We reflect on a busy summer including the Kalamazoo Diplomacy Begins Here Summit, IVLP groups, IYLEP year seven and more. We're also preparing for a busy fall with many home and virtual hosting opportunities

In today’s blog, we share an article about the Summit and introduce more speakers. Read this take on the Summit by local journalist Mark Wedel in Southwest Michigan's Second Wave, including some great insights from attendee Janine Branch, from FHI360, who will be coming to Kalamazoo for the very first time. It might give you more food for thought on why to attend. Register now for July 11 Summit!

We're honored to introduce several of the incredible individuals who'll be sharing their insights with our community at Kalamazoo's Diplomacy Begins Here Summit. This Summit is for everybody (that's you, Kalamazoo) and will take place on Thursday, July 11 at The Epic Center in downtown Kalamazoo. Learn more about our incredible speakers and register for our July 10 welcome reception too.

Global Ties Kalamazoo, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and Global Ties U.S., is hosting a Diplomacy Begins Here Regional Summit in Kalamazoo, MI on July 11 (Epic Center), preceded by a welcome reception on July 10 (Kalamazoo Institute of Arts). Registration is open through July 3rd. 

Save the date — July 11-12 — Diplomacy Begins Here Summit - Global Challenges: Building Locally Driven Solutions in Kalamazoo

We are in the business of humanization and this opportunity to directly engage across difference, in our small corner of the world, is a small step that we can take to combat all forms of othering. As you will read, we have grown our board, are about to host young Jordanian leaders through UJLEP, and have many people coming to Kalamazoo from across the world with whom you can engage in Kalamazoo over the coming weeks and months.

It’s been a busy and inspiring month for our team and program participants alike as we opened up with our largest ever Kalamazoo contingent attending the Global Ties U.S. National Meeting, welcomed YLAI 2024 and prepare for lots of spring activity.

2024 is now well underway and so are our attempts to create connections here in Kalamazoo with people around the world. Youth Ambassadors from Brazil, journalists from Gabon, and leaders from Guinea Bissau fighting human trafficking joined us so far this year, with changemakers from Armenia, Argentina, Greece, India, Lebanon and the Philippines coming to Kalamazoo later this month