Government, Business and the Public

michigan and the world coalition

The Michigan and the World Coalition (MWC) was formed in 2003 by diverse institutions, professionals and international exchange/global education nonprofit groups who share a common vision to strengthen and support nonprofit international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) statewide. MWC continues to actively expand its representation by seeking participation from a wide variety of organizations, institutions and individuals from across the state.

This past year (November 19, 2004), MWC presented a second annual conference, " Michigan: A Global Leader." This event examined the local impacts of international trade, not only from an economic perspective, but from a number of other dimensions including the environment, human health and public diplomacy. The full-day conference at Michigan State University featured experts from governmental agencies, NGOs, corporations and universities who provided analyses of issues and trends in international trade.

On November 14, 2005, MWC will host in Kalamazoo a Global Issues Forum titled "The United Nations at the Crossroads: What is Michigan 's Interest?" This forum will examine the current phase of reforms at the United Nations and potential impact in the areas of environment (i.e. global change), international trade and security that can be directly linked to the interests of Michigan citizens. Featured speakers for this event include Richard T. Miller, Deputy Secretary of State for Global Issues, and Ronald R. Kitchens, CEO of Southwest Michigan First.

For more information on the Michigan and the World Coalition and events, please refer to the following Web site: http://michiganandtheworld.org/