Women’s empowerment at Meridian International Center

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The inaugural W-GDP IVLP participants at Meridian in 2019.

As catalysts, trailblazers and change-makers, women have unquestionably shaped the world we live in today. Next month marks Women’s History Month in the U.S. and Meridian is proud to honor the accomplishments of women in diplomacy around the world through a series of programs, as well as flashbacks to our flagship initiatives that demonstrate Meridian’s commitment to championing the empowerment of women and girls.  WOMEN IN DIPLOMACY  On February 24, in partnership with Women Ambassadors Serving America, Meridian hosted over 50 former and current women ambassadors from foreign embassies and the U.S. for “Diplomatic Readiness: What skills will diplomats need in 2030 and beyond?” This program opened with the Director of National Intelligence’s Global Trends report, followed by a panel conversation, moderated...

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Building Bridges from America to Zimbabwe

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IVLP Alum Herod Sibanda (left) chats with Henry Collins (right) about his IVLP experience

The following was written by Mr. James Horsman, IVLP Program Officer at World Learning What if you found out that something you do every day had a tremendous impact on someone’s life years earlier? What if that impact was felt across the world and you found out that person is someone in your family? All of this came true when I learned that my father-in-law, Herod Benjamin Sibanda from Zimbabwe, was a past participant in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). His IVLP project was administered by Meridian International Center, which along with World Learning and six other National...

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Why We Need a US-Iranian Diplomatic Solution

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Photo courtesy of Vermont Public Radio.

The following was written by Nobar Elmi Golhar. Nobar is a Product Director at Challenger, Inc and previously served as both Director of Community Outreach and Board Member for the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).  Last month, our nation was brought to the brink of war when President Trump authorized the killing of the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. For now, Iran has responded with a limited strike on U.S. bases in Iraq that was tough enough to save face, but strategic enough to prevent retaliation. Sadly, in the process, Tehran also made the colossally catastrophic mistake of shooting down...

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Meridian Reads: Iowa, Israeli Settlements and Taiwan Voters

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#MeridianReads

Hey there, Meridian Readers. Thanks for spending your Sunday morning with us. Let’s sit back, relax and catch up on the news. How jammed phone lines and a failing app created chaos in Iowa Publication: CNN | By Dan Merica and Jeff Zeleny Ah, the Iowa Caucus. Not everyone understands exactly how it works, but we all know one thing: this year it didn’t. Chaos spread across Iowa as the reporting methods for the nearly 1,700 precincts failed, throwing the state’s Democratic caucuses into confusion and embarrassment. The heart of the problem stemmed from a new app the party had developed as a way —...

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