Around the WorldBoston

March - April 2006

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

Good Things Are Happening All Around

Meet WorldBoston Board Member David Yamada

World Affairs

Emerging Leaders

In the Media

The WorldBoston Wish List

Contact Us

GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING ALL AROUND

As I write this, I am amazed that we are about a month away from Spring!  Time has flown by since the New Year began, no doubt due to all of the exciting things that have been happening within the WorldBoston organization.

Our World Affairs program opened the year with two blockbuster events, the first featuring Ambassador Raminder A. Jassal, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, and the second presenting Ambassador L. Paul Bremer (see below for more about these events).  The World Affairs schedule remains full for the rest of the year with our annual “Great Decisions” lecture series beginning on Tuesday, February 28, as well as luncheon events featuring the Ambassadors of Afghanistan and South Africa as well as Wendy Baker, President of Lloyd’s America.

While our World Affairs program frequently steals the spotlight, our Emerging Leaders program is equally important and is about to undertake an exciting new initiative.  Through the Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, and in cooperation with AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.), in May we will be hosting a group of 12 clerics and scholars from the Middle East who are part of a broad effort in interfaith initiatives and coexistence being driven by Jordan.  This project is based upon the work of Father Nabil Haddad, who founded the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence and Research Center in Amman in 2003.  It is the result of His Majesty King Abdullah II’s commitment to make Jordan a beacon in the Middle East in combating misunderstanding and violence that results from religious intolerance.  I had the pleasure of meeting Father Nabil after the center was opened, an introduction that led to WorldBoston’s involvement in this very important initiative.  We are planning for each of the 12 clerics and scholars to have a one-night homestay over a weekend while they are in Boston.  I encourage you to volunteer to serve as a homestay host for one of these individuals.  This is a unique opportunity for you to participate in a project that is working toward the greater good in the Middle East.

Lastly, over the past few months the Community Connections program has been reborn under the auspices of USAID.  While the administration of the program will be somewhat different and the process for hosting Community Connections groups somewhat more complicated, its purpose has not changed:  to expose citizens of Eurasia to free-market principles, democracy and best practices in their professional fields.  I am pleased to announce that WorldBoston has successfully qualified to once again serve as a Community Connections host organization.

The success of both of these new exchange initiatives will depend not only on the WorldBoston staff and Board of Directors but also on the quality, depth and involvement of you, our members.  Please support them in whatever way you can.

Brandie Conforti

Executive 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. 

World Affairs marked the start of the New Year by giving its members opportunities to meet face-to-face with two prominent world figures.

On January 9, Ambassador Raminder S. Jassal, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, addressed an audience of over 70 people, offering some historical context in which to better understand India as a major force in today’s economy and as a strategic partner to the United States.  Thank you, Northeastern University, for sponsoring this important event!

On February 14, Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, Former Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, spent three hours with WorldBoston.  Following a spirited informal discussion with a small group during the pre-event reception, his formal remarks to an audience of over 100 focused on his experiences as President Bush’s envoy to Iraq.  Ambassador Bremer spoke about the challenges he faced in the aftermath of military action in Iraq and shared his insights on the current state of reconstruction efforts in that country.  A lively and thought-provoking Q&A session followed, after which he signed copies of his new book, My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope.  Thank you, Foley Hoag, for sponsoring this sell-out event!

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer signs copies of his book. 

Upcoming Events . . .

2006 “Great Decisions” Lecture Series

(Made possible through the generous support of The Lowell Institute.)

This eight-part lecture series will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m, at the Boston Public Library.  The sessions will begin on February 28 and run through April 29.  All lectures are free and open to the public; reservations are not required.

This year’s topics include Energy, UN Reform, Brazil, Human Rights in the Age of Terrorism, Turkey, Global Health Pandemics and Security, The U.S. and Iran, and China and India: Partners or Competitors?  For more information about this series, please visit our website.

Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad

Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States

(Event is part of the WorldBoston/Suffolk University Global Leadership Series.)

Date:  Friday, March 10, 2006

Time:  11:45 a.m. Pre-Event/Noon-1:30 p.m. Luncheon

Location:  Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont Street, 1st Floor, Boston

Cost:  Pre-Event & Luncheon: $50 (Limited attendance)

Luncheon only: $10 for Current Members and Students/$20 for Non-Members
A light lunch will be served.

This event is currently sold out.  If you are interested in attending, please contact us and we will add your name to the waiting list.

Save the Dates . . .

Ambassador Barbara Masekela

Ambassador of South Africa to the United States

Date:  Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Time:  Noon-1:30 p.m.

