March 2024 at WorldBoston

March at WorldBoston

Dear Friends,

March means Women's History Month in the U.S., International Women’s Day on March 8 around the world, and … our annual trip to the Global Ties U.S. National Meeting in D.C., starting next week. 

 

What's the connection? There's actually a deep one between women and diplomacy. From history, we know that the Lucille Acherson was the first woman admitted to the U.S. Foreign Service in 1922 (just two years after women’s suffrage — you go, Lucille). In 1949, Helen Eugenie Moore Anderson became the first U.S. woman ambassador, to Denmark. More recently, the late, great Madeleine Albright became the first woman U.S. Secretary of State in 1997. Two of the eleven Secretaries since then have been women.

 

And women and gender issues remain a top policy priority for the State Department. Here at WorldBoston we have hosted many State-sponsored delegations focusing on women, including the high-level annual women in STEM project, Hidden No More, that we've been honored to facilitate locally since its founding in 2017. This month we'll welcome a group from Bhutan focusing on women in STEM. Other perennial WorldBoston visitor themes include women's entrepreneurship and women in politics. 

Not too surprising, given our region's heritage of distinguished women from Phillis Wheatley, to the Lowell labor organizers, to our nation's first lesbian governor, and beyond.

 

We hope to see you soon.

Mary P. Yntema

President & CEO

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Pandemic Preparedness featuring Ashish Jha & Matthew McKnight

Tuesday, March 19, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Hybrid Event at the Boston Public Library

Research has shown that the question is not “if,” but “when” the next pandemic will occur. Although COVID has waned, there are many lessons to learn about what’s needed for a new, global biosecurity infrastructure to mitigate damage from the next pandemic. We need technology that can support rapid identification and understanding of emerging threats, such as collecting samples, analyzing data, and generating meaningful insights for public health officials and policymakers.

Join us for a timely discussion of this topic with Ashish Jha, former White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, and Matthew McKnight, General Manager for Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks. The program will feature expert remarks from Mr. McKnight and Dr. Jha, live audience Q&A, and time for networking and discussion with other globally-oriented participants.

REGISTER HERE

Tyranny of the Minority

Tuesday, March 26, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Hybrid Event at Foley and Lardner LLP

Join us for this installment of our popular Chat & Chowder series, featuring Steven Levitsky, Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University, and Daniel Ziblatt, Director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University, to discuss his their book, Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point.

Chat & Chowder programs are an excellent opportunity to engage with expert speakers and globally-oriented participants in an informal environment. Each event features a presentation, audience Q&A, dedicated time for networking, and (of course!) a selection of chowders and beverages.

REGISTER HERE

Academic WorldQuest and Global Up

On March 23rd, we look forward to hosting our annual Academic WorldQuest competition for high school students. We've reached capacity at 20 teams, and we anticipate stiff competition among our eager players! The winners of our local competition will go on to compete at the National Competition hosted by the World Affairs Councils of America in Washington DC in April. Stay tuned to find out the winners.

As you may already know, this year we are delighted to pilot a professional development opportunity for educators, coinciding with our annual Academic WorldQuest competition. This global skills training program uses the AFS Global Up curriculum, and offers educators the opportunity to build their cultural competence, while also helping us shape our future programming. We hosted the final virtual session in late February, and we look forward to seeing our cohort in-person at Academic WorldQuest, when we'll host a debrief and brainstorming session.

But wait… there's more!

You can view and register for upcoming events in April and beyond on our website calendar here.

WorldBoston Event Reporting Opportunity

Interested in international affairs and journalism? Then volunteer to report on WorldBoston's Global Engagement events! The selected reporter will write an event recap for our website blog. (And, by the way, check our our new February post!) For more information and terms please email Natalie Mase, Director of Operations and Global Engagement Programs.

To learn more about Global Engagement, contact Natalie Mase, Director of Operations and Global Engagement Programs.

Citizen Diplomacy

Highlight

Though each of the nearly 90 delegations we host in Boston annually is notable in its own way, February featured a particularly special group participating in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). We were honored to host a group of high level Ukrainian government officials focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans.

The delegates, some of whom are veterans themselves, met with several of our excellent community partners, including those in the photo below: Dave Fortier of the One World Strong Foundation, Larry Ellison of the Boston Police Department (retired), and Richard Serino and Leonard Marcus of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University to discuss, among other things, supporting survivors of traumatic events, school safety measures, and leadership training for crisis mitigation.

