Herns Mesamours

Dear Friends,

I will be in Washington DC next week to participate in The Secretary's Global Diaspora Forum

2012 Global Diaspora Forum: July 25-26

Global Diaspora Forum is an annual celebration of America’s diaspora communities. The gathering challenges diaspora communities to create new partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and public institutions in order to make their engagements with their countries of origin or ancestry effective, scalable, and sustainable.

The Global Diaspora Forum brings together a diverse range of stakeholders, all passionate about promoting diaspora engagement, including:

•    Leaders of diaspora communities
•    U.S. government officials
•    Private sector stakeholders
•    Representatives of international institutions
•    Foundation executives
•    Academic experts
•    Members of nonprofit organizations

The inaugural, three-day Global Diaspora Forum, hosted by Secretary Clinton in May 2011, brought together over 500 diaspora leaders from across the world to acknowledge the tremendous work these communities are doing in their countries of origin or heritage, to facilitate learning among these communities, and to forge partnerships with U.S. government agencies and the private sector.

The theme for the 2012 Global Diaspora Forum, to be held in Washington, DC on July 25-26 is “Moving Forward by Giving Back.” The Forum will focus on how new technology can empower and increase diaspora philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and social innovation. The Forum will include two days of interactive panels, workshops, inspirational keynotes, networking opportunities, and announcements of public and private sector commitments.

We hope you can join us to discuss how to build new partnerships, to share your experiences, and to invent new ways to build bridges between diaspora communities and their countries of settlement and origin.