From Feb. 17 to 21, we welcomed 15 international leaders from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, the Republic of Kosovo, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom for the program titled “U.S. Foreign Policy – Global Challenges, A Regional Project for Europe.” The aim of their visit to eastern Iowa was to discuss transatlantic relations, the changing roles of institutional organizations, transboundary environmental policy issues, and global trade trends. 

Upon their arrival at the eastern Iowa airport, the leaders were greeted by volunteer Salahaldin Adam. They had the rest of their first day to get settled and explore Iowa City on their own. 

Tuesday, Feb. 18 started with a breakfast with Bala Subramaniam, Vice President on the Global Ties Iowa Board of Directors. After breakfast, the delegation went to the Iowa City Public Library to share their experiences from their city stops. They then went to their next meeting with the Daily Iowan, the independent newspaper of the University of Iowa. Participants met with Executive Director Jami Martin-Trainor, Politics Editors Liam Halawith and Roxy Ekberk to discuss their operations and their roles in sharing information and combatting misinformation. The last meeting of the day was with the Kirkwood Agricultural Faculty at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Associate Professor Josh Henik and the Dean of Agricultural Sciences and Hospitality Arts Brad Kinsinger spoke on their efforts to educate the next generation in agriculture sciences and touched on the effects of foreign policy on agriculture, especially Iowa farmers. That evening, the delegation enjoyed Iowa City on their own.   

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, the delegation started their morning by meeting with Professor Nicholas Martini to discuss his insights on the U.S. electorate with examples from Iowan constituents, and views shaping current foreign policy priorities. After, joined by Global Ties Iowa volunteer Lynn Ouedraogo, they met with Ambassador Ron McMullen to learn about his insights on U.S. foreign policy and the intersection of Iowa politics. Later that evening, the delegation attended a panel discussion moderated by Ambassador Ron McMullen on U.S. foreign policy at the Old Capitol Senate Chambers. The panel was organized in conjunction with the University of Iowa’s Department of Political Science and the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council for participants to discuss transatlantic relations, the changing roles of institutional organizations, transboundary environmental policy issues, and global trade trends. After the panel, they had the night to rest. 

Thursday, Feb. 20 started with traveling to Coe College for a campus tour. After the tour the delegation went to Kirkwood Community College for their meeting with Rep. Ashley Hinson’s office. The meeting was arranged with Georgie Hilby, Rep. Hinson’s District Representative, to discuss recent work on the Farm Bill and how national and international politics impact constituents in Rep. Hinson’s district. The delegation had the remainder of their day free. 

The morning of the delegation’s last day in Iowa City, Feb. 21, started with a synthesis discussion with Dr. Peter Gerlach, Executive Director of the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council (ICFRC). The synthesis was focused on discussing and reflecting upon all professional meetings and cultural visits from their visit to the United States. After the meeting, the delegation departed for Chicago.   

We would like to thank Salahaldin Adam, Bala Subramaniam and Lynn Ouedraogo for volunteering and interacting with the delegation! Additionally, we extend our gratitude to the Iowa City Public Library, Old Capitol Senate Chambers, the Daily Iowan, Kirkwood Community College, University of Iowa’s Department of Political Science, the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, Coe College, and Representative Ashley Hinson’s office for serving as our professional resources for this program! We appreciate the time and effort you have taken to engage with our delegation.  

Nga 13 deri më 18 prill të kaluar, ne pritëm një delegacion shumë-rajonal të IVLP-së (International Visitor Leadership Program) për një program të titulluar "Rinia dhe Angazhimi Qytetar". Anëtarët e këtij delegacioni kishin një sërë profesionesh dhe përfaqësonin Shqipërinë, Bahreinin, Ekuadorin, Italinë, Libanin, Nepalin, Poloninë dhe Vietnamin. Koha e tyre në Iowa synonte të eksploronte strategjitë e udhëheqjes, komunikimit dhe avokimit për të lehtësuar fuqizimin social dhe drejtësinë.

Ata mbërritën në aeroportin e Iowa-s Lindore të martën pasdite dhe u përshëndetën nga vullnetarët Eddy Djagou dhe John Menninger. Pasi mbërritën në hotelin e tyre në Iowa City, pjesa tjetër e pasdites dhe e mbrëmjes së tyre ishte falas për të eksploruar qytetin. Iowa Lindore po përjetonte mot veçanërisht të mirë në këtë kohë, duke u dhënë atyre një mundësi të shkëlqyer për të ecur përreth dhe për të parë studentët dhe banorët lokalë.

Mëngjesin tjetër, Drejtoresha Ekzekutive Amy Alice Chastain dhe Koordinatorja e Programit Bailey Shafer hëngrën mëngjes me delegacionin në hotelin e tyre përpara se të hipnin në autobus për takimin e tyre të parë. Ken & Gayle Royar u takuan me ta në Cedar Rapids në United Way e Iowa-s Qendrore Lindore. Atje, Karey Chase, Zëvendëspresidentja e Ndikimit në Komunitet, diskutoi se si United Way bashkëpunon me donatorët, organizatat jofitimprurëse, politikëbërësit publikë, udhëheqësit e komunitetit dhe bizneset e zonës për të adresuar sfidat me të cilat përballet komuniteti.  

Më pas, ata hipën përsëri në autobusin e tyre dhe u nisën për në Marion për t'u takuar me kryebashkiakun Nicolas AbouAssaly dhe anëtarët e Këshillit Rinor të Kryetarit të Bashkisë Marion. Ky program u ofron nxënësve të shkollave të mesme në komunitet mundësinë për t'u angazhuar në takime mujore me kryetarin e bashkisë për të diskutuar projektet e vazhdueshme të komunitetit, punë të ndryshme në komunitet dhe se si vendimmarrja aktuale do të ndikojë në qytet në afat të gjatë. Ata hëngrën drekë së bashku përpara se delegacioni të kthehej në Iowa City në orët e para të pasdites.

Pas një pushimi të shkurtër, ata shkuan në takimin e tyre të radhës me Qeverinë Studentore universitare të Universitetit të Iowa-s. Të shoqëruar nga Koordinatorja e Komunikimit Abby Fowler dhe praktikanti i mediave sociale dhe tregimit Jaclin Thompson, ata takuan Presidentin Patrick Johnson, Zëvendëspresidenten Vera Barkosky dhe Drejtoreshën e Kabinetit Airiana Mohr në Unionin Përkujtimor të Iowa-s (Iowa Memorial Union). Ata diskutuan mbi funksionimin e Qeverisë Studentore Universitare dhe delegacioni pati shumë pyetje në lidhje me procesin e tyre zgjedhor dhe operacionet.

Përfundimi i këtij takimi përkoi në mënyrë perfekte me Festën e Basketbollit të Grave në Iowa, një ngjarje e madhe që feston sezonin e suksesshëm të ekipit me fjalime nga lojtarët dhe trajnerët. Jaclin i shoqëroi ata në festë dhe, si një ish-nxitëse e tifozëve të Iowa-s, u rezervoi një trajtim VIP duke i prezantuar me ekipin e Spirit Squad. Delegacioni mezi priste të përjetonte festimet e kampusit dhe u argëtua shumë.

Në mëngjesin e së shtunës, më 15 prill, delegacioni vizitoi Fshatin Historik Kalona si një aktivitet kulturor. Turneu i tyre përfshiu vizita në fermën Amish Dairy Goat dhe Kalona Buggy Shop, të shoqëruar nga anëtari i Bordit, Newman Abuissa.

