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Mayor Eric Garcetti
City of Los Angeles
Mark Ridley-Thomas
Chair, L.A. County Board of Supervisors
Matthew Olsen
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company
Vice Chairs
Mathias Fobi, M.D.
Bariatec Corporation
Michele A. Franchett
Stone Grzegorek & Gonzalez LLP
Michael McDowell
Japan House Los Angeles
Deanne Neiman
Honorary Consul of Botswana
Legal Counsel
Wafa J. Hoballah
WJH Law Group, APC
Laman Alani
Haifa Azawi, M.D.
New Women Medical Care
Kathy Jones Irish
Kathy Jones Irish Consulting
Jonathan Kaji
Kaji & Associates
Patti MacJennett
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Kristin McCowan
Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti
Rima Nashashibi
Nashashibi International Consultants
Stephen Ozoigbo
International Advisor
Relativity Education
Lourdes Saab
L.A. County Office of Protocol
William Silva
Southern California Edison
David R. Stepp
Bryan Cave LLP
Yael Swerdlow
Women's Empowerment Foundation
Tina Tangalakis
Della
Tim Watkins
Watts Labour Community Action Committee
Nivine Woods
Abbott Global Enterprises
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In this month's issue you will find:
Quote of the Month
Advocate for Diplomacy
Join Us at the Citizen Diplomacy Celebration!
Nevertheless, She Persisted: International Women of Courage
Member Spotlight: Dr. Amarjit Marwah
Welcome New Intern!
Community Events
Upcoming International Visitors in May
I hope you enjoy hearing about the recent goings-on at IVCLA. Please feel free to share your comments with me by sending an email to dkreculj@ivcla.org
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Q: How did your perception(s) of the United States change during/after your visit?
A: Racism and the struggle against it are very similar in Brazil, but in the US, you are more advanced. Actions start at the grassroots level and reach government. You are pragmatically focused on a dimension of racism which is discrimination and inequality; we are only starting this process in Brazil with quotas.
-- Robson Anselmo SANTOS, President, Instituto Bracos, Brazil
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Advocate for Diplomacy
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Congressional leaders have settled on a government funding agreement through the end of September.
Details in the bill report show the International Visitor Leadership Program as well as other academic and citizen exchanges remain fully funded. However, the shadow of potential drastic cuts has not yet been lifted for Fiscal Year 2018, which begins October 1
st, 2017.
In its proposed budget recommendation America First : A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again, the Administration called for unprecedented cuts of 28% to the U.S. Department of State, with significant but unspecified cuts to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney stated, "This is a hard power budget, not a soft power budget." This outdated debate between hard and soft power harkens back to a relic of the Cold War. After 9/11, that debate ended and our national security experts rallied around a consensus of smart power: the use of development and diplomacy alongside defense (not an either or).
Cuts of this magnitude to State, and specifically the ECA, would seriously undermine educational and cultural exchange programs that have been a critical component of U.S. national security policy since the end of World War II. It remains unclear what the course of funding will be for the IVLP, the ECA and the international affairs budget for FY 2018.
#NowMoreThanEver, we need to hold our Members of Congress accountable! Let them know these cuts would greatly harm America's public diplomacy efforts and, ultimately, our national security and economy.
What can you do right now?
Text "RESIST" to 50409 and
Resistbot will help you deliver your message to Congress in under 2 minutes.
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Join Us at the Citizen Diplomacy Celebration!
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Joumana Silyan-Saba
will be presented with IVCLA's Outstanding Citizen Diplomat Award. Joumana is the Director of Strategies against Violent Extremism in the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Public Safety.
We will also honor Youth Mentoring Connection with our Outstanding Resource Award. The m
ission of Youth Mentoring Connection is to awaken at-risk youth to their power, unique gifts and purpose by matching them with caring adult mentors and placing that "match" within a structured group setting that provides the resources youth need to reach a productive, conscious adulthood.
Sponsorship opportunities available.
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Nevertheless, She Persisted: International Women of Courage
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Veronica Simogun, Sandya Eknelygoda,
Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh, Malebogo Molefhe,
Rebecca Kabugho, Fadia Najib Thabet,
Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka, Jannat Al Ghezi (Not pictured: Arlette Contreras Bautista, Saadet Ozkan)
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Ten inspiring women came to Los Angeles to share their stories of perseverance through adversity. These women hailed from Botswana, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Niger, Paupa New Guinea, Peru, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey and Yemen, countries not known for being champions of women's empowerment. Despite harrowing circumstances, such as living in war zones, being shot multiple times, and surviving domestic violence, these women fought and persisted through unimaginable hardship to improve conditions for others.
