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Dear Friends,
Welcome to this week’s WorldBoston Recommends email, highlighting high-quality programming for the upcoming week, special opportunities, and event recordings, whether our own, from other World Affairs Councils, or other excellent venues.
We hope these recommendations help you stay internationally engaged, wherever you may be.
Best regards,
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Mary P. Yntema
President & CEO
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Strengthening Cyber Partnerships in the
Indo-Pacific
Monday, July 21st
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM ET
The cyber landscape in the Indo-Pacific has become more varied, volatile, and dangerous than ever. Left unchecked, rising cyber aggression from China, North Korea, Russia, and nonstate actors threatens to undercut the economic potential of rapid digitalization in the region, along with aspirations for closer military and economic ties with the United States. Join the Center for a New American Security to explore the fast-evolving cyber landscape in the Indo-Pacific and options for the Trump administration and regional governments to strengthen cyber partnerships to advance shared prosperity, security, and values. This event features Dr. Duyeon Kim, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program, Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at NTT Corporation, Dr. Teng Wei-Chung, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and Dr. Sherwin Ona, Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science and Developmental Studies at the De La Salle University. The virtual panel will be moderated by Vivek Chilukuri, Senior Fellow and Program Director of the CNAS Technology and National Security Program.
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Latin America and the Caribbean in the Final Five Years of the 2030 Agenda
Monday, July 21st
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET
This event will address the progress, challenges, and opportunities for accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean during its final five years. Building on the momentum for the territorialization of the SDGs and the development of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), concrete experiences will be analyzed and exchanges between local, national, and regional actors will be encouraged. This event will include insights from a panel of leading experts such as, Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary at ECLAC, Jurgen Gafke, Senior Programme Management Officer of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals at UN DESA, Valeria Torres, Head of the Public Management and Open Government Department at ILPES, ECLAC, Romain Zivy, Officer in charge at ECLAC Argentina office, Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, Guillermo de la Torre Sifuentes, Secretary of Planning, Participation and Development in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Lavito Bacarissa, Executive Secretary, National Commission for the SDGs (CNODS), and General Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic, Brazil, Igor Pantoja, Representative of the Institute for Sustainable Cities in Brazil, and Javier Medina Vásquez, Deputy Executive Secretary at ECLAC.
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Getting to a Pragmatic Cuba Policy for the United States
Tuesday, July 22nd
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
The United States has pursued a tough sanctions policy against Cuba for decades, and the second Trump administration recently released its own Cuba policy; meanwhile, China and Russia are fishing in troubled waters, looking to deepen their ties with Cuba. Can we get to a more pragmatic Cuba policy that accounts for the vital interests of the United States? How can we address the severe humanitarian crisis that has been triggered by the U.S. sanctions policy? What are the realistic steps to achieve a balance in the current environment in Washington? A new Quincy Institute brief by authors William M. LeoGrande, non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute and Geoff Thale, former president of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), addresses the question of U.S. policy toward Cuba. This webinar will discuss the brief and broader questions, including Washington’s global approach to sanctions. It will include the authors and Joy Gordon, the Ignacio Ellacuría S.J. Chair in Social Ethics in the Philosophy Department at Loyola University-Chicago. Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South program at the Quincy Institute, will moderate the conversation.
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How AI is Transforming Development Roles, And How to Adapt
Wednesday, July 23rd
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM ET
While the development sector continues adjusting to the fallout from the U.S. aid crisis, it’s also undergoing significant change through the integration of artificial intelligence. As more organizations and professionals adapt their workflows to leverage the potential of this rapidly evolving technology, many key sector roles are already being reshaped. This digital event will help development professionals understand how AI is transforming the sector and what might lie ahead. The event will feature insights from several experts: Justin Sablich, Contributing Writer and Editor at Devex, Bart Edes, Professor of Practice at McGill University, and Jack Jarret, International HR adviser. They will offer guidance on how professionals can stay ahead of the curve as AI becomes increasingly relevant to work tasks, both specialized and routine.
