Free admission 1/2-11 PDX Classical Chinese Garden

The Portland Classical Chinese Garden will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of its opening throughout the coming year.  NW Natural will sponsor the Anniversary Year, and they will kick things off by hosting the general community to free admission into the Garden for ten days, January 2 -January 11.  Please look for updated information about these at: www.portlandchinesegarden.org

YP Discussion: Climate Change

Climate Change (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 9 December 2009 | 7:00 p.m.

Laurelwood NW Public House, NW Kearney & 23rd (MAP)
(Upstairs in the back room.)

World leaders are gathering in Copenhagen for the U.N. Climate Change Conference. (Some local leaders, too.) Originally meant to adopt a binding climate treaty, this now seems unlikely. Disagreements abound about who should do what and how much. How important are such treaties? Can we prevent climate change without them? Is the cost of prevention too high, and should we focus on adapting to the changes instead? Are there ways reduce greenhouse gases beyond just focusing on electric cars and windmills? And what about the Maldives? It's winter time, so let's heat things up.

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Dubai: business as usual

With all the news stories focusing on Dubai in the last week, discussing whether the economy of the most famous emirate is on the brink of collapse, pulling the rest of the Middle East, and the world into another economic crisis, the Guardian published a brilliant story about life in Dubai now, and the perspective on the crisis by the expats living there, and even a few Emiratis.  Highly recommend it to anyone who has been following the news from Dubai.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/03/dubai-world-economic-crash

New Deal Distillery Holiday Event 12/5 12-6pm

Season's Eatings a local artisans food, wine and spirits market   Please join us for a spirited holiday event celebrating the area's finest chocolate, cheese, baked goods, wine and spirits, while benefiting the Oregon Food. Sample, sip and meet the artisans behind the culinary treasures and find something wonderful for every foodie on your list! New Deal Distillery and Tasting Room 1311 SE 9th Avenue * Portland, Oregon 97214 Saturday, December 5th, Noon to 5pm Admission: 1 non-perishable food item or cash donation for the Oregon Food Bank. Because no one goes hungry if we can help it. (And we can help it.) for more information, call 503.381.9887

WOMEN in Business Holiday Showcase & OR Food Bank Fundraiser Nov 21 at McMenamins Kennedy School)

Support 45 local women vendors at the 4th Annual Women in Business Holiday Showcase on Saturday, November 21st from 9am-3pm. This fun event is FREE to the public and men, women and families are welcome. This is a great place to do your holiday shopping while supporting local women in business. There will be a silent auction during the showcase and 100% of all proceeds will be donated to the Oregon Food Bank. You are welcome to bring canned food to donate to the food bank - but this is not required. Some of the businesses and products represented include: health and wellness specialists jewelers artists yoga instructors beauty product reps authors Hand bag reps masseuse reflexologist Home decor & housewares women's clothing Scentsy wickless candle rep 3 lodging facilities realtors mortgage reps ...and much more! For more information visit http://www.womeninbusinessportland.com

Holiday Beer Fest 12/2-6

It is that awesome time of the year, the Holiday Beer Fest. My favorite one here by far. The cost is $20. More info at http://holidayale.com/index.php ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CNRG Nonprofit Networking Night - Thursday Nov 19th

When: Third Thursday of the month - 5:30-7:30pm.  Where: Airplay Café, 701 E Burnside St. (map) Join us for an evening of conversation and live music!   Are you a nonprofit or someone who works with them?  A nonprofit looking for affordable consultants or vendors?  A volunteer looking for an organization eager for your time?  A nonprofit staff member wanting to partner on a project?   If so, CNRG's nonprofit networking event is for you. Come meet others who work and volunteer in Portland's nonprofit sector. Swap resources, share ideas, devise solutions and just hang out with community-minded people like yourself at a great community cafe. Locally owned Airplay Café has created a welcoming environment for music lovers of all ages.   Don't forget to bring a friend and a few bucks to enjoy one of Airplay Café's delightful appetizers or coffee, beer or wine.   3rd Thursday of the month, At Airplay Café, 701 E Burnside Street, Portland 97214,  Lower Burnside district – convenient location with parking!  www.airplaycafe.com

Japanese Currents at the Northwest Film Center

The Northwest Film Center is featuring two animé short films in early December.  For more information on the festival, films, and to buy tickets go to http://www.nwfilm.org/screenings/22/211/. 

 

 

 

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YP Discussion: Democracy

World Peace (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 14 October 2009 | 7:00 p.m.

Laurelwood NW Public House, NW Kearney & 23rd (MAP)
(Upstairs in the back room.)

