World Affairs Council of Miami, Miami, FL (2026)

10/01/2026

From the United Nations General Assembly in New York to the World Affairs Council of Miami. 🇱🇹

Last week, we had the extraordinary honor of welcoming H.E. Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of , to South Florida for a foreign policy address and fireside conversation at Miami Dade College following his visit to .

Introduced by MDC President Madeline Pumariega and Nicolás Bin Filet, a second-year MDC Wolfson Campus student and WACM intern, President Nausėda shared Lithuania’s perspectives on NATO, European security, Russia’s war against Ukraine, democratic resilience, and the future of the transatlantic relationship. WACM President & Founder Aaron Rosen then joined him for a fireside conversation on the challenges facing Europe and the international system.

The program was followed by a private tour of MDC’s historic Freedom Tower with Lithuania’s First Lady, Diana Nausėdienė. Local students joined the tour, gaining a rare opportunity to experience a head-of-state visit and international diplomacy up close.

We are deeply grateful to President Nausėda and First Lady Diana Nausėdienė, the Embassy of Lithuania to the USA, and our partners at Miami Dade College, The Honors College, the MDC Institute for Freedom in the Americas, and the Miami-Dade County International Trade Consortium for making this program possible.

The full program is now available on YouTube: https://Inkd.in/eSn3gYD7

At the World Affairs Council of Miami, we connect Miami with the world, and the world with Miami. We could not have imagined a more meaningful way to begin our 2026–2027 programming year and celebrate our fifth anniversary. 🌐

09/19/2026

China’s influence in Latin America isn’t coming — it’s already here. 🌎

Join the World Affairs Council of Miami on October 2nd at Books & Books in Coral Gables for an evening with author Leland Lazarus as he presents Dragon in the Americas, a sweeping, on-the-ground analysis of how China is reshaping trade, technology, security, and geopolitics across Latin America and the Caribbean.

As strategic competition in the Western Hemisphere intensifies, this is exactly the kind of conversation that matters. Moderated by WACM President Aaron Rosen, in partnership with the University of Miami Hanley Democracy Center.

Free event. Link in bio to register. 📖

Can’t make it? Grab your copy of the book through the link in bio.

08/31/2026

The World Affairs Council of Miami is thrilled to welcome Nicolás Bin Filet to the team as an intern for the 2026-2027 program year.

Born in Curaçao to a Dutch father and an Argentine mother, Nicolás grew up between cultures and languages before settling in Miami, Florida. As a student at The Honors College at Miami Dade College, he first connected with the World Affairs Council through the Council's Media & Digital Literacy course and Distinguished Speaker Series at Miami Dade College. Through those programs, Nicolás developed a deeper interest in global engagement, diplomacy, and the role of communication in international affairs.

Now in his second year at MDC Honors College studying international relations, Nicolás recently placed 4th nationally in the Future Business Leaders of America Management Case Competition and was selected as a Fellow of the Global Citizenship Alliance following his participation in a seminar in Salzburg, Austria. A native Dutch and Spanish speaker, he is committed to pursuing a career in foreign service and public diplomacy.

"Growing up between cultures and languages, navigating different worlds always felt natural to me. But it was through the World Affairs Council of Miami that I understood there was a name for what I had always been drawn to, and a path to pursue it." -Nicolás Filet

Bienvenido y welkom bij het team, Nicolás!

08/19/2026

From competitor to World Affairs Council of Miami intern, we are thrilled to share that Isaura Valdes has joined the Council as an intern for the coming academic year.

Isaura came to Miami from Cuba as a child and built her confidence advocating for her family in a language she was still learning. As a freshman at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, she competed in the Council's Academic WorldQuest competition and heard Ambassador Zana Zeqiri Rudi describe her own path, from a childhood shaped by conflict in Kosovo to becoming her country's first ambassador to Panama and its first to serve in Latin America. Isaura recognized something of herself in that story, and decided then to pursue a career as a foreign service officer.

"The World Affairs Council of Miami didn't just introduce me to a career, it ignited a passion for understanding the world that surrounds me." - Isaura

Now a high school junior, she serves as Vice President of Miami-Dade County's District Student Government Association, representing 370,000 students. She competes in speech and debate, took her team to nationals at Harvard this year, and is fluent in Spanish and English.

