The State-to-States Initiative

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg marked April 9 as the city’s first Global Engagement Day. The occasion recognizes Louisville’s — and cities everywhere — role in shaping the world and how this engagement benefits communities all of kinds.

“When local leaders and citizens are internationally engaged, we are quicker to find effective ideas and practices that can resolve the global issues we face,” said Special Representative Hachigian. “Most cities in the United States have not had a long, strong tradition of global engagement. However, today is a sign that this is changing. Mayor Greenberg is looking across border for practical ideas and new economic opportunities to put Louisville on the map and to promote shared values.” This event, and the proclamation, were later covered on WLKY, a local CBS affiliate.

In a USGLC Roundtable called “Global Engagement Day: What’s it Worth to Louisville?”, the Ambassador highlighted how the team could help facilitate the benefits of foreign policy for Louisville, which has a wealth of international connections, including hosting both an annual WorldFest as well as the Kentucky Derby, being the headquarters of Yum! headquarters (the parent company of KFC), and having a wealth of diaspora communities. She and Mayor Greenberg highlighted their commitment to connecting Louisville with international networks.

Following the roundtable, Special Representative Hachigian, City of Louisville staff, and USGLC leadership visited three local nonprofits that conduct outreach overseas.

S.O.S. International partners with hospitals, clinics, and medical supply companies to divert surplus medical supplies away from landfills and toward communities in need. Operating in 106 countries, S.O.S. has helped redistribute more than 4 million pounds of medical supplies since 1993. This has not only provided much needed resources to individuals and families — it has also had an immense environmental impact.

WaterStep is an NGO that focuses on sustainable solutions to the world’s WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) crisis. WaterStep provides comprehensive, end-to-end support from project conception through long-term sustainability based on proprietary technology. The NGO provides solutions for places where infrastructure is fragile and execution challenges are difficult, especially in low-income areas and in communities responding to natural and manmade disasters.

Love the Hungry is a food packaging and distribution nonprofit that recruits volunteers – some as young as six years old – in preparing nutritional meal kits. Through a partnership with Alliance for Better Nutrition and the Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition, Love the Hungry packages and send “Nutri-Plenty Meals,” which are specifically designed to combat malnutrition and are easily stored.

On April 10th, the Special Representative Hachigian visited Chattanooga, which was one of the first U.S. cities to purchase and use electric buses in its public transportation system, is aptly nicknamed “Scenic City,” and has a wealth of civil society organizations working on important issues. She was in the city to attend the proclamation of April 10th as Chattanooga’s Global Engagement Day; her visit and details about her work were covered in Chattanooga Times Free Press.

To conclude her trip, Special Representative Hachigian spoke with students at Chattanooga State Community College (Chatt State), which is the only community college in Tennessee that also integrates the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT). The Ambassador answered a variety of questions about foreign policy, oceans, climate change, State Department opportunities, and more.