Dear Friends,
April at WorldBoston has traditionally meant a surge in Citizen Diplomacy programs, as visitors flood into springtime Boston. This year looks like a return to form, with three virtual delegations and, at last, six in-person groups — our first since March 2020.
So, on Friday morning we hope you’ll brew yourself your favorite cuppa, and Zoom into this inspiring discussion. The daily news — war and massive refugee flows in Europe, the U.N.’s latest drastic climate assessment — reminds us how essential international connection and dialogue are. These days no one can afford to withdraw.
That includes our sharpest young people. Olivia Seltzer is not only one of the sharpest, she is also phenomenally good at engaging and informing her Gen Z cohort — and the rest of us. (I read her daily email The Cramm for two years before learning it’s aimed at the younger crowd!) We’re delighted to bring Olivia and her new book to virtual Chat & Chowder next week. Join us to “find out WTF is going on in the world today”.
Read on for more about a busy April at WorldBoston. And at the end of the month, cheer on Boston Latin, our local Academic WorldQuest winners, as they travel to D.C. for the national competition with the World Affairs Councils of America.
We hope to see you soon.
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Mary P. Yntema
President & CEO
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P.S. Here’s another sign of warmer days to come: Our friends at the Combined Charities Golf Tournament, which benefits WorldBoston among other great organizations, have opened up registration for their 2022 event in August. It’s not too early to sign up!
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Help WorldBoston bring the world to you!
As a non-profit organization, WorldBoston relies on the generosity and support of members, donors, and sponsors to accomplish our mission: foster engagement in international affairs and cooperation between people of all nations.
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Tuesday, April 12th | 6:00 – 7:00 PM ET
Virtual Zoom Event
What has made Olivia Seltzer’s newsletter The Cramm a must-open daily email or text for so many? That’s easy: Its high-energy, pithy updates that you can read in 5 minutes. Olivia herself is a compelling force too. At just 18, she has written over five hundred newsletters, spoken at NATO Engages and the IFTF Summit, been featured in NPR, Teen Vogue, TODAY, The Economist, and Forbes (among others).
Join us for a virtual Chat & Chowder with Olivia Seltzer, who will discuss her new book, Cramm This Book: So You Know WTF Is Going On in the World Today. And stay for the post-ChatChat, facilitated by Thomas Kennelly, Program Director of History & Global Understanding at the Boston Latin School.
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Tuesday, April 26th | 6:00 – 7:30 PM ET
Hybrid Event at the Boston Public Library
The world experienced remarkable demographic changes in the 20th century that continue today and have resulted in far-reaching social, economic, political, and environmental consequences all over the globe. These consequences are creating mounting challenges to development efforts, security, the environment, as well as the sustainability of human populations. How will changing demographics impact the future? Join us at the Boston Public Library for our first in-person Great Decisions program since 2020, featuring Dr. Jennifer D. Sciubba, Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center. The program will also be streamed to Zoom from 6:00 to 7:00.
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Sneak Peek!
Thursday, May 5th | 6:00 – 7:30 PM ET
Hybrid Event at Foley & Lardner LLP
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Congratulations are in order!
In early March, we held our state-wide Academic WorldQuest Competition. Pictured here is the winning team from the Boston Latin School. In April, they will compete at the National Competition in Washington, D.C., hosted by the World Affairs Councils of America. We wish them the best of luck!
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Our What in the World? weekly quiz is a collection of 10 questions designed to test your knowledge of international affairs and current events. Every week on Monday, a new quiz is posted on our Twitter,Facebook, and Instagram stories. If you would like to receive the quiz by email, please contact Natalie Mase to be added to our What in the World? mailing list. The quiz can also always be found in WorldBoston Recommends, our weekly Friday newsletter.
Trivia Trail-Blazers
Congratulations to the top scorers in March! They got nearly every question right on all quizzes. Our high scorers are:
- Leslie Griffin
- John Perry
- Peter Sharadin
- Linda Cheatham
- Tom Ebling
- Parfait Gasana
- Terry Quist
- Matthew Torrey
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Monthly Prize Winner
When you take What in the World?, you are automatically entered into a raffle to win exclusive prizes. The more questions you get right, the better your odds are of winning. This month’s prize winner is:
Dain Perry
Miss Something?
If you missed a quiz or would like to retake one, click on the links below.
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Highlight
April is busy for our Citizen Diplomacy Programs, with 9 IVLP groups, among plenty of other programming. Of those groups, 6 will visit Boston in-person (our first in-person visitors since 2020)! We’ve been preparing for their arrival — printing program books, reactivating the Emergency Phone, and more — and we look forward to welcoming them to our city. See below for the many programs taking place in April.
