Meridian Exchange | March 2021

Meridian was established 61 years ago to promote intercultural understanding and collaboration across people of varied backgrounds. We are devastated by the tragedy in Atlanta last week and the surge of racially motivated crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the past year. We remain committed to our values of equity and inclusion and to building a more just world through our work and in our workplace.

Diversity and Inclusion in the
Corporate Space

On March 10, Meridian hosted a discussion on how corporate leaders are accelerating change and striving to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Moderated by Lisa Osborne Ross, U.S. Chief Operating Officer at Edelman, the program featured John Rice, Founder and CEO of Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and Oscar Munoz, Executive Chairman of United Airlines. Panelists discussed the role of business in leading diversity initiatives and the necessity for an intellectual equity mindset. Read the key takeaways here or watch the full event.

International Women of Courage Awards

On March 8, during a virtual ceremony organized by the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues and hosted by the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, 13 distinguished women received the 2021 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award. Now in its 15th year, the Secretary of State annually recognizes women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk and sacrifice. Meridian partnered with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to design and implement an 8-week virtual International Visitor Leadership Program exchange, currently underway, for the IWOC Awardees. Watch the award ceremony event here.

Reporting on the Biden White House

On March 16th, we heard from top White House reporters about how they have been covering the Biden administration amid the changing information and new media landscape. CNN’s John Harwood, NBC News' Geoff Bennett and Washington Post’s Seung Min Kim shared their insights on the road to Biden’s 100th day at POTUS with moderator Ryan Lizza of POLITICO. Watch the event, livestreamed by C-SPAN Radio, here.

You're Invited to Join Us

Assessing the State of Global Women's Health

March 23 | 10:00 A.M. ET
Ambassador Nancy Brinker (Promise Fund of Florida), Jim Clifton (Gallup), Stephen MacMillan (Hologic), and Kelly Saldana (USAID) will join us for a conversation on what it means to apply a gender lens to global health. Moderated by Dr. Nicole Saphier, this session will explore how leaders in government, public health, and the private sector can work together and use a data driven approach to advance women’s health equity. For more information, please click here.
*This program is held under Chatham House Rule.

Meridian Huddle with Tomas Baert, Head of Trade & Agriculture at the European Delegation to the United States

March 30 | 10:00 A.M. ET
Mr. Tomas Baert, Head of Trade & Agriculture at the European Delegation to the United States will join the Meridian Corporate Council for a discussion on next steps for the U.S.-EU Trade relationship.. The conversation will focus on the specifics of the trade and economic relationship moving forward. For more information, please reach out to Steven Greenwald.
*This program is open to members of the Corporate Council and has limited capacity.

Global Business Briefing with Acting Assistant Secretary of Economic and Business Affairs Peter Haas

April 8 | 3:00 P.M. ET
Acting Assistant Secretary of Economic and Business Affairs Peter Haas will join the Meridian Corporate Council for a discussion on Economic Diplomacy in an Era of Strategic Economic Competition. The conversation will focus on economic diplomacy under the Biden Administration. For more information, please reach out to Steven Greenwald.
*This program is closed to press and off the record.

Global Business Briefing with Ahmed M. Saeed, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank

April 14 | 2:00 P.M. ET
Ahmed M. Saeed, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank, will join the Meridian Corporate Council for a discussion on COVID-19 and Economic Recovery in Southeast Asia. For more information, please reach out to Steven Greenwald.
*This program is open to members of the Corporate Council and has limited capacity.

Meridian Diplomacy Forum | The Path Forward; Strengthening American Statecraft

April 16 | 9:00 A.M. ET
This is a critical moment for American diplomacy. The United States must rebuild relationships and regain its international footing, while working towards a smarter, more strategic way to develop our diplomatic capacity around the world. Leaders from the administration, Congress, State Department, foreign ministries, the private sector, and civil society will join the 2021 Meridian Diplomacy Forum to discuss the path forward to strengthen U.S. global leadership and modernize diplomatic practices and capacity to meet the demands of emerging challenges. The Diplomacy Forum will also serve as the official launch of Meridian’s DiplomacyRISE initiative. For more information, please reach out to Frank Justice.

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