Citizen diplomacy is the concept that an individual has the right, even the responsibility, to help shape U.S. foreign relations “one handshake at a time.”
Members of GlobalPittsburgh strongly believe in the importance of engaging in a dialogue with people from other countries and cultures to learn about their customs and values and to help correct misconceptions they may have about American culture.
Citizen diplomats need not work for our government; they may be teachers, business owners, students, executives, or anyone who has the opportunity to interact with people from other countries. Every time hosts for our organization welcome visitors into their home for dinner, provide a homestay, or when one of our professional contacts volunteers to share his or her expertise with an international peer, they are also serving as citizen diplomats. The benefits are immense with citizen diplomats being connected and engaged with the world and receiving as much information as they so willingly shared.
