This is the fourth installment in the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy’s Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup, a compilation of unique cultural diplomacy initiatives using art and technology.
This past month we were intrigued by these six cultural diplomacy efforts:
Alumni of the 2013 Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP) reconnected this past February in Erbil. Alums from both the High School and Undergraduate programs gathered to reflect on their experiences and participate in workshops and panel discussions that built upon the skills students developed last summer in the United States. Meridian invited IYLEP alumni to submit a blog post describing their personal experience and growth with the program. We selected the winning entries to post on The LEAD. Sara A. was selected as the winner for the IYLEP High School group.
There is no denying it: art and culture are social drivers in the community. Using art for community engagement exists as a means for reaching not only artists, but also the youth and marginalized communities. Through a cooperative agreement, Meridian and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State have selected four American artists to travel to Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to participate in a cultural exchange.
On Tuesday, November 4th, visitors from around the world participating in a variety of our programs gathered at various polling stations across the United States to witness democracy in action. These visitors were on both the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and our GlobalConnect projects. Visitors observed elections in 10 cities: Sacramento, California, Manchester, New Hampshire, Raleigh, North Carolina, Louisville, Kentucky, Minneapolis, Minnesota, San Antonio, Texas, New York, New York, Annapolis, Maryland, Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
This is the third post in the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy’s Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup, a small collection of unique efforts for global diplomacy through culture and the arts.
