The Conference on World Affairs is a much-anticipated event in our city. Now in its 73rd year, the CWA has grown to include renowned speakers from around the world who cover a range of topics related to global issues. Here’s what you need to know to attend this year’s event.
When & Where
CWA kicks off April 5th and runs through April 7th. Presentations and lectures run at various times throughout the day so individuals may participate in a variety of topics regardless of their schedule. This year, all events are virtual due to the pandemic. RSVP early to the conference to reserve your spot.
Subject Matter
Over 80 speakers will participate in this year’s CWA and cover topics including health care, racism, policing, women’s rights, and more. Individuals in academia, government, medicine, international affairs, and more will share poems, readings, video presentations, and more. Here’s a list of all speakers and the topics they will cover.
Some speakers we are most looking forward to include:
- Denise Lieberman. This civil-rights attorney also works as the Faculty Director of Voter Access and Engagement initiative at Washington University. Lieberman has been a voting rights advocate for oppressed populations in her home state of Missouri and across the nation.
- Christian Picciolini. As a former violent extremist, Picciolini founded the Free Radicals Project, an international group that helps current extremists disengage and re-enter life.
- Daniel Hahn. As Sacramento Police Department’s first Black police chief in the organization’s 170 year history, Hahn has an interesting and important position amidst global racial conversations.
- Michael D. McCarty. Throughout McCarty’s life, he has occupied a variety of unique roles -, including founding the Black Student Union at St. Ignatius College, being a member of the Black Panther Party’s education cadre, and a soldier in the U.S. Army. Recently, McCarty was the subject of a documentary chronicling his life from FBI target to military member, from drug addict to acupuncturist, and everything in between.
Get Involved
Since the CWA is a free event, it requires community support to continue. Donations and volunteering are greatly needed to keep this important event running smoothly. Over 70,000 people are in attendance each year, with livestreams and archived videos available nationally for anyone who wants to attend.
As our country works to right many wrongs and seek out personal and community education around diversity, equity, and inclusion, conferences like this are necessary. Boulder has long been regarded as progressive, however, we still have work to do. The CWA gives our city’s residents a chance to engage with others from different walks of life, empathize, and grow in our understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. If we each take a little something away, we can apply that positive change in our own backyard.