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~ Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his address to the 2022 Global Ties U.S. National Meeting in D.C.

Pictured: The USA Pavilion team. USA Expo twitter

The World Expo in Dubai came to a close on March 31^st after six months of cultural exchange and creative expression. While the Expo may be over, IVCLA is hard at work planning a reception this spring in honor of the Greater Los Angeles Youth Ambassadors. We are excited to welcome them home and learn about their experiences at the USA Pavilion.

During the reception, representatives from the Department of State will be opening a community conversation to discuss the history of U.S. participation in past Expos and how future Expos, hosted at home and abroad, can best showcase our country’s diversity as a strength of our democracy. “While Expos have not been held on U.S. soil in a number of decades, these soft power platforms are critical to illuminating U.S. values to international audiences. With geopolitics rapidly shifting, they represent an opportunity to educate people globally, to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives, as well as engage and inspire U.S. citizens,” said Katherine Brown, Ph.D., President & CEO of Global Ties U.S.

Details regarding the IVCLA World Expo Reception will be announced soon. For a look back at the USA Pavilion at Expo, check out this article from Global Ties, U.S.

In March, IVCLA staff traveled to D.C. to attend the 2022 Global Ties National Meeting. During the three-day meeting, it was wonderful to connect with colleagues and friends from partner organizations around the country for the first time in over two years!

Over the following days, speaker sessions covered a wide variety of topics within the Department of State's international exchange programming. These included, social justice, navigating the return of in-person programming, cybersecurity, engaging with our international alumni, youth programming and more.

During the Citizen Diplomacy Luncheon, attendees were inspired and honored to receive a personal video message from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He extended his gratitude for the work we do facilitating global exchange via the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Watch the video of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s remarks here.

Ayanna Lonian, Head of Major Studio Licensing Strategy for Amazon Prime Video spoke with the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participants about the unique position Amazon has via their licensing model, Prime Video Direct (PVD). Through this model, Amazon is able to seek out and work with independent filmmakers around the world and self-publish their work on the Prime platform. In this way, they can find and distribute material that is illustrative of individuals and specific communities, rather than working with big-name companies that often create content that does not often portray minorities.

Visitors said they found this kind of model very interesting, and it would be useful to them so they could share their own stories and bring them to the rest of the world. One visitor shared that it is uncommon to find Senegalese stories, told by Senegalese people, in the international space. One of the biggest issues filmmakers face is financing their vision, without losing quality. One visitor stressed "We know how to tell our stories, but technologically there is a gap [in quality]." With the help of a self-publishing international streaming platform like Amazon, this gap in financing and technology would be more easily rectified. Visitors and speakers alike expressed their hope for a positive working relationship moving forward from this meeting.

In keeping with the discussion of inclusion and diversity in film and television, the visitors also spoke with Latasha Gillespie, Head of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Amazon Studios, Prime Video and IMDb. Ms. Gillespie shared Amazon Studios’ updated policy to ensure that target audiences are mirrored with a diverse team in-front of and behind the camera and to promote globally inclusive narratives that do not perpetuate stereotypes. The visitors saw this as an important policy and shared their work in Senegal to improve representation for women and girls within the industry dominated by men. Ms. Gillespie said the visitors and Amazon can continue to learn from one another in their approaches to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Reverend Dr. Julia Sianturi, the Senior Pastor of Agape Evangelical Church, an Indonesian-language church in Arcadia, CA, shared her congregation's approach to community care through music, specifically public ukulele performances. As a church whose mission is welcoming and spreading love to all people, music offers a perfect way to connect with their community. "Our church not only gives back to the local community, but the community abroad, in Indonesia, Madagascar and elsewhere," said Rev. Dr. Sianturi. Experts in the areas of religion, pluralism, and community outreach from Indonesia were given their first demonstration of religious pluralism in the U.S. through Rev. Dr. Sianturi's presentation. The participants virtually visited Los Angeles on an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) March 22 & 23. This meeting showcased the many ways the Agape Church congregation maintain their identity and faith in the midst of a pluralistic society while continuing to reach out to those in need.

The following day, visitors met with co-founder and vice chairmen of WorldHarvest and Senior Pastor of IFGF Los Angeles, Reverend Dr. Daniel Hanafi. WorldHarvest is an international non-profit seeking to embolden communities, cities and nations regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender or age. With a focus on positive global impact driven by three pillars: Community, Education and Media Services. WorldHarvest currently provides services in numerous countries including South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Kenya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and India.

Mary Walden is a Human Resources Expert at Expert Effect, a company dedicated to assisting corporations and small businesses with their human resources needs. Mary has a well tenured career as an HR and Operations leader in multiple sectors including entertainment, legal services, social services, behavioral health, childcare and housing. Previously, Mary served as Executive Director of HR & Operations for KCET TV (now Public Media Group of Southern California). Before joining KCET, Mary was VP of HR & Operations at Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Mary is an avid writer and resides in Redondo Beach, California.