Wendy Baker

President of Lloyd's America

“Rebuilding After Disaster Strikes”

Date:  Thursday, June 1, 2006

Time:  Noon-1:30 p.m.

Because our last two lunchtime events and the March 10 event sold out quickly, we encourage you to sign up early for all upcoming events.

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.

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.  

Our New Payment Policy for Events                      Starting in April 2006, individuals who are not members of WorldBoston will be required to pre-pay for all events.  Only current, paid-to-date WorldBoston Members will have the option of paying for most events at the door; some events, however, will require pre-payment by Members.  Payment can be made by check or credit card.

IN THE MEDIA

The January 16-31, 2006, issue of INDIA New England features an article about the speech given by Ambassador Raminder S. Jassal at WorldBoston’s January 9 event.  Titled “India’s growth linked to its history,” the article notes that Ambassador Jassal extolled the economic reforms and culture of India, linking these to the country’s success in the global marketplace.

MEET WORLDBOSTON BOARD MEMBER

DAVID YAMADA

David’s interests in transnational and public affairs take many paths.  An internationally recognized authority on the legal implications of workplace bullying and abusive work environments, he has written widely on this topic and is part of a multinational group of researchers who are studying various aspects of workplace aggression.  He is also in the process of creating the New Workplace Institute, a non-profit research and education center dedicated to healthy, productive and socially responsible workplaces.

As a national board member of Americans for Democratic Action, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, David has written newspaper columns and other materials on public issues.  His 2005 op-ed piece on U.N. ambassadorial nominee John Bolton appeared in the New York Amsterdam News, and his 2002 op-ed piece on the rights of aviation security workers under federal Homeland Security legislation appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer and was reprinted in the Congressional Record.

A resident of Jamaica Plain, David is active in local community organizations that support inclusion and community building.  He is a 2004 graduate of the LeadBoston fellowship program sponsored by the Boston Center for Community and Justice.  Prior to entering acadème, David was a Legal Aid lawyer and an Assistant State Attorney General in New York City.  He earned his law degree from New York University in 1985.

EMERGING LEADERS

The mission of Emerging Leaders is to engage and develop dynamic thinkers from around the world who will drive global change in the future.  

Some past and future International Visitors.  Over the past few months, WorldBoston has hosted visitors from the People's Republic of China, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay and the Ukraine.  Program topics have included educational testing, library science, public health policy and management, university administration and the U.S. healthcare system.

In December, WorldBoston organized a program related to university funding and administration for a small group of faculty and administrators from the Universidad Católica in Asunción, Paraguay.  Because the university's only source of funding was tuition, the goal of the program was to provide these individuals with information on fund-raising campaigns, funds administration, and involving students and alumni in the fund-raising process.  Feedback from the group indicated that its members are now prepared to start a fund-raising program and expect that their time spent in the United States will have a positive impact on the future of the university.

In the upcoming months, WorldBoston will be welcoming individual visitors from Australia, Brazil, France and the United Kingdom.  In March, a group of National Assembly members from Cameroon and a group of public prosecutors from Spain will be visiting Boston.  In the Spring, we are expecting groups from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkmenistan. These visitors will be examining several topics, including the U.S. legislative process, non-profit management, business development, state and local government, and religion and education.

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.

Are you interested in being a Community Connections homestay host?  WorldBoston anticipates welcoming 10 NGO development professionals from Kyrgyzstan for three weeks in May.  We will be organizing an intensive professional development program that will introduce these individuals to the role of NGOs in a democracy and include visits to various cultural sites around Boston.  As in the previous Community Connections program, a critical part of the USAID-sponsored program is a homestay component.

Homestay hosts agree to provide a room and two meals – breakfast and dinner – for their guest(s) for this three-week period.  A small stipend is available to help defray costs.  Please contact Natasha Palmroth if you or anyone you know is interested in hosting!

Why not be part of “a night with an American family?”  As noted earlier, as part of WorldBoston’s new project with AMIDEAST, in May we will be welcoming a group of 12 clerics and scholars from the Middle East for one week.  In addition to organizing a seven-day program of site visits, dialogue and study focused on creating a society where different religious groups can co-exist in peace, we are building into the program an overnight visit with a family in the Greater Boston area to give these individuals a better understanding of life in America.  Please contact Brandie Conforti if you or anyone you know would like to welcome one of these individuals into your home during the weekend of May 13-14. 

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 our website regularly.

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.

In addition, we are always seeking new event sponsors.  If you are interested in event sponsorship, please contact Brandie Conforti.