Global Philadelphia Association IDEAS SUMMIT 2015

Global Ideas Summit Notes

Topic 1: Implement a public engagement campaign to inform the regional population about Philadelphia’s status as a World Heritage City and activate a discussion of the resulting opportunities.

  • Campaign to inform region and activate discussion of opportunities (Implement a public engagement campaign to inform the regional population about Philadelphia’s status as a World Heritage City and activate a discussion of the resulting opportunities.)

  1. World Heritage Day

-host events to target different audiences throughout the city to engage different audiences

  • Sports arena events to inform people of World Heritage (Cheap options for PSAs)

  • Red T-shirts provided by sponsors

  • Wawa Hoagie fest kind of event

  • Event at Independence Hall

  • Social Media: #WorldHeritageDay

  1. Democratic National Convention 2016 – Partnership to get National Press

-Pamphlet handouts, -T-shirts?

  1. Convention Center Outreach

  2. Airports

-Information Stand Pamphlets

-Airplane Magazine: Philadelphia Feature

  1. Outreach to Colleges in the area

-Using them to get outreach to students and Alumni groups

  1. “Independence Trail” - walking tour developed for world Heritage sites

-App made through support of a Hack-a-Thon

  1. Hospitality Groups to Support World Heritage Branding

-Information Desks providing information on World Heritage City Designation

  1. USA 250 – Partnership with them for the 250th celebration

  2. Press into New York Times

  3. Public spokesperson for different sectors & Lecture Series hosted (by David Brownlee?)

  4. Ads on the back of Philadelphia Event Tickets (Theater Tickets, Zoo Tickets, Garden Tickets, etc.)

  5. Bridging off of other large organization events

-Overnight Museum Sleepovers for Kid Involvement (Independence Hall?)

Topic 2. Partner with existing organizations to facilitate brand recognition of Philadelphia as a World Heritage City in the region, nation and world.

Partner with existing organizations to facilitate brand recognition of Philadelphia as a World Heritage City in the region, nation and world.

  1. International Students

    1. Utilize the Sister Cities program to promote Philadelphia as a WHC to international Students.

    2. Local colleges can teach about World Heritage during International Student orientation

    3. Distribute the World Heritage City brand through university international centers.

      1. e.g. UPenn’s Perry World House center in China.

    4. Campus Philly as a distribution channel for World Heritage.

  2. Existing Partnerships

    1. Find out about partnerships that already exist between organizations and identify how they can leverage the WHC brand.

    2. It’s important to reach out to existing partnerships as to not duplicate partnerships and projects that already exist.

  3. International Businesses

    1. Revitalizing the Ben Franklin Navigator to get companies to come here with emphasis on the WHC brand.

    2. Sister Cities program as another gateway to bringing International businesses as well as highlighting Philadelphia’s status as a WHC.

    3. The WHC brand can enhance other offerings such as top universities, lower cost of lowing, and location to other major cities.

  4. The Democratic National Convention and Visit Philly

    1. The DNC will bring thousands of people to Philadelphia this influx of people serving as a prime opportunity to spread the WHC brand

    2. Visit Philly can be a vehicle to distribute information about Philadelphia as a WHC to the tourists.

  5. Global Philadelphia Association

    1. GPA needs to describe its top 3 goals so that organizations can know how it can partner with GPA because all partnerships to depend on what each other is trying to accomplish.

 

Topic 3. Champion the education of all Philadelphians about our diverse and interconnected histories and cultures.

Preparing faculty/administration

Penn Counsel for International Education

Circus without Borders was brought to three American Paradigm Schools

Pearlman Building: Provides resources to teachers to use

Penn Museum

Resources available in tool kit

International Classroom, Classroom exchange

Create an initiative that every child in Philadelphia has to take a course

Maybe integrate American history or electives

History of Philadelphia

Need for a global curriculum

Teachers needs to have their own international experiences, along with Principals

Looking for non-profits that raise money for teachers to go abroad

Leveraging Jim Kenny and the new way of administration that he will be bringing in to advocate on behalf of global education

Roll this out in stages by starting small and piloting this program to teachers

Paying attention to the musical aspect in education

Painted Bride comes into schools

Al Bustan Seeds of Culture

Leveraging Power of GPA to go to school district

Addressing current islamophobia and using our partners to provide a collective message

Open discussion of all parts of diversity

Every grade level has to digest the concept of global citizenship

Technology: Box → engages children with 3D images

Diversity: racial, diversity of thought, religion, background

Study of religion with history

Reps of SRC and heads of Global Philly to sit down and meet the need for tangible initiatives to be implemented in schools

Key element → diversity

After school/OST – new mandate & school clubs, model UN, rec centers

Speakers bureau on World Heritage

Fair/Just narrative, room for students to explore

Critical thinking & analysis – 21st century Common Core, multiple perspectives

PACIE – Philly 2016 October – Feb.

K -20 – Harrisburg task force add WH to their efforts

Geography, languages

Higher Education → K-12 partnerships institutionalized

Corporate Professional Development

Get new people in the GPA discussions

Membership status

Immigrant orgs, small orgs, MOIMA

“centers” in different neighborhoods

Library programs, OBOP

SEPTA

Science Festival

Philadelphia Peace Day

Philadelphia Folklore Project

Messengers/Ambassadors – Speakers

Topic 4: Participate in a broad range of activities with the Organization of World Heritage Cities and its global member cities, increasing Philadelphia’s international presence.

  1. Capitalizing Philadelphia’s waterworks history & host the next World Water Forum (40,000 attendance)

  2. Organize a Forum of cities that have similar socio-economic history by focusing on a particular theme (water, tech innovation, green initiative, sustainability, etc.)

