Sunday, April 30, 2023

WACCI: American Foreign Policy in the Middle East

 American Foreign Policy in the Middle East




May 4, 2023, at Illini Country Club




Young Diplomat Program 5:30 pm

Reception: 5:30 pm

Dinner: 6:15 pm

Program: 7:15 pm



Professor Gawdat Bahgat will use his expertise in the Middle Eastern to discuss how Russia and China have been consolidating their economic and strategic ties in the region.



The United States has several major national interests in the Middle East including oil supplies, the security of Israel, nuclear nonproliferation, and counterterrorism. To protect these interests, Washington has been heavily involved in the region. However, in the last two decades, both Russia and China have consolidated their economic and strategic ties with several regional powers. Meanwhile, some Arab leaders perceive the US as withdrawing from the region. Senior US officials strongly disagree with this assessment. This program will examine the main forces that shape US foreign policy in the Middle East and the rest of the world and discuss the challenges and opportunities in US relations with major regional powers (Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey among others).





https://mywacci.org/

https://mywacci.org/future-programs/

https://catalyticconnections.com/


https://vimeo.com/822411861?share=copy





leaders, security #china #oil #saudiarabia #middleeast #WACCI #WorldAffairCouncil #springfieldil @RochelleArjmand #CatalyticConnections #RochelleArjmand #ProfessorGawdatBahgat

Monday, April 24, 2023

A Butterfly is Born receives 5 Star Reviews



Shylon the caterpillar becomes self-aware in her egg. As she develops, she learns and grows to the point that her world had become too small to hold her.   As it breaks away, she becomes both fearful and curious about the outside world. But when the egg disintegrates and she no longer has the option to return to it, her fear becomes anger. Mother calms and comforts her until she is again forced to face another uncertainty.  Shylon's anger escalates with each challenge until she comes to the point when Mother can no longer reach her. Shylon must choose between the path leading to love or the dark angry one where love cannot go.
No matter what our age, like Shylon, we are ever-changing. Physical and emotional growth continues from the time we enter this world until the time we leave it. Whether we like it or not, we continually change and grow. Sometimes, our evolution is so slow and steady that we never notice how much we have evolved until we look backward. Other times, it happens without warning; suddenly the world as we know has disappeared.  Frightened, confused, and frustrated, we sometimes lash out, hurting ourselves and others. Like Shylon, we alone can decide which path we will continue to follow to the end.
Kari Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars A Journey of Emotions
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2023
I really liked this book! It was written simply and beautifully- very easy to read and the length is wonderful. Shylon is the main character and she goes through a process of self-awareness with the help of “Mother” and a few friends. Her innocence is heartwarming and her fears and pains are so relatable. I cried unexpectedly a few times and felt this was healing me also. I learned to not judge myself as much. A good reminder that we are never alone. There is another story at the end about Shannon that also resonated with me. Overall, I feel one of the overarching themes of this book is to embrace growth and change because we are meant to expand. And it’s also about the ones who support us towards that growth and those changes. Without them, we may not fulfill our potential. It made me think about the people who pushed me- towards being and doing greater. A good read!
leolady
5.0 out of 5 stars Reclaim your power and have faith in yourself
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2023
This book reminded me and taught of how I learned how to emerge from many obstacles throughout my life from childhood through adulthood. I had learned to embrace change, through a serious illness in my later years of life, I learned to stay positive and not to let fear f any obstacle encountered take over my life. I survived. “shylon” in the book means a person of true faith, all one has to do is to believe in something. I highly recommend this book for children or adults. The book is inspiring and offers encouragement and faith in oneself.
Let’s girl talk
5.0 out of 5 stars Promotes self-awareness of change and how scary it can be
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2023
This book is an amazing example of what change feels like and the importance of embracing it and not letting fear rule our lives. The name that was chosen for this book “shylon” was perfect! It represents so many good character traits, but the one I love the most is the representation of self-reliance and self-confidence. A very good read for children and adults
Joseph A Giangrosso II
4.0 out of 5 stars Multiple layers create evolving lessons.
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
This story gives an interesting path for the reader, without question. There are multiple layers as the story builds, just like the main character has multiple layers that are both grown and shed. I like the parallel between the fanciful characters and people. There is definitely the theme of transformation that embraces human emotions and questions and fears but is provided in a safe space, something we all need when faced with ourselves. The final shift to the theatre was a big surprise, but a welcomed one as it made me think more fully about the whole story. Thank you for sharing your work. Joey Giangrosso
A Butterfly is Born is a Divinely inspired short novel, which tells the tale of how Shylon the Caterpillar faces her fear to become a beautiful butterfly. it will help those, who are facing life's challenges, find the strength to heal and move forward. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and as a Kindle.
It’s also available on the website as a PDF.





