Global Minnesota

Global Conversations DIGITAL: Food Security and Foreign Affairs

It is often said that foreign policy is about connecting means with ends. With perhaps a few exceptions, most agree that the ultimate end of U.S. foreign policy should be a more prosperous, sustainable, and secure world. Yet today, food security around the globe remains a pressing challenge, especially in low-income, conflict-prone, and climate-affected areas.

Following decades of decline in hunger, the number of hungry people globally is once again rising – this trend made all the worse by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patching up vulnerabilities in food systems remains paramount in ending hunger around the world and such trends pose challenges – some new, some old – to U.S. foreign policy.

Hear from a panel of experts as they explore U.S. food security and current gaps in policy, particularly as they relate to the effects of COVID-19.

Panelists

• Asma Lateef, Director, Bread for the World Institute
• Rob Paarlberg, Associate at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and Adjunct Professor at Harvard Kennedy School
• Abigail Rockwell, Director, Office of Global Food Security, U.S. Department of State
• Caitlin Welsh, Director, Global Food Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Moderator: Tina May, Chief of Staff to Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford

Red Penguins: Greed, Corruption, and Capitalism Run Amok in Post-Soviet Russia

Red Penguins, the just-released film from award-winning director Gabe Polsky, tells the wild forgotten true story of capitalism and opportunism run amok in Moscow. Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the famed Red Army hockey team formed a joint venture that redefined what was possible in the new Russia. Eccentric marketing whiz Steven Warshaw was sent to Moscow and tasked to transform the team into the greatest show in Russia, attracting some of the biggest names in Hollywood and advertising along the way.

Listen to a discussion to examine the lessons learned during this tumultuous era of oligarchs and corruption, and how they can help shape business, cultural, and political relations between the U.S. and Russia in the years ahead.

Success Stories from International Women Entrepreneurs

From medicine to education to agriculture, women entrepreneurs across the globe are creating transformational experiences that drive innovation, design solutions, and bring ideas to life.

Tune in for an engaging conversation with international women entrepreneurs as they share their stories and experiences.

In partnership with World Learning and TeamWomen, we’ll hear from a panel of international women entrepreneurs from Argentina, India, Italy, Mexico, and Sierra Leone, who participated in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program and traveled to Minnesota for professional exchange opportunities over the past several years.

Panel Speakers

• Megha Bhagat, Human Rights Lawyer, Co-Founder at Project DEFY and Executive Director at MUSE Inc. (India)
• Paulina Perea Eguía, Co-Founder of Cervecería Olvera (Mexico)
• Enrica Rosa Maria Arena, Co-Founder of Orange Fiber (Italy)
• Donatela Orsi, Director of Economic Integration, City of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
• Sofia Mohamed Konneh, Physical Trainer and Nutrition Advisor, (Sierra Leone)

The women will share social, economic, and political factors that influence and encourage women as entrepreneurs and business owners. They will also discuss leadership development, how they market their business, and grow their companies. The program will include a welcome by Susan B. Plimpton, Global Minnesota Honorary Board Director; and Patricia Harrison, Director of Global Programs at World Learning. The panel discussion will be moderated by Priya Morioka, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Global Language Connections.

Town Hall: Liberia-Minnesota Connections

Minnesota is home to one of the largest Liberian populations in the country, with an estimated 30,000 people. There are many deep connections developing between Minnesota and Liberia through trade, sports, economic development, faith communities, family, and friends.

In partnership with the Liberian Honorary Consul in Minnesota Jackson George, join us for a Town Hall public forum for groups connecting Minnesota and Liberia to let others know about their company’s or organization’s activities, and their vision for the future.

Presented in partnership with the Honorary Consulate of Liberia in Minnesota.