Academic WorldQuest introduced Isaura to international affairs. The 2027 competition opens to South Florida high schools this fall.

08/18/2026

The World Affairs Council of Miami was honored to attend the Kingdom of Morocco's Throne Day celebration, hosted by Consul General Chafika El Habti Mawahibi of the Consulate General of Morocco in Miami, in honor of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

WACM President & Founder Aaron Rosen was joined by our newest intern Isaura Valdes, whose first diplomatic event with the Council fittingly took place on , a memorable start to Isaura's journey in international affairs.

Throne Day commemorates the accession of King Mohammed VI and is one of Morocco's most important national celebrations. The evening brought together members of the diplomatic corps, government, business, and South Florida community while showcasing Morocco's rich culture, music, cuisine, and traditions.

For the World Affairs Council, opportunities like these strengthen our mission to expand access to international affairs and deepen connections between South Florida and the wider world.

06/17/2026

On June 6th, World Affairs Council of Miami President & Founder Aaron Rosen joined His Excellency Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of the Embassy of Sweden in USA, to celebrate Sweden’s national day and America’s 250th anniversary.

Our thanks to Honorary Consul Viktoria Riley and Vice Consul Annette Lemmel for warmly inviting friends and partners of Sweden in Florida to join the reception aboard the Swedish Navy’s HMS Gladan.

We express special thanks to Ambassador Ahlin for being a past speaker at the World Affairs Council of Miami and look forward to future collaboration with the Kingdom of Sweden.

06/13/2026

Last month, the World Affairs Council of Miami had the privilege of leading a group of outstanding South Florida high school students on a visit to United States Southern Command (U.S. Southern Command).

The visit was offered to the top three teams in this year's Academic WorldQuest competition. Students from Miami Beach Senior High School, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, and the School for Advanced Studies-Wolfson earned the opportunity through their exceptional performance in a competition that brought together more than 100 students from across Miami-Dade and Broward to test their knowledge of international affairs.

Earlier this spring, Miami Beach Senior High School went on to place second in the nation at the Academic WorldQuest National Competition in Washington, D.C., an extraordinary achievement that reflects the talent, dedication, and global curiosity of our community's students.

As one of the unique opportunities available to top-performing Academic WorldQuest teams, students have, over the past several years, visited SOUTHCOM for a command brief on transnational security in the Americas and an interagency discussion highlighting a wide range of career paths in public service. Through these visits, students engage directly with professionals working in diplomacy, defense, intelligence, law enforcement, and other fields critical to U.S. engagement in the Western Hemisphere.

We are grateful to SOUTHCOM for welcoming our students and investing in the next generation of globally minded leaders. A very special thank you to Willie Rodney, Garth Gourley, Hani Abukishk, James Ozzie Coker II, Aaron D., and David J. Smith for hosting us, and to WACM Board Chair Paul Griebel for leading the visit.

Academic WorldQuest is offered free of charge to participating schools throughout our community and is designed to help students develop the global knowledge, critical thinking, and civic literacy needed to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Planning for Academic WorldQuest 2027 is already underway, and we look forward to welcoming the next generation of students interested in global affairs, diplomacy, and public service.

06/11/2026

Last week, the World Affairs Council of Miami partnered with the City of Miami to convene Council members and key partners for the launch of a new programming series: Members Briefings. This is our video recap.

At the invitation of Commissioner Rolando Escalona (Commissioner Rolando Escalona), approximately two dozen leaders from government, business, academia, civil society, and the diplomatic community gathered at Miami City Hall for an off-the-record briefing led by Ambassador (ret.) Jean Manes on U.S. strategy in Latin America and major trends shaping the Western Hemisphere.

Moderated by World Affairs Council of Miami President & Founder Aaron Rosen, the discussion explored regional security, economic development and critical resources, political dynamics in Venezuela and Cuba, U.S.-China strategic competition, and the long-term strengths and vulnerabilities of democratic and authoritarian systems.

