Global New Orleans: Facilitating International Exchange for Community Impact

Laila Bondi, MUP, MPH, is the Executive Director of Global New Orleans, an organization with a seven-decades long legacy of hosting international visitors on U.S. Department of State-sponsored international exchanges to South Louisiana, providing opportunities for the local community to learn about world cultures and celebrate the diversity that defines New Orleans. Laila has extensive experience in nonprofit management, as well as a commitment to organizational change and collaborative leadership. She has trained community health workers, coordinated county-wide systems for funding homeless housing programs and created holistic service plans for patients with HIV/AIDS. Her broad range of interests and areas of expertise, combined with a community focus and a global outlook, inform every aspect of her work. Laila has a Master of Urban Planning from the State University of New York, a Master of Public Health from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and an undergraduate degree in Spanish from Tulane University. She is a seasoned world traveler, voracious reader and you can catch her dancing in the streets with New Orleans’ first Latin dance group, Ritmeaux Krewe. 

Description:

This presentation will provide the history and background of Global New Orleans, from its inception in 1944 to today. Learn how Global New Orleans has worked to implement the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), which is the U.S. State Department's  premier professional exchange program, and helps to foster meaningful connections, foster cross-cultural understanding, and create positive change locally and globally. This discussion will give an overview of the transformative power of international exchange programs and specifically cite the various areas of expertise and countries represented by the visitors, as well as benefits of the program to our local community. Be part of the conversation and discover how to become involved in contributing to a more interconnected and compassionate world.