Global First Partners Academy advance soft power in New York

From 30 June to 2 July, the Global First Ladies Alliance (GFLA), a partner organisation of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform, hosted the Fourth Annual Global First Partners Academy in New York City. The Academy brought together First Ladies and First Gentlemen from seven countries: Anna Hakobyan (Armenia), Ann-Marie Davis (The Bahamas, Chair of the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network (SCLAN)), Rossana Briceño (Belize), Dr Lucrecia Peinado (Guatemala), Lieutenant General (Retired) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah (Namibia), Dr Fatima Maada Bio (Sierra Leone, President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD)), and Dr Aleš Musar (Slovenia). Representatives from Senegal and Mozambique also participated, alongside former First Lady of Iraq Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, who joined virtually.

Over three days, participants explored how First Partners can strengthen the impact of their initiatives through strategic leadership, communications, and cross-sector collaboration. Sessions focused on navigating today’s media environment, building public trust, mobilising sustainable resources for national programmes, and strengthening institutional capacity. The programme featured contributions from leading communications and philanthropy experts, while Dr Fatima Maada Bio delivered the Academy’s opening remarks and later shared the experience of Sierra Leone’s Hands Off Our Girls campaign during a session on advancing national initiatives.

The Academy also provided an opportunity for participants to exchange practical experiences from their own countries. Dr Lucrecia Peinado of Guatemala presented on Soft Power, Social Leadership and Regional Partnerships, highlighting the role of cooperation in advancing social inclusion and improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities. Throughout the discussions, participants reflected on how First Ladies and First Gentlemen can use their unique platforms to foster dialogue, build partnerships, and translate influence into meaningful public impact.

As Belize’s First Lady Rossana Briceño noted, “True leadership is strengthened not only by the causes we champion, but by the partnerships we build along the way.” Echoing this message, Dr Fatima Maada Bio emphasised the value of soft power, stating: “Together, we are proving that soft power is not weak power. It is the power to unite, to influence, to uplift, and to create lasting change.”

We congratulate our colleagues at the Global First Ladies Alliance on the successful Fourth Annual Global First Partners Academy. At a time when societies face increasingly complex global challenges, creating spaces for First Ladies and First Gentlemen to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and learn from one another is more important than ever.

Such dialogue reinforces the growing role of First Ladies and First Gentlemen as trusted advocates, conveners, and partners in addressing issues that transcend national borders. The Academy once again demonstrated that soft power is most effective when those who exercise it work together, combining their experience and influence to address shared challenges and improve people’s lives across borders.