Due to globalization, the internet, rising education levels, and long-term democratization, citizen diplomacy is growing, and becoming a more important part of diplomacy and international affairs. Thus, in 2020, the Public Diplomacy Council of America (PDCA), a US-based NGO devoted to advancing the field of public diplomacy, formed the Citizen Diplomacy Research Group (CDRG) to advance the research and practice of citizen diplomacy. In 2023, the CDRG becameCitizen Diplomacy International(CDI), a network and program of Learning Life, a Washington DC-based nonprofit devoted to developing innovative learning communities in order to widen and deepen participation in democracy and diplomacy.
CDI meets every three months online via Zoom for 1.5 hours to share research and news on citizen diplomacy developments worldwide with an eye to building a vibrant global CD sector for a more participatory, equitable and sustainable world.. Meetings typically begin with two presentations on CD research or practice, followed by discussion of the presentations, then news and announcements of past or upcoming international CD-related initiatives, publications, funding, conferences, etc.
Anyone — including scholars, students, citizen diplomacy practitioners, current and retired official diplomats, and others interested — can join CDI to learn, network, and/or present substantial research or practice in citizen diplomacy. For more information or to join the CDI email list, contact email@learninglife.info. You can also connect with CDI members via our Facebook group and Linkedin group, to which you can post citizen diplomacy-related articles, books, events, funding, etc.
Review of meeting agenda. During this time everyone is encouraged to post to the chat a one-paragraph bio about themselves, including your name, city, country, job title and organization. Introductions via chat saves us time, provides written details about you, and allows us to share your info after the meeting with those who could not attend. In addition, I will share the Zoom chat content to the CDRG email list following the meeting, so whatever you share will get a wider audience.
2) Explanation for formation of CDRG (Paul Lachelier) and discussion
3) Discussion of meeting dates and ideas for initial presenters
New Pages: Become a Volunteer or Virtual Tour Guide
Learning Life’s website has two new pages with updated information about volunteering, including becoming a virtual tour guide. Click here to learn about the virtual tour guides, and here to learn about other volunteer opportunities.
Profile: Wang Family (China)
This is the fourth in a series of profiles of the families worldwide participating in our 2020 project on food culture as part of Learning Life’s Family Diplomacy Initiative on Facebook. From April to December this year, Learning Life is posing six food culture questions, and asking the families to provide their photographic answers. The project is intended to nurture sharing and learning between families worldwide, with an eye to promoting greater understanding, curiosity, and tolerance for difference in our divided and often violent world. (Why family diplomacy? Click here for five reasons.) Below, Shuwen Wang, the older daughter in a family of four, and current Learning Life intern, answers our family profile questions. We provide the questions and answers in English, Spanish and French.
Este es el cuarto de una serie de perfiles de las familias de todo el mundo que participan en nuestro proyecto 2020 sobre cultura alimentaria como parte de la Iniciativa de Diplomacia Familiar de Learning Life en Facebook. De abril a diciembre de este año, Learning Life está posando seis preguntas sobre cultura alimentaria y pediendo a las familias que brinden sus respuestas fotográficas. El proyecto está destinado a fomentar el intercambio y el aprendizaje entre familias de todo el mundo, con el objetivo de promover una mayor comprensión, curiosidad y tolerancia a las diferencias en nuestro mundo dividido y a menudo violento. (¿Por qué la diplomacia familiar? Haga clic aquí por cinco razones). A continuación, Shuwen Wang, la hija mayor en una familia de cuatro personas, y actual pasante de Learning Life, responde a nuestras preguntas de perfil familiar. Proporcionamos las preguntas y respuestas en inglés, español y francés.
Il s’agit du quatrième d’une série de profils des familles du monde entier participant à notre projet 2020 sur la culture alimentaire dans le cadre de l’Initiative de Diplomatie Familiale de Learning Life sur Facebook. D’avril à décembre de cette année, Learning Life pose six questions sur la culture alimentaire et demande aux familles de fournir leurs réponses photographiques. Le projet vise à favoriser le partage et l’apprentissage entre les familles du monde entier, en vue de promouvoir une plus grande compréhension, curiosité et tolérance pour les différences dans notre monde divisé et souvent violent. (Pourquoi la diplomatie familiale? Cliquez ici pour cinq raisons.) Ci-dessous, Shuwen Wang, la fille aînée d’une famille de quatre personnes, et stagiaire actuel Learning Life, répond à nos questions sur le profil familial. Nous fournissons les questions et réponses en anglais, espagnol et français.
Tell us about your family, and what city and country you live in. / Cuéntanos sobre tu familia y en qué ciudad y país vives. / Veuillez nous parler de votre famille et de la ville et du pays dans lesquels vous vivez.
