The World Affairs Seminar
The seminar presents a current topic of international importance to some 100 to 150 high school students from Jefferson, Berkeley and Washington counties. Usually held at either the National Conservation Training Center or Shepherd University, the seminar consists of initial speaker presentations, followed by small group break-out sessions to encourage active debate and student participation. We emphasize, in these discussions, what importance actions and policies in distant locations have on their daily lives and what they can do to take action at home. Recent topics have included: Alternative Energy (from the perspective of WV, USA, Germany and India); Global Climate Change; Islam and the modern world; China's Economic and Cultural Impacts; Democracy in South America, and immigration. We partner with the Martinsburg Rotary in implementing the World Affairs Seminar and have been fortunate in attracting speakers from a wide range of countries including Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, China, and India.
2010 World Affairs Seminar - Energy: The Global Green Challenge
The Rotary Clubs of Shepherdstown and Martinsburg WV presented a World Affairs Seminar annually for the past 47 years. The title of the the 48th annual such seminar, was "Energy: The Global Green Challenge."
Held in Shepherdstown, WV, about 90 minutes from DC by car, the seminar presented to upper level high school students and teachers, university students, citizens involved with regional energy policy in various ways, and others, issues related to climate change and energy sources at regional, national, and international levels. Some 140 to 180 persons were involved.
The 2010 seminar featured the following topics:
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The facts about alternative Energy Sources--costs, feasibility in various settings, efficiency, and political issues relative to current practices.
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The US position relative to the world situation and comparative national policies in other countries.
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The European situation and polices with regard to energy production and climate change.
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The situation with regard to India as representing the perspective of a rapidly expanding developing country responding aggressively to energy issues.