Dear Friends,
Deja vu all over again? It’s January, we’re masked, and many of us are once again — or still — at home in front of the same old screens.
But 2021 was actually a year packed with events and dramatic change all over the world (and beyond it — hello, space nerds).
So what just happened? Well, you tell us! On January 13, join our fun, interactive, What A World! program, to take a look back together before we fully dive into the world of 2022.
That said, trust that the future is now at WorldBoston: As usual, we have plenty of upcoming program and organizational news to share, so read on.
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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Our Global Engagement programs had another packed year in 2021, with 31 events covering 25 topics, ranging from the rise of cyber weapons to geopolitics in the Arctic. Our events saw nearly 4,000 registrations from audience members in the Greater Boston community and, increasingly, around the world. We extend our thanks to all of the wonderful speakers and engaged audience members (tuning in from 52 countries!) who helped us fulfill our mission to foster global engagement.
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Start the new year in global affairs right — with WorldBoston friends old and new at this fun virtual event. We’ll discuss favorite topics from 2021 with WorldBoston community members Raoul Alcala, Madi Diab, Wing-kai To, Godha Bapuji … and you!
Pour yourself a beverage and get ready to try your knowledge of 2021 events in a team-based What In The World? quiz (for cool awards, by the way), brainstorm with us on 2022, and maybe even walk away a raffle winner!
WorldBoston newcomer? Great: All are welcome!
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Did you enjoy our Great Decisions on Supply Chains in December? Join us for our next installment on Industrial Policy — the perfect follow-up!
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As founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), recognized as the world’s top think tank for science and technology policy, Robert Atkinson leads a prolific team of policy analysts and fellows that is shaping the debate and setting the agenda on a host of critical issues at the intersection of technological innovation and public policy.
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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 December! They got nearly every question right on all quizzes. Our high scorers are:
- Peter Sharadin
- Jim Croghan
- Laura Dziorny
- Tom Ebling
- George King
- Jonathan Daube
- Corena Pincham
- Terry Quist
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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:
George King
Miss Something?
If you missed a quiz or would like to retake one, click on the links below.
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Highlights of 2021
Citizen Diplomacy programs hit high numbers in 2021, despite nearly all programming being virtual. WorldBoston welcomed 938 total international professionals from 147 countries, both in-person and virtual, across 63 programs. We send a warm thank you to all of our community members who supported us in our mission to build connections by sharing their time and expertise in 107 professional meetings.
Around the Citizen Diplomacy Network
Global Ties U.S. (GTUS) is the oldest citizen diplomacy network in the United States and provides a connected network, leadership development, and professional resources. GTUS is the nonprofit partner of the U.S. Department of State and facilitates WorldBoston’s implementation of the premier professional exchange program, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Take a look at how WorldBoston has been involved in recent GTUS programs!
- In mid-December, our own Sarah Sibley and Josh Bruno participated in a national “Global Ties U.S. Virtual Programmers Workshop (VPW): Diversity in Exchanges”. The Workshop consisted of general sessions, networking opportunities, and breakout sessions over the course of three days.
- The focus of each session was diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). The Workshop was informative and instructive regarding action steps for how WorldBoston can expand its network to involve groups and individuals from underrepresented parts of our community across Eastern Massachusetts in our international exchange programming.
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Bring on 2022! We hope to start bringing IVLP participants to our community for in-person programming in February and March, in addition to continuing to deliver virtual IVLP programs. January will be a quiet month to get ready to do so, and we welcome your thoughts and ideas for in-person programming – please contact Sarah Sibley.
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We are looking for new ideas for virtual cultural activities, especially seasonal options. If you have any, please contact our Vice President for Citizen Diplomacy, Sarah Sibley.
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Have an idea for virtual international exchange? We do Custom Visitor Exchange programming to meet objectives of various clients — whether government or private. Contact Josh Bruno, Manager of Citizen Diplomacy Programs, to learn more.
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This month, we’re excited to welcome two new team members! Charles Lewis and Katie Warren join us as Program Associates, as part of the Northeastern cooperative education (co-op) program. We are delighted to work with these superb students for the next six months.
We also look forward to welcoming Stefan Hendley back to our team. Stefan worked with us in 2020, first as a Northeastern co-op and then as IVLP Coordinator. This January, he returns to his role as IVLP Coordinator.
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Charles Lewis joins WorldBoston as Program Associate for Citizen Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He is a second-year student at Northeastern University studying Political Science and International Affairs with a minor in Chinese. He is originally from Maryland but is enjoying exploring everything Boston has to offer. In the summer of 2019, Charles participated in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth exchange program to China, and is excited to experience the “other side” of citizen diplomacy, after having been a participant himself. In his free time, Charles is a huge baseball fan, and loves traveling (COVID permitting) and cooking.
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Katie Warren joins WorldBoston as Program Associate for Outreach. She is a third-year political science major at Northeastern University with minors in mathematics and data science. Katie is originally from Colorado, and she is looking forward to working with WorldBoston in the coming months!
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Stefan Hendley rejoins the WorldBoston team as IVLP Coordinator, a position he previously held in 2020. Stefan is a senior at Northeastern University, where he is majoring in International Affairs with minors in Political Science and Spanish. His studies at Northeastern have led him to multiple professional and academic experiences in locations such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Spain. Stefan is fluent in German and Spanish and speaks intermediate French. Welcome back, Stefan!
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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: David Chosiad, James C. Kaddaras, Nobu Kondo, Yvette Morrill, Janusz Sulanowski, and Paula Thompson. 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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