The OAB is pleased to be a Satellite Partner for the International Affairs Forum, a program of Northwestern Michigan College. For the second year, we will be streaming their regular programming and providing a wine reception prior to each event. This is an exclusive opportunity to bring important conversations to members of the OAB community for whom traveling to Traverse City may pose a barrier. The OAB will have a host on site to share any questions from the audience through a direct chat with IAF. This is a FREE EVENT.
FEB 20: Haiti: Crisis In Context
IAF will host Monique Clesca & Jake Johnston for a discussion on Haiti, the Haitian diaspora, and aid policy.
Monique Clesca is a writer, journalist, and advocate having served as Representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Niger and Advocacy and Communication Office for UNICEF in Haiti. Clesca’s writing has appeared in major national and international newspapers and magazines, including Foreign Affairs, Americas Quarterly, the New York Times, the Miami Herald, Huffington Post, and more. She has authored two books novel La Confession and a compilation of essays entitled Mosaiques and is currently writing her memoir Celebrating My Mysteries of her childhood under the Duvalier dictatorship.
Jake Johnston is director of international research at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). His research has focused predominantly on economic policy in Latin America, the International Monetary Fund, and US foreign policy. He is the lead author for CEPR’s Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch blog, and his articles and op-eds have been published in outlets such as The New York Times, The Nation, Le Monde Diplomatique, and Al Jazeera. He is the author of Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti (St. Martin’s Press 2024). Monique Clesca will appear via video link and Jake Johnston will speak in person for this hybrid event at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium. Johnston’s book will be available for purchase and signing at the event, courtesy of Brilliant Books, independent bookseller located at 118 E. Front St. in downtown Traverse City.
MARCH 20: The Blue Economy: Michigan’s Global Role
IAF welcomes John Austin, Director of the Michigan Economic Center at the University of Michigan, Senior Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, and Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Through initiatives like the "Growing Michigan's Blue Economy" and his leadership at the Brookings Institution’s Great Lakes Economic Initiative, Austin has shaped national and regional strategies linking environmental restoration to economic development. His work has informed federal investments in Great Lakes clean-up, innovation, and
infrastructure, ensuring the region’s prominence in the global Blue Economy.
At the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, Austin works on international economy-building and strengthening democracy. He has facilitated impactful trans-Atlantic partnerships and authored groundbreaking policies to advance innovation in industrial heartlands. His expertise uniquely positions him to address the Great Lakes’ region as a global leader in sustainable water-related economic growth.
APRIL 17: Echoes of Change: The Legacy of Student Activism
This first-of-its-kind student event will explore the enduring impact of pivotal, historic student movements and their relevance in today's culture. The content and event is conceived by NMC students on IAF’s Student Leadership Team.
MAY 29: Journalism, Media and Information Literacy, and Disinformation
IAF will host a discussion on journalism, media and information literacy, and disinformation, exploring how local journalism fortifies freedom and connects local issues to global challenges. This event is presented in partnership with Interlochen Public Radio News.