Embracing Hope in a Turbulent World: Five Steps for Global Leaders

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Upon completing a cross-cultural training, Japanese Ministry Officials participating on the State Department's Global Government-to-Government Partnership pose for a photo with Jo Ann Ross.

This article is reposted from the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs (September 6, 2016). Jo Ann Ross, based in Maryland, is a principal at the Center for Enlightened Organizations (C.E.O.) where she coaches global leaders in industry, government and nonprofits. Her other publications include “The Art of Self-Care and Dynamic Global Leadership” and, with Willa Zakin Hallowell, “Getting to the Heart of Global Leadership.” For the past 28 years at Meridian International Center, Jo Ann has provided executive coaching, leadership development, cross-cultural communications, global awareness, and multicultural team building to international visitors from around the world. She is also Senior Associate at Grovewell LLC, serving global leaders in Fortune 500 companies. Continue  

Spotlight on Soft Power: July 2016

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J-Pop Summit

Pop is Our Tradition

Hello Kitty®, Sailor Moon, sushi, anime, manga, and Studio Ghibli® are just a few examples of Japanese Pop culture that have gained popularity in the United States. J-Pop Summit looks to foster this growing interest and bring Japan straight to America. Since 2009 J-Pop Summit has been held annually in San Francisco. It was created and hosted by SUPERFROG project, whose goal is to educate the American public about the uniqueness of Japanese Pop culture. The project continues to be sponsored by a growing number of well known enterprises: UNIQLO, SEGA, Mazda, Funimation, and Lyft, just to name a few.

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Program Theme Spotlight: The Changing Face of Journalism

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IVLP visitors gather behind the newsdesk at KOMU Television in Columbia, Missouri.

Support for free and independent media has long served as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. In releasing the 2015 U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Secretary of State John Kerry focused on this point when he said “Far from threatening the democratic process, a free press and open civil society are the release valve and life blood of a thriving democracy.” Continue  

Spotlight on Soft Power: June 2016

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Mediterranean Youth Orchestra © Vincent Beaume

Festival d’Aix-en-Provence International Festival of Lyric Art Aix in June Aix-en-Provence, France June 4-26   The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, International Festival of Lyric Art, is kicking off its 2016 celebration with a month long prelude of musical events called Aix en Juin/Aix in June. The Festival d’Aix takes place in its namesake, the town of Aix-en-Provence, France. The festival was founded as a response to the Second World War, when all of Europe was struggling to rebuild their infrastructure, culture and identity.  France responded by launching a string of arts festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival in 1946, and the...

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Spotlight on Soft Power: May 2016

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Flyer for 2016 Festival of Pacific Arts

12th Festival of Pacific Arts Guam, May 22nd — June 4th, 2016   “Håfa Iyo-ta, Håfa Guinahå-ta, Håfa Ta Påtte, Dinanña’ Sunidu Siha Giya Pasifiku” “What We Own, What We Have, What We Share, United Voices of the Pacific”   The Festival of the Pacific Arts (FoPA) has been held every four years since 1972, bringing together artists, performers, and craftsmen from around the Pacific region for two weeks of festivity. It is a major regional cultural event and meeting opportunity in the Pacific, uniting and celebrating its peoples and promoting mutual understanding. The 2016 edition will be hosted by Guam,...

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