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Presidential Tariff Authorities and the Need for Reform
Wednesday, July 23rd
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the sole power to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,” and to regulate commerce with foreign countries. Today, however, Congress has broadly delegated its tariff powers to the executive branch via several laws that give the president vast, discretionary authority to impose sweeping trade restrictions with little, if any, input or oversight by the other branches of government, U.S. trading partners, or the American public. Recent tariffs increasingly call such delegations into question. Join us for a fireside chat with U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (D‑WA) and Scott Lincicome, Vice President of General Economics and Stiefel Trade Policy at the Cato Institute, to discuss the implications of unchecked executive tariff powers and how Congress can reclaim its constitutionally mandated authority.
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Join WorldBoston’s Dinner Diplomacy program! Engage with international professionals of visiting delegations for a meal at your home. We often have opportunities to get involved! Hosting in an informal setting allows you to meet distinguished visitors from all over the world and learn more about their country, culture, and professional expertise. Dinner Diplomacy can take various forms, from brunch to afternoon tea to a sit-down dinner with small groups. Reach out to Sarah Sibley, Vice President of Citizen Diplomacy (ssibley@worldboston.org) to learn more about upcoming opportunities!
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Named for the proverbial “green room” where people wait before going on stage, the new Green Room Scholars initiative is part of WorldBoston’s growing NextGen programming, an essential element of our effort to fulfill and expand our mission of “fostering international engagement and global cooperation.”
For each regular WorldBoston event, the selected Green Room Scholar will help greet and orient the speaker, serving as part of the WorldBoston event team.
What benefits do Green Room Scholars receive?
- Networking
- Participation in a well-tuned, professional event team
- Blogging with byline
- Recognition in WorldBoston social media
- Connecting with one of WorldBoston’s outstanding speakers, who are leading scholars and practitioners in global affairs
Who is eligible to be a Green Room Scholar?
Students at universities that are currently sponsoring WorldBoston!
For further information contact Director of Global Engagement Programs and Operations Harrison Zeiberg at hzeiberg@worldboston.org
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ENGLISH FOR HERITAGE LANGUAGE SPEAKERS
Native speakers of critical languages are in high demand in the U.S. government. EHLS trains advanced English speakers to be effective communicators and strong candidates for federal jobs. All EHLS participants receive a full scholarship from the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO) that includes tuition and a living stipend. As part of the scholarship obligation, participants agree to fulfill the EHLS service requirement, which requires you to work for the federal government in a position with national security responsibilities for one year after you complete the program. The 2026 EHLS Program is open to native speakers of: Chinese Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, Persian Farsi, Korean, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Turkish, and Hausa.
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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL AID PLATFORM
The Boston Network for International Development created a Mutual Aid platform to support individuals in Greater Boston / New England who have been directly impacted by the foreign aid pause and USAID shutdown. This peer-to-peer resource connects community members who need assistance with those who can offer help in areas such as career mentorship, job search support, networking, housing, and more.
How It Works:
If you need assistance, submit a request and your request will be shared (without personal contact details) on a public listing (see list of requests).
If you can offer assistance, submit an offer and your information will be listed publicly for those seeking help (see list of offers).
If you see a specific request you can help with, submit a response and your offer will be forwarded to the requestor.
This platform is a community-driven mutual aid network. BNID does not verify, vet, or endorse any requests, offers, or responses. All interactions are voluntary and at participants’ own risk.
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The Alumni Resource Center (ARC) is an online career development hub for U.S. citizen ExchangeAlumni. ARC provides ExchangeAlumni with courses, trainings, and other resources to develop professional skills and abilities, market themselves, and explore careers in and outside of public service. The Alumni Resource Center is offering a new online course, Seize the Advantage: Understanding Non-Competitive Eligibility. This course will explore non-competitive eligibility and how you can leverage this unique opportunity to apply for federal jobs. You must be a U.S. citizen ExchangeAlumni and a member of the Alumni Resource Center.
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Writing Opportunities
Are you interested in writing about international affairs? Below are opportunities for you to submit your pieces to publications nationwide!
- The Journal of Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs: This quarterly journal is accepting submissions of features and essays, as well as online exclusive submissions to appear on their website on a rolling basis. Submit your piece here.
- Realist Review Article Submission: This policy publication is accepting submissions from anyone interested in writing a commentary or analysis piece that expresses a perspective on policies or developments in international affairs and diplomacy. Submit your work here.
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