WorldBoston

In early June, WorldBoston hosted a group of young Russian leaders taking part in the Open World exchange program. Visitors attended many meetings to learn about political and judicial systems in Massachusetts, and enjoyed a variety of cultural activities.

Touring City Hall before meeting with the City Council

Watching a Polo match in South Hamilton

In May we welcomed nine visitors from Iceland who were in the U.S. to learn more about the whaling tourism industry in the United States. They spent their time in Cape Cod visiting local museums, organizations and whale watching. Here are some pictures of their visit! 

At the New Bedford Whaling Museum 

One of their many whale watching tours

From April 6 to April 12, we hosted a group of nine female professionals in different areas of science and engineering hailing from different parts of Central Asia, Northern Africa and the Gulf countries. The group had traveled to Washington D.C., Indianapolis, Indiana and Portland, Oregon before arriving to Boston on April 6.

 Several universities around the country have a WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) Program to help create a community of and for women in the sciences at their university. Most programs are led by university science faculty and encourage women to concentrate in the sciences and to pursue professions and graduate study in science, math, and engineering. Many universities also create programs to encourage high school students and young girls to explore science and engineering as potential career paths. According to the Math and Science Education Initiative, only 23% of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workers are women, however women make up 48% of workers in all occupations. This number has grown over the past ten years, but it is still a small percentage. The Initiative also claims that women who work in STEM earn 33% more than their counterparts in other fields.

 On Tuesday April 8, I first met with Dr. Nadija Zermane from Algeria, Ms. Zainah Mohammad from Kuwait, Ms. Aisha Al Wahaibi from Oman, and Ms. Randa Flsalahi from Sudan. We went to Faneuil Hall for some shopping and to grab a quick lunch. While the day was grey and humid, the ladies really enjoyed exploring the shops and food Faneuil Hall has to offer. While walking around Faneuil Hall, Dr. Zermane and Ms. Flsalahi shared with me a little bit about their work back home. Both ladies studied agronomic sciences and biotechnology in their respective countries. Dr. Zermane is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher of botany at the National Agronomic Institute in Algiers and Ms. Flsalahi is Assistant Professor and Head of the Biofertilization Department at the National Center for Research in Khartoum, Sudan.  They were both very eager to see Boston and told me they really enjoyed their appointments at Harvard University on Monday. After an hour of shopping, we had lunch and headed back to the bus to pick up the rest of the group.  

Several women in the group had individual appointments with professionals in their field earlier that day, but their first group appointment of the day was with Dr. Sandra Glucksmann, chair of Women in the Enterprise of Science & Technology (WEST). We met at Dr. Glucksman’s new office and labs for her newest venture Editas Medicine, Inc. She shared some of her research on genome editing technology and human therapeutics before describing her work at WEST. WEST is an organization that provides a forum for women in science and technology industries to network and share information about career advancement and skill development. She gave a quick overview of her work at WEST and opened the floor to questions. The group had several questions about being a woman in a male dominant field. She explained that there were several difficulties, including income inequality and unfair advantages. The group was surprised that gender inequality exists in the United States, since it is perceived as a country where men and women are equals. Dr. Glucksman asked them how inequality affects them in their countries. I was surprised to hear that several women believed that they are considered equal to their male counterparts in their respective fields. Ms. Muhammad mentioned that she and her brother, both computer engineers, get equal salaries and job opportunities in Kuwait. Dr. Mayssa Azzeh from the Palestinian Territories had a different opinion. She believed that while she had several opportunities and a good salary, many women in Palestine don’t have the same opportunities as her and others agreed with her. Several women in the group asked Dr. Glucksman if there was any possibility that WEST might create programs in Africa, the Middle East and Asia to promote science and engineering as a career path for women and she was very interested in doing so. After they finished their meeting, Dr. Glucksman was kind enough to show the group their lab. The group found this meeting very productive and informative.

