The idea of “citizen diplomacy” captures the notion that community influencers play a monumental role in creating genuine relationships and friendships abroad which help further foreign policy interests that advance global priorities. Sister Cities International, the largest network of citizen diplomats in the world, was created at President Eisenhower’s 1956 White House Summit on Citizen Diplomacy. Eisenhower’s vision for a network that fosters bonds between people from different communities around the world remains just as important in today’s interconnected world as it did 61 years ago.
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