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Dear Friends of the U.S. Center and all Citizen Diplomats:

Welcome!  With this first newsletter it is exciting to publicly announce our web site, and urge all who read and enjoy it to send it on to other active and aspiring citizen diplomats throughout the country.  At the heart of the web site is an ongoing database listing all the ways you, as Americans, can become involved in international relations.  The new website will also allow us to tell the stories of the amazing work that Americans are doing throughout the world.

We are also very pleased to conduct the first U.S. Center National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy in Washington, D.C.  on February 12, 2008.  Be sure to visit the web site to learn more about the National Summit and Awards program, and to register for this very special event.  We will be announcing the winners of the awards in early January!

As James Leach, former Congressman from Iowa and member of the Center Advisory Council has said, "As a society becomes more complicated and the world more intertwined, the United States has a profound national interest in facilitating citizens outside of government to interact and communicate on a people to people basis."  The U.S. Center is dedicated to this role.  We hope you will send us your ideas and let us know of other organizations involved in citizen diplomacy so that they are listed on our site. If you have questions, we are here to answer them for you. The Center issues a call to action to all Americans to get involved.

In this critical election year, we also hope that you will take the time get involved and to let all presidential candidates know of the important role that Americans can and do play for our country as informed citizen diplomats.

Welcome to the U.S. Center and best wishes for a peaceful holiday season and new year.  We hope to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Ann Olsen Schodde

Executive Director

Visit our recently launched web site to learn more about citizen diplomacy news, find organizations dedicated to encouraging person-to-person interactions among citizens of the world, and explore educational programs for citizens of all ages. Click here to explore more ways to get involved!

"This program is pure genius! Never had I thought that 24 days in America would so tremendously enhance my perspective of the U.S.", said Hamed Al Hamdan of Oman.     

Hamdan was one of the seven Young Arab Leaders from the Middle East who recently visited the U.S. to take part in the first-of-its-kind Arab American Business Fellowship program. This pilot, private sector funded program is a part of a broader effort by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, based in Des Moines, Iowa, to promote understanding and respect between American and Arab societies. Continue reading...

First Annual U.S. Center National Awards winners to be announced in January

On February 12, 2008, the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy will present the National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy. This event is in conjunction with the Second National Summit on Citizen Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., co-sponsored by the Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy.

Recognition and engagement of citizen diplomats are two of the overarching goals of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy. The National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy "expands the face" of Americans by refining America's perception of a citizen diplomat, and is an opportunity to encourage and inspire others, as well as to recognize, honor, and benchmark exemplary work in the field. The February 2008 celebration of National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy is a non-partisan and non-political event.

For more information, please click here