Voices of Exchange

U.S. State Department, ECA Office of Alumni Affairs
Voices of Exchange

Voices of Exchange delivers unforgettable first-person stories from people transformed by international exchange. This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). You can also listen to Voices of Exchange on our website, Alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange. Also follow us on Instagram @voicesofexchange.

  1. Speaking to the Heart

    12/22/2022

    Speaking to the Heart

    How can you be a rock band without instruments – and connect with people through song? Tune in to the next episode of Voices of Exchange and discover how one a capella group, The House Jacks, created a pitch perfect connection through song and how their music has struck a chord with audiences across the world, most recently in Latvia and Estonia. With a special holiday treat at the end, this final episode of Season 3 is one you won’t want to miss.  Catch Voices of Exchange on all major podcast platforms and at alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange. Subscribe at bit.ly/SubscribenowVoE.

    37 min
  2. Pivoting to in Person - Hip-Hop Diplomacy, Part 2

    12/08/2022

    Pivoting to in Person - Hip-Hop Diplomacy, Part 2

    What happens when five musicians who have never met before and haven’t performed in person since the start of the pandemic get together in Abu Dhabi and Dubai? In the second part of this hip-hop diplomacy story, the ExchangeAlumni team of Next Level artist-educators dive into the magic of connecting in person and serendipity. For more Voices of Exchange, visit alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange. Subscribe at bit.ly/SubscribenowVoE.

    15 min
  3. Music and Mutual Interests - Hip-Hop Diplomacy, Part 1

    12/01/2022

    Music and Mutual Interests - Hip-Hop Diplomacy, Part 1

    What happens when five musicians who have never met before and haven’t performed in person since the start of the pandemic get together in Abu Dhabi? Music, magic, and lifelong connections through “hip-hop culture.” In the first part of this hip-hop diplomacy story, the ExchangeAlumni team of Next Level artist-educators and Next Level Director Julian Brickhouse chop it up on music and mutual interests, and the breakthroughs they made in the United Arab Emirates. For more Voices of Exchange, visit alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange. Subscribe at bit.ly/SubscribenowVoE.

    16 min
  4. Breaking the Silence

    08/25/2022

    Breaking the Silence

    Marie Christina Kolo wasn’t trying to be Wonder Woman when it came to the secret she kept for many years. But in her work as a climate activist, she wanted to be strong for her community. It wasn’t until she became a Mandela Washington Fellow that Marie Christine found the courage to get vulnerable, which allowed her to make a deeper impact.

    19 min
  5. Books, Beer, and Nature-Based Climate Solutions

    08/11/2022

    Books, Beer, and Nature-Based Climate Solutions

    To some people, dealing with climate change might seem like an uphill battle and even be depressing. But to Melissa Low, an ExchangeAlumni who has been working in the field – and participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties, or COP – for over a decade, it’s not a zero-sum game.

    24 min
  6. Race, Belonging, and Reclaiming Your Story - Part 2

    07/21/2022

    Race, Belonging, and Reclaiming Your Story - Part 2

    Mathew Holloway and Cornelius Finley have a few things in common: they are both Black men. They both come from Southern United States. And they are both ExchangeAlumni, who attended a seminar on American identity with other exchange program alumni in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But that’s where the similarities end...   In our two-part series on American identity on Voices of Exchange, Mathew and Cornelius talk about race, belonging, reclaiming your story, and why American identity is not just “black and white.”

    30 min
  7. Race, Belonging, and Reclaiming Your Story - Part 1

    07/07/2022

    Race, Belonging, and Reclaiming Your Story - Part 1

    Mathew B. Holloway II and Cornelius Finley have a few things in common: they are both Black men. They both come the Southern United States. And they are both ExchangeAlumni, who attended a seminar on American Identity with other exchange program alumni in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But that’s where the similarities end... NOTE: The description above has been edited to correct an error. Mathew grew up in a small town, while Cornelius grew up in one of the biggest cities in the U.S.!

    18 min
  8. Monumental Moments, Part 2

    06/23/2022

    Monumental Moments, Part 2

    In the second episode of our three part arc on ExchangeAlumni working with augmented reality, or, AR, we spoke with Julia Beabout, the CEO and creative director of an award-winning AR creative studio. We continue our dive into the transformative power of the technology with ExchangeAlumni Grady Hart, Julia’s partner on the augmented reality project, Monumental Conversations. Grady - an ExchangeAlumni of the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange program and a community partnerships coordinator in Richmond, Virginia - talks about learning about systemic racism in his own community for the first time and how that spurred him to right some of the wrongs of the past by raising the voices of those who have traditionally not had a voice.

    26 min
See All (15)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Voices of Exchange delivers unforgettable first-person stories from people transformed by international exchange. This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). You can also listen to Voices of Exchange on our website, Alumni.state.gov/voicesofexchange. Also follow us on Instagram @voicesofexchange.

Information

  • Creator
    U.S. State Department, ECA Office of Alumni Affairs
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2022
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © U.S. State Department, ECA Office of Alumni Affairs
  • Show Website
    Voices of Exchange

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