Democracy is an ideal that as Americans we easily have an affinity for. Twenty years ago, the Berlin Wall fell, bringing democracy to a large group of countries, expanding the European Union even to former Soviet Republics. In the past few years, the U.S. has fought two wars partially with hopes of spreading democracy further. But as Iraq and Afghanistan show, democracy is not an easy concept to bring to a country. Even when it is adopted by nations, it's often corrupted and a sham (see Iran, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and Egypt). What is democracy, and do you know it when you see it? Can it be spread by force, or can it only arise successfully from internal forces? Let's vote on it!

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PDX Zombie Walk 10/24/09

So this does not have any real international tie, but I wanted to share this fun, different festival local free event with all! PORTLAND ZOMBIE WALK 2009 gather 3:15-3:30 pm. meet at SW Park Blocks between Jefferson and Madison. Tell your zombie friends and family. donate More info at: http://www.myspace.com/portlandzombiewalk

Greg Mortenson in PDX- almost sold out!

GREG MORTENSON

STONES INTO SCHOOLS

DEC., 14, 2009 

7:30 PM AT THE ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

A  few tickets are still available through Ticketmaster, Portland Center for the Performing Arts box office or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

In his lecture, Mortenson recounts his ongoing efforts to promote peace through education and literacy by establishing schools for girls in Afghanistan; his extensive work in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan after a massive earthquake hit the region in 2005; and the unique ways he has built relationships with Islamic clerics, militia commanders, and tribal leaders even as he was dodging shootouts with feuding Afghan warlords and surviving an eight-day armed abduction by the Taliban. 

Ticket prices are $75, $45, & $25 (The $75 and $45 dollar tickets include a complimentary signed copy of his latest book Stones into Schools).

Idealist Grad Fair on Thursday, Oct 22!

Idealist Grad Fair on Thursday, Oct 22! Want to make a difference with a graduate degree? Idealist.org Portland Graduate Degree Fair for the Public Good ...where you: -meet with representatives from 75 international social impact graduate programs -explore how different graduate degrees can develop career and leadership opportunities -attend a panel of graduate admissions professionals to gain insight about admissions and financial aid   Free and open to the public! Thursday, October 22 5 - 8 pm Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union, Ballroom, 3rd Floor 1825 SW Broadway Avenue, Portland, OR 97201   hosted by Portland State University Master of International Management Program http://www.gradbusiness.pdx.edu/graduate_business_programs/mim/

The World Affairs Council of Oregon

Strobe Talbott
President, The Brookings Institution
"President Obama’s Foreign Policy Challenges"

7 PM Lecture — The Hilton Hotel, Grand Ballroom
Free for students; $5 Council members; $10 non-members
Tickets — www.worldoregon.org 503-274-7488
Pre-registration required
October 22, 2009

One of America’s foremost foreign policy analysts, Strobe Talbott served as Deputy Secretary of State from 1994–2001 and assumed the presidency of the Brookings Institution in July 2002. He was founding director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization and, in the 1980s, Time Magazine’s principal correspondent on US Soviet relations. The author of 11 books, his most recent—The Great Experiment: The Story of Ancient Empires, Modern States, and the Quest for a Global Nation, published in January 2008—combines historical and political analysis with personal reflection on efforts to forge a peaceful community of nations.

Mr. Talbott has been a fellow of the Yale Corporation and is a director of the Council on Foreign Relations, the North American Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission, and the American Association of Rhodes Scholars. He is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group. In 2009 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The World Affairs Council of Oregon
Register online at http://www.worldoregon.org/, or call (503) 274-7488

Three Portraits of Turkey
A Cultural Immersion Experience for the Community

In celebration of the 86th Anniversary of the Republic of Turkey &the NEW PSU Center for Turkish Studies

Sponsored by The Turkish Cultural Foundation, In cooperation with World Affairs Councils of America, World Affairs Council of Oregon & The PSU Center for Turkish Studies

October 30, 6:00–9:00 PM — The Delight of Turkish Cooking, Culture and Community
PSU Native American Center, 710 Jackson St. @ Broadway, Portland, OR
$15 for WAC Members, PSU Students & Faculty, $20 for Non-Members. $5 for youth 12 & under.
Enjoy a traditional Turkish meal, a Turkish Folktale enactment, Folk Dance & Music, a display & sales of Turkish art & artifacts. Hear
from recent visitors to Turkey and meet members of the local Turkish community & PSU Turkish faculty and students. Register
online at http://www.worldoregon.org/.

