We hope that you are enjoying the peak Autumn color that we are experiencing in and around Kalamazoo this week. With all of the challenges and crises of 2020, majestic moments of nature’s seasonal transformations provide some inspiration and comfort.

As we grapple with the dual upheaval of COVID-19 and the killing of George Floyd, both laying bare the deep structural and institutional inequities in this country, we, Colleagues International, stand in solidarity with the Black community and communities of color in our city of Kalamazoo, throughout the United States, and around the globe.

As we all learn to navigate life during this global pandemic, the core belief of our work at Colleagues International has become more necessary than ever: we are all part of a common humanity, dealing with similar struggles and challenges in an enormous variety of contexts all across the globe, and we all have so much to learn from one another.

We here in Michigan could hardly have imagined a month ago that we would find ourselves in one of the states hardest hit by COVID-19, with heroes nourishing us and trying their best to keep us healthy and safe while healing our sick. Our strength and courage go out to our fellow Michiganders on the east side of the state, where Detroit is one of the epicenters of this pandemic. We are with you and we are all in this together.

At this time of giving, with open hearts and open minds, please consider investing in our mission to enrich our local community with global diversity, one relationship at a time. We do citizen diplomacy by relying on the generosity, day in and day out, of members of the Kalamazoo and broader West Michigan community to open their homes, schools, businesses, organizations and hearts to emerging leaders from all over the world.

A Q & A with Judy and Ed Huth, great supporters of CI who have hosted a gazillion guests!

Fall 2017 - I met my first international delegation on a Friday morning. It was a beautiful day and Kalamazoo was bustling. I took an Uber to meet with the group of Librarians from Kazakhstan and Jodi, the Executive Director. The visitors were here through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program, spending five days in Kalamazoo.