Diplomatic Courier is a global affairs media network, spanning 180 countries and five continents, that connects publics around the world to leaders across a multitude of sectors, from international affairs to social good, technology, business, and more.

In 2020, as part of its World in 2050 project focused on exploring the trends of the future, Diplomatic Courier set out to engage its network of global thought leaders around two larger international convenings: the 75th United Nations General Assembly, which concentrated on exploring the Sustainable Development Goals, and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group annual meetings, which examined the Circular Economy framework.

To bring these virtual experiences to life, Diplomatic Courier partnered with  Coeuraj to design and facilitate each session in a way that would allow new ideas and partnerships to emerge and foster critical, global dialogue in spite of the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each session convened fifty leaders from a diverse range of sectors and backgrounds—including education, infrastructure, healthcare, and business—to imagine how to better work together in pursuit of a shared and sustainable future.

Using a collaborative design and strategic foresight toolkit, these sessions combined speaker addresses, guided breakout activities, and plenary discussions.

As a result, Diplomatic Courier and participating members of its network strengthened their relationships with one another and built insights as a collective on some of the most pressing global issues. As a takeaway from the second session, The Circular Economy Forum, Coeuraj and Diplomatic Courier created The Circular Economy Report, a post-session publication that includes key takeaways from the virtual session. The report presents a set of data visualizations, developed through a robust data analysis process, that draw connections between ideas and areas of impact that emerged through participant dialogue.