November 4, 7:00–9:00 PM — A Vision of Turkey through Film and Discussion
PSU Smith Memorial Union, 1825 SW Broadway @ Harrison, Room 296/98, Portland, OR
$5 for World Affairs Council Members, PSU Students/Faculty, $10 for General Public
Enjoy coffee, tea and Turkish desserts while viewing the 2005 documentary, Crossing the Bridge — Sounds of Istanbul a
journey through the music scene and cultural life in modern Istanbul, Turkey. This wonderful film is an inspired portrait of Turkish
music — from arabesque to indie rock and rap. This will be topped off with a discussion led by Dr. Pelin Basci, PSU Professor of
Turkish Language and Culture. Register online at http://www.worldoregon.org/.

November 8, 11:00 AM–5:00 PM — The Arts and Crafts of Turkey Free Event
Ottoman Klasik, Turkish Coffee and Fine Imports, 5015 NE Fremont @ 50th, Portland, OR
Join us for an open house and enjoy presentations on Turkish artistry, decorating advice from a Street of Dreams consultant,
demonstrations on Turkish coffee making, a mini tutorial on signs and symbols in Turkish carpets, merchandise prize drawings
and a 35% discount throughout the day, all the while sampling Turkish coffee, meze and baklava treats!

More information available at www.ottomanklasik.com or (503) 282-2848.

YP Discussion: World Peace

World Peace (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 14 October 2009 | 7:00 p.m.

Laurelwood NW Public House, NW Kearney & 23rd (MAP)
(Upstairs in the back room.)

As every beauty contestant knows, World Peace is a good thing. Alfred Nobel tried to promote it by having a prize (and a lot of money) presented each year to those who do the most to further it. How has the Nobel Peace Prize and those who have received it changed our view of World Peace? Are we better off than when Nobel died? Does the presentation of the Prize to Obama last week help him further his goals towards global reconciliation? Or was it presented too soon? Does he deserve it? Let's have a beer and channel World Peace.

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Global Population Lecture

Andrew Revkin of the New York Times

In his free-to-the-public Portland lecture on Nov. 10, Revkin will talk about the natural and human challenges of supporting a population that’s expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, and he’ll talk about how we can restore certain environmental conditions and create a more resilient future.

When: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Time: 7:30 PM

Where: Portland State University - Smith Ballroom, 1825 SW Broadway

Tickets (limited to 2 per person) are available at the PSU Box Office at 1825 SW Broadway. The Broadway doors of the Smith Memorial Student Union. The office hours are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

For more info, click here.

Introduction to International Humanitarian Law

Saturday, October 3
9 a.m. to noon
American Red Cross, Oregon Trail Chapter
3131 N. Vancouver Ave., Portland
Cost: FREE

Are there laws of war? Is torture illegal? What are the Geneva Conventions? Are there protected groups during an armed conflict? If a child is holding a hand grenade, is he protected by IHL? Learn the answers to these questions and many more at this free seminar.

Disputed Territory (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 30 September 2009 | 7:00 p.m.

Laurelwood NW Public House, NW Kearney & 23rd (MAP)
(Upstairs in the back room.)

Kashmir, the Palestinian Territories, East Timor, Tibet, Northern Ireland, the Kurdish region, Kosovo, Eritrea, Abkhasia and South Ossetia. Disputes over territory cause some of the most emotional and violent conflicts in the world. Why is this? What do these places have in common? Does it always make sense to "let the people decide"? What about the minority? Should the international community always intervene and try to solve these conflicts, or do they need to be resolved locally? Where has the painful path to peace been successful, and can we learn from those examples?

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Polish Fesitval 9/26-27

Quick info: Dates: wknd of SEPTEMBER 26 & 27 Saturday: 11am to 10pm (with Disco Polo from 10 to midnight) Sunday: noon to 6pm how to get there: http://www.portlandpolonia.org/festival/directions.html From I-5 - take exit #303 and drive West on Going Street - take second left into N. Interstate - drive five blocks, and the festival will appear on your left - drive one more block and turn left into Kaiser parking Festival address: 3900 N. Interstate Ave How to buy food & drinks: You buy round wood tokens called Zloty (the name of Polish Currency) and use them for food & drink. The cost is 1=1 (1 dollar for 1 token). Entertainment, Attractions, & Performers! This is the Entertainment Stage Schedule: http://www.portlandpolonia.org/festival/entertainment.html http://www.portlandpolonia.org/festival/attractions.html http://www.portlandpolonia.org/festival/performers.html

The Oceans: A Global Resource (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 | 7:00 p.m.

Laurelwood NW Public House, NW Kearney & 23rd (MAP)
(Upstairs in the back room.)

Nearly three quarters of the globe is covered in oceans. Most of it is legally a shared resource among all countries. Is this fact leading to a tragedy of the commons? Fisheries are collapsing and floating islands of garbage are appearing trapped in ocean currents. Who is responsible, and how does the global community deal with these problems? In addition, global climate change is opening parts of the ocean to exploitation never before accessible. How will this change global commerce? It's time to head out to sea!

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