Pasditja e tyre u përfshi nga Journey the World, një ngjarje për skautet vajza të të gjitha moshave, familjet e tyre, miqtë dhe anëtarët e komuniteteve përreth. Vizitorët, së bashku me Maria Õunap nga Estonia, ndanë kohën e tyre në kabinën e Global Ties Iowa, duke u lidhur me të rinjtë vendas dhe duke iu përgjigjur pyetjeve rreth kulturës dhe jetës në vendet e tyre të origjinës. Ata u angazhuan me më shumë se 150 vajza dhe familjet e tyre, duke përdorur një glob për të treguar vendet nga vinin dhe për të ilustruar sa larg kishin udhëtuar për të mbërritur në lindje të Iowa-s.

Dita e nesërme ishte e mbushur me më shumë ekskursione kulturore. Në mëngjes, ata vizituan Kolonitë e Amana-s dhe u shoqëruan nga anëtarja e Bordit, Katie Ron, dhe babai i saj, një banor i përjetshëm i Amana-s, që shërbeu si udhërrëfyes. Ata patën gjithashtu kohë të lirë për të eksploruar dhe për të ngrënë drekë. Pasdite, ata vizituan Muzeun e Artit Cedar Rapids për një turne të vetëdrejtuar, të shoqëruar nga Ken dhe Gayle Royar.

“[Më] pëlqeu shumë të njihja komunitete dhe kultura të reja në SHBA, si Amish dhe Menonitët,” tha Edward Bitar nga Libani, një prej pjesëmarrësve dhe bashkëthemelues i organizatës rinore Live Love Lebanon. “Njerëzit ishin shumë të hapur për të ndarë traditat dhe historitë e tyre me ne.”

Më pas, delegacioni u nda për të marrë pjesë në darkat e Iowa Table Dinners. Gjysma e grupit u mikprit nga Alissa Meggitt, ndërsa gjysma tjetër nga Ashley dhe Matt Lau.

“[Ishte] një përvojë shumë e mrekullueshme me familjen amerikane. Ne [diskutuam] kulturën dhe sistemin tuaj arsimor me vajzat [tuaj] bukuroshe. Falenderim i madh për familjen Ashley dhe Matt [Laux] për mikpritjen e mahnitshme,” tha pjesëmarrësi Hem Prasad Poudel nga Nepali. Hem është Koordinatori i Programit të American Corner (AC) Ilam.

E hëna, 17 prill, ishte dita e fundit e programit të tyre. Ata e nisën me një takim me Jacobson Institute for Youth në Bibliotekën Publike të Iowa City-t, të shoqëruar nga Bailey Shafer. Drejtoresha Dawn Bowlus shpjegoi sesi programi ka ndihmuar në zhvillimin e iniciativave të    sipërmarrjes për të rinjtë në Universitetin e Iowa-s dhe sesi po u mësojnë brezave të rinj mendësinë sipërmarrëse.

Aktiviteti i tyre i fundit ishte vullnetarizmi me Table to Table, një organizatë që shpëton ushqimin e ngrënshëm nga shpërdorimi dhe e shpërndan atë për ata që kanë nevojë. Të shoqëruar nga vullnetari Steve Merkel-Hess, delegacioni ndihmoi në organizimin dhe ngarkimin e ushqimeve në kamion.

Ata u nisën të nesërmen në mëngjes për në San Diego, Kaliforni.

Faleminderit Eddy Djagou, John Menninger, Newman Abuissa, Ken dhe Gayle Royar, Katie Ron dhe babai i saj, Abby Fowler, Jaclin Thompson, Ashley dhe Matt Laux, Alissa Meggitt, Bailey Shafer, Maria ometunap dhe Steve Merkel-Hess për vullnetarizmin me këtë grup. Shumë nga vizitorët tanë u shprehën se Iowa ishte pjesa e tyre e preferuar e programit, falë mikpritjes dhe mirësisë suaj!

“Vullnetarët [ishin] aq miqësorë dhe mbështetës për çdo hap të udhëtimit tonë. Nuk u ndjeva kurrë vetëm për shkak të tyre kaq shumë falë tyre. Gjithashtu mësova shumë gjëra nga ata rreth tyre për Iowa City dhe sistemit arsimor të SHBA-së”, tha Hem.

"Vullnetarët ishin të mrekullueshëm dhe pjesëmarrësit e njohën dhe ishin mirënjohës për kontributin e tyre në bërjen e programit të suksesshëm," tha ndërlidhësi Ronn Francis.

Faleminderit gjithashtu United Way të Iowa-s Qendrore Lindore, kryebashkiakut Nicolas AbouAssaly, Këshillit Rinor të Kryetarit të Bashkisë Marion, Qeverisë Studentore universitare të Universitetit të Iowa-s, Institutit Jacobson për Rininë dhe Table to Table për veprimin si burimet profesionale në këtë program! Për më tepër, faleminderit Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa dhe Western Illinois për ftesën për të marrë pjesë në Journey the World. Nuk do të kishim mundësinë të lidhim botën me zemrën e Amerikës pa ndihmën tuaj dhe kohën që ndatë për të ndarë njohuritë dhe përvojat tuaja!

Përkthyer nga Ani Jilavyan

Shqyrtuar nga Marigona Gashi

Më 14 qershor, delegacioni mbërriti në hotelin e tyre pasdite dhe e kishte të lirë pjesën e mbetur të mbrëmjes.

Të nesërmen në mëngjes, vullnetarja Amanda Potterfield shoqëroi delegacionin në Departamentin e Policisë së Iowa City-s dhe u takua me Koordinatoren e Shërbimeve të Viktimave Ann Thompson. Ata diskutuan rolin që luan Departamenti i Policisë së Iowa City-s në reagimin ndaj dhunës në familje, sulmeve seksuale dhe përndjekjes, si dhe për pozicionin e Ann-it në bashkëpunimin e ngushtë me zbatimin e ligjit dhe ndërlidhësin e shëndetit mendor të departamentit në ndjekjen e viktimave të të gjitha krimeve.

Pasi u takuan me Ann Thompson, delegacioni udhëtoi me vullnetarin Steve Merkel-Hess në North Hall. Ata patën mundësinë të takohen me profesorin e asociuar në Shkollën e Punës Sociale të Universitetit të Iowa-s, Carolyn Copps Hartley, Ph.D., MSW, dhe mësuan për hulumtimet që Shkolla e Punës Sociale ka bërë mbi dhunën në familje dhe se si po i përdorin ato për të formësuar edukimin që adreson dhunën në familje. Për më tepër, ata eksploruan hulumtimet e Hartley-t mbi përmirësimin e përgjigjeve ligjore penale dhe civile ndaj dhunës në marrëdhëniet intime dhe procesin e gjykimit për sjellje të pahijshme seksuale në kampus.

Pas takimit, delegacioni u dërgua në Programin e Ndërhyrjes ndaj Dhunës në Familje.

Ata u takuan me Delaney Dixon dhe Koordinatoren e Vullnetarëve të Programit të Ndërhyrjes ndaj Dhunës në Familje, Allison Tippy, ku patën mundësinë të vizitojnë shtëpinë, të shërbejnë si vullnetarë dhe të dëgjojnë nga përfaqësuesit e organizatës rreth shërbimeve të mbështetjes dhe avokimit për viktimat e dhunës në familje në Iowa-n juglindore.

Pjesën tjetër të mbrëmjes e kishin të lirë për të eksploruar Iowa City sipas dëshirës së tyre.

