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Contributor Guidelines

Submitting guest blogs is open to Global Washington’s members of the Atlas level and above. We value a diversity of opinions on a broad range of subjects of interest to the global health and development community.

Blog article submissions should be 500-1500 words. Photos, graphs, videos, and other art that supports the main themes are strongly encouraged.

You may not be the best writer, and that’s okay. We can help you shape and edit your contribution. The most important thing is that it furthers an important conversation in your field, and that it is relatively jargon-free. Anyone without a background in global development should still be able to engage with your ideas.

If you include statistics or reference current research, please hyperlink your sources in the text, wherever possible.

Have an idea of what you’d like to write about? Let’s continue the conversation! Email comms@globalWA.org and put “Blog Idea” in the subject line.


New Executive Director Announcement

October 9, 2024, Seattle

Elizabeth Stokely

Global Washington (GlobalWA), the premiere West Coast global development association, is pleased to announce an exciting new chapter. Elizabeth Stokely has been appointed as Executive Director and will play a pivotal role in leading the organization forward. 

Elizabeth joins GlobalWA from Accion International, bringing over 16 years of global development experience across a variety of sectors and countries. Her extensive background in program design, strategy development and execution, and fundraising positions her as an invaluable asset to the organization. Elizabeth has a strong reputation for innovative thinking, transparent leadership, and a deep understanding of the industry landscape.

“I am honored to join Global Washington, an organization that has been instrumental in fostering collaboration and driving interdisciplinary approaches to addressing complex global problems. I look forward to working with our dedicated members to build partnerships, spark innovation, and continue strengthening Washington State’s role in creating a more prosperous world for all.”

In her role as Executive Director, Elizabeth will lead GlobalWA’s program development, member partnerships, and working groups, while ensuring financial sustainability, continued member support, and sound operations. Jane Meseck, who has been leading Global WA since June of 2024, will continue as Strategic Advisor, working one day a week to support Elizabeth’s transition into the ED role. 

Sara Rogge, board chair of GlobalWA, said, “On behalf of the entire GlobalWA board, I am delighted to welcome Elizabeth as the new Executive Director.  Elizabeth’s experience working in global development and her leadership experience working with diverse partners and geographies will serve her well as GlobalWA’s next leader.  I also want to thank Jane Meseck for her leadership and support as the interim ED over the past 4 months and for her ongoing service to GlobalWA as Strategic Advisor.” 

Background on Elizabeth Stokely

At Accion, Elizabeth led a diverse portfolio of global partners, securing investments in and shaping initiatives focused on financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment with Mastercard, USAID, and many others. Her experiences founding a social impact consulting firm, leading projects on the ground with the Peace Corps and Fulbright, and engaging and convening global leaders at the Inter-American Dialogue, have provided her with the opportunity to lead diverse teams and facilitate collective action. She holds an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business and is fluent in Spanish.

Please contact Joel Meyers, Director of Communications, GlobalWA, at comms@globalwa.org with any questions.

IRC – Supporting Refugees Locally

By Gul Siddiqi, Development Manager, International Rescue Committee WA

Photo of Ahmed and Walid embracing

Ahmed, center, reunites with his son Walid at Sea-Tac International Airport. Emtisal and Ahmed from Syria were reunited with their two older children and son-in-law in February 2017. The children were barred from entering after Trump had issued an executive order banning Syrians indefinitely. A Seattle judge lifted the ban, allowing Walid to reunite with his parents and other siblings in Washington. Photo: IRC

Globally, humanitarian and resettlement needs are higher than ever before. 120 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, a number that has more than doubled over the past ten years and increased by 10 million since last year. For far too many families and individuals seeking safety and refuge, they are greeted not by welcome but by cruelty and inhumanity.

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Global Mentorship Initiative Partners with USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

UNHCR and Global Mentorship Initiative graphic

By Ravenna Hennane, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Global Mentorship Initiative

When Oscar Bahati launched an organization to provide support to refugees as they integrated into the United States, he knew firsthand how broad the requests would be. When he first arrived from Rwanda in 2019, he had a job, but he needed so much more. “Everything was new to me. There were so many choices, and some things seemed so hard to access. I don’t know how I would have gotten through those first few years without mentors.”

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