This group reminds us of the importance of peer-to-peer diplomacy and the timeliness of State Department-sponsored visitor programs. We’re proud to have facilitated meaningful connections and learning opportunities during such a critical time for this delegation.

This March, WorldBoston hosts eight projects through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists – Media Responsibility in an Age of Disinformation

An Inter-Regional Project for the Indo-Pacific

American Language and Multicultural Diversity

A Multi-Regional Project

Entrepreneurship as the Engine of Prosperity and Stability – Small Business Development

A Regional Project for Africa

Empowering Women in STEM

A Single Country Project for Bhutan

Intellectual Property Rights Protection

A Single Country Project for China

Higher Education in the United States

A Single Country Project for Moldova

Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Government Institutions

A Single Country Project for Albania

Higher Education in the United States

A Sub-Regional Project for the Pacific Islands

We welcome your thoughts and ideas for in-person programming. If you have suggestions, please contact Vice President for Citizen Diplomacy, Sarah Sibley.

Custom Visitor Programs: Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

We’re excited to kick off the annual YLAI program in early March! On March 7th, our cohort of 13 Fellows from across the Americas will arrive in Boston to begin their month-long fellowship. While here, each Fellow will join a local organization/company to gain hands-on experience with business-practices in the U.S. Throughout the month, WorldBoston will program special activities for the Fellows to bolster their entrepreneurship skills and to get better acquainted with our great entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The YLAI program gives young entrepreneurs valuable training needed to start or expand their own businesses and boost their local economies. See below for our cohort, their countries, businesses, and industry sectors.

Ana Paula Uriarte

Brazil

Escola Happen

Education

Catalina Bermudez Jurado

Colombia

Remote Hub

Business Services

Eddy Campos Silvera

Cuba

Five Senses Cuba

Data Analytics

Fabian Leonardo Huertas Ayala

Colombia

Panavayu SAS BIC

Health

Franseska Quezada Huamaní

Peru

Mipez

Fishing / Community Development

Gabriella Estefania Mendez Ruiz

El Salvador

Ethnos Eco Mercado

Food and Beverage

Juan Fernando Salazar Almeida

Ecuador

Marca Patito

Environment / Circular Economy

Lorena Stephanie Silveira dos Santos

Brazil

Aurora

Youth Empowerment

Luisa Sofia Figueroa Clare

Honduras

The Beauty Company / Sofia Clare Studio

Beauty / Makeup School

Natalia Andrea Cortés Morales

Chile

Fitchain

Business Services

Omar Alejandro Piñango Herrera

Venezuela

Grupo Lex Solutions

Education / Law

Rodrigo Manuel Parra Zacarías

Paraguay

Willdom

Data Analysis and IT

Rusbell Jesus Maria Morel

Dominican Republic

Constructora MorFab, SRL

Construction

A special thank you to the amazing, Boston-based, host institutions that will welcome the YLAI fellows this year:

Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and implemented by IREX and WorldBoston, the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program is the flagship program for emerging entrepreneurs and business leaders from the Western Hemisphere. To learn more about YLAI, visit YLAI.state.org.

Fulbright Visiting Scholars Enrichment Program

2024 is off to a busy start for WorldBoston’s Fulbright Visiting Scholars program! In February, we brought scholars and their families on a tour of the Perkins School for the Blind, a pioneer in disability-inclusive education, led by head librarian Jennifer Arnott. The scholars were very interested in the educational opportunities for people with visual impairments, and enjoyed seeing the modifications the Perkins School has made to its campus to be more accessible for its students.

In March, we look forward to hosting two programs for the Fulbright scholars. First, the scholars will visit Bunker Hill Community College to learn about the unique community college system in the United States. Then, coinciding with Women’s History Month, the scholars will have the special opportunity to meet with representatives from the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators to learn more about their current political priorities and their paths into politics.

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.

Become A Community Supporter

Now more than ever, WorldBoston relies on the support of sponsors and community members to fulfill our mission. Donors who contribute $25 – $999 are proudly recognized on our website as Community Supporters. And, donors of $1,000 and above enjoy year-round sponsorship benefits; see a current listing of our generous sponsors here.

We are grateful for all of our 2023 Community Supporters, and we encourage you to contribute in the new year to become a 2024 Community Supporter. Donors will receive this year's new pin to recognize their support!

Below are new Community Supporters in the past month — we thank them and hope that you will join. You can make a tax-deductible donation on our website at any time.

Deniz Ozturk, Valentina Moghadam, and Kristen Rupert

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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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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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