My name is Shuwen Wang. I am 23 years old. My sister, Yaxue, is 11. My father, Zhongtao, is 49. My mother, Limin, is also 49. We live in Ordos, a city in the Inner Mongolia Province of China.
Mi nombre es Shuwen Wang. Tengo 23 años. Mi hermana, Yaxue, tiene 11 años. Mi padre, Zhongtao, tiene 49 años. Mi madre, Limin, también tiene 49 años. Vivimos en Ordos, una ciudad en la provincia de Mongolia Interior de China.
Je m’appelle Shuwen Wang. J’ai 23 ans. Ma soeur, Yaxue, a 11 ans. Mon père, Zhongtao, a 49 ans. Ma mère, Limin, a également 49 ans. Nous vivons à Ordos, une ville de la province chinoise de la Mongolie intérieure.
Tell us one interesting thing about your family. / Cuéntanos algo interesante sobre tu familia. / Dites-nous une chose intéressante à propos de votre famille.
As a family, we travel at least once a year to a new country. So far, we have been to Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Como familia, viajamos al menos una vez al año a un nuevo país. Hasta ahora, hemos estado en Japón, Alemania, Suiza y Austria.
En famille, nous voyageons au moins une fois par an dans un nouveau pays. Jusqu’à présent, nous sommes allés au Japon, en Allemagne, en Suisse, et en Autriche.
Does your family practice any religion? / ¿Tu familia practica alguna religión? / Votre famille pratique-t-elle une religion?
My father and mother practice Buddhism.
Mi padre y mi madre practican el budismo.
Mon père et ma mère pratiquent le bouddhisme.
What language(s) does your family speak at home? / ¿Qué idioma(s) habla tu familia en casa? / Quelle(s) langue(s) votre famille parle-t-elle à la maison?
We speak Chinese.
Nosotros hablamos chino.
Nous parlons chinois.
What do you think is the biggest problem the world is facing in the long-term? / ¿Cuál crees es el mayor problema que enfrenta el mundo a largo plazo? / Selon vous, quel est le plus gros problème auquel le monde est confronté à long terme?
I think the biggest problem the world is facing right now is the finite amount of resources for a growing population. We have limited resources such as water, food, and energy. Poverty is another huge problem that the world is facing right now. I believe education is a good way to solve these problems.
Creo que el mayor problema que enfrenta el mundo en este momento es la cantidad finita de recursos para una población en crecimiento. Tenemos recursos limitados como agua, alimentos y energía. La pobreza es otro gran problema que el mundo enfrenta en este momento. Creo que la educación es una buena manera de resolver estos problemas.
Je pense que le plus gros problème auquel le monde est confronté en ce moment est la quantité limitée de ressources pour une population croissante. Nous avons des ressources limitées telles que l’eau, la nourriture et l’énergie. La pauvreté est un autre énorme problème auquel le monde est confronté en ce moment. Je pense que l’éducation est un bon moyen de résoudre ces problèmes.
What do you think is the biggest problem your country is facing in the long-term? / ¿Cuál crees es el mayor problema que enfrenta tu país a largo plazo? / Selon vous, quel est le plus gros problème auquel votre pays est confronté à long terme?
I think there is a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor families, and the Chinese government must solve this disparity. Another problem is finding a good government system and eradicating problems like corruption.
Creo que hay una gran brecha entre las familias ricas y pobres, y el gobierno chino debe resolver esta disparidad. Otro problema es encontrar un buen sistema de gobierno y erradicar problemas como la corrupción.
Je pense qu’il y a un énorme fossé entre les familles riches et pauvres, et le gouvernement chinois doit résoudre cette disparité. Un autre problème est de trouver un bon système gouvernemental et d’éradiquer des problèmes comme la corruption.
Anything you would like to say to other families in the world? / ¿Algo que le gustaría decir a otras familias en el mundo? / Quelque chose que vous aimeriez dire à d’autres familles dans le monde?
I would love to learn about other families in the world because there are a lot of cultures that we can learn from.
Me encantaría aprender sobre otras familias en el mundo porque hay muchas culturas de las que podemos aprender.
J’aimerais apprendre d’autres familles dans le monde car il y a beaucoup de cultures dont nous pouvons apprendre.