  3. Educational & Technical Exchange programs by utilizing OWHC membership

  4. Find possible overlap between WHC & Sister Cities & have an increasing partnership (trade, tourism)

  5. Take enlightenment ideas to the next level by expanding the Franklin Institute Prize Globally

  6. Creating a global invitation by utilizing arts, communication, and our welcoming history for meetings/conventions

  7. Opening up to the rest of the world (eyes, ears, and minds)

  8. Provide Exposure in order to expand the WHC designation to other U.S. cities (not become exclusive)

 

Topic 5. Advocate and support an International Department within the City of Philadelphia to focus on global opportunities and support brand recognition.

Main Points

  • International Department for City of Philadelphia should be a unifying agent

  • Arts & Culture and other nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, etc. must have equal representation despite vastly different budgets

  • Must include the entire Greater Philadelphia region – the 5-county area (i.e., Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties)

  • Keep City moving forward

  • How to sell this idea to our own City?

    • How design and sell this idea better: right now GPA and various City departments (Commerce, Immigration & Multicultural Affairs (MOIMA) are involved)

    • There is a need for a common agenda for all involved

OR

    • Put goals of different departments involved under one “house”, e.g., San Antonio has one office which manages under one department

    • Most cities have 1-2 people coordinating (e.g., position under Mayor, for International Affairs)

    • In a number of places, e.g., in Mexico, it is Federal law that all World Heritage Cities have to have such an office with staffing

    • Many cities (e.g., NYC and Boston) have offices overseeing international affairs with 1-2 people to lead the effort

  • In current work plan, have identified need for International Office to coordinate different organizations and city resources

  • Goal: Make case to the new Kenney Administration

    • Mayor is open to this idea

    • Has a new representative appointed but it is unclear what the role will encompass; don’t know yet how it will work out

    • Point out that increase in city grown is from foreign-born immigrants, students who come here to study (and stay), etc.

    • This department could also promote civic pride

    • PHL needs “brand” which can be used comprehensively to attract businesses, tourism, students, etc.

    • Dept. and monies allocated would show city of PHL’s commitment to WHC designation and moving forward

    • Kenney has team reps on WHC working committee – he’s very supportive – involves political, fundraising and other components; also GPA Board Chair John Smith has been in informal contact with Kenney

    • Concern that Kenney not interested in traveling internationally - however, someone pointed out that his team/designated staff can do the travel unless there is some big issue that requires Mayor’s participation/travel – all the more reason to have designated International affairs office so Kenney can be more focused on local agenda

    • Given it’s a global world, City HAS to participate in international initiatives/outreach

    • Such an office in PHL would include surrounding counties which bring a rich cultural heritage – PHL’s stature could be that much richer with recognition of the value and contributions of Greater Philadelphia region (GPA partners already include such “outside regions”)

    • Emphasize sports scene

      • PHL MOIMA already works with sports teams such as the Phillies – could have a heritage night at a game

      • Soccer in Chester – MOIMA works with them every day – e.g., multicultural events during half-time

    • Also emphasize arts and cultural exchanges

    • Mayor 1st has to appt. International Affairs Dept. personnel then those staff, give them 1-2 ideas re proceeding and then the staff would determine how to proceed with e.g., event, gathering invested organizations, etc.

    • Mayor created dept. by executive order then City Council has to approve it and then finally a public vote to make this a permanent dept.

    • GPA must get an appointment with the new mayor

    • Contrast international office from Immigration and Multicultural Affairs

    • Look at examples of cities with different styles of International Affairs depts.(e.g., San Antonio, NYC, etc.)

  • Greater PHL Cultural Alliance & similar groups could form working groups

  • GPA could form a group of nonprofits with special attention to how much less money they have but what richness they bring

  • International demographics – hard to hire new graduates – such a Dept. could help PHL businesses advocate for immigration services/VISA issues and concerns – through a designated staff to interface with various involved organizations

  • Perhaps a working team could be developed to help make things more effective between and among organizations involved in international affairs

  • You could group industries together, e.g., arts & culture – but this could be too big for 1 or 2 people to handle within an International affairs dept.

  • Some in Commerce dept., e.g., could be part of a task force on international affairs which is composed of those who are at the top of these organizations/departments – 1st have to create a task force

  • Host event to get invested parties together

  • Part of what’s holding PHL back is need for education

  • Fragmentation of different organizations and city doing different pieces related to international affairs – for small organizations, including nonprofits, it’s hard to stay on top of what’s happening – need info and management of issues all in one place

Topic 6: Support the designation of additional UNESCO sites within Greater Philadelphia.

  • 66 National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia, 44 in surrounding region

  • Eastern State Penitentiary has been trying for UNESCO for some time → its immense importance from the 19th Century has been largely forgotten. Philadelphia has something to say to the world about crime and punishment, which is a salient issue.

  • UNESCO designation is largely for preservation as much as celebration

  • Three criteria for designation:

1) International significance (a difficult hurdle)

2) Integrity of the resources and structures (i.e. are they in good enough shape to be restored?)

3) Commitment to preservation

  • Possibilities: Temple Beth Shalom, Waterworks, Mother Bethel, City Hall (was tallest building the world for a long time, established tall building vocabulary copied by the Singer Building in NY), Richards Building at Penn

  • The very name of Eastern State Penitentiary highlights its place in the prison reform movement, namely belief in self-inner-activation

  • How does designation advance Global Philly’s goals?

-School children might have a passport and check off National Historic

Landmarks they visit

-Other similar types of educational tool-kits

  • We don’t have much physical substance left from William Penn

  • Fair hill Burial Ground is important for the reformers and abolitionists buried there

  • The role of National Historic Districts:

-Many were established for the purpose of tax credits

-So there’s a lot of variety among them because of this

-Chestnut Hill

  • Consensus: pushing for designation should be a goal, and this might include a letter of support from the City