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Friday, April 8th | 8:30 – 10:00 AM ET
Virtual Zoom Event
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The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is beginning in-person exchanges in April, though virtual programming will continue as well. WorldBoston is committed to welcoming delegations however they may visit, and we thank all of our local citizen diplomats for joining us in this endeavor. Here’s who is visiting in April:
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Sub-Regional Project for South and Central Asia
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Inter-Regional Project for Eurasia
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As we prepare for a return to in-person delegations, we welcome your thoughts and ideas for in-person programming. If you have any, please contact our Vice President for Citizen Diplomacy, Sarah Sibley.
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Our team is hard at work planning many exciting programs! Do you have an idea for a virtual or in-person international exchange program? We do Custom Visitor Exchange programming to meet the objectives of various clients — whether government or private. Contact Josh Bruno, Manager of Citizen Diplomacy Programs, to learn more.
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As the official cultural enrichment host for New England scholars, WorldBoston facilitates events for the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Enrichment Program. Currently, there are 89 Scholars from 41 countries completing their scholarly work at some of New England’s most prestigious institutions. Read on for some of our recent and upcoming programs.
In March, WorldBoston brought Scholars on an in-person visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), one of Boston’s most cutting edge and interesting museums. Before touring the diverse exhibits, Scholars gathered at a nearby café to network and enjoy coffee and pastries.
In April, we have two programs for the Scholars. First, an in-person panel from the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, giving Scholars a unique opportunity to discuss state legislators’ current priorities and their paths into politics. The Fulbright Scholars will have the honor to meet privately with Caucus leadership, as well as both Democratic and Republican members.
Second, we will host a virtual event with Bunker Hill Community College, featuring briefings by the college’s senior leadership on the U.S. community college model, workforce development, and initiatives to provide support services for students with disabilities. This event will also showcase how local youth organizations partner with BHCC to provide professional development and educational opportunities for young people of color in Boston.
This Fulbright Enrichment activity is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE), and WorldBoston.
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Take advantage of this partnership!
The Fletcher Experience, designed for professionals: After nearly a century of training diplomats and world leaders, The Fletcher School at Tufts University is pleased to offer Fletcher LIVE Online, a curated collection of online courses on today’s most critical leadership challenges. Join a small cohort of max. 30 fellow global professionals for 5 weeks of rigorous, interactive learning with Fletcher’s world-renowned faculty.
Apply by May 1, 2022 | Courses run May-June 2022
Featuring:
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Join our team!
We are seeking applicants for a Special Projects Internship, focusing on operations and technology. The position will start in May and end in August, with a flexible part-time schedule.
Visit our website here to learn more about the role and to apply.
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Missed any of our recent events? You can find video recordings of our events on our YouTube channel! Below are links to recent events:
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Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for updates!
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You are able to contribute to WorldBoston at no additional cost to you! If you shop at Amazon through this link or the AmazonSmile logo to the right, a portion of your purchase will be donated to WorldBoston. Bookmark our page today.
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Welcome to last month’s new and returning WorldBoston members: Gus Coldebella, Peggy Lowenstein, Donna MacLeod, Dale Masi, Alma Smith, Karen Wittig, Robert Worth, and Catherine Zusy. Thank you, we appreciate your support!
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Check your inbox every Friday for WorldBoston Recommends – our staff picks for high-quality virtual programs on global topics in the coming week.
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Your name here?
Learn more here about how to join these sponsors in supporting the WorldBoston mission.
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Wait, Did You Miss Something?
Don’t forget to check our News section for announcements and past newsletters.
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The International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program and WorldBoston’s main citizen diplomacy partner. Launched in 1940, the IVLP is a professional exchange program that seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through carefully designed short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. These visits reflect the International Visitors’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
The U.S. Department of State’s bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administers the IVLP. In doing so, the bureau enters cooperative agreements with National Program Agencies, a group of private, not-for-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C., that design and implement national IVLP itineraries. In addition to the National Program Agencies, the IVLP relies on the commitment and skills of local community organizations across the U.S., known as Community Based Members (CBMs). Under the professional association of Global Ties U.S., local CBM members develop professional programs, arrange cultural activities, and provide home hospitality for international visitors.
WorldBoston is part of the Global Ties Network of more than 90 CBMs in 45 states.
WorldBoston is a member of the World Affairs Councils of America,
a network of more than 90 independent Councils in more than 40 states.
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