At Global Ties Iowa, we focus on the logistics and coordination of facilitating international exchanges for our visitors. At the same time, we strive to involve the eastern Iowa community to create reciprocal exchanges. Whether it is welcoming delegations at the airport, escorting them to professional meetings, or going along with cultural excursions, citizen diplomats can give each international visitor a local perspective and create a welcoming environment. Moreover, volunteers have a chance to interact with international visitors to learn about different cultures in these uniquely opportune ways!
One opportunity Global Ties Iowa promotes is Iowa Table Dinners, where community members can sign up to host international visitors at their homes for dinner. Although the preparation of food and one’s home for guests may sound daunting, this idea should be dispelled. Recently, several students at the University of Iowa have hosted international visitors from their own dormitories and apartments.
One student is Sarah Chen, a second-year student pursuing a major in Public Health and a minor in Global Health Studies. With her friends, Sarah recently hosted four international leaders from Guinea pursuing the project “Enhancing Media Literacy and Combatting Misinformation.” Sarah became interested in the opportunity after hearing about it from Leila Assadi, Communications Coordinator at Global Ties Iowa; Sarah thought it was a unique way to connect Iowa City to different cultures and countries.
Although Sarah had initial worries while preparing for and setting up the dinner, she reflected that they seemed miniscule and emphasizes not to stress over logistical aspects. “They were just very happy to be there and that there was a place for them to go,” Sarah said. “It's more about the interactions and the conversations you're having.”
Her friends and her guests had to work through a language barrier, which was assisted by the presence of an interpreter. Sarah said that the dinner went very smoothly. Overall, she found their conversation to be informational and interesting. She learned about the political and cultural tensions within Guinea, their caste system, how their society has evolved and functioned throughout time, and how these issues have affected their country. Sarah felt that the conversation they had was impactful for her future career and life goals.
“They emphasized that we should acknowledge a lot of the freedoms that we currently have, and we should do our best to use these freedoms we have to foster change and general positive influence in our futures,” Sarah shared as a takeaway of the night. “We should also make an effort to be aware and educate ourselves.”
Another student who has hosted recently is Lilie Wainio, a fourth-year student pursuing majors in Ancient Civilization and Classical Languages with a minor in Art History. Lilie had hosted four international leaders from the Indo-Pacific region exploring “Cooperation on Infrastructure for the Indo-Pacific” after her roommate, Brenda Gao, Social Media and Communications Fellow at Global Ties Iowa, suggested the idea.
“I didn't really know what to expect before they came over because I hadn't really asked a lot of follow up questions about it, but they were incredibly nice,” Lilie said. “I loved hearing about their jobs and their positions in the government and some of the things that they were trying to do for advocacy in their country."
Something Lilie learned was how a Malaysian visitor is collaborating with the Chinese government to help the flooding that happens annually in Malaysia. The conversation also covered what the visitors thought about traveling in the US. “It was cool hearing about people coming from other countries and talking about their first impressions of it,” Lilie said.
Global Ties Iowa would like to thank the students at the University of Iowa for hosting and participating in Iowa Table Dinners. Feel free to read here about MkpoutoAbasi James, a student at Cornell College, and how she hosts delegations at her college’s dining hall.
Iowa Table Dinners are a way to experience new cultures from the comfort of one's home and introduce our international guests to Iowa culture, food, and families, and we encourage you join our mailing list to sign up for future opportunities.
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