 After leaving Dr. Glucksman’s office, we drove to Medford to meet with Dr. Merredith Portsmore of the Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO). CEEO’s research focus is based on the United States’ growth in engineering-based curriculum projects at the K-12 level. CEEO hosts different camps for young girls and boys to use engineering as a problem solving technique. Dr. Portsmore showed the group videos of young children using critical thinking to solve several everyday problems. After her presentation, Dr. Porstman and her students opened the floor to questions. The group was very interested in knowing what observations Dr. Portsman had made regarding the difference between girls’ and boys’ ways to solve problems. The students said they noticed that girls Dr. Nigara Kambariddinova, a researcher at the National University of Uzbekistan, also had several questions about engineering programs at the K-12 level in the United States.

 We headed over to Harvard Square for some free time and to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the next meeting. The sky cleared up and the day got warmer so the group was glad they were able to walk around Harvard Square and buy last minute souvenirs and enjoy some late lunch and coffee. After walking around Harvard Square and Harvard Yard, we boarded the bus and headed to the ladies’ next appointment with the Association for Women In Science (AWIS).

 AWIS is a national advocacy organization championing the interests of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics across all disciplines and employment sectors. By breaking down barriers and creating opportunities, AWIS strives to ensure that women in these fields can achieve their full potential. At the AWIS offices near the MIT campus, they met with Ms. Beth Hovey, President of AWIS, Ms. Tooba Cheema, Vice President, Ms. Sharmistha Kundu, Co-Chair of the Mentoring Program and founder of AWIS Ms. Joanne Kamens.

On Thursday, January 16th, 2013, I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of visiting historians from Macedonia as they participated in discussions and lectures around Boston, focused on history, discrimination and approaches to cooperation and conversation in the United States. The group, consisting of ten professionals from a variety of Macedonian national institutes and universities, is in the United States visiting Washington, D.C., Boston and Atlanta, to compare different experiences and approaches to U.S. history. Specifically, they are focusing on the Civil War and repercussions from that time that are still felt and dealt with today. The visitors, with varying backgrounds in history, politics and education, are looking at the often complicated and misconstrued intersection between history and politics, and through examining and learning about the United States are finding ways to establish new relationships and alternative solutions outside of government policies.

Our first meeting was with Mr. Robert Stains, Senior Vice President for Training, and Mr. John Sarrouf, Director of the Family Dinner Project, of Public Conversations Project (PCP).  Public Conversations is a local non-profit working to improve communication and facilitate discussion around an array of divisive and controversial issues. They believe that strong community, healthy relationships and communication is the key to resolving conflict, a methodology that originated out of the idea that methods of family therapy could be applied to larger societal issues. The discussion focused on PCP’s methods of bringing up and mediating difficult conversations, something that our guests from Macedonia were very interested in hearing and emulating back in their home country where conflict persists between the ethnic Albanian minority and the Macedonian majority. The conversation was very successful and constructive for our visitors, as Mr. Stains and Mr. Sarrouf used their techniques for facilitating conversation directly in the group’s discussion, in the end demonstrating how effective their methods can be and making it a very valuable experience for everyone.

Later in the day, our group met with Mr. James DeWolf Perry, Executive Director of the Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slavery and a descendant of one of the most prominent slave traders in U.S. history—U.S. Senator James DeWolf of Bristol, R.I.  He held a lively and discussion about the history and misconceptions that often surround slavery in the northeastern United States. They additionally met with Commissioner Julian Tynes and General Counsel Constance McGrance, Esq. of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) to discuss the state’s methods for preventing and prosecuting cases of discrimination. Both conversations were directly applicable to current issues of discrimination and persecution in Macedonia, and our group was especially interested in hearing how the state is able to prove and treat cases of discrimination now. Coming from an environment where virtually every section of their major cities is divided and segregated, our visitors were excited to hear about MCAD’s testing and training programs that are an alternative way of addressing and preventing discrimination.

As my first trip out with one of WorldBoston’s International Visitor groups, I was extremely excited and honored to be able to sit in on these discussions about such relevant issues in both the United States and Macedonia. Although not previously expert myself on the topics that were discussed, I found each conversation to be very engaging and exciting, and hope our visitors as well as our local partners can continue to learn from our past, apply successful approaches to facilitating healthy and productive conversation, and ultimately work towards ending longstanding conflict and discrimination.

