First Conference of Romanian American Professionals in Washington, DC

Our inaugural event was our first effort to bring together some of the best and brightest Romanian American professionals and academics within our diaspora. It was an opportunity for participants to share their personal journeys of resilience, their experience and expectations of how to best nurture platforms of trust and solidarity within our diaspora.

The panel discussions had the two-fold goal of identifying the powerhouse stakeholders within each field and to outline one or a few projects worthy of implementing or developing further with a recommended partner.

Finally, the meeting initiated a discussion on the need for a detailed mapping of the community based organizations that seek to address the evolving needs of the Romanian American diaspora and a proposal to encourage capacity-building through enhanced adaptive leadership within our diaspora.

AGENDA

November 21st, 2019

The University Club of Washington DC

1135 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

3:00PM-3:15PM Welcoming remarks

Teodor Stan, President and Founder of Immigration Research Forum

· Introduction of the Immigration Research Forum’s mission and vision;

· The inaugural event and need of specialized advisory councils;

· Preliminary plans for local initiatives affirming identity and heritage;

· Acknowledgement of participants;

· Overcoming aversion reflexes in asserting and promoting Romanian American identity and organizational cohesion;

3:15PM Remarks by Romanian historian on civic socialization reflexes/values

Professor Dennis Deletant, Ion Ratiu Visiting Professor of Romanian Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC and Emeritus Professor of Romanian Studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College, London.

3:30PM Personal resilience narratives and diaspora cohesion expectations

4:00PM Panel Discussions

4:45PM-5PM Presentation of findings and suggestions for implementation

5:00PM-5:15PM Proposal for an independent evaluation of Romanian American community-based organizations and social entrepreneurs:

· Encouraging capacity-building through an assessment of the adaptive leadership and management capacity of the diaspora

5:30PM Cocktail hour informal socializing

6:00PM-8PM Sit-down dinner (wine will be served).