New York, NY - The Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) works around the world to inform and foster dialogue amongst critical stakeholders on key global issues. We do this through our programs with the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, engaging young people, supporting cultural diplomacy, and working on humanitarian programs.
New York, NY - The Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) works around the world to inform and foster dialogue amongst critical stakeholders on key global issues. We do this through our programs with the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, engaging young people, supporting cultural diplomacy, and working on humanitarian programs.
New York, NY - The Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) works around the world to inform and foster dialogue amongst critical stakeholders on key global issues. We do this through our programs with the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, engaging young people, supporting cultural diplomacy, and working on humanitarian programs.
New York, NY - The Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) and the Global Partnerships Forum (GPF) presented a conference on Reflections on COVID-19 Response: Successes, Failures, Challenges and Opportunities on Friday April 22, 2022 at Muhlenberg College. The conference was an activity within HDI’s/GPF’s Higher Education Alliance and was the first live program since the start of the COVID pandemic in March 2020.
New York, NY - HDI Cultural Envoy Reem Edan celebrated Women’s History Month with U.S. Embassy Bahrain (Virtually) on March 8,2022. Reem Edan is an Iraqi/Muslim American woman whose comedy explores the cultural and religious differences between the two people/parts of the world. Reem is known as the “Muslim-ennial,” her wit covers topics from the difficulties of fasting Ramadan in the United States to “lost-in-translation” moments with her Arab parents, to things she learned while traveling/living in the Middle East. Having lived in Bahrain, Reem was the perfect HDI Cultural Envoy to engage Bahrani audiences After an introduction by the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section Reem did a standup comedy routine. She then discussed her career and the difficulties of being a Muslim American woman in the U.S. comedy field. Reem urged the young women viewing the presentation to follow their dreams and to persevere. Ambition is good. This was an excellent message for Women’s History Month.
New York, NY - On Friday, March 4, 2022, the late Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson was honored at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
The star-studded event, titled A Tribute to Mary Wilson, was eloquently hosted by Ms. Wilson’s daughter Turkessa Babich and featured appearances by Stevie Wonder, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Motown’s original songwriters Brian and Eddie Holland, and Iris and Karla Gordy. HDI was proud to provide a video tribute to Mary, who was our longtime Celebrity Spokesperson.
HDI Chairman Al Khalafalla spoke warmly of Mary’s work advocating for HDI’s goal of fostering international dialogue. Dr. Khalafalla also presented a video that showed Mary’s humanitarian work on HDI projects in Asia. Dr. Khalafalla joined Rita Coolidge, Corporation for Public Broadcasting President Patricia Harris and others in highlighting the impact made by Mary Wilson.
Universal Music used this event to release the Mary Wilson – Motown Anthology.
The Tribute was available online on March 6, Mary Wilson’s Birthday.
Working with Expo 2020 (Dubai) and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, HDI shared the history and tastes of African American cuisine with audiences in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
New York, NY - HDI Culinary Envoy Adrian Miller visited Dubai and Cairo, lecturing, conducting workshops, and introducing audiences to African American cuisine. Adrian Miller is among HDI’s most requested Cultural Envoys. Adrian is a recipient of the James Beard Foundation Award; his book Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine is considered the definitive history of this uniquely American cuisine. In his presentations, Adrian provided much-needed context by showing how race relations in the United States shaped the cuisine known as Soul Food. In Dubai, Adrian conducted lectures and cooking demonstrations at the USA Pavilion Rocket Stage. He was also a guest on the Helen Farmer Show on Dubai Eye.
After his successful program in Dubai, Adrian traveled to Cairo, Egypt. Adrian engaged Egyptians through lectures, demonstrations, and workshops. He presented on the history of Soul Food at the Egyptian Chefs Association. He also did a fun presentation on the “Liquid History of the U.S. Presidency,” in which he provided cocktail recipes favored by U.S. Presidents. Adrian was featured in Egypt’s oldest and bestselling English-language social affairs magazine, Egypt Today. The core event of Adrian’s visit to Egypt was a public presentation on the history of Soul Food at the renowned Tahrir Cultural Center of the American University of Cairo. As with all HDI programs, engaging students was a priority. Adrian accomplished this by giving a presentation to Egyptian participants of the Embassy’s English Access Micro-Scholarship Program. This excellent program provides two years of intensive English language learning and life skills to approximately 700 talented, economically disadvantaged students from throughout Egypt. Adrian’s final event in Egypt was a Facebook Live Session on the History of Soul Food for the U.S. Embassy Cairo.
HDI would like to thank Global Ties U.S., U.S. Consulate Dubai, and U.S. Embassy Cairo for organizing superb programs.
HDI is committed to highlighting U.S. culture as a method of promoting dialogue worldwide. We have worked with more than 70 U.S. Embassies and Consulates to bring American culture to countries worldwide.