We know our IVCLA members and friends care about others who are suffering around the world, especially those facing the trauma of war in Ukraine and fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan. Below is a list of a few resources that support refugees and provide humanitarian resources to the Afghan and Ukranian people.

Organizations Bringing Aid to Ukraine:

Refugee Assistance:

The Office of Alumni Affairs at the U.S. Department of State is developing new opportunities for U.S. citizens who participated in U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. IVCLA is assisting by reaching out to our Greater Los Angeles alumni. If you are a past participant in a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program contact Ellie Alberg, [email protected].

The exchange programs include, but are not limited to, these offered by the ECA Bureau. Returned Peace Corps volunteers and Boren Fellows are also qualified alumni. Whether you participated long ago or you recently completed your exchange program, we will keep you informed of opportunities such as events, programs and grants.

On January 19, the White House announced the United States has been selected to host the Ninth Summit of the Americas, with Los Angeles serving as the host city.

The LA City Council unanimously approved Councilmember Joe Buscaino's motion to make Kyiv, Ukraine an official Sister City of Los Angeles. This not only is a symbolic show of solidarity with the people of Ukraine and Ukrainians in Los Angeles, but also allows the city to send retired goods, like firetrucks, to Kyiv. Watch Councilmember Buscaino's motion here.

For over 95 years, World Trade Week Southern California has been the most extensive program of its kind in the nation, actively promoting global trade, which has supported our region in crisis and will be one of the most important drivers of economic recovery in the coming years. The annual Kickoff Conference convenes prominent business leaders, diplomats, government and civic officials as we discuss the crucial role of international trade in sustaining our global economy and launch more than 30 events held throughout the month of May by organizations throughout Southern California.

The 17th annual South East European Film Festival (SEEfest), Apr 27 - May 4, is excited to bring you another stellar lineup. Presenting and celebrating cinematic and cultural diversity of 18 countries of the Balkans and Caucasus, the film festival continues to provide a platform in the U.S. for the discovery of new talent from South East Europe. SEEfest is on a mission to educate about, and promote cultural diversity of, South East Europe through presentations of films and programs.

Croatian film Murina by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, who won Camera d'Or in Cannes last year for this stunning debut, will open the 17th annual SEEfest, co-presented by ELMA, the L.A.-based foundation for European Languages and Movies in America.

Klondike by Maryna Er Gorbach

Blindfold by Taras Dron

The 2022 Sundance directing award winner Klondike by Maryna Er Gorbach, playing Sat, Apr 30, 7:30 P.M. at Lumiere Cinema, is a tour de force account of the war that's been waged against the people of Ukraine. "A mesmerizing, urgent story that transcends into a universal portrait of the tragedy of any conflict," says Vera Mijojlic, SEEfest founder and director.

From filmmaker Taras Dron comes another Ukrainian timeless story, Blindfold, making its US premiere at SEEfest Mon, May 2, 7:00 P.M. at the Lumiere Cinema. The film is also focused on ordinary people trying to live their lives under the constant threat of new conflict and war traumas that just won’t go away.  

"SEEfest is proud to bring to L.A. audiences these remarkable films with strong female characters at the center of the story,” says Vera Mijojlic. "It is important for our Ukrainian colleagues that their films are seen and their stories heard. These are movies made with guts, with courage, with passion, and they confront the injustice as only strong filmmaking can." 

The ScotWeek festival is back in Los Angeles from April 3 - 24 with many exciting events celebrating modern Scotland. ScotWeek highlights both the proud history of Scottish culture as well as its special bond with the United States and its people moving forward into the future. ScotWeek will host events promoting Scottish heritage, contemporary culture and charity to provide opportunities for education and scholarship.

On April 16, ScotWeek is hosting an intimate cocktail reception in the beautiful Fairmont Miramont Hotel & Bungalows to celebrate modern Scottish excellence. Red carpet, live music and a fashion show by ScotWeek board member, award-winning fashion designer Jeff Garner.

Visit the Scotweek festival website for more information on the events taking place this month and their Youtube channel to experience the festival virtually.

As the world moves towards less stringent pandemic restrictions and more normal lifestyles, the information below remains valuable for tracking global problem areas. Being prudent and remembering COVID is still with us continues to be crucial in helping to prevent new variants from emerging. It is important to continue sharing knowledge, expertise, and goodwill throughout the world. We are stronger together!      

An informative, infographic global report of the COVID-19 data is HERE

IVCLA knows it is important to maintain our connections with our international visitors beyond their programs. As such, IVCLA continues to reach out to our international alumni. If you are an Alumni who would like to share your thoughts about your L.A. experience, or if you are an IVCLA member or resource who has stayed in touch with alumni and would like to share your experience, please contact Eleanor Alberg at [email protected].

Editor: Eleanor Alberg

Share your comments with me at [email protected]!

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