Meridian Exchange: March 2023

For Media

DIPLOMATIC SKILLS AND INSIGHTS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

In today’s complex geopolitical environment, business leaders need diplomatic skills, strategies, and insights to advance and protect business interests. Nominate a rising leader or apply to join the Corporate Diplomacy Global Leaders Program on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 to gain a better understanding of:

Geopolitical Risk
Stakeholder Engagement
Cross-Cultural Communications
Protocol
Negotiations

Meridian also develops custom global business trainings for companies and organizations. For more information, contact Ali Rubin at arubin@meridian.org.

FROM MARIUPOL TO RICHMOND: CITY + STATE DIPLOMACY AT MERIDIAN

In tandem with the inaugural Cities Summit of the Americas, Meridian's Diplomacy Forum: All Diplomacy is Local explored obstacles and opportunities facing subnational diplomacy, the rise of innovative cities and importance of subnational actors. Former U.S. Ambassador to China, Singapore and Russia and Governor of Utah, Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. explored how preserving democracy domestically strengthens it globally and received our inaugural Democracy Strengthener Award. Featured speakers included:

The Hon. Vadym Boichenko, Mayor of Mariupol, Ukraine on the reconstruction of Ukraine in light of Russian’s invasion
The Hon. Nina Hachigian, Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy, U.S. Department of State on previewing April’s Cities Summit of the Americas
The Hon. Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia on subnational diplomacy and how it can achieve SGDs
The Hon. Levar Stoney, Mayor, City of Richmond, Virginia on the advent of subnational diplomacy.

READY FOR TAKEOFF: SPACE DIPLOMACY AT MERIDIAN

For the next generation of space leaders, the sky is not the limit - it's just the beginning. The "Engaging the Rising Generation of Space Nations" International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) cohort sat with The Hon. Charles Bolden, Former NASA Administrator and Ché Bolden, President and CEO of the Charles F. Bolden Group to discuss the importance of diversifying and democratizing access to space and traveled to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and The Pentagon for conversations on space cooperation and diplomacy.

UPCOMING EVENTS

APPLY TODAY: U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program

Deadline: May 21, 2023

Young professionals will have the unique opportunity to experience first-hand Korean culture, learn about the U.S.– Korea bilateral relations, and form long-lasting relationships. Apply here.

Culturefix: Conversations and the Meridian Cultural Diplomacy Awards

June 2, 2023 | In Person and Virtual

Our third-annual cultural diplomacy celebration, Culturefix, will honor the power of the arts and culture to help fix global challenges faced by people, communities, and the planet featuring conversations with world-class artists and cultural leaders on: Art’s Role in the March on Democracy, De-weaponizing Cultural Heritage, Fashion and Culinary Diplomacy: Appreciation vs. Appropriation and Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights. For more information, visit here.