Ditën tjetër, të shoqëruar nga Praktikantja e Programit Anna Peach, delegacioni e filloi mëngjesin e hershëm në një sallë konferencash të hollit të hotelit të tyre me Programin e Abuzimit në Familje të Iowa-s (IDAP) të Distriktit të Gjashtë Gjyqësor të Iowa-s. Ata u takuan personalisht me Koordinatorin e Trajtimit në Komunitet Joey Matousek dhe online me Koordinatorin e Pranimit të Meshkujve Cleo Hester për të diskutuar programet e duhura të ndërhyrjes dhe lehtësimit.

Në të njëjtën sallë takimi, të shoqëruar nga vullnetarja Jane McMullen, ata u takuan me Ndihmën Ligjore të Iowa-s. Me avokaten e stafit dhe Presidenten e Shoqatës së Avokatëve të Qarkut Johnson, Daphney Daniel, ata diskutuan çështjet rreth strehimit të drejtë.

Pas takimeve, ata kishin pak kohë të lirë për drekë.

Për takimin e tyre të fundit, vullnetarja Marianne Weiss u takua me delegacionin për takimin e tyre me West Liberty Index në WeLead, West Liberty. Së bashku, ata u takuan me redaktoren Xiomara Levsen e cila ndau përvojën dhe këndvështrimin e saj mbi raportimin gazetaresk të dhunës në familje.

Për pjesën tjetër të mbrëmjes, delegacioni pati mundësinë të eksplorojë Festimin e Juneteenth në Sheshin e Këmbësorëve në qendër të Iowa City.

Ne do të donim të shprehnim mirënjohjen tonë për Departamentin e Policisë së Iowa City, Shkollën e Punës Sociale të Universitetit të Iowa-s, Programin e Ndërhyrjes ndaj Dhunës në Familje, Programin e Abuzimit në Familje të Distriktit të Gjashtë Gjyqësor të Iowa-s, Ndihmën Ligjore të Iowa-s, dhe West Liberty Index për shërbimin si burim profesional në këtë program! Gjithashtu, falenderime të veçanta për Amanda Potterfield, Steve Merkel-Hess, Anna Peach, Jane McMullen, dhe Marianne Weiss për vullnetarizimin e kohës së tyre për të qenë me këtë delegacion!

Përkthyer nga Ani Jilavyan

Rishikuar nga Marigona Gashi

熟悉我们组织的人都知道，我们常接待国际领导人，以支持维护爱荷华州东部的公民外交活动。今年夏天，我们的许多员工有令人高兴的机会参与这场国际交流。6 月 21 日至 7 月 1 日，我们办公室的六名学生将与爱荷华大学的三名学生以及我们的执行主任艾米·爱丽丝·查斯坦一起前往中国福州，参加名为 “与鼓岭情缘：2024中美青年节”的文化交流活动。 

这个机会是由当地合作伙伴托尼·约瑟夫首次向我们办公室介绍的，他当时正在寻求招募 9 到10名爱荷华大学学生参加此次中国交流活动。此次交流源于中国国家主席习近平2023年11月访美。在那里，他宣布中国将在未来 5 年内邀请 5 万名美国青年来华访问。

抵达福州后，我们的团队将与其他数百名美国大学生会合。注册完毕后，我们将进行为期一周的各种各样的活动：如篝火会谈、圆桌会议、青年博览会等等。在返美前，所有参加交流活动的人员都可以选择访问中国的另一个城市。我们的代表团将前往南京进行“文化遗产与绿色经济”的参观。我们将在南京停留三天，从而有更多机会深​​入探索中国文化。  

我们南京访问行程的一些亮点包括参观南京洪山森林动物园，以助我们更好地了解动物福利和物种保护的知识，同时我们还体验动物饲养工作。我们还将参观南京夫子庙、中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所、小西湖历史街区、南京中国科举博物馆等！

请关注我们的社交媒体账号，以获取在这次重要而令人激动的交流访问过程中的最新消息！

翻译：阿尼·吉拉维扬

由戴安娜·张审核

代表团抵达酒店后，爱荷华州全球联系组织（Global Ties Iowa）执行主任艾米•爱丽丝•查斯坦对他们表示欢迎。第二天一早，他们在志愿者埃伦•奥辛斯卡的陪同下步行前往约翰逊县法院。在州公共辩护人办公室，代表团会见了约翰逊县检察官瑞秋•齐默尔曼•史密斯、爱荷华州助理公共辩护人马特•希曼诺夫斯基和地区副法官杰森•伯恩斯。他们一起讨论了爱荷华州在刑事、青少年和其他符合条件的诉讼中的法律代表问题。之后，代表团进行了一些自由活动。

晚上，代表团乘车前往董事会主席艾伦•伯杰隆和利兹•伯杰隆的家中，参加了爱荷华州的餐桌晚宴。晚宴开始时，来宾们与退休的马萨诸塞州公设辩护人斯科特•米勒进行互动，他也是晚宴的特邀嘉宾之一。

第二天，代表团在阿玛纳殖民地与志愿者特拉维斯•维维安会面，游览了一些历史遗迹。在阿马纳，他们遇到了向导埃利斯•海特曼女士，她向代表团介绍了阿玛娜殖民地的历史。代表团随后参观了另外两个阿曼纳遗产遗址。随后，部分代表团与来自巴基斯坦的代表团以及艾米•爱丽丝•查斯坦和玛丽亚•乌纳普一起，在爱荷华州韦尔曼的农场享用披萨。

在周末剩下的时间里，代表团在自由活动时间内参观了爱荷华市市中心举行的爱荷华艺术节和其他有趣的景点。

6月5日星期一上午，地区副法官杰森•伯恩斯邀请代表团观察刑事法院诉讼过程。观摩结束后，代表团进行自由活动，随后在元素酒店会议室会见了林恩县辩护律师事务所的工作人员亚伦•埃迪。在这次会面中，他们讨论了林恩县辩护律师事务所不仅从事法院指定的工作，还为有需要的人提供法律咨询，无论是成人刑事案件，还是青少年犯罪案件。亚伦强调了其律所如何确保有能力和受过良好教育的律师在刑事司法系统内外为人们提供服务。

晚上剩下的时间内，代表团可以自由参观游览爱荷华州东部的风光。第二天早上，他们启程前往得克萨斯州的埃尔帕索。

我们想对约翰逊县检察官、州公设辩护人办公室、伯恩斯副法官、阿曼纳遗产协会和林县倡导者在本项目中作为我们的专业资源表示感谢！我们感谢您抽出时间与我们的访客互动！

感谢我们的志愿者艾米•爱丽丝•查斯坦、艾伦•奥辛斯卡、莉兹•贝热龙、艾伦•贝热龙、玛丽亚•奥纳普、塔维斯•维维安，以及特别嘉宾斯科特•米勒，让东爱荷华的游客们度过了特别的时光！

译者：Ani Jilavyan

审阅者：Diana Zhang

Please join us in welcoming Diana Zhang, one of our new Translation Interns! 

Diana Zhang, coming from Beijing, China, is in her fourth year at the University of Iowa double majoring in English and Creative Writing and Translation. She works with Korean and is currently self-studying Cantonese.  

Diana enjoys learning foreign languages. Being a native speaker of Mandarin, she started learning English while attending an elementary international school. In high school her interest in K-pop and K-dramas made her study Korean first by herself on Duolingo, and then for three semesters at the University of Iowa. “Me and my friends thought it’s cool to study Korean so that one day we’d go to South Korea. We’ll be able to talk to the idols,” she said. As her mom speaks Cantonese and her family enjoys Hong Kongese movies, she also started learning Cantonese.  

