbor College faculty member; Niels Skov, Danish resistance fighter and author; Patrick March, Russian specialist and retired admiral; Bernice Youtz, Middle East expert and former faculty member at the American University in Beirut; and Sam Fry, a former foreign service officer.

While the lecture series is the centerpiece of the council's year, many activities have been staged to bring international events and concerns to South Sound.