The world has undergone tremendous change since The Chicago Council was founded in 1922, when nation-states dominated the international stage. Balance of power, national security, statecraft, and diplomacy were foremost on the agenda.

Today, our world is shaped increasingly by forces far beyond national capitals. Multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and great cities play ever greater roles. Any organization concerned with the world must now address issues such as terrorism, the global economy, migration, public health, the environment, and global governance, that are, to a great degree, beyond the direct control of nations and world leaders alone.

Chicago also has changed significantly over the past eighty-five years. In 1922, Chicago was a great industrial city, serving an emerging continental economy between two oceans. The Chicago Council’s founders had the wisdom to understand that even then Chicago had a stake in the world’s affairs.

Today Chicago is a rapidly globalizing city – a leading international transportation hub, a global service provider, a destination for migrants and visitors from the world over, and a home to world-class educational and cultural institutions.

In light of these changes, The Chicago Council’s Board of Directors concluded that if the Council is to fulfill its mission in the global era, it must first broaden its agenda beyond the traditional concerns of foreign policy. We also recognized that the Council can best serve Chicago not only by providing a forum in our city but also by helping Chicago and the Midwest to contrib¬ute to the national and international discourse on the critical issues of our time.

On September 1, 2006, The Chicago Council on Foreign Relations became The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The new name respects the Council’s heritage – a commitment to nonpartisanship and public education – while it signals an understanding of the changing world and reflects the Council’s increased efforts to contribute to national and international discussions in a global era.

Changes at The Chicago Council are evident on many fronts – more and new programs, larger and more diverse audiences, a step-up in the pace of task force reports and conferences, heightened visibility, increased revenues, improved governance, and expanded staff. What has not changed is The Chicago Council’s commit¬ment to public education and nonpartisanship.

Chicago has prospered as the gateway and capital of the Midwest. But in the future its region will be the world. The selection of Chicago as the U.S. bid city for the 2016 Olympics further signals its coming of age as a global player. Chicago’s future as a first-tier global city depends on its becoming even more connected to the rest of the world.

Lester Crown