Dear Friends,
We members of the WorldBoston community are a well-traveled group. On Wednesday, many of us felt unwelcome deja vu, recalling events in countries where democracy is just emerging, or sometimes withering. Shocked, we watched violent rioters, incited by the U.S. President, attack our Congress while it was confirming presidential election results.
The mob assault on the Capitol was a real horror, right here at home.
By nightfall, some comfort: Legislators were back on the Senate floor, variously craven, brave, and boring once again. They were on their way to certification, ending a day of already extraordinary political significance that earlier saw the Georgia Senate runoffs confirm a new Democratic Senate majority.
The democratic process worked. Hope overcame horror. For now.
Our country is due for great reckonings, only intensified by the awful current pandemic. We all have an enormous challenge to right our ship and move forward, both domestically and internationally.
Our work at WorldBoston affirms our own community’s commitment to new information, to clear understanding, to civility, and to the value of different opinions and cultures. It is the opposite of jingoism, bigotry, and triumphalism. Our programs won’t solve the numerous urgent problems our country faces. But they are certainly part of how we can help prevent more terrible days like Wednesday. We are very glad you are involved.
This January Newsletter inaugurates our new year-long showcasing of the mission sponsors who help make our work possible. You’ll also see our major sponsors highlighted in our weekly WorldBoston Recommendsand on our website. The support of all our sponsors, donors, and members feels particularly important in these momentous times, and we thank them all.
Also below, you will see we have exciting programs to start off the new year, and great new student interns and co-ops to welcome.
We hope to see you soon.
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Mary P. Yntema
President & CEO
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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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Thursday, January 28th
1:00-2:00 PM ET
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The final installment of The Mission Persists 2020 series will be a conversation with Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili and Executive Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Myron Brilliant.
Zurab Pololikashvili has been Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization since 2018. He has served as Ambassador of Georgia to Spain, Andorra, Algeria and Morocco and was Permanent Representative of Georgia to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) up to December 2017. Between 2009 and 2010, he was Minister of Economic Development of Georgia.
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Myron Brilliant is Executive Vice President and head of International Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He leads the largest international affairs team of any U.S. business association, representing the Chamber and its members before the U.S. government, foreign governments, and international business organizations. During his tenure as head of the international program, the Chamber has greatly expanded its global footprint with representatives in Beijing, Brasília, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, and Mexico City.
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Wednesday, January 13th
6:00-7:00 PM ET
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Chat & Chowder features key authors on international affairs in an engaging setting. Even virtually, the spirit of “Chat” persists! We encourage everyone to BYOCB (Bring Your Own Chow(der) & Beverages), and also to join us for the informal post-Chat Chat with WorldBoston friends (separate Zoom link provided in registration confirmation email). Newcomers always welcome!
Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH, is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University. His work is in the fields of network science, biosocial science, and behavior genetics. He directs the Human Nature Lab and is the Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science.
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Apollo’s Arrow offers a riveting account of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as it swept through American society in 2020, and of how the recovery will unfold in the coming years. Drawing on momentous (yet dimly remembered) historical epidemics, contemporary analyses, and cutting-edge research from a range of scientific disciplines, bestselling author, physician, sociologist, and public health expert Nicholas A. Christakis explores what it means to live in a time of plague — an experience that is paradoxically uncommon to the vast majority of humans who are alive, yet deeply fundamental to our species.
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Tuesday, January 26th
6:00-7:00 PM ET
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The Red Sea has remained vital for global trade since the time of ancient Egypt. Once home to the spice trade, the Red Sea now sees millions of barrels of oil a day transported across its waters. With major nations like China, France, Italy, and the U.S. building large ports and bases in the region, what does the future of the region look like? How important is Red Sea security for global security? Can the region be a place of global cooperation?
This event is produced by our partner GBH Forum Network.
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Payton Knopf is a senior advisor to the Africa program at United States Institute of Peace (USIP) where his work focuses on the intersecting political, economic and security dynamics in the Red Sea.
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Karen E. Young is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she studies the political economy of the Middle East, with a special focus on the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
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In the final month of 2020, another “first” for our Citizen Diplomacy programs: A virtual home hospitality social hour in our community with a group of journalists from across Africa. While session lacked local culinary delights, warmth, laughter and hospitality abounded.
We have more virtual home hospitality opportunities coming up in February and March and we’d love to get you involved! If interested, please contact our VP for Citizen Diplomacy, Sarah Sibley.
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We are pleased to announce that the Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI) program returns to Boston this year. From January to April, WorldBoston will support 14 virtual fellowship placements in our community; organize an orientation and a networking event; deliver four entrepreneurship discussions and two cross-cultural exchange opportunities
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Later this month, WorldBoston will welcome scholars from seven countries to New England for the 75th year of the Fulbright Visiting Scholars Program. During their placements, scholars will have the unique opportunity to participate in over thirteen enrichment activities at some of the region’s world-famous institutions such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Fenway Park, and Mystic Seaport Museum, among others. We’re very excited to have new cohort of Fulbright Visiting Scholars in New England!
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Since the U.S. Department of State announced that in-person exchange programming for the IVLP is now on hold through May 2021, we remain committed to virtually welcoming delegations to kick-off the new year. A warm thank you to all of our local citizen diplomats for joining us in this endeavor. Here is who is “visiting” in January:
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Edward R. Murrow for Journalists: U.S. Foreign Policy
MENA Regional Project
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Mental Health Awareness
Egypt
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We are looking for new ideas for virtual cultural activities, especially seasonal options. If you have any, please contact our VP for Citizen Diplomacy, Sarah Sibley.
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This month we welcome Ishita Khanna as Program Associate of Citizen Diplomacy & Global Engagement Programs through Northeastern University’s Cooperative Education Program. Ishita is a New Jersey native, and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Economics at Northeastern. On campus, she is involved in teaching Hindi, ESL tutoring, and occasionally writes and illustrates for the undergraduate political review magazine.
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We also welcome Lei Nishiuwatoko as Program Associate of Outreach through Northeastern University’s Cooperative Education Program. She is currently earning a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs at Northeastern University, with minors in Global Social Enterprise and Political Science. She is Japanese and grew up in Thailand and California, which nurtures her interest in international institutions, sustainable development, and cross-cultural dialogue.
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We also welcome Ryan Brinkey as our new CVP Intern. Ryan is originally from Michigan, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Global Public Policy at Suffolk University. He spent the last two years serving as an English teacher with the Peace Corps in North Macedonia, also working as the financial coordinator for the Macedonian National English Spelling Bee. In his free time, Ryan enjoys writing short fiction, travel, urban photography, and learning Russian. He has also completed two marathons in two countries!
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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 the most 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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Membership
Welcome to last month’s new and returning WorldBoston members: Hilary Flynn and Janusz Sulanowski. Thank you, we appreciate your support!
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Check your inbox every Friday for “WorldBoston Recommends” — our staff picks international virtual programs in the coming week.
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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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