Promoting Citizen Diplomacy

Talk about a natural relationship: I recently met with Ann Schodde, the executive director, and Derek Forsythe, the communications director, of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy to discuss ways that the group and my college could work together in Simpson College’s attempts to foster greater internationalization and the Center’s push to build citizen diplomacy efforts across the globe.

The Center has been key in promoting House Resolution 569, “supporting citizen diplomacy organizations and encouraging the convening of a Presidential Summit on Citizen Diplomacy.” Given the Obama administration’s greater interest in improving U.S. relationships with the rest of the world, citizen diplomacy groups will be playing a greater role in the coming years.

Click here via Change.org to register support for the resolution and sign a letter that will be generated to your member of Congress.

Building Citizen Diplomacy from Iowa

Smart Study Abroad reader Derek Forsythe of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy sent a kind note about the blog and asked permission to reprint some materials in his organization’s newsletter, and I’m more than happy to oblige.

But — and chalk this up to the you-learn-something-new-everyday file — I was a bit surprised to learn that the Center is based in Des Moines, Iowa, the same city where this blog is produced. International educators keep talking about ours being a small world. This is proof positive.

Here’s a link to the center’s case statement and to its most recent newsletter.