James Schmotter  

Welcome to the Naples Council on World Affairs (NCWA), serving the southwest coast of Florida. We are a member of the nationwide World Affairs Councils of America. Our mission--"to educate, inspire and engage our community in international affairs and critical global issues"—has never been more relevant than it is today in our complex, globally-interconnected world. We’re committed to helping our members and stakeholders better understand this complexity.

NCWA is a non-profit and non-partisan organization of over 2500 members. Each year, from November through April, we feature a series of ten lectures by distinguished scholars, experienced foreign affairs professionals and nationally recognized thought leaders. As opportunities arise, additional lectures and special activities are offered during the season. A quarter of our members participate in weekly discussion groups using the Great Decisions study materials from the Foreign Policy Association. You’ll find detailed descriptions of each of these member programs on this website. If you would like to inquire about membership, see the Membership section. 

The Board of Directors of NCWA believes that an important part of our mission is to reach out to Southwest Florida’s middle and high school students. We do this through a number of programs detailed on this website, including speakers at local high schools, Model United Nations, Academic WorldQuest competitions, summer travel and educational opportunities. A significant portion of these outreach activities are supported by generous tax-deductible contributions from members

Occasionally, the Council has reached beyond our community to meet a specific need, sometimes in a remote corner of the world. Our Village Assistance Program has provided modest funding to eleven such projects during the past decade. 

The various programs of the Council provide many avenues for volunteer participation. If your interest in foreign affairs and global issues encourages you to help us pursue our mission, please take the time to look through the pages of this website.  They describe in more detail each program and ways you can participate. You may find just the opportunity for which you’ve been looking!