FORWARD TOGETHER: JOIN US IN CELEBRATING A RETURN TO EXCELLENCE

Hello Members and Supporters,

Last month was the continuation of a return to form, with excellent speakers, "sold out" events, and the joy of spending time with community members while exploring critical international topics.

March will offer even more opportunities to engage as we welcome the State Department's Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs, Ambassador Michele Sison, Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast, Director of Women, Peace and Security at the U.S. Institute of Peace, and filmmaker Josh Seftel screening Stranger at the Gate at FilmScene.

In addition, our 40th Anniversary celebration continues with a partner soiree with Diego Lasansky at the Lasanky Gallery as we lead up to an exciting final community celebration with Frank Langfitt, NPR's Global Democracy, and Ben Kieffer, Iowa Public Radio's host of River to River, at the Old Capitol Museum featuring a reception with hors d'oeuvres and a no-host bar. 

Please mark your calendars, invite your friends, and plan to join us at the many excellent free programs coming soon. Thank you for your part in continuing our tradition of impacting Iowa communities together.

Thank you all for your participation and support! 

Sincerely,

James Dykeman

Director of Development

and Communications

We celebrate decades of ICFRC's impact in the community this academic year while honoring our longtime supporters, students, families, community partners, business leaders, and young professionals. Celebrate the past with us and let’s look forward together to the future.

3/6 U.S. Leadership in the Multilateral System

Wednesday, March 06, 2024 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM CST

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3/8 Why Women Peacebuilders Matter - w/LUNCH

Friday, March 8, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST

3/24 Stranger at the Gate - Screening at FilmScene with Filmmaker/Subject Q&A w/POPCORN

Sunday, March 24, 2024 from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM CDT

4/5 Kosovo: Education as Resistance w/LIGHT BREAKFAST

Friday, April 5, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM CDT

4/10 Eyewitness to History: Lessons From Two Decades Covering the World w/HORS D'OEUVRES

April 10, 2024, 4:30PM - 6:30PM CDT

40TH ANNIVERSARY COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

ALL ARE WELCOME, REGISTER IN ADVANCE

"After nearly two decades overseas, I’m glad to be back in the U.S., and sharing some of my insights and experiences with foreign affairs councils, which perform an important civic duty in helping citizens make sense of an increasingly complex world."

Frank Langfitt is NPR's Global Democracy correspondent based on the Investigations desk in Washington, D.C. He covers threats to democracy at home and abroad. Please send tips to Frank Langfitt on Signal or Telegram. Previously, Langfitt spent nearly two decades as an international correspondent reporting from more than 50 countries and territories. Based most recently in London, he covered the UK and Ireland, as well as the war in Ukraine and its implications in Europe.

This event marks the end of a year-long series of events celebrating decades of ICFRC's impact in the community, celebrating the past, and looking forward together to reach ever more hearts and minds through diverse, inclusive, and timely topics on the most urgent issues facing our world and all of those in our community who call it home.

NEW PROGRAM RECORDING

Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States



The root of the Russo-Ukrainian War is not geopolitical competition, but the multifaceted divergence between Ukraine and Russia over the past 30 years. As Ukraine consolidated a competitive political system and a distinct pro-European identity, Russia reverted back to authoritarianism, refused to accept Ukraine's right to forge its own course, and came to see it as an “anti-Russia”.

Thank you to Iowa City City Channel 4 for the recording and to the Iowa City Public Library for hosting this event.

U.S. Leadership in the Multilateral System

March 06, 2024, 5:30PM - 6:30PM

OLD CAPITOL MUSEUM - SENATE CHAMBERS

The State Department’s Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs, Michele Sison, will join us to discuss how the United States is engaging the world through multilateral diplomacy to tackle today’s most vexing transnational challenges. The session will feature brief remarks and an opportunity to engage with the Assistant Secretary during a moderated discussion and Q and A from attendees. 

Why Women Peacebuilders Matter

MARCH 08, 2024, 12:00PM - 1:00PM

IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

ALSO STREAMING ONLINE: https://www.youtube.com/@thelibrarychannel

On International Women’s Day, expert speaker Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast, Director of Women, Peace and Security at the U.S. Institute of Peace, will provide an overview of gender-inclusive peacebuilding, as well as present the work of the 2023 Women Building Peace Award Finalists, and their initiatives in DRC, Syria, Kenya, and Haiti.

Stranger at the Gate Film Screening​ w/POPCORN

ICFRC, Global Ties Iowa, and FilmScene, with financial supporters from the UI Center for Human Rights, Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, and the Religious Studies Department, are proud to show the 2023 Oscar-nominated short documentary Stranger at the Gate. 

This program will include a free small popcorn, a Q&A discussion with filmmaker Josh Seftel, and two of the film’s primary subjects, Bibi Bahrami and Richard “Mac” McKinney.

Sunday, March 24, 2024 

3:30 PM to 4:30 PM CDT

FilmScene @ The Chauncey

Friday, April 05, 2024

10:00AM - 11:00AM

Iowa City Public Library

ALSO STREAMING ONLINE: https://www.youtube.com/@thelibrarychannel

Kosovo: Education as Resistance w/LIGHT BREAKFAST

Aferdita Krasniqi, a widely recognized expert in international education, shares her extensive 24 years of experience fostering academic and cultural relations between the tiny nation of Kosovo and the influential United States. Her pivotal role in establishing Kosovo's institutions post-1999 war while working at the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo showcases her commitment to education in the region.

Eyewitness to History: Lessons From Two Decades Covering the World w/HORS D'OEUVRES

NPR’s Frank Langfitt has reported from more than 50 countries and territories since the late 1990s. In a video and audio presentation, Frank recounts the history he’s witnessed through the people he’s met and how that history has shaped today’s challenging geo-political landscape. Frank will explain what he learned driving a free taxi in Shanghai and tracking elephants in South Sudan. He’ll also discuss reporting in Ukraine during Russia’s 2022 invasion and covering the Israel/Gaza war.

40TH ANNIVERSARY COMMUNITY CELEBRATION - ALL ARE WELCOME, REGISTER IN ADVANCE

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

4:30PM - 6:30PM

OLD CAPITOL MUSEUM

ALSO STREAMING ONLINE:

https://www.youtube.com/user/citychannel4/live

The Uncertain Future of International Criminal Law

Since the Nuremberg trial following World War II, international criminal law aims to punish and deter genocide, crimes against humanity, and grave war crimes. It has made great strides in the last twenty years, but faces increasingly uncertain prospects. Professor Osiel, a leading thinker and practitioner in the field, offers a succinct, cogent history of recent progress and a sobering assessment of its likely future.

Featuring Speaker Mark J. Osiel

Aliber Family Chair in Law Emeritus

Join an exciting workshop alert on Intercultural Conflict Styles (ICS) led by Sunday Goshit, a distinguished board member of the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council and DEIB Officer at Systems Unlimited Inc.

With a Ph.D. in Physical Geography and a rich background in intercultural communication, Sunday is set to share his expertise on navigating cultural conflicts. This workshop is a must for anyone seeking to enhance communication across diverse cultures and to foster inclusivity in workplaces and communities.

Our programming is made possible by our supporters just like you who have helped us reach communities across Iowa for nearly 40 years. Learn more about how your support is helping uplift communities and raising awareness about issues affecting our world.

Are there topics and speakers you would like to see brought to your community? Are you interested in being one of our speakers?