Global Ties U.S.

Deadline approaching for #CareerConnections Kansas City: Skills for Success in the Heartland. This professional development seminar for U.S. citizen #ExchangeAlumni is designed to prepare alumni for the 21st century workplace. Programming will be hosted by Global Ties KC in partnership with #ExchangeAlumni - Alumni Affairs - State Dept. and take place March 27-28 in Kansas City, MO. Learn more and apply by March 17: gties.us/CC

Warm welcome to Crystal Bock Thiessen (Executive Director of Global Ties Nebraska) to the Global Ties U.S. Board of Directors and congratulations to our new Board Chair Patricia Preston (Executive Director of Vermont Council on World Affairs) and Vice Chair Romesh Ratnesar (Senior Vice President of Engagement at Atlantic Council) on their elections. Read more about these #PublicDiplomacy leaders and their role in ensuring the continued growth and innovation of our #InternationalExchange network: https://gties.us/3Wm4mo2

Get ready U.S. #ExchangeAlumni: Our 2025 #CareerConnections lineup is here! We'll be in Kansas City, MO with Global Ties KC this spring; in Washington, DC this summer; and in Seattle, WA with World Affairs Council- Seattle this fall. Career Connections seminars are hands-on professional development and networking events that provide rising leaders in #InternationalExchange with opportunities to enhance both hard and soft skills and build upon their exchange experiences.?Programming is funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented in partnership with #ExchangeAlumni - Alumni Affairs - State Dept.#ExchangeAlumni and local Global Ties Network Community-Based Member organizations. Learn more about this year's events here: gties.us/CC2025 Stay tuned for the Kansas City application, which will be opening soon!

This November, Global Ties San Francisco welcomed?Mexican law enforcement officials to Oakland, CA for a U.S. Department of State Law Enforcement and Security Exchange Program (LESEP) on building safe communities. Participants learned best practices for implementing focused deterrence strategies, such as the Oakland Ceasefire Program, to deter individuals from criminal activities through social and community interventions.? ? While at the City of Richmond’s Office of Neighborhood Safety, participants learned about efforts to reduce gun violence through youth services, and they met with the Oakland Police Department to discuss implementation of their Ceasefire Program and their processes for identifying and preventing high risk individuals from getting involved in gangs.?? ? The group also met with the California Partnership for Safe Communities (CPSC) to explore evidence-based strategies for reducing violence and incarceration and building police-community trust. The CPSC also analyzed a pilot Ceasefire Program implemented in Mexico City while comparing the contextual similarities and differences in Oakland and Mexico City.???? ? Learn more about LESEP at https://gties.us/LESEP. #SeguridadCompartida #INLMexico? ?

In a time of distrust and division, #InternationalExchange is a powerful force for bringing people, communities, and nations closer together. Support our work to strengthen U.S. alliances and build community here at home. With a year-end gift to the Anniversary Fund, you help us: - Expand opportunities for the Global Ties Network to engage their communities. - Provide career opportunities to young people through internships and our Emerging Leaders? Program. - Advocate for resources for U.S. international exchange and public diplomacy programs. Diplomacy Begins Here. Donate by December 31 and your gift will be matched, dollar for dollar: https://lnkd.in/e9adWG4P?

