Connecting the San Diego Community
to the World.

Globalization can be scary.  It has brought us non-traditional security issues and global financial crises. Our international media brings questionable human rights records of governments, poverty, and the destruction from natural disasters to our living rooms in order to fill the 24 news cycle.

In the recent past, with the global recession and financial meltdown we have experienced the causality of events in one part of the world affecting the global economy. We have learned how political instability in the oil producing regions can have a direct impact on our lives each time we fill up our car at the gas station.  Suicide bombings continue to plague the Middle East despite multi-national efforts to bring peace to this region, serving as a constant reminder that these are indeed “times that try men's souls.” 

However, while this 'global ball of twine' is complex and often difficult to decipher, it is also rewarding to learn from and fascinating to explore all its facets. We should also not forget that this intermingling of cultures, part of the global melting pot, also brings us a cornucopia of languages and traditions to share with one another.  We can be exposed to those in far away lands that would otherwise remain elusive. 

Technology advances allow us to stay in touch with our loved ones and meet new friends in other nations almost as if we are next door. People from all over the world can now help those less fortunate by participating in micro-financing to connect a global community through small business transactions over thousands of miles of land and sea.  Universities and pharmaceutical companies in different regions of the world can more easily collaborate in efforts to treat and cure diseases much faster than ever before. 

Over the next year, the San Diego World Affairs Council will continue to bring the globalized community and international affairs to you.  Because we are non-partisan, we invite guests from all sides of the issues and from all cultures to participate in social gatherings, luncheons, and dinners. Through our Young Professionals and Educational Outreach programs, we hope to foster and nurture interest in international affairs among our youth.

We hope you will join us in our efforts to bring the world to San Diego.