On April 6th, IVCLA held an uplifting speaker session at Los Angeles City Hall to commend the recipients. During the panel discussion, the women spoke about overcoming challenges they face as women in their countries, their triumphs and accomplishments, and their future goals. Madeline Di Nonno, CE
O of the
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
, moderated the discussion.
Attendees heard first-hand accounts from Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka of Niger, who was awarded the UN's first World Peace Prize for Military for gender equality in peacekeeping work within the UN force; Jannat Al Ghezi, who takes risks daily to help women throughout Iraq escape violence and death by offering them shelter, training, protection, and legal services; Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh, who put her life at risk throughout the Syrian war to run a nursery school serving as a safe space for over 200 Muslim and Christian children; and Sandya Eknelygoda, who made it her mission to fight for the families of the missing in Sri Lanka after the disappearance of her journalist husband.
At their project closing and evaluation session the next day, the women gathered one final time before returning to their home countries, sharing their opinions and impressions of the United States. Malebogo Molefhe, the awardee from Botswana, announced that she was returning to Denver, where
WorldDenver kindly organized a life-changing gift of a new wheelchair
. Saadet Ozkan also shared some good news: the child abuse case she had been working on in Turkey culminated in a law being passed, where victims of child abuse would not have to testify in court and re-live their pain. This came about due to the publicity in Turkey about her award.
Member support makes programs like the International Visitor Leadership Program possible. If you're not a member,
join today
and help us continue building global programs for all Angelinos to expand their world.
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Member Spotlight: Dr. Amarjit Marwah
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Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok, Consul General of India
with Dr. Marwah and Janet Elliott
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This month we shine a spotlight on an IVCLA member of over 20 years, Dr. Amarjit Marwah, who is the epitome of a Citizen Diplomat.
Dr. Marwah's philanthropy stretches from the L.A. area to his home country of India. His most recent project takes place in Guru Nanak Basti, India, where he has improved much-needed essential infrastructure. In addition to constructing a new modern Town Hall building, he has provided 24-hour running water, toilets and showers to every home, and a drainage system in the whole village. Even the town streets were upgraded with interlocking tiles and rows of palm trees. He made similar improvements to the Village Guru Ki Dhab, which is now home to the Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah Park. A statue of Dr. Marwah was erected in the park in his honor.
Every fall, Dr. Marwah hosts our annual members-only Fulbright Luncheon at his beautiful Malibu ranch home. A former Fulbright student himself, he hosts the Luncheon to recognize Fulbright students and encourage global exchanges and dialogue. International Fulbright students from all over the U.S. look forward to this opportunity, where they can mingle with fellow students, IVCLA members, and Consular Corps officials, while enjoying authentic Indian cuisine.
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Welcome New Intern!
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Lily Fryer is a Junior at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies and Geography. On campus she is involved in UNICEF, the International Affairs Student Association, and Project Rural India Social Health Improvement. She has interned with the National Park Service, NASA Ames Research Center, California Public Research Group (CALPIRG), and the Congressional Management Foundation on Capitol Hill. She has also worked as an instructor for an American Culture and Conversation class for international students and studied abroad in Nicaragua and Spain. While interning at IVCLA she hopes to learn and become involved in offering emerging leaders the opportunity to experience firsthand American political, economic, social, and cultural life.
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Upcoming International Visitors
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The following are among the arriving guests of the
U.S. government whose professional appointments in
Los Angeles will be arranged by the
International Visitors Council of Los Angeles.
May 2017
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Armenia
Estonia
Lithuania
Norway
Romania
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Media Literacy: Promoting Civil Society and Discerning Consumers of Media
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May
13 - 17
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Indonesia
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Community Approaches to Addressing Vulnerable Youth
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May
16 - 20
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Japan
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The National Security Policy Process
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May
18 - 23
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India
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U.S. Food Safety System
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May
20 - 24
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Venezuela
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Transparency and Accountability in Government
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May
24 - 30
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Editor: Danica Kreculj
Projects Coordinator
(213) 388-1428
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