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Every day in this work, I see something extraordinary. A high school student who never thought about the wider world suddenly sees themselves as part of it and envisions a career as a Foreign Service Officer. A visiting fellow returns home with a deeper understanding of how our city coordinates across agencies and rallies community members in times of crisis, and she returned to her home to embed those lessons in her country’s first-ever national climate law.

This is the power of exchange. It is why I am so deeply honored to lead Global New Orleans.

Our mission is simple; to build cross-cultural collaborations on a global level. Yet our impact is profound. Now more than ever, these connections are crucial. They build friendships that outlast politics, create opportunities that open new economic doors, and foster the mutual understanding that makes our world safer, healthier, and more prosperous.

And yet, this essential work is fragile. Educational and Cultural Exchange (ECE) programs represent less than 1% of the federal budget, but they deliver extraordinary returns. Over 90% of these funds stay here in the United States, supporting American businesses, nonprofits, and communities while advancing peace and partnership abroad. Despite this, recent cuts threaten to dismantle decades of progress.

At Global New Orleans, we see firsthand what these programs make possible. Each year, we welcome hundreds of international visitors, pair them with local hosts, and create spaces where participants co-create solutions, launch partnerships, and spark innovations. This year, we launched new initiatives to engage young people through our Global Leadership Academy, and we are embarking on our first-ever outbound adventure, bringing New Orleanians to Egypt for a cultural exchange. 

This kind of person-to-person diplomacy, sometimes called soft diplomacy, or lower-case “d” diplomacy, or citizen diplomacy, though I prefer to call it ESSENTIAL diplomacy. The work we do to facilitate greater understanding of each others’ communities, cultures and varying perspectives is essential not only to our national security strategy, but also to our humanity.  It makes us see and experience that people are more than their passport.

I invite you to join us. Your support helps us continue this important work.