Letter from the Director

But first, let’s talk about the fun we had in July!

Thanks to all who turned out for our latest Pub Quiz! We all had a fun night testing our global knowledge skills, meeting new people and enjoying the great atmosphere of Flock of Moons brewery on Harvard near UNM. A big shout out to co-owner Jay for lending us his place and welcoming our guests so graciously. If y’all haven’t tried the FoMs yet, please do, gorgeous space with a perfect summer back patio!!

Congratulations to the 1st place winning team, The Young Ones!! A special shout to the team Les Africains, who had the most points, but bet the max on a disputed bonus question. We acknowledge your dispute and appreciate your concession 😊, y’all be winners in our eyes cuz you’re paying attention in the world and remaining citizen diplomats despite the rising challenges! Thank you! 

We also hosted another group of college aged students from the Republic of Korea under the U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program. This was the 6th year we have hosted this program which is, “jointly funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Republic of Korea National Assembly…bringing together young professionals and students from both the U.S. and Korea… Since its inception over 30 years ago, the U.S. Congress - Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program has allowed over 500 participants to build lasting cross-border relationships and better understand the legislative process and the history of U.S. - Korean relations”. Thank you to our members who travelled with these amazing youth… always so inspiring to meet tomorrow’s leaders, all dedicated to advancing peace, cooperation and diplomacy in our world! 

This month we’ll be hosting two International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) delegations under “Building Drought Preparedness and Resilience” (multiple countries) and “Human & Civil Rights for Marginalized Communities” (multiple countries). We’ll have dinner hosting opportunities, so members keep a look out for emails and/or check the links below. 

Lastly, August will see the departure of our Community Engagement Officer, Alma Kassim, a grad-student and intern with us under the UNM Work Study program. Alma is a global citizen first by her birthright, she’s of Pakistani, German, African-American and Puerto Rican dissent, and secondly through her commitment to a degree in Public Health focusing on the effects of climate change on the health of global communities. Alma has been a fantastic team member for us overseeing our communications, CRM input and this fantastic newsletter. I’m going to miss her immensely 😭!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart Ms. Kassim!!

We’re excited to share that our recent pub quiz at Flock of Moon was a tremendous success, and we couldn't have done it without your support!

It was a night full of fun, friendly competition, and a lot of laughs. Your enthusiasm and participation made the event a memorable experience for everyone involved. Whether you were strategizing your next answer or cheering on your teammates, your energy truly brought the evening to life.

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who joined us. Your presence and participation were key to making this event such a success. We hope you enjoyed the quiz as much as we enjoyed hosting it! Stay tuned for future events!

We are pleased to acknowledge our Program Officer, Christian Finke, who recently attended a capacity-building event in Washington, DC, hosted by Meridian International. The event focused on the development of a new International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project in the DC area.

Christian’s participation was instrumental in discussions about expanding our IVLP initiatives. His role in representing Global Ties ABQ at this key event highlights our commitment to advancing global engagement. Congratulations, Christian, and thank you for your invaluable contributions!

July 21-26: U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program

Global Ties ABQ recently had the pleasure of hosting the U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program! This longstanding initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Republic of Korea National Assembly, aims to broaden the perspectives of young people from both nations on the legislative process, U.S.-Korean relations, and current bilateral issues.

We welcomed a group of 8 outstanding Korean university students and their group leader to our Enchanted City. Over the course of their visit, our guests participated in a range of cultural and educational activities, exploring Albuquerque and gaining insights into our community and its history.

July 31-August 3: Building Drought Preparedness and Resilience (6 visitors)

This is a Multi-Regional group with the following objectives:

• Examine U.S. frameworks for assessing water availability, demand, and distribution in order to develop integrated drought management and response plans
• Explore innovative models and forecasting tools to improve management of water and irrigation infrastructure
• Discuss strategies to protect critical urban, agricultural, and environmental sectors such as improving water storage and conservation measures

August 27-31: Human and Civil Rights for Marginalized Communities (14 visitors)

This is a Multi-Regional group with the following objectives:

• Understand best practices to prevent and address human rights violations against members of marginalized communities.
• Explore building local capacity to document abuses and advocate for rule of law to protect the rights of victims.
• Discuss advocacy strategies to reform discriminatory laws and policies and to develop improved legislative protections.

Members, there will be hosting opportunities for this group. But we are waiting for more details, look out for a email from us soon.

Strengthening Democracy Through Exchange

Check out this Global Ties U.S. article on recent programming and how it has connected the world with U.S. government and human rights experts.

The WAC is hosting a meeting on Monday, August 19th at 6 PM at Tanoan Country Club, 10801 Academy Blvd NE

Join Professor Jeremi Suri as he discusses how The state of American democracy influences the making and reception of U.S. foreign policy.

Current internal divisions and conflicts challenge the nation’s inherited global leadership. What can we do to protect the core interests behind U.S. foreign policy?

GTABQ Members can attend at the member price, please use the link below to register online for the event or use the PDF version.

MEMBERSHIP

Being a GTABQ member means being a Citizen Diplomat,

join us and meet the world!!

We Offer Four Membership Levels:

Member - $60 / Supporter - $120 / Benefactor - $120+ / Student free