Connecting Local to Global

Through our Connecting Local to Global (CL2G) programming, the Mayor's Office for International Affairs connects New York City’s diplomatic and consular community to the City in which they live and serve. Working in partnership with our colleagues at City agencies, we use CL2G to create opportunities for New York City's diplomats to learn about the work of New York City agencies and institutions and share New York City’s programming with their respective communities, while also sharing their own best practices.

Through CL2G we also work to connect NYC's solutions to local problems to international efforts to tackle global issues, from climate change and disability rights to immigration and food insecurity. We have partnered with the Office to Combat Domestic Violence to provide Consulate Generals with information about resources to support New Yorkers in need of assistance and with the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Affairs to provide information and train more than 40 consulates about how to share information about IDNYC with their constituents, benefitting thousands of New Yorkers.  We will continue our CL2G programming with a series of trainings focused on emergency response and legal issues.

For information on past events visit our Connecting Local to Global Past Events Page.

Some examples of past initiatives include:

• In January 2016 the office officially launched our Connecting Local to Global training series. In partnership with NYC Emergency Management (NYCEM) the office hosted over 150 consular officials and City representatives at the NYCEM campus to discuss New York City's emergency response strategies and programs and to share information on how to access City services.
• In March, 2016 in honor of International Women’s Day, the office hosted a NYC Agency Information forum to bring information about City services to the Korean community in New York City in partnership with the Consulate General of Korea. The event included the launch of the book "Love Is" into six languages as part of the Talk to Your Baby Campaign, an initiative of the NYC Children’s Cabinet,  and featured First lady Chirlane McCray. The event was hosted at the Queens Library in Flushing.
• In April 2016 the office hosted a special viewing of America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan to showcase the diversity of Muslim culture around the world and bring together the diplomatic and consular community in New York City for a sharing of culture and the arts.
• Each year on December 10 the world celebrates Human Rights Day.  In 2015, the Mayor's Office for International Affairs collaborated with leaders across the City to create a video describing the ways in which their work protects the freedoms of New Yorkers.

How Does your Work Protect the Freedoms of New Yorkers?

On Human Rights day, we asked New York City agencies how their work protects the freedoms of New Yorkers. The video below features their responses.