International Relations Council Global Access • Global Awareness • Global Vision

We value our members and the unique insights, international experience, and sincere desire to understand the world they bring to the IRC network and the Kansas City community. Our members come from a wide range of backgrounds and include community leaders, international businesspeople, university faculty, students, and other individuals interested in deepening their global awareness. We warmly welcome your interest and involvement.

See reverse or visit www.irckc.org for more information.

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If you wish to pay with a credit card, please call our office or join/renew at irckc.org. Please mail checks, made payable to the International Relations Council, to the address at the bottom of this page. For any questions, you’re most welcome to contact Matthew Hughes, IRC executive director, at 816-423-2632 or by email at mhughes@irckc.org. The IRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law.

International Relations Council • 107 West 9th Street, Second Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 • 816-423-2632

Joining at a higher level, IRC Academy members show special support for the work of the IRC and are invited to dive even deeper into international affairs through more intimate gatherings that allow them to speak directly with visiting diplomats and guest speakers.

Special invitation-only Recognition of giving on Meet-and-greet opportunities with the IRC website, in the annual receptions before visiting dignitaries report, and at signature events select IRC programs

Continue the Conversation

as an IRC Member.

IRC Member Benefits

Member-rate or cost-free admission A welcoming community with opportunities to engaging programs with leading experts to strengthen your professional and personal in diverse fields of global affairs network

Keen insights and meaningful conversations Early registration for select IRC programs about international relations and today’s throughout the year, like Global Experiences

global landscape and News & Views community conversations

A fuller sense of Kansas City’s international Recognition as a member at IRC programs connections and just how international and annually in the IRC’s weekly newsletter our community is

Individual Membership Levels o $25 Student or K-12 Educator o $75 Individual o $100 Family o $150 Patron

Academy Membership Levels o $300 Statesman o $500 Benefactor o $1,000 Emissary

Who We Are A Kansas City nonprofit organization and a member of the World Affairs Councils of America, the International Relations Council (IRC) works in partnership with businesses, universities, community organizations, and K-12 schools to bring a global perspective to our community. We bring world leaders and dignitaries to the metro region, host forums for high school students to interact with and learn from foreign policy experts, and create opportunities for area business leaders to strengthen relationships abroad. We believe that by promoting global awareness and understanding, we support and strengthen our community.

Organizational History The International Relations Council was founded in late December 1954 by Eliot Berkley, who served as executive director of the IRC for nearly forty years and, later, as chairman of the IRC Academy and lifetime board member of the IRC. After graduating from Harvard University in 1947, Eliot earned an M.A. (1949) and Ph.D. (1952) from Princeton University. Returning to his hometown, Eliot taught history and government at the University of Kansas City, now UMKC. He then taught social science at the Kansas City Art Institute, where he later served as vice president for development from 1960 to 1961 and dean of the college from 1961 to 1965. For many years, his wife Marcia worked side by side with Eliot, hosting dinners and meetings in their home. Eliot passed away in 2012 but is still remembered fondly by business, community, and academic leaders for his inspirational passion for global issues.

The IRC welcomed Eleanor Roosevelt as our first speaker in January 1955. Since then, a wide range of legislators, professors, journalists, diplomats, and other global-affairs experts have visited Kansas City to share their perspective and expertise. These notable guests include Henry Kissinger (1975), Jim Lehrer (1986), Robert J. Eaton (1993), Madeleine Albright (2006), Condoleezza Rice (2010), and Janet Napolitano (2014).

IRC Community Programs • IRC Lecture Series. We bring together dignitaries, foreign-policy experts, and regional leaders to discuss, debate, and

engage the local community in issues of international scope and local relevance. • Great Decisions. Discussion groups meet around the metro area for conversations on critical international topics. • Global Honors Evening. For more than 30 years, the IRC has recognized individuals or organizations for a variety of

contributions – to foreign policy and global affairs, to international commerce, or to the Kansas City community. • WorldQuest. We host a global trivia night for 200+ business professionals, academic faculty, students, and community

members. • Berkley Lecture. Founded in 1996, this lecture brings an expert in foreign policy and global affairs to the Kansas City

area to provide a platform for engaging community members in understanding critical global issues. • Global Experience Series. Participants of all ages, interests, and backgrounds explore how international Kansas City is

while answering two key questions: What's your global story? Do you get the chance to share it? • News & Views. We host community conversations on the latest international news in a respectful, informal setting. • IRC Speakers Bureau. International subject-matter experts are available to speak free of charge at community events,

K-12 schools, and universities.

IRC Student Programs • Academic WorldQuest. Each year since 2006, the IRC has offered high-school students the chance to showcase their

knowledge of world affairs, geography, history, and world events; the winning team receives an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national tournament.

• Your Global Future. This unique college and career fair brings together dozens of international businesses, organizations, and colleges and universities to show 1,000 area high-school students just how global their future can be.

International Relations Council

Global Access • Global Awareness • Global Vision

107 W. 9th Street, Second Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64105

816-423-2632 • www.irckc.org