WHAT’S NEXT AT GLOBAL WASHINGTON?
Energized by the ideas generated and the connections made at the Global Washington Forum held in June, we are moving ahead  to identify ways that those who are engaged in sustainable development initiatives can work together to strengthen the state’s leadership in this sector.   During the Forum, participants joined working groups to brainstorm top action priorities for Global Washington.  The priorities that emerged were:

1. Establish global citizenship learning goals in higher education;
2. Create a clearing house for information sharing;
3. Build awareness of the international development sector;
4. Build a collaborative network of Washington State organizations
   working in global sustainable development;
5. Increase the sector’s political influence.

In the months ahead, the Global Washington Steering Committee and staff will focus on the top two priorities while simultaneously building a strategic framework for the initiative. 

A committee of representatives from six higher education institutions convened in November to begin identifying learning goals that would position Washington State college graduates as global citizens.  Once these are developed, the committee will partner with the Meaningful High School Diploma Initiative to ensure the learning goals align with their focus on global citizenship at the K-12 levels. 

The data collected as part of the Global Washington research to inventory the state’s global sustainable development activities will serve as the basis for an information clearing house.  We are in the process of determining the best technology solution for organizing and sharing this valuable information.

YUNUS INSPIRES GLOBAL WASHINGTON
by Roy Mann

One of the defining qualities of our region is its spirit of cooperation. Does it stem from the example of our indigenous forebears, like Chief Seattle, widely known for his spirit of friendship and cooperation? Is it influenced by the legacy of pioneering families, represented by the likes of Dorothy Bullitt, whose deeper humanity exemplified our common yearning to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves?

Whatever the reason, it’s no wonder that Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus received a warm welcome at a recent gathering in Seattle. At a reception hosted by Global Washington following his speech to a packed house at Kane Hall on the University of Washington campus, Yunus articulated his message of focusing on positive social outcomes, especially for the poorest of the poor, while maintaining sound business principles. Meeting Yunus in person was a rare treat; to me he is the 21st century’s Gandhi.

How can we take Yunus’ simple vision and apply it ourselves? As I scanned the audience, I saw the ambassadors of a growing vision for our region, the entrepreneurs who work globally in service of the public good. People such as  Professor Sara Curran from the UW Jackson School; Peter Bladin, director of the Grameen Technology Center; Curt Malloy, president of the Infectious Disease Research Institute; Lance LeLoup, Vice Provost of International Programs at WSU, among many others; all of them leaders who exemplify our regional spirit of cooperation. And it is this cooperative spirit that is forging a more commanding presence for Washington State in global sustainable development.

Roy Mann is a leader in the Nonprofit Practice Group at CB Richard Ellis. His practice includes developing strategy and building cooperative relationships in the global health sector.

GLOBAL WASHINGTON HIRES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sarah Meyer joined Global Washington in early November with a mandate to direct strategic planning for the initiative and to respond to the priorities identified during the Forum.  Sarah brings to this position twenty years of leadership experience in philanthropy and nonprofit management; she was the director of Microsoft’s Community Affairs for nearly nine years, served as managing director of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses in New York, and was the founding executive director of the Harlem Educational Activities Fund.  A passionate global citizen, Sarah has lived and worked in India, Israel and England.  A dedicated local citizen, she serves on the boards of Community Voice Mail, Washington Families Fund, Penny Harvest and Team Read, and tutors school children at Rainier Vista in south Seattle.

A HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
Global Washington has greatly benefited from the support of donors whose generosity has helped to launch the Initiative.   Our thanks go out to The Boeing Company, Microsoft, The Seattle International Foundation, the University of Washington, the Center for Global Studies at the UW, Washington State University, Laird Norton, PATH and Enterprise Seattle for their support.  And, we are pleased to announce that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently made a two-year grant of $100,000 to our fiscal sponsor, The Seattle Foundation, in support of Global Washington.
 

       In This Issue

• Welcome
• What's Next
• Mohammad Yunus Visit
• Executive Director Hired
• Our Supporters