New York, NY - In celebration of Black History Month, HDI Cultural Envoy Maya Azucena presented a lecture and performed virtually for U.S. Embassy Bahrain February 14, 2022. Maya discussed her career and how it is important for young people to follow their passions. Maya highlighted the immeasurable contributions which African-Americans make to the United States.
Maya Azucena is an American award-winning recording artist and humanitarian. Her shows are high-energy experiences fusing multiple genres, from Rock and Pop, to Funk, Jazz, and HipHop. Maya has performed all over the world for the U.S. Department of State and has worked with HDI on programs for Norway, Denmark, Haiti, and Bahrain.
HDI is committed to highlighting U.S. culture as a method of promoting dialogue worldwide. We have worked with more than 70 U.S. Embassies and Consulates to bring American culture to countries worldwide.
New York, NY - The Humpty Dumpty Institute is honored to partner with From the Depths to help bring Christmas cheer to some of the remaining Righteous Among the Nations in Poland. From the Depths aims to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and give a name to those who were brutally murdered in the dark days of the Holocaust. One of its major missions is to honor non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Each year From the Depths delivers Christmas packages to many of the Righteous who are now in their 90s or over 100 years old and are homebound. This year, after working with From the Depths to honor the Righteous in Ukraine and helping restore a Jewish cemetery in Uzbekistan, HDI Program Manager Natalia Sydorova joined the founder of From the Depths Johnny Daniels and his team of Israelis, Poles, and Ukrainians to bring Christmas cheer to the Righteous in Warsaw and Krakow.
New York, NY - On Saturday, December 11, 2021, the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) departed Washington, D.C., with a U.S. Congressional Staff Delegation to Hargeisa, Somaliland, for a five-day program. HDI partnered with the Horn of Africa Education Development Fund (Abaarso Network), the Cheetah Conservation Fund, the Somalilander-American Health Association, and The Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Hargeisa.
This program followed the ongoing series of HDI’s international Congressional Delegations with the aim to enhance and foster greater understanding on the part of the U.S. Congress of various countries around the world through direct dialogue and an exchange of ideas with government officials and other thought leaders. The goal of this trip was to get a better understanding of the complexities of the region through meetings with the Somalilander government, business, environmental and cultural leaders. Somaliland, with its strategic location in the Horn of Africa, is very important to U.S. interests in the region in the current geopolitical situation. It is crucial for U.S. political, academic, and business leaders to get a better understanding of current dynamics and strategic concerns.
This delegation was composed of five senior Congressional Staffers: Ms. Elizabeth Lewis (Senior Policy Analyst for Senator James Risch), Mr. Piero Tozzi (Staff Director for Congressman Christopher Smith), Mr. Scott Gaber (Chief Counsel for Senator Lindsey Graham), Mr. Cole Rojewski (Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Kay Granger), and Mr. Christopher Del Beccaro (Chief of Staff for Congressman Michael McCaul).
Conservation and women’s issues were the focuses of the first day of the program. The delegation met with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Somaliland and had the opportunity to tour the Cheetah Conservation Fund Safe House. There, they discussed environmental challenges facing Somaliland, specifically the impact of climate change, the prolonged drought, and the impact of the loss of grazing land on the local economy. Also, that day, the participants discussed issues concerning gender equality and women’s rights and women’s access to education in Somaliland with leaders of civil society.
The second day concentrated on exploring the most pressing issues concerning Somaliland and its role in the region, with discussions focused on the current economic and political situation. As HDI’s mission is to foster dialogue, the delegation met with the political parties in the current administration and with opposition parties. The program also allowed HDI’s Chairman Al Khalafalla to meet with Taiwan’s representative in Somaliland, Ambassador Allen C. Lou. Dr. Khalafalla and Ambassador Lou discussed possible HDI/Taiwan humanitarian programs in the region. HDI has a long history of working with Taiwan globally.
Another area of concentration for the delegation was education. The delegation visited the Abaarso School, an internationally recognized 7th-12th grade co-ed boarding school just outside of Hargeisa, where it had the opportunity to discuss education access and educational opportunities of local students. The in-depth discussion focused on the challenges of running educational institutions in Somaliland. On the afternoon of December 14, the group met with the leadership of the University of Hargeisa, the largest university in Somaliland, where they explored possibilities of student exchanges.
Also, while in Somaliland, the group met with business leaders with the intention of increasing U.S. business opportunities in the region. They also traveled to Berbera, the site of a major naval port and the longest runway in Africa, used as a space shuttle emergency landing site. The delegation focused on the strategic importance of the port to regional and U.S. interests, specifically to counter China’s growing influence in Africa.
HDI is honored to be able to arrange programs that foster dialogue and advance U.S. strategic interests. All HDI’s Congressional Programs adhere to regulations set forth by the U.S. House Committee on Ethics and the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics and are approved prior to travel.
