Building Bridges, Taking Action

Dear Members, Supporters, and Community Partners,

As we step into spring, the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council is proud to bring you a month filled with conversations that matter. From climate change and gender equity in India to welcoming new Iowans in Des Moines and exploring sustainable architecture, our March programs highlight the interconnectedness of global challenges and local solutions.

We’re also excited to launch our Spring 2025 Climate Change Series, a platform for experts, researchers, and community leaders to share insights and strategies for building a more sustainable future. Your engagement fuels these conversations, and we invite you to join us—whether in person or online—to learn, connect, and take action.

This work would not be possible without the generosity of our supporters. Thanks to our incredible community, we’re just 20% away from fully funding this year’s programming budget. Every gift makes an impact, ensuring we can continue bringing thought leaders to Iowa City and beyond. We are also deeply grateful to community partners like Hospers & Brothers Printers for their invaluable support in sharing our programs and updates with the community.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

In partnership,

Peter Gerlach

Executive Director

Iowa City Foreign Relations Council

Fri. 3/7 @12PM - Climate Change, Gender, and Biomass Cookstoves in India @ICPL w/LUNCH

Wed. 3/12 @ 12PM Global Neighbors: Welcoming and Supporting New Iowans in Des Moines @ ICPL w/LUNCH

Sat. 3/29 @ 10AM - Sustainable Building Design, Construction, and Usage @UUS w/REFRESHMENTS

Fri. 4/4 @12PM - Fostering Climate Resilience Together @ ICPL w/LUNCH

Fri. 4/11 @12PM - When Archives Meet Authoritarianism @ICPL w/LUNCH

Wed. 4/16 @ 6PM - Well Earth: Spices and Sustainability w/DINNER 

​PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA CENTER FOR ASIAN AND PACIFIC STUDIES AND 100 GRANNIES IN IOWA CITY

Historically, industrialized countries have created our climate crisis but have yet to take responsibility for the development dilemmas associated with climate change. The solutions proposed at the international level have largely prioritized technical fixes, including new cooking technologies and carbon credit accounting. Highlighting perspectives from below – the lives and livelihoods of marginalized people – illuminates several problems with these approaches.

Using feminist and anthropological methods to study biomass stoves and efforts to improve them in India, Dr. Khandelwal identifies problems related to carbon market solutions and their associated power dynamics to shed new light on the nexus of cooking technologies, biomass-based livelihoods, gender, and climate change and to expand the kinds of solutions we imagine as possible.

Climate Change, Gender, and Biomass Cookstoves in India w/LUNCH

Friday, March 7th, 2025

12:00PM - 1:00PM

Iowa City Public Library

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​Also Streaming Online

​PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

​A new immigrant and refugee welcome center is opening in Polk County in 2025. The hub for refugees and immigrants, which has been designed with community input to create an inclusive environment, will feature professionals who provide confidential and sensitive spaces, services related to employment, housing and education, and transition programs for new Iowans living in the capitol. Sućeska, the center’s Manager of Operations, and Moris, Director of the Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa, will share more about this first-of-its-kind hub in Iowa and the county’s plans for supporting its foreign-born population, the largest growing demographic in the state.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW IOWA’S DEMOGRAPHICS ARE SHAPING THE STATE’S POPULATION, WORKFORCE, AND ECONOMY

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Global Neighbors: Welcoming and Supporting New Iowans in Des Moines w/LUNCH

Wednesday, March 12th, 2025

12:00PM - 1:00PM

Iowa City Public Library

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Also Streaming Online

PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STANLEY CENTER FOR PEACE AND SECURITY, NEUMANN MONSON ARCHITECTS, AND THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY-CORALVILLE

Join us for an inspiring panel discussion exploring the intersection of sustainability and design with Keith Porter (Stanley Center for Peace and Security), Sally Obernolte (Neumann Monson Architects), and Deb Schoelerman (Unitarian Universalist Society-Coralville). Together, they will delve into the transformative role of sustainable building practices in addressing climate change. Highlights include a closer look at Stanley’s International Living Building Challenge-certified facility and how people interact with these transformative green spaces. This engaging conversation promises to ignite ideas and demonstrate how innovation and commitment can lead to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Green Architecture: Building for the Future w/REFRESHMENTS

Saturday, March 29th, 2025

10:00AM - 11:30AM

Unitarian Universalist Society-Coralville

Also Streaming Online

Panel discussion starting at 10 am

Panel discussion ending at 11:30 am

Building Tour with Deb starting at 11:40 am

ICFRC is proud to announce our Spring 2025 Climate Change Series, bringing together experts, community leaders, and researchers to explore innovative strategies for addressing climate challenges locally and globally. Through engaging discussions, this series will highlight practical solutions and collaborative efforts to build a more sustainable future.

We are deeply grateful to Shane Hendricks and Hospers & Brothers Printers for their invaluable support in helping us share printed ICFRC programming and organizational updates with the community. Their dedication to the Iowa City community helps ensure that our mission of fostering global understanding reaches even more people. Thank you for being a vital part of our work!

Participatory Storytelling and Malnutrition:

Qualitative Evidence From Women's Groups in Eastern India

When: November 16, 2022

Speaker: Dr. Carly Nichols

Help Us Close the Gap—Only 20% to Go!

We are community-supported! Thanks to our incredible network of supporters and community partners, we’re just $14,688 away from fully funding this year’s programming budget. Your contribution today will ensure we continue bringing thought leaders and experts from around the world to engage our community on the most pressing global issues through the end of 2025.

Your support makes an immediate impact—helping us provide honoraria for speakers and interns, food for member luncheons, and materials for community outreach. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us reach the finish line.

Join us in making this final push—donate today!

Are there topics and speakers you would like to see brought to our community? Are you interested in being one of our speakers?