I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy during this difficult and unprecedented time. Our hearts are with those affected by COVID-19, and its social and economic impacts that have so drastically changed the way we live, work, and convene.

In mid March, I made the difficult decision to cancel all of the NCAFP’s in-person meetings and programs scheduled for the spring. Trips were postponed, visiting delegations from around the globe were cancelled, and our normal day to day seemingly turned upside down overnight. However, the NCAFP staff have been working from home and restructuring our face-to-face work into a virtual space, ensuring that our important work continues despite the critical need for physical social distancing.

While we may not be able to meet in person, the NCAFP is fulfilling its mission as it has for the past 45 years- by providing a space for dialogue on the most pressing global issues today. Our dialogues may be looking a little different these days, but we will continue addressing foreign policy concerns through our array of events designed to inform the public, engage architects of public policy, and spark challenging conversations.

For those of you interested in a membership, we encourage you to join today and support diplomacy in action. Your fully tax-deductible contribution is crucial for sustaining the work of the NCAFP. 

In addition to providing high quality programs for its members, the NCAFP is as committed as always to working with our partners around the globe. Recently, one of our contacts in China sent 1,000 face masks to the NCAFP office for us to donate to our local hospitals and first responders. Given the massive shortage of personal protective equipment, this generous and thoughtful gesture is a testament to the power of diplomacy, and the importance of international engagement and cooperation. 

On behalf of the NCAFP, thank you for your support and patronage. 

Best regards,