Diana got interested in translation after her friends told her that it is hard to find good translations for the Chinese fanfiction they like. “I thought it would be nice to translate for them, so I chose the translation major,” she said. Her path in writing was influenced by her mom and one of her aunts who are writers in Taiwan. 

Diana’s English was not always so good. She remembers a story from her first time visiting the United States when she attended summer school as a young teenager. One day, she went to McDonald’s with her friends who were also from China. The cashier had asked them if they wanted to dine in or take it to go. Diana thought that the cashier meant that they had to eat it there, or else they had to go. She felt upset that the person was rude to them. “We were super scared, and we had to eat there, even if we did not want to. We missed one of our afternoon classes because of eating there,” she said.  

Diana is going to use her writing and language skills as a communication specialist in the future and will start graduate school in August. She will be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Communication Management at the University of Southern California.  

Funnily enough, her childhood dream job was on the opposite side of the spectrum, where there was no communication involved. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a forensic pathologist because I was really introverted and didn’t want to deal with people.” Her introversion was connected to the fact that China was quarantining because of an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) until she was 3 years old. Because of the situation, she did not interact with people and was very nervous when strangers approached and wanted to talk to her.  

However, the love for the dark and mysterious did not leave Diana. For her translation capstone project, she is working on an English translation of a Korean dark fairy tale collection that was part of a play. “These fairy tales are dark, but I think they teach you a lot of life lessons,” she said. 

Diana applied for this position after talking with her translation advisor. The Bachelor of Arts in Translation coursework requirements include Outreach and Engagement in the form of an internship or study abroad. Diana’s advisor recommended Global Ties Iowa, where her classmate Jason Ly had an internship the semester before.  

As a Translation Intern, Diana will be researching critical languages needed for visiting international leaders and target languages for community engagement in eastern Iowa. She will also be recruiting language users of identified languages and translating communications materials and media. She is going to help with Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean translations. 

In her spare time, she likes trying new things. She currently enjoys playing video games with her boyfriend and having boba tea whenever possible. She is motivated by her parents and her boyfriend. She recalls that her dad’s words are always wise and inspiring. Once he said to her, “You don’t have to be good at everything, but you have to at least have an expertise in something,” which she found very motivational. She hopes to travel a lot in the future, especially to Switzerland which is her favorite European country.  

We are excited to have Diana on the team as a new Translation Intern! Welcome to the team!  

Since retiring from elementary school teaching in the Mid-Prairie Community School District 11 years ago, Mary Gregg has been looking for activities and organizations in the community that are meaningful and that she wants to be involved in. These include attending programs at the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, volunteering at the Coralville Community Food Pantry, and helping with activities at the League of Women Voters. 

Mary first heard about Global Ties Iowa from Liz Bergeron, our President on the Global Ties Iowa Board of Directors, while playing pickleball together. It was the first time she had heard about Global Ties Iowa, and after checking our organization out, she liked our mission and started volunteering with us. 

Mary has been a volunteer since April 2024 and has been especially active in Airport Greeting, where volunteers greet visitors at the airport to welcome them from the moment they arrive in eastern Iowa. She was awarded the Warm Welcome Award at the Global Ties Iowa 2024 Annual Meeting for “exemplifying a warm welcome from the moment our visitors arrive.” 

Mary has also volunteered to escort our international leaders to their various programmed events, having the opportunity to engage with them and learn about the cultures of others. Mary said, “I was fortunate to spend an afternoon at Table to Table with several international leaders. There was time to get to interact with them, and I remember one question a gentleman asked [after he knew I had visited his country] was, ‘How are our two countries different?’ He seemed to appreciate the things that were much better in his country than in the U.S., and that I was frank and honest about these differences.” 

In her free time, Mary loves to travel, trying to go abroad three times a year; earlier this winter, Mary visited the Amazon rainforest and Easter Island. She loves learning about new places and usually takes notes about information she learns from guides. She also enjoys interacting with and learning from locals and tries to leave a good impression herself.  

Mary said, “I think a certain amount of people have biases about those who live in different areas of the world. I have seen this in my personal travels, and I want to leave a good impression on the people I meet in whatever country I am visiting, so if they have had a negative experience with a fellow American, maybe they will realize not all Americans fit that stereotype.” 

In that same vein, Mary recognizes the importance of hospitality and cultural exchange in her home country. “One person, one kind act, can go a long way to ease an international visitor as feeling welcome and validated in our country. Having a positive experience can reshape any preconceived ideas about America and its citizens. These are leaders from their country, so their views are important when returning to their country. 

As advice for those considering volunteering with Global Ties Iowa, Mary said, “Be authentic, genuine, and welcoming. Accept and honor the cultures of others and remember they are our guests, and you are the host. This is sometimes their first trip to America, so a smile and a sincere handshake go a long way. People who enjoy meeting other people should volunteer for Global Ties Iowa as you get back more than you give.” 

Following 30 years of work in foreign service, Jane McMullen and her husband, Ambassador Ron McMullen, moved back to Iowa City in 2012. After being at American embassies overseas, the McMullens wanted to keep their international “fix” by looking for organizations related to international relations. They found that “fix” after attending a Global Ties Iowa (then CIVIC) event, with Jane joining the Board of Directors in 2013.  

Jane considers herself to have been a citizen diplomat her whole life. While overseas, she was the face of America and took that role seriously; Jane sees Global Ties Iowa as a continuation of that role. As Iowa City is her hometown, it gives her a chance to represent the local color of the area and see how Iowa City has changed over the years.  

In the over 10 years the McMullens have been involved with Global Ties Iowa, one of the most impactful and memorable experiences was Groundhog Day 2015. A volunteer call was sent out for a home hospitality for a group of 12 international leaders from Southeast Asia, coinciding with the McMullens annual Groundhog Day party. They decided to invite the group to the party, which had over 50 people in attendance, including University of Iowa students and faculty, townspeople, neighbors, friends, and the delegation. Almost a year later, Jane was in Washington D.C. for the Global Ties Annual Meeting and talked with a Meridian programmer who had heard about the party from the delegation, showing the profound impact the McMullens had on that delegation.  

In response to why supporting citizen diplomacy is so important, Jane said, “The world we live in has a lot of fear, distrust, and misconceptions.” People-to-people exchange allows for dialogue and discussion that are transformational and leads to understanding. Jane also pointed out the importance of our name change—CIVIC to Global Ties Iowa—because it emphasizes the connection that our office organizes.  

For advice to new volunteers, Jane says to “jump right in!” All that is required is curiosity and openness, both of which open doors to a rewarding and horizon-broadening experience. International visitors are always grateful to meet with volunteers and learn about their lives and eastern Iowan cultures and traditions. It also gives volunteers pride in our community and a sense of civic engagement and purpose.  

Jane also enumerated many ways of giving that exist at Global Ties Iowa: time, generosity, service, and financial. Volunteering is a gift of time, and delegations are often impressed by the extent of volunteering in the United States. Iowa Table Dinners are the gifts of generosity, time, and money, while serving on committees and the Board of Directors are gifts of time and energy. Financial giving is always important because nonprofits need community support and sponsorships; though we are a volunteer driven organization, there are real costs associated with office space rental, staffing, and more.  It is important to note that donations to Global Ties Iowa are qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from an IRA and can reduce taxable income for individuals over 70.5 years old. 

