Join us this summer as we lead local advocacy efforts during the Alliance for International Exchange’s Summer of Action!
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In late-April 2024, we hosted 21 human and civil rights practitioners and advocates for a U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) exchange for collective social justice.
In March, we had the privilege of hosting “Sustainability and Economic Development in the Blue Economy,” a U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) delegation from the Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu, dedicated to fostering a sustainable oceanic future.
This is the power of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP): Building meaningful, lasting connections that keep us together while 5,969 miles (9,606 km) apart. In April 2021—five years after arranging Saad Abid’s local IVLP experience—we at Global Ties San Francisco partnered with Saad’s Association Bahri to engage our respective communities in a series of Earth Month challenges to #RestoreOurEarth.
Earlier this month, Alannah Crandall, Manager of International Programs and Events at Global Ties San Francisco, was honored to receive the 2024 Network Innovation Award for Outstanding Group Collaboration for the Global Moment in Time: Reflections on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (GMiT: DEIA) 2023 segment at the Global Ties U.S. National Meeting.
In February, an IVLP project for Africa brought 13 enthusiastic participants from across Africa to San Francisco to take part in discussions and strategy-development regarding journalistic best practices in today’s increasingly complex information environment.
Expo 2020 Dubai, which ran from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, was the first World Expo (formerly, World’s Fair) held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region. It served as a global platform for unveiling inventions, ideas, and inspirations for positive change and a sustainable future.
The USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai highlighted the rich talent of the United States through the Youth Ambassadors and Cultural Performers programs. In partnership with the U.S. Department of State and Global Ties U.S., Global Ties San Francisco — along with other members of the Global Ties U.S. Network — helped bring to life the USA Pavilion’s theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. By showcasing the nation’s history, innovation, and vibrant geographic and cultural diversity through its people, the USA Pavilion demonstrated how collaboration and the exchange of ideas spark innovation and progress in new and exciting ways.
From September 2020 to March 2021, we collaborated with Global Ties U.S. to support grassroots recruitment efforts by identifying individuals in our local community to serve as Youth Ambassadors and Cultural Performers at the USA Pavilion and guiding them through the application process. While Youth Ambassadors — the Faces of America — served as guides and cultural representatives of the United States and its territories to millions of Expo visitors, Cultural Performers showcased their talents across a variety of disciplines in reflection of the cultural diversity of the nation.
Together, Global Ties U.S. and its nationwide Network recruited 75 Youth Ambassadors representing 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, along with 310 Cultural Performers representing 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.