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Creating international connections
Cultivating local innovation
Activating global potential
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March 2025
CITIZEN DIPLOMACY NEWS
Expand Your World Today
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In this Issue...
- Quote of the Month
- Photo of the Month
- Dr. Marwah's Legacy
- ICDLA Open House
- Global Ties U.S. National Meeting
- Sharing a Global Perspective
- IVLP Alumni Insight
- Are you a U.S. Citizen Exchange Alumni?
- Community Events
- International Opportunities
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Click the button below to check out our past newsletters: | |
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"Since most Americans had never seen a turbaned Sikh, they used to call me young Santa Claus. In their eyes, I was the younger version of Santa Claus with a black beard"
~"Dr. Marwah, reflecting on his early years in the United States, shared his experiences in a Times of India article titled Hollywood Dentist."
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ICDLA Staff Members, Danica Kreculj, and Odora McCauley posing with Young Professionals Janika Berridge and Maliyah Williams. | | |
Dr. Amarjit Marwah's Legacy | |
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It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah, our long-time ICDLA Advisory Board Member who passed away peacefully on January 7th. He will be dearly missed, but we also know his amazing life is to be celebrated. He would have turned 99 on February 4th.
Dr. Marwah is well known for his long history of community service, generosity and kindness. He came to New York in 1953 from a small town in Punjab India on a Fulbright Scholarship for Dental Studies and later received his Doctorate Degree in Pediatric Dentistry from Howard University. In 1962 he moved to L.A. and joined the faculty of the USC School of Dentistry, while also setting up his dental practice in Hollywood. As his practice grew his patients included celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Gregory Peck, but Dr. Marwah, being the person he was, always helped patients in need by donating time at the USC clinic.
With a strong commitment to education and global exchange, Dr. Marwah became a director on the ICDLA board in the mid-eighties (then known as IVCLA). In 1989 he began hosting the IVCLA/ICDLA International Fulbright Luncheon at his beautiful Malibu home - where he hosted the luncheon for the next 35 years, the last one being held this past October. Over those years the luncheon brought together more than a thousand international Fulbright students to connect with fellow students, members of the L.A. Consular Corps, ICDLA members, and other L.A. community leaders. ICDLA honored him with our 2006 Outstanding Citizen Diplomat Award.
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Dr. Marwah with Los Angeles Mayor
Tom Bradley
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The ceremony renaming the intersection of Vermont & Finley Dr. Amarjit Marwah Square | |
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In 1969 he donated the land to establish the Hollywood Sikh Temple (the first in L.A.) Initially opened in an existing building, the current temple was built in 1996 and was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2023. In 2019 the City named the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Finley Avenue, where the Temple is located, Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah Square.
Over the years he chaired the Hollywood Arts Commission, the L.A./Mumbai Sister Cities program and sponsored numerous humanitarian and educational causes in the L.A. area. He also funded causes in his home area of Punjab, including the establishment of the KK Marwah Girls College in partnership with his late wife Kuljit Kaur Marwah.
His leadership enriched Los Angeles' cultural landscape and strengthened its international ties. Dr. Marwah’s legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the global connections he fostered. His vision of a more connected and educated world will continue to inspire.
| The 2024 annual International Fulbright Luncheon traditional group photo | |
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L to R: ICDLA Board member Yael Swerdlow, CEO Janet Elliott, and Board member
Wafa Hobollah
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Guests connecting together at our Open House | |
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Thanks to all who joined us for our 2025 Open House on February 5th. It was a joy to welcome everyone to the ICDLA office and highlight our shared experiences of 2024. As we reflected on our achievements and memories from 2024, we also looked ahead to new challenges for this year.
We thank all of our members, professional resources and friends. Your support is more vital than ever as we create plans to continue our important work making international connections through Citizen Diplomacy.
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Global Ties U.S. National Meeting | |
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2025 is the International Visitor Leadership Program’s (IVLP) 85th Anniversary, so ICDLA was especially pleased to participate in the Global Ties U.S. National Meeting in Washington D.C. This year’s theme was Stronger Alliances, Stronger Communities. CEO Janet Elliott, Director of International Programs Danica Kreculj, and Senior Program Officer Victoria Meza, attended the National Meeting where they engaged with new contacts and reconnected with colleagues from across the country, in D.C. and around the world.
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ICDLA Staff at Global Ties U.S. National Meeting with Gold Star Alumni, Christian Achaleke | |
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A highlight at the National Meeting was the special presentation of the Gold Star Awards to IVLP alumni. It was especially exciting for ICDLA that one of the honorees was Christian Achaleke from Cameroon, who came to Los Angeles in 2016 for the IVLP program Youth Empowerment and Community Conflict Resolution.
During his acceptance speech he shared that his time in L.A. was a pivotal moment in his career. He found his visit to Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit that focuses on gang rehabilitation and social re-entry, particularly impactful.
Inspired by their model, he launched the Creative Skills for Peace Project in Cameroon, which has since expanded to eight prisons and over 20 vocational centers, impacting more than 5,000 individuals.
Now a globally recognized leader in peace building, Christian’s work has earned him the Luxembourg Peace Prize, UNESCO RealLife Hero recognition, and a place among CNN’s African Voices Changemakers.
Congratulations Christian! Your dedication to rehabilitation and peace building is truly inspiring. Your recognition is truly deserved!
