SPEAKER SERIES

Description Genocide. Whenever the word appears in news headlines, documentaries, or movies, everyone knows a horrific atrocity is potentially unfolding. However, from a historical perspective the visceral reaction to this word is somewhat surprising because the concept of genocide was invented barely eighty years ago and only recently became a widespread part of international dialogues. This talk will describe the historical creation of the concept of genocide by Raphaël Lemkin and its adoption in international law and contemprorary political discourse. Speaker Ben Meiches is a Professor at the University of Washington-Tacoma and earned his Ph.D. In Political Science from Johns Hopkins University in 2015. At the University of Washington, Tacoma, his research and teaching focus on global politics, political violence, human rights and international theory. He is a particularly interested in armed conflict, genocide, and the development of international law. He is the author of two award-winning books: Nonhuman Humanitarians: Animal Interventions in Global Politics and The Politics of Annihilation: A Genealogy of Genocide both with University of Minnesota Press.

Tacoma, like many seaport cities around the world, is an amalgam of peoples, ethnicities, and neighborhood influences overlaid on a place that has been home to indigenous people for hundreds of generations. This presentation will explore Tacoma’s patterns of immigration, how neighborhoods and institutions have been shaped by waves of newcomers and how journey stories have helped create the city’s cultural backstory and history. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Michael Sean Sullivan is a public historian, writer and historic preservationist. He has taught Pacific Northwest history at the University of Washington Tacoma for more than 20 years. With special guest Robert Satiacum.

Henry Haas, an attorney, shares his family's story of escaping the Holocaust. Henry's wife, Katie Haas, has meticulously documented the journey of survival and courage, as told by Henry's mother, Gerda Buchheim. Henry has worked with the Holocaust Center of Humanity in Seattle to tell his family's story, with Kate helping. For more info on his work with the Holocaust Center of Humanity, please visit: https://www.holocaustcenterseattle.org/henry-haas

Porismita Borah (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is the Lester M. Smith Distinguished Professor at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and a graduate faculty in the Prevention Science program at Washington State University. Borah primarily studies discourses on digital platforms as well as message effects in the context of both politics and health. Borah's most recent work focuses on problematic information including mis/disinformation, hate speech, and incivility. This talk will explore the various ways in which misinformation and disinformation spread, examining the channels and methods that contribute to their proliferation. We will delve into the consequences of being exposed to false information, including how it impacts individuals and society as a whole. The discussion will also address the reasons why people are susceptible to believing in misinformation, highlighting psychological and social factors that play a role. Finally, we will consider strategies and actions that can be taken to combat the spread of misinformation, empowering individuals and communities to better navigate the information landscape.

Marnie Gustavson, Executive Director of PARSA, will discuss her experience working to encourage leadership and positive change in civil society in Afghanistan, and the implications on women and girls' rights in Kabul as it enters its third year under Taliban control.

When Russia initially invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, few would have anticipated the war lasting nineteen months—with no end in sight. Ukraine is now engaged in a grinding counter offensive, and its development of long-range missiles and drones is bringing the war to Russia. What have been the biggest surprises of this brutal war? What are the likely outcomes? How long might it go on? What will Putin likely do and how does the military situation play out for Russia? And what are the key challenges for the US and NATO in supporting Ukraine in the coming year? To help us better understand the dynamics at play, we’re turning again to Dr. Tom Preston, a C. O. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Washington State University. Dr. Preston did such a great job last spring in explaining President Putin’s motivation in unleashing the war, we’ve invited him back to help us parse recent developments and likely outcomes. He teaches courses on international relations, American foreign policy, U.S. national security policy, and intelligence analysis. Join us for what promises to be a timely and compelling presentation.

A conversation with Seth Weinberger, Professor of Political Science at University of Puget Sound on the U.S. policy towards defending Taiwan from a Chinese invasion has been described as one of strategic ambiguity, meaning that the U.S. has left it unclear whether and in what situations it would in fact defend Taiwan. Why would the U.S. adopt such a position? Does strategic ambiguity make war more or less likely? And what do President Biden's recent statement that the U.S. will indeed defend Taiwan mean for the U.S.-China relationship? This program was sponsored by Tacoma Creates.

Dr. Etga Ugur, an associate professor at the University of Washington/Tacoma, presents a political and historical context to the most recent episode of war and humanitarian crisis in Israel-Palestine. He discusses the roots, evolution, and political dynamics of the conflict with a focus on the roles played by key regional forces and actors in the Middle East. With an introduction by Ken Brown, a teacher at Bellarmine Preparatory Academy in Tacoma who serves as faculty advisor for the school's Model UN program. This program was presented at Bellarmine on Feb. 8, 2024 in association with the World Affairs Council of Tacoma.

The WACT Speaker Series is proud to feature a group of industry experts and scholars discussing the impact of recent events that reshaped our thinking about global supply chains. Topics will focus on the challenges and opportunities for maintaining resilience and sustainability in our regional supply chains considering the COVID-19 pandemic, governmental policies, and new technologies. Panelists will also share their insights on implications of changing market forces and the political landscape on land use, harbor maintenance, and labor market for global supply chains. Moderator: Sam Kaplan, Director of the Center of Excellence Global Trade & Supply Chain, Highline College Panelists: Deanna Keller, Commissioner, Port of Tacoma Tong Zhu, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, Northwest Seaport Alliance Rick Miltimore, Vice President, Logistics Operations, Providence St. Joseph Health Luna Zhang, Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, University of Washington Tacoma Thank you to Tacoma Creates and Milgard School of Business, UW Tacoma for their support of our program.

Hostage diplomacy, the taking of hostages under the guise of law for use as foreign policy leverage, is on the rise globally. Countries around the world—China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela—are repeat offenders, and Western hostages are often the targets. We’ll hear from Kimberly R. Furnish, Director of American Citizen Services at the U.S. Department of State, on this disturbing geopolitical trend, and what might be done to mitigate it. ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Kim Furnish is a career Foreign Service Officer currently serving as the Department of State’s Director of American Citizen Services. Kim’s prior tour was as the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Attaché at the United States Consulate General in Karachi, Pakistan. Previously she also served as Chief of American Citizen Services at Embassy Seoul, which has a consular district of more than 200,000 U.S. citizens. In Seoul, Kim served as the lead on Noncombatant Evacuation Operation issues. In 2018, Kim had the responsibility of running the U.S. Embassy team which provided services to U.S. citizens who visited Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics. She also served as the head Embassy control officer to Vice President Mike Pence in his role as the chief official to the U.S. Government’s Official Delegation to the Opening Ceremonies. Kim’s other previous tours include Melbourne, Seoul, Bogota, Curacao and in the Department in the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of African Affairs. Kim was a runner-up for the Barbara M. Watson Award for Consular Excellence in both 2018 and 2019. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Kim worked in corporate fundraising. Kim earned a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in her hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana and she speaks Spanish, French, and Dutch.