Around the WorldBoston

July - August 2005

Editor in Chief: Brandie E. Conforti                                                          Editor: Lorraine Goldstein - Communications

The mission of WorldBoston is to provide a private, non-profit, non-partisan forum for educating the public about matters of national and international significance.  We do this by presenting an ongoing series of distinguished speakers, and by bringing to Boston emerging leaders from around the world for the purpose of sharing ideas, discovering opportunities for mutual growth, and creating bonds of friendship and understanding.

FEATURES

Some Comments From Our Executive Director

Corporate Member Spotlight

World Affairs

Emerging Leaders

In the Media

The WorldBoston Wish List

Contact Us

SOME COMMENTS FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

It’s hard to believe that this coming September marks my fifth year with WorldBoston.  I still remember so clearly walking into the WorldBoston office for my first interview and meeting all of the volunteers, many of whom are still working here today.  My second interview followed shortly thereafter.  After a few days had passed, I regrettably learned that I did not get the job.  One month later, with WorldBoston out of sight and out of mind, I received a call from the then-executive director who asked me if I was still interested in the position.  After a lot of thinking, I decided to make the switch from the Kennedy School of Government, where I had been for over a year, to WorldBoston.  I am happy to say that this was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

When I think about the last five years and how the organization has changed and grown, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished.  The world looks very different now than when I first walked through WorldBoston’s doors in 2000.  It pleases me to know that we’ve adapted to this rapidly changing world and have continued to offer relevant programming to the Greater Boston community.

As we reduce our regular World Affairs programming for the Summer months, we will begin to craft our schedule for the Fall.  I can say without hesitation that it is bound to be the best season yet.  Moreover, our Emerging Leaders Program continues to evolve, developing new projects and sustaining old ones.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our long-term volunteers who work to make our organization as strong as it is: Hilary Burling, Lorraine Goldstein, Sylvia Hammer, Paul MacKenzie and Bette Pinckney.  We are extremely fortunate to have had the help of these extremely talented individuals for many years; there is no doubt that without them, WorldBoston would not be where it is today.

I wish all of you a wonderful Summer and look forward to seeing you in September (if not before then at one of our Summer events)!

Brandie Conforti

Executive Director

CORPORATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT  

Northeastern University, a private research institution founded in 1898, is a world leader in practice-oriented education, offering a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate.  Building on its flagship cooperative education program, Northeastern links classroom learning with workplace experience, and integrates professional preparation with study in the liberal arts and sciences.  U.S. News & World Report ranks Northeastern among the best in the nation for programs that combine classroom learning with real-world experience.  In Fall 2004, 14,618 undergraduate and 2,805 graduate and law students were enrolled at the university along with an additional 5,509 part-time students.  In addition to the United States, students come from 123 countries.  The student population includes 1,736 students from abroad.

Northeastern is home to twenty-seven interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, including the internationally recognized Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, the Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, the Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems, the Electronic Materials Research Institute, the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing, and the Institute on Urban Health Research.  External funding for research and other special projects has exceeded $40 million annually for the past three years.  For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu.

WORLD AFFAIRS

Melissa McDonald, Director, World Affairs

World Affairs strives to educate, inform and foster understanding of international affairs; and to provide accessibility for the general public to participate in the discussion of global issues. 

The last two months have been incredibly busy for the World Affairs program.  WorldBoston hosted Benazir Bhutto, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, in a special members-only event, and Imad Moustapha, Ambassador of the Republic of Syria to the United States.  In conjunction with the United Nations Association of Greater Boston, we hosted Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the U.N. Millennium Project; and, as part of the WorldBoston-Suffolk University Global Leadership Series, we hosted Ali Aujali, Chief of the Libyan Liaison Office in Washington, D.C., and Stewart Eldon, British Ambassador to Ireland.  We also presented the last two sessions of the four-part series of panel discussions on “Religion and Foreign Policy,” made possible through the generous support of the Boston Foundation’s Curtis International Fund.

WorldBoston would like to thank Suffolk University’s Sawyer School of Management for sponsoring the events featuring Ambassadors Ali Aujali and Stewart Eldon.  At these events, Ambassador Aujali provided insights into the current state of U.S.-Libyan relations.  He also spoke about the advancements that Libya has made over the last few years, addressing human rights, the role of women and economic development now that sanctions against Libya have been lifted.  Ambassador Aujali’s comments were followed by a lively question-and-answer period.

Ambassador Aujali speaks to WorldBoston members.

Ambassador Eldon spoke about the shared future of Britain and Ireland.  He briefly touched on the past difficulties between these two countries but spoke primarily about the warming relationship and shared hopes of these two nations, noting that they now share very close economic ties.

Looking ahead . . . WorldBoston is currently organizing a Summer event focusing on Central Asia.  We have also begun working to ensure that we bring our members an exciting lineup of “can’t miss” events in the Fall.  

For more information about these events and to learn about future events, please check our website periodically.  And keep the communication flowing by telling us what you would like us to address in the future or to provide feedback on events you have attended.  Your ideas are important to us.  