Learning from Sierra Leone: Fambul Tok and the Power of Forgiveness

John Caulker, Founder and Executive Director of Fambul Tok, a peace-building NGO based in Sierra Leone, believes that true healing and reconciliation can only take place through a community-led process. Documentary filmmaker Sara Terrytells this amazing story in her award-winning film, Fambul Tok, where victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war come together for the first time in an unprecedented program of tradition-based truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies.

Through reviving their ancient practice of fambul tok (family talk), Sierra Leoneans are building sustainable peace at the grass-roots level. Filled with lessons for the West, the film explores the depths of a culture that believes true justice lies in redemption and healing for individuals and that forgiveness is the surest path to restoring dignity and building strong communities.

Join us for an inspiring discussion with John Caulker and Sara Terry on how Sierra Leone is advancing peace by mobilizing ordinary people in the hard work of reconciliation. The program will also feature special guest the First Lady of Sierra Leone Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio.

John Caulker is the Founder and Executive Director of Fambul Tok and has led the implementation of the Fambul Tok program since its inception in 2007. John became a human rights activist as a student leader during the initial years of the war in Sierra Leone. Risking his life to document wartime atrocities, he infiltrated rebel camps disguised as a rebel to gather information and stories to pass along to international organizations such as Amnesty International, Article 19, and Human Rights Watch. He founded Forum of Conscience as a human rights NGO in Sierra Leone in 1996. As Executive Director of Forum of Conscience, John strove to prevent recurring violence by connecting the root causes of Sierra Leone’s brutal conflict to the need for rural community participation in the national decision making process and acknowledgement of wrong doing to victims through the reparations program. As the national chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Working Group, John pressured the government of Sierra Leone to implement the recommendations of the TRC’s 2004 report.

Sara Terry is the Producer/Director of Fambul Tok, her first feature-length documentary. A former award-winning reporter for the Christian Science Monitor, Sara made a mid-career transition into photojournalism and documentary photography in the late 1990s. The focus of her work since has been post-conflict societies. Her long-term project about the aftermath of war in Bosnia — “Aftermath: Bosnia’s Long Road to Peace” — was published in September 2005 by Channel Photographics, and chosen as one of the best books of the year by Photo District News. Her work has been widely published and exhibited at such venues as the United Nations, Moving Walls/Open Society, the Museum of Photography in Antwerp, and the Leica Gallery in Solms, Germany. She is the founder of The Aftermath Project, a nonprofit grant program helping photographers cover the aftermath of conflict and building educational outreach and partnerships around the understanding that “war is only half the story.”

Presented in partnership with the Edina Senior Center, Friends of the Edina Library, Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library, Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central, Landmark Center, Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education, Plymouth Library, and Washburn Library.

Minnesota and the UK – Trade, Market Access, and Brexit

The United Kingdom (UK) and Minnesota have a long-standing and ongoing special relationship and play pivotal roles in each other’s economies. Minnesota exports nearly $600 million in goods and $1 billion in services to the UK annually. And the UK has invested heavily in Minnesota with more than 165 UK subsidiaries supporting nearly 20,000 jobs in the state.

Please join Global Minnesota, the Minnesota Trade Office, and the UK Government Office, Mpls/St. Paul for a Zoom webinar with the new British Consul General, Alan Gogbashian, and engage in discussions on market access, barriers, and free trade.

Global Conversations DIGITAL: Artificial Intelligence and Data

Policymakers in many countries are developing plans and funding research in artificial intelligence (AI). Global growth is slowing, and not surprisingly, many policymakers hope that AI will provide a magic solution. The EU, Brazil, and other Western countries have adopted regulations that grant users greater control over their data and require that firms using AI be transparent about how they use it.