Jane gives to Global Ties Iowa because she believes in the mission of connecting the world and the heartland. For more information about giving, we encourage you to explore our website for volunteer opportunities, financial donations, and more. To learn more about the "Why I Give" campaign, read Melissa Bates' blog post here.

Photos from the Groundhog Day party

Earlier this year, Apols Garmay of the Philippines was in Iowa City as a Fellow for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP). YSEALI PFP is a fully funded exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. YSEALI PFP provides emerging leaders from Southeast Asia the opportunity to spend five to six weeks in the United States, gaining professionally relevant fellowship experiences at non-profit, public, or private sector organizations.

While in Iowa City, Apols was hosted by Jon and Donna Buswell, and her placement company was Field to Family, a nonprofit organization that increases access to and education around healthy local food.

Apols is the founder of her own social enterprise called Hidden Manna Farms. Hidden Manna Farms helps rural farmers with training, giving them digital tools and new farming ideas to be more competitive in the market. It also helps connect farmers with bigger markets. Prior to the foundation of Hidden Manna Farms, farmers would have to go through a middleman to connect with bigger markets; with Apols’ help, they can make the connection themselves.  

The idea for Hidden Manna Farms came to Apols while she was growing up in the Philippines—in the same area where Hidden Manna Farm operates today. She could see the constant circle of poverty for farmers and thought about what she could do to help alleviate it. Today, Apols is also active in security and poverty reduction, two developmental areas that the Philippines currently lacks in. 

Apols applied to be a fellow for YSEALI PFP as a way to enhance her capabilities in leading an organization. Apols humorously said that, prior to being placed in Iowa City, “I did not know Iowa existed.” Upon arriving in the state, she was impressed with the vast acres of corn and soybeans crops. She was also extremely grateful to her host family and organization in exposing her to American culture, which she compared to Filipino culture.  

In the Philippines, the workday is typically 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with some overtime. Businesses are also stricter in hierarchy, with bosses deciding; it also is not possible approach a superior with an idea, as there are different levels of leadership that need to approve it first. While working at Field to Family, Apols noticed that employees are usually able to leave once their tasks are completed. Additionally, the boss would ask Apols about her ideas and recommendations to improve their business.  

About American culture, Apols found that Americans are more direct than Filipinos usually are. Surprised by this cultural difference, it took Apols a few days before knowing how to respond. This direct communication is something Apols ended up bringing back to and implementing in the Philippines.  

The most impactful memory Apols has from her time in Iowa City was talking with different people, including Amish farmers, the Hispanic community, and the Meskwaki people. These interactions with people both younger and older taught Apols about American culture and the history and people of Iowa.  

Apols wanted to share her YSEALI PFP experience to encourage other people in her community to apply to the YSEALI Professional Fellows Program, where young professionals can develop their leadership and entrepreneurial skills. “I encourage them to join the program. It will help in their career, enhance their personal skills, and teach them organizational support in preparing for the future,” Apols said.  

We are extremely grateful to Apols for sharing her story and encouraging others in her community to apply for YSEALI. We look forward to future programming and working with future fellows of YSEALI PFP.  

Welcome to the first post in our “Why I Give” series, where we spotlight the inspiring stories of individuals who support Global Ties Iowa through their unique contributions. Whether through hosting, volunteering, or donating, there are many ways to give and make a lasting impact. We begin this series with Melissa Bates, who gives by welcoming international professional fellows into her company. By opening her doors, Melissa helped foster cultural understanding and professional growth. 

Melissa is the Founder and CEO of LSF Medical Solutions, a business she founded in 2022. LSF Medical Solutions is dedicated to building a highly sensitive remote lung monitoring device that provides real-time feedback to providers for patients with chronic lung disease, enabling them, their family, and providers to make treatment decisions. 

Melissa got involved with Global Ties Iowa when she hosted participants from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP) in April 2024. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Global Ties Iowa facilitates YSEALI PFP by placing exceptional young professionals with U.S. organizations. The partnership benefits not only the participant but also their U.S. hosts and colleagues, who are able to learn about a different country and culture, as well as receive valuable assistance at the organization where the Fellow is placed. 

This spring, Melissa hosted Nicole Yap, a young professional from Singapore and the Head of TechLadies, an NGO that supports women with networking, education, and mentorship for their careers in technical roles. Nicole came into YSEALI PFP aiming to engage with tech experts implementing innovative tech-for-good solutions and projects.  

While at LSF Medical Solutions, Nicole worked primarily out of their research lab with various members of the team. She worked on project planning and initial work for their new medical device measuring lung function. She honed her project management skills while learning about doing business in Iowa. 

“[Nicole] had worked within her government structure. A lot of what we're doing within my company is trying to understand within our state’s institution, ‘How do we work better.’ Every day, she showed up and gave us feedback,” Melissa said. “She's probably the most careful person I've ever worked with.” 

Following their placement in a U.S. company, YSEALI PFP Fellows are required to write a competitively judged reciprocal exchange proposal. Usually being the U.S. placement host, reciprocal exchanges are designed to use the skills the YSEALI Fellow obtained in the U.S. and address a challenge or project they are tackling in their home community. Melissa will be traveling to Singapore in January 2025 to implement her and Nicole’s approved project.  

A topic Melissa and Nicole connected over was the issue of getting underrepresented populations, such as women and queer people, involved in technology. As a part of Melissa’s reciprocal exchange, she will speak for Nicole’s program to enrich the Singapore government.   

Beyond YSEALI PFP, Melissa has had several direct experiences with people from Global Ties Iowa. She is currently working with Dr. Lucy Amaniyo, a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow at the University of Iowa. She also hosted Redis Bala from Albania this fall for the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) Fellowship Program. She said that everyone she has met through Global Ties Iowa has been “exceptional,” aligned with her and her focus, and is appreciative of the collaborative growth.  

Regarding hosting for YSEALI PFP and YTILI, Melissa emphasized, “These aren’t interns. These are people who come internationally and scrutinize your business and give you real feedback [...] They look at your business within their vision, and that’s very valuable.” 

When asked about what she would say to someone who might consider working with Global Ties Iowa, Melissa said, “You should every time. You’re going to get a leader from another country to come give you a global perspective on what you're doing. That is incredible.” 

Melissa’s story is a powerful reminder that giving can take many forms, from donations to professional mentorship. Through our “Why I Give” campaign, we’ll continue to share stories like hers, inviting you to join us in building a more connected world. Support Global Ties Iowa today to help make more experiences like this possible. 

Global Ties Iowa works to facilitate international exchanges beyond the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). For the first time in our organization’s history, we welcomed participants from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (YSEALI PFP)  and the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (ILYEP). These exchange programs are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Both programs focus on cultivating leadership skills and fostering inter-cultural connections, for entrepreneurs and young students respectively.  

This fall, we coordinated YSEALI PFP again and added the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) Fellowship Program for the first time. These two programs are professional development programs where finalists are placed with a U.S. organization relevant to their professional experiences and interests. Fellowship placements are individually tailored and take place over the course of four business weeks. 

YTILI focuses on strengthening the transatlantic relationship and developing sustainable partnerships between U.S. and European entrepreneurs and innovators. For the Fall 2024 program, Global Ties Iowa helped placed three fellows in eastern Iowa. One fellow was Danielle du Plooy, Founder and Manager at Uppertunity, who was placed with Andre Wright, Founder of Wright House of Fashion.  