To reserve a place at an event or to contact the program, please call 617-542-8995, ext. 112, or send an email to wac@worldboston.org.

IN THE MEDIA

The May 1st, 2005, issue of IndUS Business Journal reported on Pakistan Ambassador Jehangir Karamat’s speaking engagement at WorldBoston in April.  It noted that during his speech, Ambassador Karamat said that “his country’s recent purchase of F-16s from the United States is for defensive purposes only, and India should not be worried.”  The article also contained comments by WorldBoston members Kent Lucken and Mary Boyle Dougherty. 

The Journal's May 15th issue reported on Prime Minister Bhutto's address to WorldBoston members, in which she stated that the international community needs to help Pakistan become a democracy, adding that one way they can help is in the next elections, in 2007. 

THE WORLDBOSTON WISH LIST   

We hope that you will consider making a donation to WorldBoston.  Please visit our website and select "Give a Gift" to see the kinds of activities your gift will support, as well as a donation form. 

Other things on our Wish List are:

• Color printer (PC compatible, 14ppm color; installation software must be included)

• Event sponsors and space

If you are able to donate your time or a top-quality color printer, or are interested in event sponsorship, please contact Brandie Conforti. 

EMERGING LEADERS

Natasha Palmroth, Director, Emerging Leaders

Jennifer Field, International Visitors Project Associate

The mission of Emerging Leaders is to engage and develop dynamic thinkers from around the world who will drive global change in the future.  It involves the administration of two United States Department of State grants: International Visitors and Community Connections.  

International Visitors Project.  This summer, as always, WorldBoston’s International Visitors Project will continue to welcome visiting professionals.  Already scheduled are visitors from Brazil, Chile, Georgia, Germany, Iraq, Russia and South Africa.  These visitors will be exploring a variety of themes, including civil society, e-commerce, historical preservation, intellectual property rights, investigative journalism and state-level government.

Leadership development continues to be a popular topic.  Accordingly, we will be hosting two large multi-regional groups, one interested in examining Leadership Development for Women and the other, Leadership Development for Youth.

The Women’s Leadership group is comprised of educators, business leaders, government officials, sociologists, attorneys and journalists concerned with women’s contributions to society.  The members of this group will attend a leadership-training seminar, examine women’s grassroots activism and meet with state government representatives.  They will also have an opportunity to participate in a nationally sponsored event to raise awareness about women’s health issues.

The Youth Leadership group is comprised of educators, government officials, attorneys and representatives from non-governmental organizations.  Visiting Boston in late August, they hope to meet with young republicans and democrats as well as individuals from several of Boston’s outstanding youth advocacy and leadership development programs and organizations.

If you would like to get involved with the International Visitors project and interact with a diverse group of individuals, please contact Jennifer Field, International Visitors Project Associate.

A New Emerging Leaders Project.  WorldBoston will add a new project to its Emerging Leaders Program in July, when it welcomes a small delegation from Russia to learn about youth and social services in the United States.  Traveling under the auspices of the Open World Leadership Center in Washington, D.C. (www.openworld.gov), the group will be Boston from July 9th to July 17th.

The goals of Open World are to give delegates an opportunity to: 

• Acquire an understanding of the important elements of American civil society, to be able to make comparisons with Russian civil society.

• Acquire an understanding of governance and the rule of law in American society, including the concepts of accountability and transparency, the separation of powers, and the interrelationship of federal, state and local governments.

• Develop an understanding of the free enterprise system and its relationship to government.

• Acquire an understanding of the roles of American government, civic institutions, free enterprise and voluntary organizations as they relate to the relevant Open World civic theme.

• Develop an appreciation of American culture.

• Interact with Americans and develop contacts and relationships that will generate enduring ties.

The July delegation will include four participants and a facilitator who will travel with the group from Moscow: 

• Ms. Tamara Andreyeva, Head, Department of Preschool Education, City Administration, Izhevsk, Russia

• Mr. Sergey Chetvertnykh, Head, Marketing Department, Palace of Arts Concert Hall/Cultural Institution, Chita, Russia

• Ms. Oksana Ivanets, Chief of Youth Daycare Services, Municipal Social Welfare Center, Pyatigorsk City, Russia

• Ms. Yelena Potapenko, Director, Olimpia Youth Social Center of Recreational Activities, Volzhskiy, Russia

• Ms. Yekeaterina Prokopva (Facilitator), Project Coordinator, Noble Gibbons Property Management, Moscow, Russia

The group will spend the first two days of their U.S. visit in Washington, D.C., before traveling to Boston where they will live with local host families during their stay here.  During the week, WorldBoston is arranging a program of professional appointments for them, including meetings with various early childhood education centers, youth programs, academics and a Massachusetts state representative.  During their free time, members of the group will learn about Boston’s rich history and enjoy some of Boston’s cultural life.

Check Our Website. We are continually updating the WorldBoston website to keep you informed about our programs, upcoming events and visitors, and to make it easier for you to contact us. Please check out our website regularly.