Bridging Borders: How International Delegations Strengthened Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky This August
August has brought an extraordinary level of international exchange to the region, as the World Affairs Council hosted five separate global delegations, our highest monthly total this year. Through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)* dozens of international leaders gathered in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to tackle shared global challenges and strengthen cross-cultural partnerships.
Here is a closer look at the five international delegations that visited our region this month and the local partners who made these connections possible:
Preventing and Reducing Opioid Abuse
International delegates and WAC staff with Hamilton County leaders in combatting opioid use.
From late July through early August, twelve delegates from Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Kosovo, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, North Macedonia, Romania, and the United Kingdom visited to examine law enforcement coordination and regional detention systems. Their itinerary focused on holistic strategies combining interagency cooperation with community-based recovery models. While here, they met with:
- Chief Tom Synan & Hamilton County Heroin Task Force
- Hamilton County Coroner’s Office and Crime Lab
- Office of Addiction Response & Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition Steering Committee
- OneStop Resource Center & Hamilton County Justice Center
- Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Addiction Services Council, and Jail-Based Treatment Partners
- Hamilton County Quick Response Team
- Hamilton County Drug Treatment and Recovery Court & Probation Division
- Judge Nicole L. Sanders
Special thanks to Meagan Guthrie, Chief Tom Synan, and Commander Mike Davenport for their leadership and collaboration on this crucial exchange.
Combatting Environmental Crimes
International delegates with the Ohio Division of Wildlife
Focusing law enforcement models for natural resource protection, transparency in environmental monitoring, and the role of community-based organizations, a delegation of NGO directors, researchers, journalists, and conservation officers from Indonesia engaged with the following top regional ecological institutions:
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources
- Thomas More University Ohio River Biology Field Station
- Ohio Division of Wildlife
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Grassroots Outreach & Citizen Diplomacy at the Covington Farmers Market
World Affairs Council staff and volunteers.
The summer storms got the best of the region in early August. After winning the Dinner Diplomacy grant, the World Affairs Council planned to have a booth at the Covington Farmers Market with our visiting delegates to connect with our community. However, after rescheduling due to weather conditions, both international delegations wound up unable to attend the farmers market with us.Despite summer storms forcing a reschedule of the event at the Covington Farmers Market, our team pivoted quickly. With Point Perk coffee and pastries from North South Baking Co., our staff and volunteers engaged with over 75 local residents to share how citizen diplomacy and our Home Hospitality program bring the world to the Tri-State area.
U.S. State and Local Government Systems
International delegates with OKI
Mid-month, cabinet ministers, department heads, and board members from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka joined us to explore intergovernmental coordination, civic technology, and voter engagement across Ohio and Kentucky. The delegation met with:
- Leadership Cincinnati
- Hamilton County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency
- Hamilton County Board of Elections & Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative
- Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana (OKI) Regional Council of Governments
- BE NKY Growth Partnership
- City of Cincinnati Office of Performance and Data Analytics
- U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio
Multi-State Wildlife Cooperation and Combatting Nature Crimes
International delegates with CREW at the Cincinnati Zoo
Concurrently, a delegation of legal experts, program managers, and conservation leaders from China visited to exchange strategies on enforcing wildlife and land protection laws across state borders.
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
- Thomas More University Ohio River Biology Field Station
- Mill Creek Alliance
- Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW)
- The Boone Conservancy
Trafficking in Persons: Prevention and Mitigation
Closing out the month, judges, law enforcement officers, advisors, and professors will be arriving to evaluate local collaborative efforts between local government and advocacy groups in combating human trafficking. The delegates will be from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chile, Germany, Guyana, Lebanon, Nepal, Romania, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The group is planning to meet with:
- Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office
- Women Helping Women
- BLOC Ministries
- The Aruna Project
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Field Office
- Center for Abuse and Rape Emergency Services (CARES)
As summer winds down, we reflect with immense gratitude on the powerful exchanges that took place across Cincinnati, Covington, and the greater regional community. Thank you to every local organization, host, and partner who lent their expertise to elevate our region on the global stage.
*These are programs of the U.S. Department of State, administered by World Affairs Council –Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky.
