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Busy! As we all are this month, WorldBoston is buzzing in May.
But first, take a quick look under the Capitol dome in Washington D.C. This is the week when all of us can speak up on behalf of international exchanges. Our country was a pioneer in the use of “soft power” (to cite the late, very great, Joseph Nye), and has supported extraordinary initiatives like the International Visitors Leadership Program on a solidly bipartisan basis for over eighty years.
Thanks to deep research by our friends at Global Ties U.S., we know that the IVLP is vital to U.S. national security priorities and brings real benefits to our communities and our economy with an eye-popping 11:1 return on investment to the hosting communities. These programs make the United States safer, stronger, and more prosperous — the very mission of the Department of State.
We are proud at WorldBoston to implement this and other professional exchanges in our community, and hope you'll ask your legislators this week to secure funding for international exchanges as Congress shapes its FY2026 budget. Take a moment to engage your elected officials through the Action Center. (It is very easy!)
Back home in the Bay State, delegations are flowing in again and we have to shout out the hundreds of amazing professionals who meet with visitors — check out our Community Resource Spotlight posts on social media (including our newest platform, Bluesky). At the same time, our Global Engagement programs continue to shed light on highly relevant topics, from “India: Between China, the West, and the Global South” at Great Decisions last week to our upcoming Chat & Chowder with Stephanie Baker on Punishing Putin.
We hope to see you soon.
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Help WorldBoston bring the world to you!
As a non-profit organization, WorldBoston relies on community support to deliver our mission of fostering engagement in international affairs and cooperation between people of all nations.
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WorldBoston is now on Bluesky! Make sure to give us a follow at
@worldboston.bsky.social and don't miss out on WorldBoston updates
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Highlight
In April, WorldBoston hosted a State Department-sponsored International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) delegation of professionals from the Middle East and North Africa region who expanded their networks on the topic of “Higher Education Partnerships.” Several of WorldBoston sponsors generously shared their expertise with the group, including the Global Experience Opportunities Center at the Colleges of the Fenway, the Minnock Institute for Global Engagement at Bridgewater State University, and a panel of Northeastern student co-ops featuring our very own WorldBoston co-ops!
The group’s study tour continued with meetings with the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College – which featured a wonderful campus tour led by Gerardo Blanco – and a meeting with the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics to discuss how urban innovation principles can make educational settings more accessible.
To round out the delegation's time with WorldBoston, Boston's Private Industry Council hosted the visitors to discuss the intersection of policy-making and public investment, and how to align development in the workforce, education, economy, healthcare, and human services.
We appreciate all of our sponsors and local leaders for supporting our Citizen Diplomacy work!
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Custom Visitor Programs
Interested in customizing an international professional exchange with WorldBoston? Our expansive local network and expertise, built over half a century of hosting, ensure high-quality, tailored programming across Eastern Massachusetts that meets your delegation’s needs, from professional meetings and cultural activities to seamless logistics and accommodations. Contact our Manager of Citizen Diplomacy Programs, Justin Dynia (jdynia@worldboston.org), for more information.
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A Single Country Project for Botswana
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A Single Country Project for Georgia
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A Single Country Project for Peru
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A Single Country Project for Turkmenistan
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We welcome your thoughts and ideas for in-person visitors programming. If you have suggestions, please contact Vice President for Citizen Diplomacy, Sarah Sibley.
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Chat & Chowder with Stephanie Baker | Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia
Tuesday, May 20th
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Hybrid Event at the Law Offices of Foley & Lardner, LLP
Join us for this installment of our popular Chat & Chowder series, featuring Senior Writer at Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek, Stephanie Baker. Stephanie Baker will discuss her new book “Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia.”
This program will feature an expert presentation, live audience Q&A, a selection of chowder and beverages, and time for networking and discussion with other globally-oriented participants.
This program is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.
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Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 11th, for our signature Diplomacy Now program. WorldBoston is pleased to welcome back former Ambassador to China and Harvard Professor, Nicholas Burns as our expert speaker. We look forward to hosting you in-person at the Boston Public Library or virtually on Zoom.
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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!)
We encourage you to contribute to WorldBoston to become a 2025 Community Supporter. Donors will receive this year's special pin to recognize their support!
Thank you to WorldBoston's newest Community Supporters: Raoul Alcala, Mary Mendoza, Kristen Rupert, Uldis Sipols, John Minahan, George King, Mary Cerulli, Warren Thaler, Robert Stricker, Thomas Courtney, Sylvia Courtney, and Amey Moot.
And thank you to WorldBoston's new sponsors: Scott Wayne, Gerard Lorden, and Larry Post.
Thank you all for donating to WorldBoston and helping make our mission possible!
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Asterisks indicate first-time sponsors to WorldBoston.
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Check your inbox every Friday for WorldBoston Recommends – our staff picks for high-quality programs and opportunities on global topics in the coming week.
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Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for updates!
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Wait, Did You Miss Something?
Check our News section for announcements and past newsletters.
And for the latest, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram!
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WorldBoston is now on Bluesky!
@worldboston.bsky.social
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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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