#facingfears #healing #healingjourney #lifechanges #adolescence #amazon #amazonbooks #kindlebooks #lifechangingopportunity #newbeginnings #TheresaChaze #AButterflyisBorn

Friday, April 21, 2023

WACCI; The three intertwining circles of energy policy, foreign relations, and economic trends


  

The World Affairs Council of Central Illinois will host Assistant Professor, Dr. Brandon Barclay Derman at 6 pm on April 26, 2023, at UIS Brookens Auditorium as he puts the United States energy policy affects foreign relations and international economic trends into perspective.  The event will be live-streams and available for playback at  https://mywacci.org/.

Noah Barclay-Derman holds his Master of Public Health degree from the Global Health Department at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and an International Development Graduate Certificate from the Evans School of Public Affairs. Before joining the UVM faculty, Noah was the deputy director of Development in Gardening (DIG), overseeing programs at the intersection of agriculture and health in Senegal, Kenya, and Uganda.  He has 15 years of experience working on global health issues in the public and private sectors both domestically and internationally. Noah’s areas of interest include food security and nutrition, sustainable development, and monitoring and evaluation. Noah is also a returned Peace Corps volunteer, for which he served communities impacted by HIV/AIDS in northeast Thailand.

April 26, 2023

UIS Brookens Auditorium

University of Illinois Springfield 
One University Plaza
Springfield, Illinois 62703-
5407

Young Diplomat Program 4:30 pm

Reception: 4:30 pm

Dinner: 5:00 pm

Program: 6:00 pm

https://mywacci.org/

https://mywacci.org/future-programs/

https://catalyticconnections.com/

Thursday, April 20, 2023

kaleidoscope Film and Television: The Returning Control to the Creatives



 

The pencil heads and bean counters of the corporate world have taken over the entertainment industry.  They see film and television projects more like widgets that can be mass-produced rather than creative endeavors. They have been managing the industry according to the mathematical formula they created to reinforce their narrow point of view, which is everything that can be summed up on the bottom of a balance sheet.  They plop numbers to their formula, believing it will project the audiences’ interests and desires.  People can’t be summed up at the bottom of a balance sheet.  They are messy, complicated, and inconsistent.  Just because they like a project once, doesn’t mean they will accept prequels, sequels, and remakes.   Unlike widgets, which need to be standardized, successful film and television projects are the ones that left the standards behind to tell tales based on unique characters and plots.   They are the leaders that blaze new creative trails that everyone else follows.

Part of their equation focuses on using A-list talent. Yet, A list talent only guarantees a much larger budget; they don’t ensure a successful project. But the studios, investors, and distributors insist on only supporting projects with A-list talent attached. Although, for the most part, A-list talents have earned their places in the industry, they only achieve that status by being correctly hired for projects that suit their talents.  Mismatching or forcing a talent to fit into a project can damage or end careers just as quickly. 

Every A-list actor who has walked the red carpet had that one role that launched their career.  Someone saw value in their talent and opened doors for them.  Unfortunately, with the corporate state of mine, the roles and projects they were offered afterward became standardized to a stereotype, because they are seen as numbers, not people. As long as they stayed in their place, the studio executives will support them.  Stepping out of their pigeonhole could lead to the red carpets being rolled up.

What’s more challenging--attracting an A-list talent or creating a new one?  Existing talent has an established body of work and fan base, but both bring audiences’ expectations.  Fresh talent lacks both those limitations and assets.  It’s the difference between buying a suit off the rack and having one custom designed.  However, offering a stereotype-breaking role to an A-list talent becomes a game changer as it resets the stage for her or him. However, it can also be a double-edged sword as the bar of excellence will be raised as the actor faces preconceived expectations.

As with onscreen talent, writers, directors, and producers also find themselves limited by the same parameters.   Success frequently leads to being only offered projects in the same genre and at the budget level.   Industry and audience expectations create a glass ceiling in which new adventures and challenges can be seen but not realized.

Kaleidoscope Film and Television will break the chains that bind talent to the past and open doors for those new to the industry.  By keeping the budgets reasonable and by focusing on original projects, it will return to the old business model of producing quality in quantity.  However, it will deviate from past practices by focusing on bringing age, gender, and ethnic diversity and inclusion to the screens.  This will be accomplished by breaking stereotypes in front of and behind the cameras.  With top-of-the-line equipment and a versatile soundstage, Kaleidoscope Film and Television will nurture new talent, while expanding opportunities for experienced actors, producers, directors, and writers. With the intention of being fully operational by the end of 2023, it is currently building its team by reaching out to like-minded individuals, who want to create projects that will entertain while opening the world to new possibilities.



Website