After departing Denver, the group continued on to other U.S. cities to learn more about the US presidential nomination process.

RBI Strategies' Rick Ridder (far left), IIE Board Chair Russell Kemp (far right), and two international delegates at the program closing reception

The bad news: It’s certainly going that direction—and the U.S. is carrying the hand basket.

Drawing in the largest crowd of the year, Wilcox graciously shared his extensive direct experience in the region with over 100 IIE/DWAC members Thursday night and shed light on the divisive conflict that has colored U.S. domestic and foreign policy since 1948, when just minutes after its “birth,” then-President Harry Truman formally recognized the Jewish State of Israel.  He explained to a rapt audience why in the over 60 years since, the conflict has reached such a frustrating standstill.  How have things gotten this bad?  And will they only get worse in the future?

Visuals of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the graffiti-covered “separation barrier” snaking between Arab and Jewish lands stood in stark contrast to the festive Christmas atmosphere at the Denver Country Club.  Boldly focusing on the U.S.’s role in the conflict, Wilcox called out President Obama’s recent about-face from his earlier promise of achieving peace, refusing to sign a UN Resolution condemning Israeli settlements and only feebly contesting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s refusal to freeze settlements and demolitions in the West Bank.  We need to “redefine ‘support,’” Wilcox remarked.

Always a diplomat, Wilcox’s fair, balanced approach to the heated topic was greatly appreciated by his audience, who found his insights to be refreshing and his presentation to be straight-forward and concise. 

Despite leaving his audience with perhaps more questions than he answered, Wilcox was clear in his bottom line: it’s not too late for Israel and Palestine to reach peace, but it is becoming less and less likely that they can do it alone.  The U.S. must be a mediator, not an enabler, if it hopes to bring about an end to an increasingly hopeless conflict.

For more information on Wilcox’s current work as President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, please visit the organization’s website here.

Written by DWAC Reporter Nadya Faulx

Before beginning their busy program, the Rocky Mountain IIE welcomed the women with a happy hour reception at The Curtis Hotel.  All local IIE members were invited and the turnout was fantastic, with many members joining IIE staff for complimentary cocktails and appetizers and a special opportunity to speak with the women about their work and their lives in their home countries.

Following the reception, the delegates spent three days meeting with Colorado leaders to discuss educational and professional opportunities for women in the United States.  Their meetings included visits to The Women’s College at the University of Denver, the Colorado State Capitol, and The Women’s Foundation of Colorado.  In addition, they met with representatives from several organizations that are dedicated to advancing the role of women in government, including two Colorado State legislators.

Before wrapping up their Denver program and heading to the next city, the women were able to enjoy the hospitality of a local family that invited them over for dinner and were also given the opportunity to attend the Colorado Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker.  The mixture of valuable discussions with Colorado professionals and the fun cultural activities made the visit to Denver an especially memorable one for the women.

Katrina Rueschhoff:

“I am the intern for the International Visitor Leadership Program. I have enjoyed assisting with different programs including biotechnology, combatting human trafficking and women in leadership. I have also enjoyed meeting visitors from all around the world.”

Hamza Ali:

“Prior to joining the team here at IIE’s Rocky Mountain Regional Center, I was very intrigued by the work administered by the organization. Being an international student myself I place great importance on promoting educational relationships between individuals and institutions in the United States with their counterparts abroad, an incentive that is at the heart of what IIE does. Furthermore, I wanted to learn and be a part of initiatives such The Fulbright Programs, IVLP, DWAC, etc. to experience the engaging opportunities that IIE provides the students and scholars it works with.

I joined IIE as an event management intern and have since helped work on the Diplomat’s Ball, The Fulbright Science & Technology Seminar as well as the upcoming Humphrey Enhancement Workshop and The Fulbright Enrichment Seminar. I have been responsible for the logistics, organization and preparation leading up to and during these events.

My most memorable experience with IIE as of yet is having been a part of the actual Fulbright Science & Technology Seminar. It was very rewarding to see such talented individuals from around the world come together to share their research, ideas and stories in an environment that was geared toward not only celebrating education but also to promote international diplomacy.”

The visitors began their Denver program with a visit to the Human Trafficking Clinic at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, where they discussed the work of the Clinic and its partnerships with NGOs and government agencies.  From there, they were given the opportunity to ride along with officers of the Denver Police Department to experience a typical American police patrol shift.  Other visits included a roundtable discussion with agents from the FBI and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a meeting with the Colorado Organization for Victim’s Assistance, and the Colorado Regional Community Policing Institute.  After finishing their time in Denver, the group headed to San Diego to continue their exploration of how best to fight human trafficking.

The visitors were also able to spend some time discovering the many cultural and outdoor activities available in Denver, and enjoyed the hospitality of some local IIE volunteers who invited them into their homes for dinner.  Our visitors always list home hospitality as one of the highlights of their trip, and at IIE we greatly appreciate our volunteers who open their homes.  We are always looking for home hosts, so please let us know if you’d like to host some visitors!

Following their time in Denver, the group continued their program in Jacksonville, Florida.

After a 31-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, Wilcox (seen here at a 2008 Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs meeting in Jerusalem) has dedicated himself to pursuing a just resolution between Israel and Palestine as the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace.  

With the international community’s eyes already on the Middle East as the Arab Spring swept across the region earlier this year, Palestine made its bold statehood bid before the UN in a move Wilcox described as an attempt to “improve their position in a very unequal negotiating situation.”  What will this move, however unsuccessful, mean for peace talks? 

Join the Denver World Affairs Council on December 8^th as we welcome Ambassador Wilcox back to his hometown of Denver to discuss the current—and, more importantly, future—state of the ongoing peace efforts surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 60+ years in the making and still no closer to a resolution.

Don’t forget to register now for your spot to this timely, insightful lecture with one of the most respected voices on this complex issue.  For more information on Ambassador Wilcox and his work with the Foundation for Middle East Peace, please visit their website. 

Hope to see you next Thursday!

Written by DWAC Reporter Nadya Faulx

In her own words:

“I am so very honored to be your Volunteer for the month of October!  Never, in my wildest imagination, would I have imagined earning this honor.  IIE and The Denver World Affairs Council are organizations of the utmost importance to my understanding of international issues and challenges and, I hope, to the wider Denver Community.  In today’s roller coaster world, the in depth programs offered by DWAC are critical to a broader understanding of the “events behind the events.”  Thanks you so much for this recognition.

My career was in Human Resources management.  But I have been a closet diplomatic “wanna be” for most of my life.  Serving as DWAC Program Chair has been a wonderful experience!  I love meeting and getting to know our speakers.  In a way it gives me a chance for a small taste of a life on the international scene and enables me to feel as if I am part of the action!”

About Cliff: Clifton Martin is a current M.A. candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He graduated from the College of William & Mary in Virginia with a BA in Middle East Studies. He has interned with the State Department, National Council on US-Arab Relations, Academy for Educational Development, the Middle East Institute, and the Institute of International Education.Cliff studied abroad twice in Yemen and taught English in Bosnia-Herzegovina for a summer. Prior to arriving in Denver, Cliff worked at Shenandoah University in his hometown of Winchester, VA, and had the awesome opportunity to take part in an eco-tourism trip to Belize. Cliff is fascinated by diplomacy and intercultural exchanges. He hopes to work with the U.S. Government and eventually teach at the university level, but we’ll see what happens! Outside of all that resume type stuff, Cliff love the outdoors, dinosaurs (almost went paleontology in undergrad), and his entire family are die-hard Denver Broncos fans—so Denver was the perfect choice.