Widely acknowledged as one of the foremost issues in Global Public Health today, professionals worldwide came together to address AIDS/HIV this year on World AIDS Day through the IVLP. This group of International Visitors included directors and managers of various non-profits, NGO's and humanitarian projects including the Red Cross, representatives of several international Ministries of Public Health, a representative of the World Bank, and several doctors & medical educators from 16 different countries who are all involved in the international campaign against HIV/AIDS. At an event co-hosted with Northeastern University, the visitors formed a panel to discuss challenges and progress in the HIV/AIDS crisis with professors at Northeastern and active audience participation. 

WorldBoston is excited to present a new 'Great Decisions' discussion series event on Tuesday, November 12th titled 'China in Africa'! African economies are booming like never before, thanks in large part to China. Critics charge China with cozying up to dictators and ignoring issues of human rights and transparency. Others fear that the U.S. is being left behind, and its influence in Africa is waning. What interests govern China's engagement in Africa? How should China's growing emphasis on political ties and natural resource extraction inform U.S. relations with African nations?

As we prepare to welcome a visitor from the beautiful Netherlands next month, we're brushing up on culture and history of the country! Shared here is a great Guide to the Netherlands by National Geographic. If perusing these beautiful photos and articles sparks your interest, we encourage you to meet our upcoming visitor -  we're on the lookout for home hospitality hosts in Boston for this program!

As the new intern at WorldBoston, I had the amazing opportunity to accompany a group of Iraqis focused on higher education on their visits last week. Since I am a student of International Affairs and Middle East studies, I was excited to interact with these foreign visitors and use my limited Arabic knowledge to speak with them.

Our first visit was with Professor Augustus Norton of Boston University’s Institute for Iraqi Studies (IIS). Professor Norton shared many details about the incredible program BU has set up to share Iraqi history and culture with the Boston community. The IIS also works to bring over Iraqi scholars to study in the United States, as well as to participate in workshops focused on specific issues in the Middle East. The most recent workshop focused on the Syrian refugee crisis and worked to create a dialogue to use examples from the Iraqi refugee experience to solve the issue. Professor Norton was also very interested in learning from our visitors, asking about the daily life in Iraq and the challenges to education within Iraq, as well as with bringing students over to the United States.

(with Prof Norton at BU)

After our meeting with Professor Norton, we headed to Harvard Square for a tour of the Harvard campus. Our visitors were extremely impressed with the beautiful campus. They also loved taking pictures, and a few of them almost lost the tour they were so busy taking pictures! Our visitors really wanted to go into the library, but unfortunately, you are only allowed in with a student I.D. so it wasn’t possible. After our tour, we had a couple hours of free time for lunch and such before meeting with Dr. Cornell Brellenthin of Harvard. During our free time, I had the pleasure of chatting with a couple of the visitors. We talked about their trip all over the US, and how impressed they were with the US in general. Our discussion emphasized how important Citizen Diplomacy and WorldBoston’s mission is. Through both our visitors’ travels to the US and my travels to the Middle East, we have gained a strong appreciation for each other’s cultures and broken down existing stereotypes. It was so nice to hear from our visitors that they had very much enjoyed their experience in the US and thought all Americans were very friendly :)

(on our campus tour of Harvard)

Our last appointment of the day was with Dr. Cornell Brellenthin of the Harvard Institute for English Language Programs. Dr. Brellenthin went over the program, an intensive English language program for Harvard graduate students with English as their second language, as well as discussed some of the ways in which our Iraqi visitors could advise their students to be competitive applicants to Harvard and other US universities. The meeting was very informative, and I believe our visitors learned a lot about how to help their students with their studies in the United States.

Overall, it was a wonderful day filled with lots of information and fun. I learned so much from the meetings, as well as from our visitors who were so kind and eager to learn about the US, as well as share their experiences in Iraq. I can’t wait for my next day with our visitors!