Congratulations to the recipients of the #GlobalTies2025 Citizen Diplomat Award: Daniel Van Sant, Director of Disability Policy at The Harkin Institute, and Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. Daniel Van Sant?is a disability rights attorney with extensive experience in inclusive education and development. He was nominated by Iowa International Center, a Community-Based Member of the Global Ties Network, for his commitment to meeting with individuals traveling to Des Moines, IA on #InternationalExchange programs, including many cohorts of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Shared nominator Hannah Huisman, “Daniel Van Sant has been an invaluable resource for the #IVLP, particularly in disability rights programming. His ability to connect with participants across focus areas and relate their interests to his expertise creates impactful exchanges.” A nonpartisan federal educational institution,?the?Smithsonian?is composed of 21 museums and the National Zoo, and is dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. Located in Washington, DC, the Smithsonian welcomes millions of U.S. and international visitors each year to explore its extensive collections, exhibitions, and educational programs, and has made significant contributions to #CitizenDiplomacy, including welcoming many of the 4,000+ International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participants whose visits to the United States are facilitated by the Global Ties Network each year. Participants leave the Smithsonian with a deeper appreciation for its mission and an enriched understanding of how cultural and scientific institutions contribute to international dialogue and mutual understanding. The awards will be presented on Thursday, February 20 during the Stronger Communities Plenary session, which celebrates how local engagement in global affairs strengthens U.S. communities, workforces, and partnerships. Read more about the recipients and register to attend the Global Ties U.S. National Meeting, "Stronger Alliance, Stronger Communities" at: gties.us/2025CDAward

We are pleased to announce?Annelise Riles, host of the?Everyday Ambassador?podcast; former?Congressman?Brian Baird, founder and chair of the National Museum and Center for Service; and?Rosie Rios, chair of American250, as plenary speakers at the #GlobalTies2025 National Meeting.? Annelise Riles, Ph.D., is a professor of law and special advisor to the president for global sustainability at Northwestern University. She is also the host of the Everyday Ambassador podcast, produced by Foreign Policy, which explores how seemingly small acts by ordinary people can bring about big change. The Honorable Brian Baird, Ph.D., is a former Member of Congress and clinical psychologist who founded and chairs the National Museum and Center for Service – a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in all its forms. Rosie Rios is chair of America250, the U.S. Congressional Commission planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. She served as the 43rd Treasurer of the United States and was the CEO of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint. Annelise will deliver remarks on Thursday, February 20 at our Stronger Communities Plenary, and Brian and Rosie at our Closing Plenary on Friday, February 21. Both plenaries will celebrate how local engagement in global affairs contributes to stronger communities, workforces, and businesses across the United States. Learn more about our plenary speakers and register for the National Meeting at: gties.us/4g7850A

Spread the word: The 2025 Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund for U.S.?#ExchangeAlumni?is NOW OPEN.?#CDAF?is a grants competition that awards up to $10,000 to teams of?@exchangealumni?to?carry out a public service project that makes an impact. A strong CDAF application will draw on your?#InternationalExchange program skills and networks,?and can take place virtually, in the United States, or around the world. Past projects focused on topics including river conservation, accessible theatre,?and?empowering women through soccer,?and more. Details and how to apply for?#CDAF2025?at:?gties.us/CDAF

We are thrilled to share that our 2024 Annual Report is now live! From a spotlight on our #DinnerDiplomacy program with Marriott International; to snapshots with International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) leaders, U.S. #ExchangeAlumni - Alumni Affairs - State Dept.#ExchangeAlumni, and more #PublicDiplomacy pros; to a data-driven look at how #ExchangeMatters to U.S. communities and workforces, our 2024 Annual Report highlights all the ways in which people-to-people exchange programs create Stronger Alliances, Stronger Communities. Follow the link to see why 2024 was an incredible year for our nationwide Global Ties Network and #InternationalExchange: https://gties.us/3oUraLi

Last month, we were in Mexico City with #INLMexico as part of the U.S. Department of State Law Enforcement and Security Exchange Program (LESEP). We welcomed 117 Mexican internal affairs investigators?from 24 states in Mexico for two consecutive two-day trainings on report writing and interview techniques. Some of the main training objectives were to:?? 1. Define ethics and ethical conduct in internal affairs investigations.? 2. Learn preliminary processes for conducting administrative interviews.?? 3. Delineate interviewer responsibilities and the documentation processes of administrative investigations.?? 4. Apply a standardized methodology when documenting administrative investigations.? These trainings also provided the opportunity for collaborative knowledge sharing between program participants and U.S. experts through #InternationalExchange. Learn more about LESEP at https://gties.us/LESEP. #SeguridadCompartida? ?