Introducing Everyday Ambassador Salons!
I created the Everyday Ambassador podcast and newsletter because in these challenging times, we all need community, inspiration, and practical wisdom to navigate our complex world.
That’s why I’m thrilled to announce the next step, Everyday Ambassador Salons – a new membership community designed to connect thoughtful people from across the globe who are doing what they can, in ways big and small, to make the world more just, sustainable, and peaceful.
What Are Everyday Ambassador Salons?
A salon is an intimate gathering where guests meet to enjoy one another’s company and exchange ideas that change the world. Unlike political meetings focused on action or academic seminars centered on formal knowledge, salons foster creative cross-pollination in a private, supportive setting.
The tradition dates back to 17th century France, where women like Madame de Rambouillet created intellectual spaces that valued women’s contributions when they were excluded from universities. In the early 20th century, Gertrude Stein’s Paris salon brought together thought leaders like Hemingway, Picasso, and Matisse in conversations that defined modernism– proving that culture change often begins in living rooms, not lecture halls.
Everyday Ambassador Salons updates this tradition for the digital age, bringing together a carefully curated community of creative, courageous thinkers from across the globe and all walks of life.
Why Salons Now?
Now more than ever, we need:
A trusted community where we can talk directly, honestly, and privately about what is happening in our world
Diverse perspectives from people outside our bubbles – across generations, professions, cultures, and ideologies
A fun and welcoming space to ask questions, acknowledge our limitations, and explore the grey areas between positions
Access to the latest ideas and expertise
Practical wisdom to navigate chaos and create positive change in our communities.
Help putting tactics and ideas into practice, to translae ideas into impact
The conversations we need aren’t happening online (where many fear being targeted or misunderstood, and algorithms discourage subtlety and compromise), in universities (in which conversations have become siloed between disciplines and from society), or in politics (enough said).
It’s time to create new ideas and institutions that will define the next generation – and that requires all the knowledge, wisdom, and expertise from every corner, including yours.
Every Season, a Theme
Each season, we take as a theme one critical topic in global governance about which reasonable people can disagree. It’s not all that we talk about, but it gives us a chance to dig in and learn.
This summer, we’re exploring the possibility of peace in a divided world. Our discussions will build upon the Nuclear-Free Future Initiative I’m bringing to my free subscribers all summer. More information is here:
Special Announcement: Nuclear-Free Future Initiative
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the world is closer to the threat of nuclear bombing happening again than ever before. The Bulletin's Doomsday Clock puts us at
In the fall, our theme will be Global Markets, Trade, and Finance.
Privileges of Membership
• Monthly 90-minute live virtual sessions with remarkable leaders, change-makers and global experts, speaking candidly in a closed-door format
• Members-only, off-the-record online discussions between meetings
• Invitation to yearly themed in-person events (additional cost, plus travel) – the first this year in Nagasaki, Japan on June 28, focused on the theme of Peace in a Chaotic World
• The opportunity to be a part of a bold experiment in the highest quality of intellectual engagement beyond the reach of governments or philanthropy. This includes supporting broad public access to the Everyday Ambassador project through the free podcast and newsletter
About Your Hostess
Personally...
I thrive on good conversation and community. I am always astonished and inspired by the people I meet, and I'm fortunate to have built an extensive network of remarkable friends and colleagues from across the globe and all walks of life. My greatest joy is making people feel welcome, and connecting them to one another to imagine together that none of us could imagine on our own.
Professionally...
As a professor of international law and anthropologist at Northwestern University, I’ve spent over thirty years researching global institutions, diplomats, and social movements. My work has taken me to Fiji, China, England, the United Nations, and Japan, and has been recognized with honors including:
Chevalier (knight) in the Order of Academic Palms of the French Republic
Peace Correspondent for the City of Nagasaki
The Maier Prize for lifetime achievement from the Humboldt Foundation
The American Society of International Law Medal of Honor
I’ve previously built a similar community called Meridian 180 that connected over 1,500 thought leaders from 45+ countries. Now, with Substack, we can create an even more accessible and engaging experience.
Upcoming Meeting Dates
June 29
July 19
August 30
We’ll collectively set the schedule for future meetings after this initial period.
The Commitment, and a Special Offer
This project will be entirely self-supported by the membership, free from all institutional affiliation or sponsorship. The regular annual membership is $250, but for friends joining now, the first year will cost just $120.
Special Summer Offer! Join June-August for a three-month special trial opportunity for $10/month
Students! Refer 10 free subscribers to Everyday Ambassador using the link at the bottom of your email and receive a three-month membership at no charge.
Excited to support this project in a more substantial way as it launches? Benefactors who contribute $500 or more will be listed on the site as Benefactors and receive a special gift, and I will invite you to a special a one-on-one conversation in person or on line to say thank you.
Important Details
• Conversations follow Chatham House Rules (information can be used generally, but nothing is directly attributed)
• Membership is on an annual basis with no mid-year refunds
• Live sessions will not be recorded to preserve the confidential nature of our discussions
• The language of discussion will be English
Will You Join Us?
To become a member of Everyday Ambassador Salons at the special rate of $120 for the first year, or $10 per month for the next three months, and join the next meeting on June 29, simply click the “Subscribe” button below and choose the paid subscription option. And start planning your trip to Nagasaki, Japan June 28 too!
Free subscribers: I deeply value each of you and will absolutely continue to provide original, high-quality articles and podcasts on a weekly basis.
What a wonderful idea these Everyday Ambassador Salons.
Connecting outside of the usual channels, yes!
There's so much to be done, and the world currently holds enough wisdom to begin anew. Thank you for including me, Annelise Riles.
Merle Lefkoff The Center for Emergent Diplomacy. I thought about contacting you directly to explore collaboration, and then I saw this. Congratulations, and I wish you so much luck. I believe you are on your way to attracting a cohort that "thinks otherwise" and I blelieve the dialogues will be conversations that count.