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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260204T183000
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CREATED:20260118T003227Z
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SUMMARY:Globalist Coffeehouse: China in the First Decades of the 21st Century
DESCRIPTION:NEW DATE:  February 4th \nIn the decades to come\, what will China’s role be in the global world order? The relationship with the U.S. has been one of competition but also cooperation on certain global issues\, such as climate change. Still\, it is said that the “Belt and Road Initiative” might become the “Belt and World Initiative” as they move into the vacuum the U.S. has created\, from Africa to Asia and the Indian subcontinent. And finally\, how will our traditional allies view their relationship with China? \nPlease join us for what will be a discussion that will dominate global interests for years\, if not decades\, to come. \nREGISTER HERE\n 
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/globalist-coffeehouse-china-first-decades/
LOCATION:5280 Burger and Taphouse\, 7032 Wood Hollow Dr\, Austin\, TX\, 78731\, United States
CATEGORIES:Asia,Geopolitics,Member Social
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Globalist-logo.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260210T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260210T190000
DTSTAMP:20260428T140326
CREATED:20251219T211458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251219T211458Z
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SUMMARY:WorldNow: The Great Firewall with Yi-Ling Liu
DESCRIPTION:Journalist Yi-Ling Liu takes us behind the Great Firewall to the reality of 30 years of surveillance and censorship on the Chinese Internet.\n\n\n\nThirty years ago\, the world began to discover the power of the Internet: a digital world and resource to connect\, share ideas\, learn\, and earn. While the rest of the world connected\, the Chinese government began creating a system of strict surveillance and censorship on its internet – now known as the Great Firewall. \nToday\, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith\, what is the true online and on-the ground reality for Chinese citizens? \nJoin us February 10th on WorldNow as author and journalist Yi-Ling Liu tells the untold story of the Chinese internet. Hear how Chinese citizens have navigated the last 30 years of surveillance and censorship while searching for freedom and connection – behind the Great Firewall. \n\n\nREGISTER HERE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet by Yi-Ling Liu\nAn eye-opening exploration of the Chinese internet that reveals the intricate dance between freedom and control in contemporary China \nIn the late 1990s\, as the world was waking up to the power and emancipatory promise of the internet\, Chinese authorities began constructing a system of online surveillance and censorship now known as the Great Firewall. But far from being a barren landscape\, the digital world that sprouted up behind the firewall brimmed with new subcultures and tech innovations\, offering many Chinese citizens previously unimaginable connection and opportunity. \nToday\, as the country’s leadership intensifies its control of public discourse and Western headlines reduce the Chinese public to a faceless monolith\, journalist Yi-Ling Liu presents an intimate portrait of China’s online ecosystem—and a crucial lens into the on-the-ground reality of life there. Tracing the last three decades of the Chinese internet’s evolution—from its lexicon to its memes to the precise nature of its censorship—she equips readers with a critical tool to assess the past\, present\, and future of a global power. \nDrawing on years of firsthand reporting\, The Wall Dancers weaves together the stories of individuals navigating China’s transformation into both the world’s largest online user base and one of its most populous authoritarian states. As these entrepreneurs\, activists\, artists\, and dreamers experience the internet’s power as a tool for both control and liberation\, they grapple with universal questions of success and authenticity\, love and solidarity\, faith and resilience. \nThe Wall Dancers is at once an unforgettable work of human storytelling and a vital exploration of what it means to live with dignity and hope within the technological systems that now shape all our lives. \nPre-order a copy of The Wall Dancers\, coming February 3rd\, 2026.
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/worldnow-the-great-firewall-with-yi-ling-liu/
LOCATION:ONLINE
CATEGORIES:Asia,author
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260225T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260225T190000
DTSTAMP:20260428T140326
CREATED:20260122T234318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260124T210521Z
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SUMMARY:Austin Sister Cities Overview Featuring Kristie Bryant
DESCRIPTION:Join the World Affairs Council of Austin as we welcome Kristie Bryant\, Chair of the Austin Sister Cities International.  Ms. Bryant is also Chair of the Austin Oita Sister Cities Committee.  Attendees will learn more about the difference between Friendship Cities and Sister Cities\, how many of these types of relationships are active with Austin\, how individuals can engage with the various exchanges coordinated by these volunteer-led international exchanges. \nREGISTER HERE\nAbout the speaker: \nAfter graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in International Business and Japanese Language and Literature\, Kristie Bryant began her career with Tokyo Electron\, a leading global semiconductor manufacturing company\, where she rose to serve as North American Sales Manager for a business unit. She now holds a Texas real estate Broker’s license\, is a top-producing agent\, and leads the Best of Austin Living Team at Keller Williams Realty. \nKristie’s passion for global engagement began as a student volunteer over 30 years ago with the Austin-Oita Sister City Committee and has grown into a central part of her civic leadership. She currently chairs both the Austin-Oita Sister City Committee and the board of Austin Sister Cities International\, which supports Austin’s network of 13 international sister city relationships. Under her leadership\, AOSCC celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2025. She has been recognized for her service with a Distinguished Service Award from the City of Austin and\, in 2026\, received a Certificate of Commendation from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for her contributions to international friendship and cultural diplomacy.
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/austin-sister-cities/
LOCATION:Neill-Cochran House Museum\, 2310 San Gabriel Street\, Austin\, TX\, 78705\, United States
CATEGORIES:cultural,educational
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