Discovering Cuba Through Its Culture

Posted under: MCCD By /

Art by Michel Mirabal.

Despite Cuba’s geographic proximity to the United States, historical circumstances have served to widen the distance between our two countries. As both nations begin to turn the page towards a future of greater closeness and cooperation, leaders from both sides of the straits are seeking ways to increase understanding and develop relationships between our countries. In April of 2016, led by Ambassador Stuart Holliday, a distinguished group of members of Meridian International Center’s Board of Trustees and other supporters, undertook a trip to Cuba. Consistent with Meridian’s mission to “understand global issues and cultures, exchange ideas, collaborate on solutions,...

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Beyond the Beltway: Transatlantic Trade

Posted under: Center for Global Leadership By /

Amb Michael Froman, US Trade Representative, discusses TTIP with a group of European Parliament staffers

Trade has been in the news lately, and it’s as controversial as ever. With Congress’s recent granting of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA, which allows Congress to vote yes or no on a final negotiated agreement but without adding any amendments) to President Obama, negotiators have been hard at work finalizing the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed free trade agreement between the US and many Pacific Rim nations, as well as making progress on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), which would create a free trade area between the world’s two largest economies, the United States and the...

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Foreign Policy Matters: How Diplomacy Impacts Americans

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Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Duckenfield launches the Foreign Policy Matters initiative along with Dr. Carla Freeman and me.

“Foreign Policy” – the term itself sounds like an intangible, rigid set of rules and regulations by which governments, ambassadors, and other high-level officials abide. Distant and far removed from everyday life, and sometimes, foreign policy can seem to be just that – especially with the closed door discussions that characterize much of the field. At best, the public only sees these high-level diplomatic meetings, summits, and conferences in the media; at worst, they see cocktail receptions and junkets. Regardless, they very rarely feel as if they participate directly. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth....

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