Honoring the 2017 International Women of Courage

Posted under: IVLP By /

The International Women of Courage Awardees at Meridian International Center

A few months ago I came back from lunch and noticed a new file sitting on my desk. Recognizing it as a new International Visitor Leadership Project (IVLP) assignment, I looked for the title and saw four letters: “IWOC”. Having no idea what that meant, I thought “Huh, strange.” Little did I know that I had been given the opportunity to work on one of the most inspiring public diplomacy programs that the State Department sponsors: The Secretary’s International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award. This annual two-week IVLP honors a visionary group of women for their respective work in advancing women’s rights all over the world. Continue  

“Political Transition in the U.S.” by Dušan Lj Milenković, a Serbian Participant in the “Democratic Transitions in the U.S. Political System” IVLP

Posted under: IVLP By /

IVLP Participants take an Inauguration Day Selfie

“It is one of the biggest political changes in US history,” said one of the speakers during the IVLP program, regarding the switch to the Trump administration. I participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) with 17 other professionals and experts from around the world. We had the chance to witness a historical moment in U.S. politics and to learn more about the customs and traditions entrenched in the American political system. Continue  

Meridian IVLP Alum Becomes U.N. Secretary General

Posted under: IVLP By /

U.N. Secretary-General António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (via UN Geneva on Flickr)

This post is the first entry in a new blog series that will detail the itineraries of both current and former Heads of State that participated in the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) through Meridian International Center. The entry below summarizes the IVLP itinerary of recently elected U.N. Secretary-General António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres.

Continue  

A Case for Global Leadership

Posted under: Center for Global Leadership By /

Ambassador Holliday and Ambassador Wendy Sherman assess the State of the World.

The world is at an inflection point. Throughout both the developing and developed world, people are unsure about their future and have lost faith in their leaders and their institutions. We are seeing this in the rise of populism and xenophobia – from the rise of ISIS to Brexit and the rhetoric of America’s presidential election. While the tendency in this environment is to look towards nationalism, the world is too globalized and interconnected for countries to solve domestic and international issues alone. Moreover, neither governments nor the private sector or civil society will be able to overcome these...

Continue