WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization Global Ties U.S. is pleased to announce the 2016 winners of the Lorinne Emery Award for Volunteer Service: Jane and John Davis of Global Ties Alabama. Their outstanding volunteer spirit, dedication to citizen diplomacy, and enduring contribution to international understanding embody the attributes of the award’s namesake, Lorinne Emery. The Davises have served Global Ties Alabama for over a decade. Together, the Davises lead interfaith initiatives both domestically and around the world, and have helped set up a sister university arrangement between the University of Berlin and Alabama State University. Jane and John Davis will be honored with the award on Friday, May 6 as a part of Discover Diplomacy Weekend, an event celebrating American’s involved in international exchange. Join us May 6-8 as we come together with Americans from all walks of life and look at how we each say “I am Diplomacy!”.
Global Ties Alabama Executive Director Jacqui Shipe had this to say: “What John and Jane help the [international visitors] learn, of course, is much more than what they hear in presentations. They see and get to know Americans like John and Jane, and how our values are reflected in reality. They find, in completely frank and transparent discussions, that all questions are on the table, the good, the bad, and the embarrassing.”
Jane, a retired history professor, and John, retired from Federal law enforcement, have served Global Ties Alabama for over a decade. As a professor, Jane prepares for each of her groups by studying about their culture, preparing added interim commentaries, short side tours, and thoughtful historical observations to each trip. She is still in contact with dozens of these guests. For John, the connections he makes with exchange visitors are long lasting. He writes in professional journals about lessons learned from colleagues in law enforcement and countering extremism. He joined Global Ties Alabama because he saw the concrete good toward global understanding to which Jane contributed, particularly in the International Visitor Leadership Program. He saw where Jane’s groups employed cooperative efforts which saved lives in social turmoil because of things they learned in Huntsville.
Global Ties U.S. President Jennifer Clinton, Ph.D., said, “John and Jane together are an unstoppable force for citizen diplomacy. The time and effort they have dedicated to Global Ties and IVLP has been a source of inspiration for friends, co-workers, and visitors alike. It is through the work of people like the Davises, and the relationships they build, that we are able to show visitors the true American spirit. We are fortunate to be able to have great people like them contributing their time, talents, and knowledge to our organization, and are honored to present them with the 2016 Lorinne Emery Award.”
The Davises hosts these international leaders as part of their experience through the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), its premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country first hand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Global Ties U.S. is the nonprofit partner of the U.S. Department of State in implementing the IVLP, and Global Ties Alabama, a member of Global Ties U.S., conducts the program locally in the Huntsville, Alabama area.