Most Community Spotlights highlight the work of adults in Pensacola, Florida. This spotlight, however, focuses on an honorary citizen with a special connection to the City of Five Flags. Abraão José da Silva first came to Northwest Florida from his hometown in Brazil on a World Learning Youth Ambassadors exchange in high school. While here,...
Dr. Mohamed Khabou of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of West Florida (UWF) is the epitome of how international exchange can start small and grow into something greater. Dr. Khabou first learned of Gulf Coast Diplomacy through his daughter, a former Youth Diplomat. As an immigrant from Tunisia, Dr. Khabou encouraged...
As a local, participating in a meeting with international visitors through Gulf Coast Diplomacy can appear minor. Yet, examining why the U.S. Department of State promotes international exchange through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other exchanges reveals how impactful these meetings can be. Even when 100% of our exchanges are virtual, as happened...
This Summer, eight other families and I had the pleasure of meeting up via Zoom with young Iraqi leaders from IYLEP. It was two weeks full of nothing but fun! Despite the physical distance and connection issues that came with virtual communication, we host families still did our best to ensure our Iraqi participants engaged...
What's not to like about Thanksgiving with international visitors? Even when the conversation about family traditions takes place through a computer screen, it is a great way to introduce our community's culture. This year, we tweaked our traditional offering since we could not pass the cranberry sauce in person and created cultural hospitality for a...
When international visitors come to Pensacola, Florida, not only do they explore their fields of expertise through formal meetings, but they also frequently volunteer in roles to enhance our community. From feeding the hungry to building living shorelines, they contribute in many ways. Zachary Schang with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection always welcomes our...
One of the topics we explore with exchange participants is how to protect the rights of women and children. We currently tackle the issue through online workshops and discussions, similar to our in-person exchange conversations. In July 2019, we hosted such an in-person group from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. They focused on the subject, viewing...
One of the ways we create global futures in Northwest Florida is by encouraging youth to explore the world through international exchange. We do this by introducing them to International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participants and alumni. Currently, we are inviting IVLP alumni to present at Youth Diplomat meetings via the IVLP in the Classroom...
Gulf Coast Diplomacy recently reconnected with International Visitor Leadership Program alumna Nicole Joseph Chin of Trinidad and Tobago who visited Northwest Florida in May 2011 on a project titled Women and Entrepreneurship. After her appearance at the September 2021 Small World Café, we sat down together to talk further about her work. Gulf Coast Diplomacy:...
Camp Global began in 2020 as a method of maintaining connections in the age of Covid, and it was, without a doubt, a huge success. Still, Camp Global 2021 somehow turned out even better. With campers from seven countries and a reimagined curriculum, the camp became something completely new and different, creating a unique learning...
