Dr. Sonja Kreibich took up her post as the Consul General of Germany to the New England States in July 2022. Before arriving in Boston, she served at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin as the Head of Division for Pan African Issues, Southern Africa and the Great Lakes from 2018-22.

For its annual Lowell Lecture Series, the Boston Public Library explores “Revolutionary Music: Music for Social Change” as a year-long overview of how music has spurred social change in the United States. It is the first in a series of three thematic years leading up to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution."Revolutionary Music" will use a combination of programs and examples from BPL's collections to celebrate music's rich history of catalyzing social change, acting as a powerful conduit for dissent, unity, awareness, and cultural influence. From spirituals to jazz, folk, reggae, punk, and hip-hop, various music genres have echoed societal shifts and served as a voice for some of the protests and movements that have changed the course of history.Through captivating performances and discussions, curated booklists and playlists, and thought-provoking displays, the BPL is set to explore and celebrate the transformative impact of music on social change throughout the year.

President Biden has often said, “The world is at an inflection point.” Indeed, the United States faces urgent international and transnational challenges. In these dangerous times, how important can diplomacy be? Military intervention has always remained an alternative, and its use has grown in frequency since the nation’s founding.

If the State Department is, “at the end of the day, a national security agency” as Deputy Secretary Verma has said, how well is the department handling our current global inflection point? What are the State Department’s priorities, and how well is it equipped to address them?

Join us for WorldBoston’s annual State of the State Department special event, an opportunity to consider the U.S. State Department and American diplomacy within the context of U.S. national interests. This year’s program will focus on “The State of the State Department & National Security.”

For this discussion, we are honored to host Deputy Secretary Richard Verma, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Deputy Secretary Verma will be joined in conversation by Dr. Monica Duffy Toft, Academic Dean and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the Fletcher School and Co-Author of Dying by the Sword: The Militarization of US Foreign Policy

Monica Duffy Toft is Academic Dean and Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Before joining Fletcher, Professor Monica Duffy Toft taught at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Richard R. Verma serves as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources. In this role, he acts as the Chief Operating Officer of the Department, and leads the Department’s efforts on modernization, foreign assistance, and a wide range of workforce and strategic issues. Deputy Secretary Verma previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to India, where he led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral ties.

Excess traffic is bad for residents, businesses, and visitors – while the city’s extensive transit network needs investment. Sound familiar?

After years of advocacy and planning, the Board of NYC's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) recently approved the city's congestion pricing program to start June 30, 2024. With approximately 60% of 25,000 public comments showing support for the policy, the New York region looked ready for change. But on June 6, 2024, NewYork Governor Kathy Hochul has decided to shelve the plan indefinitely.

Should we consider congestion pricing in Massachusetts? What can we learn from New York? Is this an opportunity to spur investment in transit, put Massachusetts back on track to meet our climate goals, and create a more equitable region? How will Massachusetts be able to deal with any adverse impacts other cities have encountered?

John Surico is a freelance journalist who has contributed to The New York Times, Bloomberg CityLab, and New York Magazine's Curbed. He teaches undergraduate reporting on cities at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, and serves as the Senior Fellow for Climate and Opportunity at the Center for an Urban Future.

Taylor Dolven is a reporter at The Boston Globe where she focuses on transportation and its intersection with climate change and economic inequality.

StreetsblogMASS is a daily news source connecting people from all walks of life to information about how to reduce dependence on cars, promote human-centered, equitable, and environmentally sustainable places, and improve conditions for walking, biking, and transit.

What does an equitable and sustainable future look like? How can we continue making progress amidst conflict, pandemics, and climate disasters? We’ve invited global leaders to our opening plenary, to address these universal questions, and share how they’re wielding technology through global crises.

Speakers include MIT President Sally Kornbluth, WHO Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health, Dr. Vanessa Kerry, and Grammy-nominated artist, Simón Mejía of Bomba Estéreo.