From Eleanor Roosevelt, our first speaker in January 1955, to Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright, and Condoleezza Rice – from revered journalist Jim Lehrer to Peace Corps Director Carol Bellamy – hundreds of journalists, professors, diplomats, and other experts have joined us in Kansas City through the years to provide keen international insight, valuable analysis, and a range of perspectives to the IRC’s diverse audience. Our robust global-affairs programming provides opportunities for IRC individual and organizational members and members of our community to dive into international issues, engage experts, and understand more fully the connections between what’s going on around the world and in our region. IRC lectures and panel discussions are often free or low-cost and occur throughout the year. Visit our events calendar for current programming, and be in touch with ideas you might have for program topics or speakers.
Past IRC Speakers

Recent Offerings

Trade, Technology, And Power: Geopolitics In A Fragmenting Global Economy– May 19, 2026
As global trade and technology become increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition, both governments and businesses face new challenges and risks. Drawing on her experience advising transatlantic clients and serving in the U.S. Department of Commerce, Emily Benson examined how geopolitical dynamics are reshaping trade, supply chains, and critical technologies such as AI and semiconductors. This lecture will explore what these shifts mean for economic security, transatlantic cooperation, and the future of global commerce.

Iran 2026: Protests, War, Power Shifts, and Global Impact – May 13, 2026
The International Relations Council and American Public Square joined forces to present a program on the historical context, current conflicts, and future outlook for Iran. What has happened in the country since the 1979 Iranian Revolution? What is the latest in the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran? How will the current events shape Iran and the region moving forward? This program brought together leading expert Mona Yacoubian (CSIS), Frank Klimas (CGSC), and Kansas City’s Azzie Amani-Taleshi to explore these questions and help provide analysis, and share first-hand accounts on a rapidly evolving situation.

Understanding Venezuela: Context, Complexity, and Current Realities – March 31, 2026
Drawing from a career in diplomacy and policy that includes serving the United States as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cuba and Venezuela in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and the Deputy Special Representative for Venezuela at the U.S. Department of State (for which she received a Superior Honor Award), we were joined in spring 2026 by Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director of the Vandenberg Coalition, for a lecture program centered around nuancing and contextualizing current events in Venezuela.

Disrupting The Cycle Of Genocide – September 10, 2025
A discussion with Bellwether International Founder & CEO Rachel Miner which highlighted the role of interfaith coalitions in resisting genocide, the impact of global violence on communities in the United States, and how we can confront Islamophobia, antisemitism, and homophobia in our own neighborhoods. After taking a more global view of atrocity prevention, the discussion finished by spotlighting how our communities here in Kansas City can actively practice resistance towards conflicts happening all across the globe.

Inside The Reagan White House – August 5, 2025
As a member of the National Security Council and White House staff, Frank Lavin had an inside view of the Reagan administration, and he’s compiled his stories into his new book Inside the Reagan White House: A Front-Row Seat to Presidential Leadership with Lessons for Today. In August 2025, Amb. Lavin shared his insider perspective on the Reagan assassination attempt, Ollie North and the Contras, the 1998 Bush-Dukakis contest, and so much more.