NURTURING RESILIENCE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC
THIRD CONFERENCE OF ROMANIAN AMERICAN PROFESSIONALS
June 5th 2021
Community civic engagement and social entrepreneurship panel:
Opening the fifth and final panel of the conference, the panel on community civic engagement and social entrepreneurship, former Ambassador of the United States to Romania and current Maryland State Senator James Rosapepe gave an overview of the efforts implemented by the “Alianta” foundation during the pandemic year. Funded by several former US ambassadors to the country, the organization of which he is a chair of during this challenging time, intends to foster economic ties between the two countries. They were forced to cancel their annual fundraising gala last year and instead launched a virtual “conversation series” featuring people who care about the bilateral relationship, many of whom are powerhouse decision makers. The intervention was an occasion to announce that the Alianta annual gala will be held in the nation’s capital on November 18th 2021, followed by a summit on various topics of interest. As an astute observer of the country’s performance over the years, Ambassador Rosapepe remarked on how well Romania has fared over the past few years, not just in handling the COVID-19 crisis, but also in consolidating ties with the United States irrespective of the administrations in Washington. This continuity is driven by professionals in various fields articulating vested interests in ensuring the strategic partnership thrives. He stressed the vantage of the scientific diaspora in deeply understanding the inner-workings and cultures of both societies, important perspectives that help bridge expectations of what is possible. c