Hi, I am Kris Balderston, the Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the U.S. Department of State.

On behalf of Secretary Clinton, the State Department's Global Partnership Initiative is thrilled to be hosting the first ever Global Diaspora Forum—an event that will bring together leaders from across America with roots from all over the world. From philanthropists and corporate executives to community leaders and athletes, these individuals are helping to build bridges of friendship and promote development in their countries of origin.

At the Forum, we look forward to participants sharing lessons learned and identifying new areas of collaboration. And, we at the Global Partnership Initiative are excited to partner with diaspora communities as we work to address pressing global challenges.

I hope that everyone will follow the Forum on May 17th and 18th at diasporaalliance.org. Also, please stay tuned for an exciting announcement from Secretary Clinton on how we plan to bring together major corporations, foundations, and diaspora organizations for the mutual interests of diplomacy and development.

The Global Diaspora Forum is an exciting endeavor for the State Department, and critical to our mission of working with all sectors to achieve our foreign policy objectives.

Thank you.