On April 25th, the WorldChicago Youth Diplomats participated in a virtual exchange with students from the Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID) in Kumanovo, North Macedonia.

The Youth Diplomats and CID are similar organizations in different regions of the world; the Youth Diplomats are a collection of about 30 Chicagoland area high school students who come together to once-per-month to build leadership through intercultural communication and interaction. CID aims to build interethnic peace and leadership by providing youth a venue to volunteer across different (and often tenuous) ethnic lines.

We engaged in one-on-one conversations, presented information about our cultures, and took a mini-quiz about each country! It was fascinating to learn about a new country and to connect with our international peers. This eye-opening experience allowed us to view the world through the lens of another culture.

The Youth Diplomats are planning a book club with members of CID. While we are sheltering-in-place, I am glad the [WorldChicago] Youth Diplomats Program is helping connect us to the world.

Dalal Hassane

Sophomore, Maine East High School