News
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Indiana University School of Nursing Selected as a Top Program by Global Health Task Force and the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) |
| Mary Beth Riner, PhD |
Indiana University School of Nursing is pleased to announce their citizen diplomacy program proposal has been selected as a Top Program by the Global Health Task Force and the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) and as such will be highlighted as a key component of the upcoming U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy, to be held November 16-19, 2010 in Washington, DC.
The Global Health Task Force, chaired by Dr. Jeffrey Heck, Executive Director of Shoulder to Shoulder and Dr. Yogesh Shah, Associate Dean of Global Health at Des Moines University, will examine the critical role that Americans engaged in the health professions play throughout the world and the numerous private sector health organizations in the U.S. that are addressing critical health issues all over the world. This is an opportunity for health organizations to present innovative ways that private sector resources can be better coordinated through collaboration of the many different and separate groups. In particular, organizations will present ways to address health issues by utilizing the potential of the U.S. civilian capacity as a valuable resource.
Special guest speaker Former First Lady of Honduras, Mary Flake Flores will speak on the recipients’ view of American citizen diplomacy and global health efforts.
In preparation for the Summit, Task Forces in nine sectors – business, community-based organizations, development assistance, global health, higher education, international cultural engagement, international voluntary service, K-12 education, and youth service - were created to highlight ways in which organizations within each sector can expand existing initiatives and offer new and innovative programs to encourage more engagement of Americans in global citizen diplomacy. The Task Forces are co-chaired by experts in their respective fields and represent broad networks of U.S. non-profit, non-partisan organizations. Summit Task Force groups compiled and vetted hundreds of program submittals as part of the selection process, and will make presentations on the role of their sector in increasing U.S. citizen engagement in international affairs at the Summit in November.
As part of the criteria, the creative use of new technologies and the identification of international partnerships were highly encouraged. Each selected proposal focuses on one or a combination of major global challenges that Americans as citizen diplomats working collaboratively with fellow American and international partners can address. They are:
- Preserving the Environment
- Reducing Poverty & Disease
- Increasing Respect for Human Rights
- Creating a Globally Competent Society
- Encouraging Cultural Engagement
- Achieving Food Security
- Securing U.S. & Global Financial Security
Portfolio summaries of ten selected Top Programs from each of the nine sectors will be available at the Summit for all participants, including potential funders.
Mary Beth Riner, PhD, RN, is the coordinator for the International Learning Program at the Indiana University School of Nursing. She will attend the Summit and accept the award. "We believe that by offering a range of global experiences both abroad and locally, IU School of Nursing is preparing graduates as citizen diplomats. We believe these efforts further graduates' acceptance and appreciation of the multiple interests of the global community and promote engagement in addressing global health problems," said Riner.
The U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy is a national meeting presented by the USCCD in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The Summit is designed to broaden the momentum generated from the work of the USCCD as a national resource base and network for Americans to be engaged as citizen diplomats, and two major leadership forums focused on the revival of citizen diplomacy as a critical component of U.S. public diplomacy and foreign policy strategy.
The Summit will be the first such meeting since President Eisenhower’s People-to-People conference on the same subject 54 years ago, and will serve as the launch for a “Decade of Citizen Diplomacy” with a goal to double the number of American citizen diplomats by 2020.
A complete listing of the selected Top Program organizations, and detailed information about the U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy may be found at: www.usc4cd.org/summit/taskforce
Indiana University School of Nursing and the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy stand together in their commitment to the expansion and promotion of citizen diplomacy initiatives and urge their fellow Americans to join the effort.
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The Indiana University School of Nursing is one of the largest nursing schools in the nation. Ranked 3rd among the Big Ten schools of nursing for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the school boasts a robust program of research focused on quality of life in chronic illness. A full 40% of Indiana’s nurses are IU School of Nursing alumni. Programs range from three undergraduate options, eight majors in the master’s program, post-master’s options, a PhD in nursing science, a DNP and continuing education opportunities. U.S. News & World Report ranked the graduate programs 15th in its 2010 issue, with psychiatric mental health and adult clinical nurse specialist in the top ten. For more information on the IU School of Nursing, please visit http://nursing.iupui.edu.
The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established in 2006 to promote and expand opportunity for all Americans to be citizen diplomats, and affirm the indispensible value of citizen involvement in foreign relations. Registration and additional information about the USCCD and the U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy may be found at: www.usc4cd.org
