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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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Monday, August 4th
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Join the PDCA for a discussion on how the impact of U.S. soft power in Africa. This event will feature a panel of expert speakers including Dr. Richard Wike, Director of Global Attitudes Research at the Pew Research Center, Col. (Ret) Robert E. Hamilton, Ph.D., former Senior Fellow and Head of Research at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program, Judd Devermont, operating partner at Kupanda Capital and Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and Amb. (Ret.) Laurence D. Wohlers, Vice President of PDCA and former Ambassador to the Central African Republic and Deputy Special Representative for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR.
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Examining Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s cultural heritage
Tuesday, August 5th
3:00 PM ET
One of the many grave casualties of Russia’s violence today is Ukraine’s cultural heritage, which has been intentionally targeted by the Russian military in the course of its assault on Ukraine. This event will feature an expert discussion on the Russian war, on Ukraine’s cultural heritage, and the steps that international partners can take to protect culture and history in Ukraine and beyond. The speakers will include Ambassador John Herbst, Senior Director of the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, H.E. Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Brian Daniels, Director of Research and Programs at the Penn Cultural Heritage Center of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, Galyna Grygorenko, Acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, and Louise Shelley, Distinguished University Professor Emerita and Omer L. and Nancy Hirst Chair Emerita at George Mason University and Executive Director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption Center.
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Wednesday, August 6th
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
In this episode of The CommonHealth Live!, Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and Stephanie Psaki, CSIS Global Health Policy Center Senior Adviser, will discuss IHME’s new report on Financing Global Health and its implications for the way forward in a constrained financial environment. The speakers will discuss who and which countries are those most affected by the sharp drop in development assistance for health between 2024 and 2025? And also delve into how recipient governments and other global stakeholders respond to fill the gaps of global health funding?
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Thursday, August 7th
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
President Donald Trump’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in May 2025 has oriented the nature of Washington’s engagement with the new Syrian government toward partnership. With a rapidly evolving Syrian political and security landscape, sectarian clashes in southern Syria, and Israeli strikes on Damascus, Washington must carefully consider its strategy of engagement with both Israel and Syria. This discussion will examine the short-term and long-term policy decisions Washington will need to make to mitigate ongoing tensions and set the Middle East on a path of conflict resolution and recovery. The panel discussion will feature remarks from Mona Yacoubian, senior advisor and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ibrahim Al-Assil, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Daniel Schneiderman, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
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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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