Danielle was born in South Africa, and currently lives in Dundee, Scotland. Her primary focus is art psychotherapy, therapy that works with trauma and the unconscious using art, movement and creativity. As an entrepreneur, she runs Uppertunity, a Scottish nonprofit working with adults with learning disabilities and autism. Uppertunity provides a range of services and social activities that promote empowerment for individuals and integration into the community, including programs developing cooking & baking and gardening & outdoor skills. Danielle also founded a citywide project called Changemakers and the leadership service provider Determined Dandelions. 

Wright House of Fashion, a Global Ties Iowa professional resource partner, is an educational facility for creatives that provides classes and workshops for those who want to learn graphic design, fashion, and marketing. It also coordinates empowering events for the community, such as its recent Empowering and Awakening Series including Leaders, Movers and Shakers, an interactive workshop involving local entrepreneurs and a workshop on the power of vulnerability and resilience, and Community Fridge Kick Off & Upcycling, where Wright House of Fashion recently debuted Iowa City Community Fridge, a structure in its parking lot that is open for donation or pickup of food at any time of the day for those with food insecurity. 

Andre began working with Global Ties Iowa this year when he had a conversation with Amy Alice Chastain, Executive Director, about how they can strengthen collaborations. They have since worked on a few projects together, including a screen-printing workshop for the Impact of Exchange exhibit and a workshop with Iraqi and Kurdish students from IYLEP.  

Danielle was invited to apply to YTILI and thought it would be a really good experience. She is a strong believer of growing by getting out of one’s comfort zones, learning from others, and not setting any expectations. When asked about how Wright House of Fashion aligns with her professional goals, Danielle said they were “so similar, it’s quite scary,” and expressed that they have shared values in empowerment and vulnerability. 

 Andre recalls Danielle’s arrival, how she slowly learned about Wright House of Fashion and its operations and took charge of leadership within the first couple of weeks. Andre said that Danielle helped them manage the organization in new ways in terms of programming, coordination, and funding. She also helped them consolidate their vision. “She's helped us think outside of the box when it comes to what our organization offers to Iowa City,” Andre said.  

In October, Danielle led Creative Therapy Workshops at Wright House of Fashion as a part of its Empowering and Awakening Series. The activity involved movement, guided meditation, and art activities, aiming to awaken potential through exploring one’s identity or journey. Danielle had also explored other opportunities Iowa City has to offer through art therapy sessions. 

At the host city, YTILI fellows were with their host organizations every Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, Global Ties Iowa arranged professional development opportunities for fellows on topic themes, including Incubators & Networking, Social Responsibility in Business, and Innovation/AI. Regarding the Friday programming, Danielle said, “It’s a whole day with lots of communities. It’s networking and seeing how other people work as well, which has been really good.” 

Andre emphasized that he made a lifelong friend and can anticipate keeping in touch with Danielle for years to come. “Those relationships can’t be replaced. I can’t say enough about her and our experiences together.” Not only did Andre and Danielle give each other new techniques to utilize in business, but they also support each other’s strengths. Danielle recounted herself reminding Andre of his impact in the local community, and Andre looks forward to supporting Danielle’s endeavors in Scotland.  

“Those relationships can’t be replaced. I can’t say enough about her and our experiences together.” - Andre Wright, Founder of Wright House of Fashion

As a part of YTILI and following the U.S. fellowship placement, fellows are eligible to apply for a Reciprocal Exchange Project. "Part of this program is we can then pitch an idea. We can pick any American host that we’ve met,” Danielle said. If accepted, American partners can travel to the YTILI Fellow’s home country and support the design and implementation of a local project. 

Eager to continue their partnership, Andre and Danielle applied for a Reciprocal Exchange Project in her home of Dundee, Scotland. The American Fellows will be selected by the end of November. If selected, they will implement their project in spring 2025.  

Andre and Danielle’s idea project proposal is to use fashion activism to raise awareness about environmental issues, while also fostering a stronger sense of identity and empowerment in brand creation. Danielle currently uses fashion in her work at Uppertunity, where individuals learn practical skills as they upcycle and sell clothes. “I'm a big advocate of fashion as an identity and fashion for changing the world,” Danielle said. “Artists are being suffocated because they can't put out their designs because of fast fashion. So, we're disempowering by buying those fast fashion clothes. We want to emphasize [buying local].”  

On the significance of cultural exchange, Andre said, “Culture is the world's currency, and learning about other people's culture is the best way to grow as a human being and to truly understand humanity and to truly.”  

“We have to challenge our perceptions quite regularly and experience other things,” Danielle said. “Through conversations, I can get more of an understanding. I can build empathy. It can then help me respond better to others.” 

When asked about other Iowa City businesses considering collaboration with international visitors, Andre said, if given the opportunity, “to run at the opportunity with open arms.” He mentioned benefits of obtaining a diverse mindset, diverse ideas, and new opportunities for local organizations to grow in unprecedented ways. 

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. 

Founded by Sikowis Nobiss, Great Plains Action Society is an Indigenous grassroots organization that, though based in Iowa City, works broadly in the Great Plains region. Marie Krebs, the Managing Director of Great Plains Action Society, explained that the organization's central initiatives include Protect the Sacred, which works with missing indigenous relatives and their families; Land Defense, which focuses on climate and environment; Representation; and Civic Engagement.

The organization also aids the broader Great Plains region as a whole. Recently, Marie is working to support Linn-Mar High School students who are in a student-led LGBTQ+ group and were harassed in the Linn-Mar Homecoming Parade on Sept. 25 in Marion, Iowa. 

“We do a lot. A lot of times we jump in wherever. We don't just jump in when it's an Indigenous concern or issue,” she said. “Our liberation is definitely tied together.”

Great Plains Action Society has also worked with and met International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participants. 

From July 7 to August 2, the U.S. Department of State sponsored a multi-regional project entitled “International Women of Courage (IWOC) - Virtual Program.” Its purpose was to engage the 2024 International Women of Courage awardees — women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership — with Americans at various locales. The meetings provided opportunities to advance the awardees’ efforts in the service of women, girls and their communities and countries.

The International Women of Courage awardees were separated into cohorts to address specific themes in different cities. Volha Harbunova, Fariba Balouch, and Agather Atuhaire were invited to a meeting with organizations from Cleveland and Iowa City, including Great Plains Action Society, to explore the theme of “Empowering Marginalized Communities.”

At the meeting, Marie introduced Great Plains Action Society and the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR). After, a conversation ensued between the resources and the International Women of Courage awardees on empowering marginalized communities, encouraging civic engagement, and missing Indigenous individuals/violence against Indigenous communities.

Marie felt honored to be on the panel with the International Women of Courage awardees.

“Talking to these women who had literally been silenced; It was very eye opening to me that I can still go and say what I want to say, and I'm very outspoken and I don't like to mince words. I like to be honest about things and I'm so grateful that I can do that,” Marie said.

Marie emphasized the panel’s empathy and inquiries as a response to her presentation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. When asked about the significance of engaging with international visitors, Marie believes in the value of learning from different perspectives and viewpoints, especially through people-to-people interactions, which she believes implements a humanistic factor.

“It enriches you. For me, it gave me a different perspective on my life and the privileges that I have here,” said Marie. “I really value being able to hear it from a human being rather than the news or what's being reported."

Global Ties Iowa greatly appreciates the continued partnership with Great Plains Action Society and the impactful collaborations we have achieved in the past. We look forward to working together in the future. 

Please join us in welcoming Ani Jilavyan, one of our new Translation Interns! 