SUMMER 2013 IVLP HIGHLIGHTS REEL: 

Come join us at WorldBoston event series 'Great Decisions' tomorrow night at the Boston Public Library to hear a lively and interactive presentation on whether the U.S. will act in Syria.

Michael Singh, Managing Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former Senior Director for Middle East Affairs at the National Security Council, will present and lead discussion. Bring your questions, ideas and comments to an event geared toward those with an interest in international affairs, and dive right in! The event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC from 6:00pm - 7:30pm!

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Boston Public Library, Commonwealth Salon, 1st Floor

Hello! 

It's great to hear from you, and to hear that you're interested in volunteering. WorldBoston is one of over 90 community organizations throughout the United States that organize these visitor programs, and there are several in California that might be of interest to you! They include: 

San Diego Diplomacy Council

Institute of International Education/West Coast Center

International Relations Council of Riverside

International Visitors Council of Los Angeles

Northern California World Trade Center

Stanford University, Office of International Affairs

UCLA International Visitors Bureau

For a full list of these centers in the U.S. or to find a C.I.V. in another state, you can visit the NCIV website! 

Reflection on a Successful Meeting

As a volunteer, once in awhile I have the opportunity to sit in on the professional meetings of visiting groups. Today I joined a discussion with the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and a group of eight Egyptian female business owners and entrepreneurs. The topic was on empowering women professionally and personally, a subject I have not studied much. We discussed such matters as making personal and business decisions with intuition vs. the brain. As an exercise we went around the circle, each saying the last time we had made a decision based on our intuition. I was the first one to go, so mine wasn’t that well thought-out, but several of the women spoke of their decision to accept the IVLP nomination and come to the U.S. They all had to take leave of their job and families which they regretted, but were also excited to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One woman had just gotten married one month ago, and had to leave her husband to come here, but even she did not regret her decision at all. It is interesting to reflect on what goes into making a meeting successful. This one certainly was a success. In general, I would deem a meeting successful if it sparks discussion and thoughtful questions, if several group members participate, and if there is some meaningful take away for the visitors and/or the hosts, i.e. new ideas for how to do things at their job (or possible future collaborations, etc). This particular meeting was somewhat hard for me to follow at times, with discussion topics jumping back and forth quickly. But the phenomenal part of this discussion was the group members themselves. This group of women was dynamic, energetic, excited to learn, opinionated, and eager to contribute. Almost everyone participated. The meeting had a very personal tone and people opened up about their values, their lives, and their outlook on how to approach challenges. It always warms me to hear visitors come to the revelation that people in America are not really so different from themselves as they had previously thought. On a few occasions someone would say “Ahhh, that happens in our country too!”.The discussion leader definitely set the dynamic and energetic tone for the discussion. I think the discussion leader can be essential in dictating the success of a meeting even more so than the organization. An organization selected for a meeting might seem like a very good match on paper, but the presenter’s attitude can really change the atmosphere in the room for better or worse.

As we get excited to welcome a UNESCO representative from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission later this month, we've got a great clip to share from the BBC documentary, 'The Blue Planet' (2001). The oceans and the environment are always interesting topics for visitors on the IVLP, and this project will be no exception! We're thrilled that our visitor will have the chance to visit Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and other great resources in the Boston area. We invite all of you to brush up on your ocean science, and dive in - there's always an opportunity for our members and friends in the Boston community to get involved with our visiting international professionals! 

Here at WorldBoston, we're excited for a busy month of August! During the remainder of the month, we'll be hosting an individual from Belgium on a Corporate Social Responsibility Program, an individual from Japan on a Health Insurance focused program, and an individual representative of UNESCO who serves on the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Additionally, we have eight visitors arriving from Burma for a program with the theme of "Tolerance and Diversity in Multi-Ethnic Society", five visitors from Ethiopia focused on disability access to public transportation (they'll be checking out accessibility on the light rail here in Boston!). We're also excited to welcome a group of eight women from Egypt who will be here on an International Visitor Leadership Program titled "Women in Management".