American success and alliances worldwide are intrinsically linked to the policies and actions undertaken within the United States. Recognizing this connection, there is a growing need to expand the responsibility for international affairs beyond Washington and the federal government. As cities and states emerge as influential global actors in diplomacy, their evolving impact on various areas, including international trade, business development, climate change migration, and global health, becomes increasingly apparent. Our All Diplomacy is Local – Strengthing City and State Statecraft report details the takeaways from a multitude of Meridian’s programming in this space. Inside...

By Lauren Wagner, Diplomatic Engagement Fellow, Meridian International Center   Climate change. Cybersecurity. Pandemics. Artificial Intelligence. What do all of these topics have in common? For starters, these topics are some of the most prominent international issues of our time. Policymakers and diplomats across the globe are actively discussing ways to slow the climate crisis, strengthen national cybersecurity, mitigate the spread of infectious diseases, and leverage the power of AI as a force for good. But, in addition to being global issues of great importance, a critical commonality is that all of these matters will require the integration of...