Hailing from Yerevan, Armenia, Ani is a translator working with Armenian and Russian languages. Ani earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communications from the American University of Armenia in 2020 and a Graduate Certificate from the Translation Program in 2021. In Spring 2024, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Literary Translation from the University of Iowa. 

While growing up in Armenia, Ani frequently watched theatre productions at the Hakob Paronyan State Musical Comedy Theatre from the orchestra pit her mother and aunt played for.  

"I fell in love with everything happening there, and I stopped caring if my mom was going or if she was not. I grew up in that theater,” Ani said. “Until now, when I go to Armenia and they have anything on stage, any performance, I would go. I prefer watching it from the orchestra pit because it's always more fun. You have this both worlds at the same time.” 

At Iowa, Ani was on the editorial board of Exchanges, an online journal of literary translation. She did a graduate assistantship with the Center for Language and Culture Learning, where her main focus was Iowa Intersections, a multilingual narrative project. 

She also participated in three readings, in which she read from her translations of two different plays by Hakob Paronyan from Western Armenian into English. Ani took courses in Iowa's Department of Theatre Arts to assist her translation. There, her translations were acted by actors and directed by directors, which she found very rewarding. Ani currently plans to apply for the MFA in Dramaturgy at Iowa this fall.  

The readings of her translations, the positive reaction of the audience, and the influence of the theater made Ani feel inspired to share more Armenian literature with non-Armenians. Her inspiration got expanded when she attended an Armenian movie screening of "There Was, There Was Not" at FilmScene. 

“When I talked with the filmmaker, [Emily Mkrtichian], she was like, ‘Yeah, I want others to see it, too. I don't want to do that only for Armenians.’ That's the spirit I have too. I want to show this to the world, and especially with my translation and background, I can make sure that the texts are being the way they should be, and they can reach to wider audiences and maybe make a change,” Ani said. “Even if one person, just one more person, would know more about Armenia because of a play they saw, I would be so happy.” 

Ani first heard about Global Ties Iowa from her former boss at the Center for Language and Culture Learning, Claire Frances, when Claire mentioned an Armenian delegation being hosted by Global Ties Iowa. Ani joined the mailing list to receive updates on incoming delegations and events and was surprised by the different countries represented. 

“I was really excited. I felt like this is a great place to be when you have all this [multiculturalism and multilingualism]. That was one of the reasons that I was like, OK, I'll apply to the [Communications and Storytelling Fellowship]. I'm really happy that I did because that's how I learned about the Translation Internship.” 

In her free time, Ani enjoys reading books, singing, and dancing. She also loves watching comedy shows. The plays Ani translates are comedic plays; she took a comedy class that culminated in performing her own standup comedy routine at the former Joystick Arcade.  

As a Translation Intern, Ani will be researching critical languages needed for our visiting leaders and target languages for community engagement in eastern Iowa. She will also be recruiting language users of identified languages and translating communications materials and media. 

“For me, every time I'm getting surprised that I see in a website there is ‘hello’ in many languages and there's also Armenian. We're a small country now and we are very aware of our identity,” Ani said. “If we can make at least one person's life better just by the little act of kindness to make them feel more comfortable in the unfamiliar place, it would be so nice.” 

We are excited to have Ani on the team as a new Translation Intern! Welcome to the team! 

Please join us in welcoming Jason Ly, one of our new Translation Interns! 

Jason is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in Japanese and Translation. He grew up in San Diego, California, and moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in his sophomore year of high school. 

Currently, Jason is the Japanese tutor for the Center for Language and Culture Learning. Jason plans to apply for the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program this fall and hopes to teach English in Japan while studying more Japanese. 

At the University of Iowa, Jason has been greatly involved in the Japanese department. He often engages in their programming of Japanese cultural activities and events. Notably, he consistently attends and participates in the Tadoku Club (extensive reading club), Kaiwa Salon (conversation salon), annual Bunkasai (cultural festival), and skit contests. In his free time, Jason likes to read, play games, skateboard, and hang out with friends. 

Jason applied for this position after talking with his translation advisor. The Bachelor of Arts in Translation coursework requirements include Outreach and Engagement in the form of an internship or study abroad. Jason’s advisor recommended various organizations, one being Global Ties Iowa. 

"I already knew someone who was working there for a while, and so I talked to [former Communications Coordinator] Abby Fowler about it, and she then talked to [Executive Director] Amy Alice Chastain about it. Things just happened, and this position was created,” Jason said.  

As a Translation Intern, Jason will be researching critical languages needed for visiting international leaders and target languages for community engagement in eastern Iowa. He will also be recruiting language users of identified languages and translating communications materials and media.  

During his time at Global Ties Iowa, Jason hopes to bring his educational career in language and culture and his personal perspectives of the American West, his Vietnamese background, and his Japanese studies to our organization. 

We are excited to have Jason on the team as a new Translation Intern! Welcome to the team! 

Please join us in welcoming Brenda Gao, our Communcations and Social Media Fellow.  

Originally from Iowa City, Brenda is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in Psychology on the Pre-Medicine track and minoring in Japanese. While at Iowa, Brenda works as a research assistant in Dr. Grazyna Kochanska’s Child Lab and is a Japanese Program Ambassador for the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Outside of school, Brenda likes to read historical fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels. She also likes listening to podcasts, especially “This American Life.”  Brenda plans on applying for the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program this fall and taking a gap year before applying for medical school. 

Brenda first learned about Global Ties Iowa during the Spring 2024 semester when she attended our Executive Director Amy Alice Chastain’s Exploring TESL for Fulbright Students class. Through this class, Brenda was given the opportunity to attend the cultural exchange conference “Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-U.S. Youth Festival” in Fuzhou, China. As most of the participants from the University of Iowa consisted of Global Ties Iowa staff members, Brenda learned more about our organization and staff. She then decided to apply for the position of Communications and Social Media Fellow.  

“Global Ties Iowa and its mission in promoting citizen diplomacy and global engagement is a new field for me and having experienced the same kind of hospitality in China that Global Ties Iowa strives for made me interested in becoming a part of that same goal,” she said.  

As a staff member, Brenda hopes to contribute her experiences in graphic design and journalism to maintain our professional branding and help expand our social media outreach. As Communications and Social Media Fellow, Brenda will be taking over the responsibilities of Communications Coordinator Leila Assadi while she is studying abroad in Spring 2025.   

We are excited to have Brenda on the team as our new Communications and Social Media Fellow!    

From July 9 to 22, Global Ties Iowa had the incredible opportunity to host a delegation of 18 Iraqi and Kurdish students in eastern Iowa as part of the Iraqi Youth Leadership Exchange Program (IYLEP). IYLEP is a youth exchange program that was initiated by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2007. It has since brought over 2,700 promising Iraqi and Kurdish students to the U.S. to develop their leadership skills and foster inter-cultural connections, strengthening the basis of mutual understanding between Iraq and the U.S. While here, they visited 3 different cities, engaging in various activities in each, then used what they learned to implement civic projects in their communities when they return.  

As most of the staff here at Global Ties Iowa are students, this was a unique experience for us, giving us the chance to interact with international visitors who were close in age. Each day, at least one of us accompanied the students to everything that they had scheduled, whether that was walking with them downtown, taking the bus to a different city, sitting in on meetings, or participating in activities. In downtime, we spent time talking to each other, learning about them and their cultures and sharing some of ours with them. We easily formed friendships, and on their final day, they left each of us with heartfelt cards. Berkley Barnett, Program Intern, remembers, “The day after I left the kids and received all their letters thanking us for volunteering, I cried so hard in my car!” It meant a lot to know that we made a big difference for people we only spent a few days with.  

