Your passport to global affairs

2024-2025 Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series

The Naples Council on World Affairs is pleased to present its "crown jewel," the 2024-2025 Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series. 

Out of Peril and Chaos: Can We Find Order?

2024 -2025 Lectures and Programs
3:45 and 7:30 pm

Archived videos of the lectures are available for members to view. Click here:

November 4:  “Pipe Dream or Strategic Windfall: What the United States Should Expect from India in a Changing World Order” Dr. Daniel S. Markey, a senior advisor on South Asia at the United States Institute of Peace and a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

November 18:  Germany, NATO and Nuclear Doctrine: “Germany after Merkel - Still a Leader of the Free World?” Dr. Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University in the Center for German and European Studies.

December 2:  "Are We Embedded In a New Cold War? Will Russia Win?" Ian J. Brzezinski leads the Brzezinski Group and is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on Strategy and Security. 

December 9:  “The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present and Future in the Middle East”, Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations. A special discussion of his book by the same title was held December 9. 

January 6: "The Next World Order: Does Europe Still Matter?" Dr. Charles A. Kupchan, Council on Foreign Relations and professor at Georgetown University.

January 27:  "Will China Become the World’s Strongest Power?" Ryan Hass

February 10:  "Iran’s New Patrons," Dr. Ray Takeyh, expert on Iran and Middle East, Council on Foreign Relations.

Friday, February 21:  The Ninth Biennial National War College Seminar: Multiple speakers, “Our National Security”

March 10:  "Lessons Learned from Traveling the Negotiator's Highway," Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

March 24:  "AI: An Intelligent Conversation," Chris Meserole, an expert on AI safety.

April 7:  "Workforce, Borders and Policy: The Case for Modernizing U.S. Immigration," Eddie Aldrete, former Senior Vice President of International Bank of Commerce, and former chairman, National Immigration Forum. CEO of Aldrete Strategic Partners.

The lectures are live-streamed via Zoom at the time of the lecture, as well as made available as archived recordings accessed through our website soon after the event. Emailed announcements will provide details for access of each lecture.

The afternoon lecture begins at 3:45 pm and the evening lecture at 7:30 pm. Membership cards were mailed in late September. Please check your card for the lecture time that you requested when you enrolled.

If you became a member after the cards were mailed, please check in at the table at the entrance to the lecture hall for a card to be issued to you.

You may access prior recordings and videos, as well as those to date, by clicking Lecture Archive. The lecture list for last season is shown below.

Note: Speakers and/or topics may be adjusted to reflect the most current international developments as the season unfolds. Any changes will be announced via email, the NCWA newsletter and/or via the website.

                                                                           ~ Mimi Gregory, Vice President for Programs