Join a webinar conversation with former U.S. Foreign Service Officer Tom Hansonas he provides insight on the global impact of AI. The program will include a Q&A with Tom, moderated by Molly Hayes Baril, special advisor for global engagement at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

About the Speaker

Tom Hanson currently serves as Diplomat in Residence at the Alworth Institute for International Affairs at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. His U.S. Foreign Service postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden, and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. He also participated in the opening of new U.S. embassies in Mongolia and Estonia, worked on the Foreign Relations Committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and served as director for NATO and European Affairs at the Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington, D.C. A member of Global Minnesota’s Great Decisions advisory committee, Tom speaks frequently on international issues and contributes to local and international media. He is also a board member of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, the International Leadership Program at the University of St. Thomas, and the Cultural Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Tom holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and graduate degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; the Institute of Advanced International Studies in Switzerland; and the National School of Administration in France.

Celebrating Canada-Minnesota Connections

July 1, 2020, marks not only Canada Day, but also the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis.

As part of the day’s events, Global Minnesota will host an online “armchair discussion” webinar featuring prominent Minnesotans, each speaking about a different aspect of the Canada-Minnesota relationship.

Join Ariel Delouya, Consul General of Canada in Minneapolis, and Mark Ritchie, Global Minnesota President, as they host an online panel conversation covering arts and culture, the important economic ties between Minnesota and Canada, a focused look at the Minnesota-Canada border, and the cooperative measures to protect our shared environment, specifically related to trans-boundary water management and climate protection.

The program will also include a warm welcome message from The Honorable Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota.

 

Panelists

Laura Bishop, Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

David J. Fraher, President Emeritus and Senior Advisor to the CEO/Arts Midwest

Gabrielle Gerbaud, Executive Director, Minnesota Trade Office

Bill Maddocks, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol

Presented in partnership with Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis. 

Voces de Refugiados: Venezuela

De acuerdo al Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR, en inglés UNHCR), actualmente hay más de 68.5 millones de personas que han sido desplazadas a la fuerza a causa de conflicto en sus países de origen. Algunas de estas personas han sido desplazadas dentro de su mismo país y otros se han visto obligados a emigrar a otros. Muchas de estas personas conservan la esperanza de volver a sus hogares lo más pronto posible, pero el tiempo promedio de desplazo y reubicación para un refugiado es de 20 a 30 años y muchos no logran volver a su país. A pesar de los retos, millones de refugiados y gente desplazada trabajan ardua y cotidianamente para preservar su cultura e identidad, y reconstruir su vidas en lugares nuevos para ellos.

 

Acompáñenos y a Natakallam Refugee Voices a escuchar de nuestra invitada Marianela, quien hablará de su experiencia como refugiada proveniente de Venezuela y su vida actual en Costa Rica.

 

Marianela, originaria de Maracaibo, vivía en Mérida, Venezuela, cuando decidió mudarse a San José, Costa Rica a causa de los conflictos en su país natal. Previamente, Marianela daba clases de español y era propietaria de una agencia de turismo de aventura. Ella disfruta viajar, conocer gente de diferentes países, hablar y aprender sobre su cultura e intereses, y disfruta de enseñar español via Skype. Marianela es también ecologista y una recicladora apasionada.

Global Conversations DIGITAL: Women in Diplomacy

Many countries face challenges of migration, terrorism, climate change, and the spread of fast-paced technology. Those who are sitting around the table will change the course of history and redefine how we solve critical problems. Through interviews with female Ambassadors, Deputy Chiefs of Mission, and diplomats spanning Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Kosovo, Mexico, Namibia, Singapore, and the U.S., author Susan Sloan’s new book “A Seat at the Table: Women, Diplomacy, and Lessons for the World,” highlights the impact of gender-diversified leadership, and why varied voices lead to stronger resolutions and enhanced team dynamics.

Join us for a webinar as we talk with Susan to discuss her new book and examine how the role of women in the diplomatic corps is changing the world. The webinar will be moderated by Monica Cruz, Head of Community Affairs at the Consulate of Mexico in Saint Paul, and representative of the Institute of Mexicans Abroad for Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and western Wisconsin, leading the design and implementation of programs meant to increase equitable access and well-being in the Mexican diaspora.