On Tuesday, June 16, the Pacific Council invites our members to join an intimate gathering with Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, and Maryam Shojaei, Iranian-Canadian activist and author of Azadi Means Freedom: Fighting for Gender Equity Through the World's Most Popular Game. The conversation will examine the intersection of sport, human rights, and gender equity as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, drawing on Shojaei's firsthand experience challenging Iran's decades-long stadium ban on women.

On Wednesday, June 10, at 8 am PT, the Pacific Council will host a breakfast roundtable to discuss U.S.–Mexico relations and shifting regional security dynamics, highlighting Washington's growing willingness to support or participate in security efforts beyond national borders. Attendees will hear from Dr. Pamela K. Starr, Professor of the Practice of International Relations and Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California, and Dr. Richard D. Downie, Latin America Senior Fellow at the Pacific Council.

On Tuesday, June 2, at 5:30 pm PT, the Pacific Council and Arizona State University's (ASU) Great Game Lab are premiering a short documentary How Los Angeles Became a Soccer City, followed by dinner and a conversation featuring British Consul General to Los Angeles Paul Rennie, OBE and Andrés Martinez, Co-Director of ASU's Great Game Lab and author of The Great Game: A Tale of Two Footballs and America's Quest to Conquer Global Sport.