By Glenn McConnell of 
Jacinda Ardern gives her valedictory speech to a packed debating chamber at Parliament. Photo: Phil Smith
Former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern is set to attend the Democratic National Convention, a blockbuster event in US politics designed to rally the Democrats ahead of November's presidential election.
Ardern confirmed she would speak during a panel held at the Democratic National Convention later this week.
The convention, held by the US Democrats, will see Kamala Harris formally accept her nomination to contest the presidency. It will also be a key opportunity for Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor who's confirmed as Harris' running mate, to speak to Democrats and America more broadly as the party prepares to take on former US president Donald Trump and his Republican running mate James "JD" Vance.
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is set to start on Monday (US time) in Chicago, running through to Thursday. It is a major event on the US political calendar, set to bring 50,000 attendees together and reach millions of Americans through broadcasts and news coverage on all major American news platforms.
She was set to speak at the DNC early on Wednesday morning (NZ Time). Ardern would be the first former New Zealand prime minister to speak at the DNC.
Ardern won't be speaking on the main stage but will speak during a "global progress action" panel discussion titled "Healing the Nation".
Kamala Harris. Photo: AFP
It was described by hosts, the Centre for American Progress Action, as a discussion about "an equity agenda" for a Harris-led administration and the "interconnectedness in the fight for democracy around the world".
The convention includes a number of break-out sessions and other events.
Ardern would be joined by politicians from Germany, the US, and Netherlands.
Since leaving Parliament, Ardern has held a variety of roles - including working at Harvard, and sitting on the board of the Earthshot Prize. Earthshot was founded by Prince William, as a charity focused on finding solutions to climate change.
As well as joining the Centre for American Progress at the DNC, Ardern has been working with that group to mentor progressive leaders. Earlier this year, she announced plans to work on a new project, called Field Leaders, to foster "empathetic" global leadership.
Field would run as a fellowship, teaching "pragmatic idealism" and "a new kind of leadership".
It started with a cohort of 15 fellows based in Europe. On Sunday, Ardern announced the next steps for that project, with former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, joining the inaugural Field Leaders cohort to mentor the 15 fellows.
"I believe in this project, just as I believe that politics can be different, and that it can be better," Ardern said, in a statement.
