Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary-General, said the international community was failing in its moral duty "to make the world a better place", and called for improved global cooperation to reduce conflict and suffering. Speaking to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Tuesday, April 5th, Ban said that "in this 21st century with all of the prosperity and capabilities we have, we should haven't so many people suffering." More than 125 million people around the world need daily humanitarian assistance - among them more than 60 million refugees. "This is the most number of people since the end of the Second World War." Ban talked about his frequent visits to refugee camps and the parallels with his experience of being forced from his home at age 6 by war in Korea. He also talked about his fears of nuclear materials being acquired by non-state actors and said "there are no right hands for the wrong weapons." He also talked about the importance of empowering women and he made a plea for California to "remain at the forefront of climate action."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Frank Gehry, after nearly six decades working as an architect, said he would like his legacy to be "transmitting feelings through materials." Gehry spoke to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Wednesday, March 2 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art where there is currently a retrospective exhibition of his work. Gehry said completing Walt Disney Concert Hall was a "rough one" and that when the design for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was first revealed his life was threatened. After celebrating his 87th birthday last weekend, he said he is spending a lot of his time on the LA River project which he describes as a "very dense problem and a very exciting prospect."

Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California, said the university is "in a state of excitement" after closing a multi-year budget deal with Governor Jerry Brown last Spring and that she now wants to "ratchet down' student fees amid the rise of student debt. Speaking to a LAWAC dinner on February 3rd, Napolitano said that to convince Governor Brown to allocate more funds, she told him "California would not be California without the UC system." As former Secretary of Homeland Security, Napolitano also talked about her thoughts on the current state of national security saying she believes we are better off than we were pre-9/11, but that there is deep concern for the increase in cyber threats and an ongoing concern about aviation security.

Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California, said the university is "in a state of excitement" after closing a multi-year budget deal with Governor Jerry Brown last Spring and that she now wants to "ratchet down" student fees amid the rise of student debt. Speaking to a Los Angeles World Affairs Council dinner on February 3rd, 2016, Napolitano said that to convince Governor Brown to allocate more funds, she told him "California would not be California without the UC system." As former Secretary of Homeland Security, Napolitano also talked about her thoughts on the current state of national security saying she believes we are better off than we were pre-9/11, but that there is deep concern for the increase in cyber threats and an ongoing concern about aviation security.

Senator Lindsey Graham said that the Republican Party risks losing its soul because of its fear of Donald Trump, and that ISIS needs to be destroyed or they will launch another 9/11 on the United States. The Senator from South Carolina and Presidential candidate spoke to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council at a dinner on Wednesday, December 16, 2015. Graham said that the war against ISIS cannot be won from the air but requires troops on the ground which he argued should include American along with Turkish and Sunni Arab troops. He also said that Putin is a bully who shouldn't be appeased and that our most serious national security threat is our level of debt.

"I'm here to talk about Ghana's rise," said President of Ghana John Mahama to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Thursday, October 1st. "To your ears that might sound like a simple 15 minute speech," he said. "To my ears it's like being asked to provide a detailed synopsis of war and peace...I say this to be a bit cheeky." Unlike many of his neighboring countries who for long stretches of time have been engaged in civil war, Ghana has never experienced civil war - though there were periods of time when it appeared that, as Mahama said, "We were at war with our own purpose." He said that "in many ways it is easier to understand and appreciate Ghana's rise, if you know its fall."