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Sharing a Global Perspective | |
Sharing Our Stories Directing Our Paths | |
Everyone knows about Bollywood! The Indian film industry is the largest in the world in terms of ticket sales and has a massive global audience. However, over the last decade, the trend for Indian filmmakers is more thought-provoking and realistic scripts. These films are tackling a wider range of topics such as social issues, politics, and human relationships. In February ICDLA had the pleasure of hosting six Indian screenwriters who were participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) titled Scripting Change: Women Screenwriters in Contemporary Hindi Cinema. | |
IVLP group from India with Netflix executives at their headquarters on Sunset. | |
To discuss the trends and various aspects of today’s filmmaking, ICDLA organized a series of meetings for them with industry leaders from Netflix, SAG-AFTRA, New Filmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA), the American Film Institute (AFI), and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). They also had the opportunity to attend a dynamic summit put on by the Geena Davis Institute & Nokia Bell Labs which brought together directors, writers, show-runners and producers from the film industry along with leading voices in tech for presentations, panels and networking opportunities.
During their meeting with NFMLA the women discovered the work they do for new filmmakers providing a platform to showcase new talent, fostering industry connections, and offering career development programs like the STARZ Take the Lead Writers’ Intensive. At AFI they discussed their legacy of preserving cinematic heritage while training the next generation of storytellers through its Conservatory and prestigious awards. Representative from IFFLA shared how they promote South Asian independent cinema through mentorship, networking, and cultural programming.
One of the standout sessions was a Q&A with the Netflix content team at their Sunset Boulevard office. The visitors met with Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, Jess Conoplia, Global Senior Manager, Studio Investment Policy, and Carolina Garcia, Director, Studio Scripted Series - UCAN. The discussion provided a valuable opportunity for the women to ask questions about production, TV content trends, regional viewership patterns, and the key factors that contribute to a show's success and authenticity.
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IVLP group from India with representatives of the Indian Film
Festival of Los Angeles.
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They also delved into the representation of South Asian stories in global media, emphasizing the importance of cultural authenticity in storytelling, while ensuring narratives remain inspired and continue to resonate with a worldwide audience.
We were honored to arrange an interesting program for these talented women screenwriters. Several currently have their projects on Netflix and Amazon Prime, and we are sure to hear about more. We will keep you posted!
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Kristina Jariene, an IVLP alumna who came to Los Angeles in 2023 as part of a program on hospital protocols for sexual assault victims, received the prestigious Outstanding Service Award from the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda. The award was presented on the Day of Restoration of the State. She was honored for her years of dedicated professional work, her significant contributions to developing a support system for victims of sexual violence, and for her efforts in promoting Lithuania’s achievements globally.
As an obstetrician-gynecologist and professor at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), she has made an important and lasting impact on her community. Congratulations Kristina, on this personal milestone and well-deserved award!
Thank you for sharing this incredible achievement with ICDLA. We love staying connected with our IVLP alumni as they continue to reach new heights in their professions and in their communities.
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Are you a U.S. Citizen Exchange Alumni? | |
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Unlock Your Career Potential at Career Connections Kansas City
Skills for Success in the Heartland brings together U.S. citizen alumni from Kansas, Missouri, and the Midwest for a two-day professional seminar March 27-28. Hosted by GlobalTiesKC in partnership with The U.S. Exchange Alumni Network and Capacity Building Program.
The seminar prepares American alumni for the 21st-century workforce and encourages career innovation. Attendees will leverage their global experiences through workshops on career building, local job market insights, and networking opportunities. Apply HERE through March 17. Participants will engage with professionals driving innovation in Kansas City through entrepreneurship, public service, and private sector partnerships.
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Get ready for an immersive journey through
Japanese history as you’ve never experienced it before
| As recent hits like FX’s “Shōgun” drama series and Sony’s “Rise of the Ronin” video game have gained fans around the world, many have wished they could step into the world of medieval Japan and experience authentic samurai culture firsthand. Visitors can do exactly that at Japan House LA with “NEO-JAPONISM | SAMURAI AND BEYOND: Exploring Tradition Through Technology,” an innovative exhibition in partnership with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) that brings Japan’s past vividly to life through cutting-edge technology. | |
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In celebration of the 100th anniversary of broadcasting in Japan started by three radio
stations which later became the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), NHK is launching the NEO-JAPONISM initiative to build new bridges to the global audiences that have embraced Japanese culture, from traditional arts to anime, manga, and J-Pop. With this special exhibition, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles is proud to spotlight NHK’s unique and popular programming, as well as the next-wave digital visualization technologies they’ve pioneered to share the treasures of Japanese history far beyond the traditional spaces of museums and books.
Friday, February 14 – Monday, September 1, 2025
Closed during the Academy Awards ceremony weekend
Mon – Fri | 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sat – Sun | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
JAPAN HOUSE Gallery | Level 2
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International Opportunities | |
2025 Young Leaders Conference | |
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Do You Know a Young Leader?
The American Council on Germany is accepting nominations for the 45th American-German Young Leaders Conference, held in Berlin from July 20–25, 2025. This year’s theme explores the impact of new governments in Washington and Berlin on the transatlantic partnership.
They are seeking outstanding American and German professionals ages 28–38 from diverse sectors business, government, nonprofits, media, military, academia, and the arts who demonstrate leadership and potential.
Eligibility:
- U.S. citizens living and working in the U.S. or German citizens in the EU.
- Professionals with a strong leadership trajectory.
Nomination Deadline: March 21, 2025
Submit your nominations today!
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Editor: Odora McCauley
Share your comments with me @omccauley@icdla.org
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© International Citizen Diplomacy of Los Angeles. A non-profit, non-partisan organization. Partial funding is provided by the United States Department of State, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Los Angeles. | Privacy Policy | | | | |
