A Seattle nonprofit dedicated to global affairs awareness announced this week that it has received a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to extend its educational program promoting global awareness.
The World Affairs Council’s community educational program will focus on global health and development issues through a series of small and large presentations featuring international speakers. The events will serve to raise awareness not only of the issues themselves, but of the local programs and initiatives working to meet that demand.
"This grant significantly supports the World Affairs Council’s efforts to increase our community’s understanding of the impact of global health and development issues in today’s world," said World Affairs Council President and CEO Ian Moncaster. "Too many of us don’t know about the critical role that organizations right here in the Pacific Northwest play in tackling health and poverty issues throughout the world."
The event series’ inaugural speaker will be two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Nicholas Kristoff, a New York Times editorial columnist. He will speak on October 15 at Seattle’s Town Hall about improving global conditions by empowering women, a presentation titled "Saving the World’s Women."
Founded in 1951, the World Affairs Council focuses on public events, educational opportunities and an international visitor program to promote greater understanding of global affairs within the Puget Sound community.
The council’s programs include the Fellows Program, which offers a series of monthly seminars on international issues to a small group of "future international leaders"; the Global Classroom initiative that connects local teachers and students with international resources, ideas and speakers; and the Young Professionals International Network, which holds internationally-focused networking events, lectures and discussions, language groups, discussions with international visitors and dinners with visiting global leaders for young professionals in the Seattle area.
The Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation made $2.8 billion in grants to organizations and nonprofits in the 2008 fiscal year.
