|
Dear Friends,
At WorldBoston, we often talk about the power of people-to-people exchange to build understanding across borders. In 2026, we are beginning to highlight the theme of sports diplomacy — the idea that athletics can bring communities together, inspire resilience, and create connections that transcend language and nationality. This spring, that idea will take on a very personal meaning for our team.
We are excited to share that Elena, our Citizen Diplomacy Associate, will be running the 130th Boston Marathon on April 20th! Elena is dedicating her race to raising funds for the One World Strong Foundation, an organization rooted in the belief that healing and solidarity can grow out of even the most difficult moments. One World Strong was founded by Dave Fortier in the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. The organization’s mission is to unite and support a global community of survivors of terrorism, hate crimes, and other traumatic events, creating a network of individuals committed to healing, resilience, and mutual support.
Since November 2017, WorldBoston has proudly partnered with One World Strong. Through our implementation of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Dave has met with more than 250 international leaders, sharing his story and demonstrating how compassion and courage can transform tragedy into global connection. He has literally built his global network through his partnership with WorldBoston. In recognition of this exemplary work, Dave received the Global Ties U.S. Citizen Diplomacy of the Year Award in 2020.
Elena’s marathon run is a powerful reminder that sometimes diplomacy happens not only in meeting rooms — but also on the road, one mile at a time.
Please consider supporting Elena and the One World Strong Foundation by donating at the link or QR code below!
|
|
|
|
|
Sarah Sibley
President & COO
|
|
This month, WorldBoston welcomes to the Board of Directors, Shahid Khan. Shahid currently serves as the Honorary Consul General of Pakistan in Boston. All of us at WorldBoston look forward to working with him.
|
|
|
We are pleased to welcome Leonard Tshitenge as WorldBoston’s inaugural Africa Envoy.
Leonard brings a wealth of experience as WorldBoston’s Inaugural Africa Envoy, supporting WorldBoston’s growing engagement with African leaders, entrepreneurs, diplomats, and institutions.
Learn more about Leonard's work and how he is going to collaborate with WorldBoston here.
|
|
- Academic WorldQuest is the World Affairs Councils of America flagship youth education program.
- It is a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students that challenges students to think globally about critical issues facing the U.S. and the world.
- The winning team will compete at the National Academic WorldQuest competition in Washington D.C. on April 27-28 and will represent the entire state of Massachusetts.
- Lodging, travel, and registration for the national competition for four students plus one chaperone will be paid for by WorldBoston.
- And participation is completely free!
This year’s Massachusetts-wide competition will take place at Bridgewater State University on March 21st. Participating schools may send up to 3 teams to the local competition of four students plus two alternates. In 2026, we are working to expand this state-wide competition, reaching more schools and students than ever before. Academic WorldQuest is a great way for students to build their resumes and their knowledge base, and participating schools in Academic WorldQuest have access to more of WorldBoston’s amazing NextGen programs, such as our Diplomacy Simulations and our Global Affairs In Frame classroom activities.
If your school is interested in participating in Academic WorldQuest this year please fill out our interest form, the link for which can be found below.
|
|
|
Citizen Diplomacy Highlight
Over the course of 42 days, we are hosting 66 visitors from 42 countries as part of our Citizen Diplomacy work. The visitors will focus on a range of topics including intellectual property, combatting corruption, and cybersecurity.
|
|
|
In early March, we hosted 19 visitors from around the world focused on “Protecting Intellectual Property to Promote Innovation and Trade.” While in Boston, they learned about best practices in IPR security used by academic institutions, businesses, and artists to protect their work. They met with the Tufts Technology Transfer and Industry Collaboration, Foley & Lardner LLP, McDermott Will & Schulte LLC, the City of Boston Department of Innovation and Technology, and the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association. They also enjoyed a guided Freedom Trail Tour to learn about Boston’s history.
In Mid-March, a single-country project for Kazakhstan focusing on the topic “Virtual Asset Investigations” brings 4 financial experts and 2 interpreters to Boston to close out their three-week long IVLP project with a night in Boston and a guided city bus tour before their international departure.
In late March, WorldBoston will be hosting 6 visitors from Guatemala focused on “Combating Corruption and Money Laundering.” The visitors are coming to the U.S. to learn about American public-private coordination on efforts to prevent, identify, and prosecute money laundering. In Boston, they’ll be meeting with several local banks, law firms and academic institutions to exchange best practices in combating corruption.
WorldBoston has also recently begun setting up a series of informative meetings with local universities as well as state and city level governmental agencies for two of our upcoming groups in April. The first group consists of 5 visitors from Brazil for a project titled “An Open, Reliable, and Secure Digital Economy.”
The second group we will be welcoming is larger with 21 visitors coming from multiple countries across Africa on the topic of best practices for “Dismantling International Criminal Networks” in the United States.
|
|
|
This month, WorldBoston welcomes one Custom Visitor Program, the “Regional Cybersecurity Project.” This program consists of four mid-to senior-level experts from Serbia, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Kosovo, on a three-week project implemented by WorldBoston.
This initiative is designed to improve participants’ technical skills, provide insights into U.S. cybersecurity policies and regulations, and support their own independent work on a capstone project. Fellows are engaged in brief mentorships with organizations to gain hands-on experience in areas such as incident response, digital resilience, and cybersecurity regulatory policy development.
|
|
In honor of Fulbright at 80, WorldBoston partnered with the Fulbright MA Association and the Frederick S. Pardee School at Boston University to host a special networking event celebrating eight decades of academic exchange, diplomacy, and cross-cultural understanding. This event brought together a packed room of current Fulbright students and scholars and their families with alumni across the Greater Boston area to foster new professional collaborations and personal connections.
In addition to networking, remarks were delivered by Amb. Mark Storella at the Frederick S. Pardee School at Boston University and Fulbright MA Association President Tasha Sullivan to share reflections on how the Fulbright program has shaped their careers, global outlook, and engagement with the Greater Boston community. More than a reunion, this event was a celebration of Fulbright’s enduring mission to connect people and ideas across borders, inspire mutual understanding, and advance the values of peace and learning that have defined the program for 80 years and will continue to guide it into the future.
|
|
|
We welcome your thoughts and ideas for in-person visitors programming. If you have suggestions, please contact WorldBoston's President & COO, Sarah Sibley.
|
|
|
Now more than ever, WorldBoston relies on the support of our community to fulfill our mission. Donors who contribute $25 – $999 are proudly recognized on our website as Community Supporters. (Donors of $1,000 and above are Sponsors and enjoy year-round benefits; learn more here!)
You can also donate to WorldBoston through a Donor Advised Fund!
Shout out to our newest Community Supporters: Thomas and Sylvia Courtney and Joanne Sakellarides.
And to our newest Sponsors Larry Post and Scott Wayne!
Thank you all for donating to WorldBoston and helping make our mission possible!
|
|
|
Asterisks indicate first-time sponsors to WorldBoston.
|
|
|
|
|