Spotlight: Spring 2020 Interns
Learning Life’s student interns this spring 2020 are, among other things, interviewing families worldwide that are participating in our Family Diplomacy Initiative(FDI) food culture project, building a library of free and low-cost international affairs videos, articles, photo collections and games for our International Mentoring Program, contributing research and writing for an upcoming article about feminist foreign policy, building the invitation list for ourDemocracy Dinners, and more. Happily, the six spring interns spotlighted below — Solana Gibson, Ishita Gupta, Anna Hermann, Nima Majidi, Karmen Perry and Ariana Sierra-Chacon — are among the best interns Learning Life has had since our founding in 2012, and we are very grateful for their excellent work.
SOLANA GIBSON
Year, major and school: I am a junior majoring in anthropology at George Mason University.
Hobbies: I enjoy doing anything related to music. I play four instruments: drum set, ukulele, piano, and bass guitar. I sometimes write songs using computer software like Ableton Live. I am also a percussionist in George Mason University’s pep band “The Green Machine”.
Career aspirations: I would like to be a user-experience researcher in a corporate setting.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because it seemed to be the most unique and worthwhile experience among the other internships available at the time. I was also drawn to the Family Diplomacy Initiative and the idea of family-to-family learning.
ISHITA GUPTA
Year, major and school: I am a freshman at George Washington University double majoring in international relations and economics.
Hobbies: I help plan speaker events for my foreign services sorority at GW. I also volunteer and fundraise for the sorority and charities partnered with my sorority.
Career aspirations: I plan to work in the field of diplomacy in an international organization.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because I was intrigued by citizen diplomacy and wanted to further cultural exchange and promote learning in non-academic settings as well.
ANNA HERMANN
Year, major and school: I am majoring in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am earning a certificate (similar to a minor) in Education & Educational Studies as well as Theatre.
Hobbies: I love to stay active outside. I enjoy hiking, running, and biking. In Madison, Wisconsin, there are a lot of bike trails to explore and it is currently my favorite physical activity. I also love to listen to music, sing and watch musical theatre. Everyone in my family is really interested in music. I have three siblings, and we all enjoy singing and constantly have music playing in the house when we get together.
Career aspirations: I plan to work in the U.S. education system in some way. I hope to work as either a school counselor or possibly even become an elementary or high school teacher someday.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because I believe in the power of education. It is important people become educated on material beyond what surrounds them. I believe this is extremely relevant in terms of international education and learning about the ways of life unlike one’s own. I believe that to become a better human, one must educate themselves on the lives and customs of others and accept that one’s way of life is not the only way, nor necessarily the right way.
NIMA MAJIDI
Year, major and school: I am a freshman at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and while I have yet to declare any majors or minors, I am interested in majoring in Business and Global Affairs and potentially minoring in International Development.
Hobbies: In my free time, I like to read books about all sorts of topics ranging from economics to history to philosophy. I am currently reading Madeleine Albright’s “Hell and Other Destinations.” I also love discovering new museums and restaurants in Washington D.C and enjoying a quick chess game from time to time.
Career aspirations: I have no career plans set in stone, but I know that I want to be doing something relevant that helps or educates people in some way.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because it gave me the opportunity to combine all of my interests. In my time at Learning Life, I have been able to interact with people from many countries, even on occasion in their native language. I have seen parts of DC that I have never seen before and met a few of the many underprivileged children that Learning Life serves. I have spent hours researching and writing foreign policy. If someone had told me a year ago that I would have the opportunity to do all of these things as a freshman, I never would have believed them, but thanks to Learning Life, I have been able to do all these things and more.
KARMEN PERRY
Year, major and school: I am a junior at George Mason University majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Deviance, Crime, and Social Control. I am also double minoring in Global Affairs and Immigration Studies.
Hobbies: Recently, I’ve been into crocheting clothes for my friends and spending time outside reading or meditating.
Career aspirations: I hope to go into research where I can learn and write about institutionalized racism and inequalities in America.
Why Learning Life? Learning Life’s mission combines my two areas of interest: marginalized communities in the US and communities in other areas of the world. The work that Learning Life is doing is truly the first of its kind, and I am so excited to be a part of it!
ARIANA SIERRA-CHACON
Year, major and school: I am a freshman at Vassar College. My college major will most likely be political science and/or education and I might minor in Latin American Studies.
Hobbies: I like to play the guitar, or usually do something creative whether it be writing or painting. I also like to work out a lot and I try to go to the gym often.
Career aspirations: My potential career paths are diplomacy, education policy, or law. I am also very interested in doing nonprofit work.
Why Learning Life? I chose to intern with Learning Life because I am very interested in nonprofit work, education and diplomacy. Learning Life blends those together well. I am also very passionate about increasing accessibility to all people in foreign affairs and expanding the idea of democracy to transcend country and cultural borders. I was very excited to hear about the Family Diplomacy Initiative and I’m very happy to work with Learning Life for the semester.