Our sincere thanks to Ambassador Manes—who previously served as U.S. Representative to UNESCO, Civilian Deputy Commander and Foreign Policy Advisor to U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador—for sharing her insights and expertise. We also thank City Manager James Reyes for joining us at yesterday's briefing, Commissioner Rolando Escalona for his partnership in hosting the event, Board Member David Cruz Ramos for helping spearhead this new initiative, and Martha Garay for her support in making Miami City Hall available for the gathering. Finally, we are grateful to the Council on Foreign Relations for its role in fostering the professional networks that help make conversations like these possible.

In a city as globally connected as Miami, interest in international affairs is strong and continues to grow. At the same time, navigating an increasingly fragmented and fast-moving information environment can be challenging.

Members Briefings are designed to provide a trusted forum for informed discussion, meaningful exchange, and relationship-building among internationally engaged members of our community.

To learn more and how to get involved, visit us here: https://worldaffairs.miami/become-a-member

06/06/2026

On Thursday, the World Affairs Council of Miami partnered with the City of Miami to convene Council members and key partners for the launch of a new programming series: Members Briefings.

At the invitation of Commissioner Rolando Escalona (), approximately two dozen leaders from government, business, academia, civil society, and the diplomatic community gathered at Miami City Hall for an off-the-record briefing led by Ambassador (ret.) Jean Manes on U.S. strategy in Latin America and major trends shaping the Western Hemisphere.

Moderated by World Affairs Council of Miami President & Founder Aaron Rosen, the discussion explored regional security, economic development and critical resources, political dynamics in Venezuela and Cuba, U.S.-China strategic competition, and the long-term strengths and vulnerabilities of democratic and authoritarian systems.

Our sincere thanks to Ambassador Manes—who previously served as U.S. Representative to UNESCO, Civilian Deputy Commander and Foreign Policy Advisor to U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador—for sharing her insights and expertise. We also thank City Manager James Reyes for joining us at yesterday's briefing, Commissioner Rolando Escalona for his partnership in hosting the event, Board Member David Cruz Ramos for helping spearhead this new initiative, and Martha Garay for her support in making Miami City Hall available for the gathering. Finally, we are grateful to the Council on Foreign Relations for its role in fostering the professional networks that help make conversations like these possible.

In a city as globally connected as Miami, interest in international affairs is strong and continues to grow. At the same time, navigating an increasingly fragmented and fast-moving information environment can be challenging.

Members Briefings are designed to provide a trusted forum for informed discussion, meaningful exchange, and relationship-building among internationally engaged members of our community.

To learn more and how to get involved, click here: https://worldaffairs.miami/become-a-member

05/31/2026

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary and Taiwan marks 30 years of democracy, the World Affairs Council of Miami (WACM) recently convened a timely conversation at Miami Dade College (MDC, ) examining democracy, geopolitical competition, and the Americas at a crossroads.

Held as part of the Mark Samuelian Distinguished Speaker Series in partnership with MDC Wolfson Campus (), the MDC Honors College (), the MDC Institute for Freedom in the Americas, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami (TECO, ), Spirit of America (), and the Miami-Dade County International Trade Consortium (), the program brought together the community for an afternoon of high-level dialogue on the forces shaping the international landscape.

Following welcome remarks by Presidents Madeline Pumariega () and Beatriz Gonzalez, Congressman Carlos Giménez (FL-28, ) and TECO Miami Director General Charles Chou addressed the audience. Additional remarks were provided by Christopher Grozev of Spirit of America, while introductions were delivered by MDC Wolfson Student Government President and WACM intern Sofiya Korol.

Moderated by WACM President & Founder Aaron Rosen, a panel followed which featured Juan Guaidó, former Interim President of Venezuela (); Leland Lazarus, Founder & CEO of Lazarus Consulting (); and John W. Tai, Professorial Lecturer at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.

The discussion explored lessons from Taiwan’s democratic transition, democratic resilience under authoritarian pressure, China’s growing influence in Latin America, the future of Venezuela following Maduro’s arrest, and the broader strategic competition between democratic and authoritarian systems.

The afternoon, which also featured authentic Taiwanese cuisine provided by restauranteur Jonathan Chen and Black Penguin Group, served as a reminder that democracy is not self-sustaining. Informed dialogue, civic engagement, and exposure to diverse perspectives remain essential to preserving it.

World Affairs Council of Miami

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