Citizen Diplomat

Last Thursday morning I sat in audience at the US-China Business Connections town hall discussion featuring Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. The Mayor recounted his recent address at the International Forum on Development of High-Tech Enterprises in Beijing, and visit to “Minneapolis Hall” at the Sister Cities Museum in the Minneapolis sister-city of Harbin, China.

While speaking of the many opportunities to develop stronger relationships with global partners, Mayor Rybak linked the multiple purposes of his trip with a common thread he called citizen diplomacy. He described this as our individual responsibility to be ambassadors of our communities: familial, cultural, social, civil, national, etc.; to engage the world by sharing and reflecting our unique and desirable assets.

This community of nearly 200: students, educators, small business owners, politicians, immigrants, and corporate executives, each with their own purpose and mission, left the discussion that morning with a charge to become bridges within their communities by recognizing and appreciating value in each other, and sharing knowledge and experiences.

Thank you Mr. Mayor.

R. T. Rybak, Citizen Diplomat.