At the 10th Anniversary reception for PAFF Leaders held September 18 at the Ambassador’s Residence, Ambassador Jones stated that as “the best and brightest from Poland, you participated in one of our most prestigious international exchange programs, one that is leading the way towards a better tomorrow.”
Since it’s inception, the exchange program has sent more than 100 leaders from all over Poland to the United States and has created a network of leaders who are engaged in their local communities. The program is celebrating 10 years of successful cooperation between the U.S. Embassy Warsaw, the Polish American Freedom Foundation and School of Leaders Foundation. The exchange program is part of the Department of State’s International Leadership Program and which supports strengthening local activists in fields of civic society, culture and the environment.
Participants come from local government, NGOs, and education backgrounds and the program has greatly contributed to the development of Polish civil society as well as increased American-Polish understanding.
Both Ambassador Jones and Ambassador Jerzy Koźmiński, President of the Polish American Freedom Foundation, encouraged the alumni to stay active and share their experience in the United States with colleagues, family and friends and to serve as mentors. The connections they have made in America form the bedrock of the close people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The group of leaders is part of an ever-growing pool of over 4000 alumni of U.S. government exchange programs. This includes among others Fulbright alumni and the youngest alumni from our Future Leaders Exchange program – FLEX.