Our reflections on the experience revealed how impactful it was on us as well. "Bubbly, curious, and wonderful” was how Peyton Pangburn, Development Intern, described the Iraqi and Kurdish students. "I was continuously impressed by their maturity and thoughtfulness, and laughing at their humor and exuberance.” From the very beginning, they were eager to talk to us. That was the best part of the experience for Anna O’Connor, Program Coordinator, who said that she loved “making the one-on-one connections with each of them, and learning about their hobbies, interests, and who they want to be in the future.”  

Most of us knew very little about Iraqi and Kurdish culture, so it was amazing to learn from them. They showed us pictures of their traditional clothing, told us about their home life, described their favorite dishes, and played their music for us. This exchange gave us a chance to teach them about American culture as well. As Leila Assadi, Communications Coordinator, said, “The kids seemed eager to learn about American culture and our experiences in America.” It was interesting to see how fascinated they were by everything we take for granted, from the Herky on Parade statues downtown to the view from the Pentacrest stairs. They took pictures of everything, which led to them becoming infamously slow walkers. They learned their favorite new American phrase after Zach Hemmen, Program Fellow, who told them to “put some pep in their step,” and could not resist saying it any time they walked somewhere after that.  

We wish them luck with their future endeavors and know they will do amazing things, especially with everything they learned from local resources while visiting us in eastern Iowa!  

Some well-wishes from our staff: 

“I miss all of them and I know that they will change the world for the better with their experiences.” - Berkley Barnett

“They loved every second in Iowa, and we loved to have them!” - Peyton Pangburn

“It was heartening to see how impactful their time in Iowa was and I know the lessons they learned here will last them a lifetime.” - Anna Peach 

“I am so excited to see the impact that they will have on the world.” - Anna O’Connor 

Please join us in welcoming Zach Hemmen, our Program Fellow!   

Zach is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in International Relations with a minor in Political Science and certificates in Human Rights and Political Risk Analysis. He is currently the Director of Academic Affairs for the University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government, a member of University Democrats, a volunteer at the food pantry, and a member of the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta. Outside of school, Zach enjoys spending time outside and hanging out with his friends.  

Upon graduating, Zach plans to travel and attend law school, eventually working for the State Department as a Political Officer in the foreign service.  

Zach was introduced to Global Ties Iowa by Ambassador Ronald McMullen during his office hours at the university. Upon reading more about the Program Fellow position, Zach found that Global Ties Iowa matched many of his future interests and decided to apply. As an employee here, Zach brings a wealth of knowledge about international relations and global affairs. He looks forward to interacting with our international visitors, emphasizing that, “People-to-people exchanges are important to building international relationships.” 

While working as the Program Fellow, Zach looks forward to bringing a positive and hardworking attitude to the Global Ties Iowa office. He is a dedicated individual and wants to contribute to the successes of our office.  

We are excited to have Zach on the team as our new Program Fellow!

On Sunday, June 16, we partnered with the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council (ICFRC) to host the first annual Global Connections Summer Gathering and Potluck. Alongside ICFRC, the International Rescue Committee, the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, the African Community Network of Iowa, IC Compassion, the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County, and other local organizations, we welcomed our eastern Iowa community to gather, share food, and form connections. 

Our Program Intern, Berkley Barnett, recounted her experience at the potluck, highlighting its dual purpose of networking and community empowerment. In her words, it was very successful in being “an opportunity for people who are globally minded” to “share a space that was welcoming”. One organization in attendance that Berkley wanted to bring attention to is the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which recently opened an Iowa City office in December 2023. She found that they, alongside the other refugee aid associations present and the African Community Network, were incredibly valuable in helping her and other community members connect with the African refugee and immigrant populations in eastern Iowa.  

She mentioned a memorable interaction with the Galls, a couple who served in Botswana with the Peace Corps. While talking with Berkley, Mr. Gall compared the individualist and collectivist cultures of the U.S. and Botswana. He discussed how many Americans would suggest that the people of Botswana wanting to go to America should just save money and go, neglecting the unspoken obligations that people in collectivist cultures like Botswana have to their communities, discouraging them from leaving in such a way. Berkley commented on how interesting it was to see this perspective shared among some other picnic attendees who had immigrated to eastern Iowa from Africa. 

The main feature of the potluck was, of course, all the food that was brought and shared. Although she says it was hard to choose, Berkley’s favorite was the apple couscous, with a unique sweet and savory flavor. She also gave a special mention to the Nigerian dough balls brought by the Goshits, saying how cool it was to see that Peace Corps members who had served in African countries recognized the dish. She emphasized how seeing pasta salad and Nigerian food on the same table was really reflective of our organization and our interactions with all our partners. “We are the pasta salad, connecting with all the other foods on the table.”  

Next year, Berkley hopes for the potluck to go beyond networking, becoming more of a space for community discussion and a ‘friendship meeting.’ She envisions future potlucks having more people gathering to celebrate the diversity of our community, simultaneously learning about the different local organizations that exist to promote international interactions.  

We are so thankful to have been able to be part of this space for exchange and look forward to participating in the next iterations of this Global Connections Summer Gathering and Potluck! 

In 2023, Global Ties U.S. posted its first-ever Community Impact Study, detailing how the local communities who engage with international delegations are impacted by the experience, primarily in their ability to ‘operate more effectively in an international environment.’ It revealed that local communities benefit from international exchange in four primary categories of impact: global knowledge and cultural competence, civic engagement and community inclusion, economic impacts and workforce development, and international connectivity. With a second iteration of the survey coming out in 2024, we spoke with Tasha Tatara, Dual Director of Sales for Hotel Chauncey and Hotel Vetro, to reveal some of the community impacts specific to eastern Iowa.  

Many of our international delegations are housed at Hotel Chauncey for the duration of their stay in eastern Iowa, and Tasha has been responsible for much of the related coordination for almost seven years. Her tasks include, but are not limited to, organizing their reservations, getting them in-house, and ensuring the front desk is equipped to execute the necessary responsibilities. The hotel staff help the delegations with logistics, but also get to interact with them more casually, speaking with them as they go in and out throughout the day and learning about their backgrounds, the work they do, and their experience in eastern Iowa.  

The 2023 Community Impact Study showed that participants felt more at ease with cross-cultural interactions because of their experience with the IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program), and eastern Iowa is no exception. Tasha emphasizes that, after having worked with different delegations for several years, one of the biggest changes she has witnessed is the community’s ease of interaction with international visitors, especially when delegations visit from similar regions. Continued interactions result in some background knowledge about various parts of the world, which helps lead to having more individual-specific conversations. ‘It makes it easier to have the confidence to know that they’re just as curious as you are,’ Tasha says, ‘you’re just asking questions and learning about cultural differences, which is kind of fun to understand’. She notes that the breakfast crew at Spare Me, in particular, have had some amazing interactions with the delegations because they get to speak to them every morning, allowing the staff to know the delegations more personally.  

International exchange also helps strengthen community inclusion, whether that means gaining a better understanding of our community’s needs or having a greater pride or appreciation for it. Tasha highlights that hosting international delegations has helped her connect with the eastern Iowa community. In her opinion, the biggest impact is ‘the recognition that a small town in Iowa has all of these cultural differences in it, and it thrives, and it’s a really great place to be.’ 

Tasha says she hopes to see more volunteers hosting visitors in their homes, having dinners, and making personal connections. ‘Even when traveling myself,’ she remarks, ‘the best part is when you can connect with somebody local.’