Finding Common Ground in East Lansing

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The Education Wing and Courtyard at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in East Lansing, MI. (Image Courtesy of the Eli and Edyth Broad Art Museum)

Past Forward: Contemporary Art from the Emirates is the first and largest touring exhibition of Emirati art in the United States. Michiganders can find it on display at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum on-campus at Michigan State University through October 18. This exhibition offers visitors perspective on the impact of rapid economic development in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the rich heritage of the Emiratis, and the struggle to maintain a balance between seizing a bright future and honoring traditional roots. Continue  

Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup (August Edition)

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Events this month took place in Nairobi, Singapore, Berlin, Toronto, and Edinburgh, among others.

As August, and consequently summer, sadly comes to a close, the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy is back to round up some of this past month’s soft power events. The following selection highlights cultural exchange through community engagement in the globalized world. For the summer season, this interconnectedness means lots of festivals, so read on to see how diverse communities are coming together to celebrate around the world.

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Future Leaders with High Hopes Shine at IYLEP 2015

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IYLEP students attend a session during workshop on the importance of volunteerism civic engagement .

It is hard to keep the energy flowing when you are exhausted after completing a tight, four-week academic program, but the excitement and restlessness of being in a city that is considered the power center of the world, doesn’t allow you the time or the space to rest! You chose to keep the buzz going to explore what is so special about this place and what is waiting for you in this epicenter of the United States. The thrill doubles when the subconscious keeps reminding you that you are in Washington DC where the Office of the U.S. President...

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Not Women’s Issues: 8 Films about Women Leaders around the World

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Sheryl WuDunn, co-author of Half The Sky at Meridian for the Washington Premiere of A Path Appears

Stemming from a long history of marginalizing women, mainstream media and international leaders rely heavily on the categorization of issues as “women’s issues” when discussing problems such as inequalities in education, inclusion of women in decision making, and gender violence. In the same way as women, societal problems that are categorized as “women’s issues” are considered of secondary concern to the growth of society. “Women’s issues” should be framed human rights issues because they are the manifestation of deeper structural and cultural inequalities that affect the entire population and often result in violence. While mainstream media portrays women as...

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Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup (July edition)

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Featured projects last month happened in Africa, Singapore, New York, Cuba, and Brazil, among other locations.

Welcome to the twelfth edition of the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy’s Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup, a feature that aims to explore unique cultural diplomacy initiatives from around the globe. With the temperatures peaking and summer in full swing, this post travels to nine cultural diplomacy events and celebrations that took place in the month of July:

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