Connecting Atlanta to the World through City Diplomacy
On April 14th, the Truman Center for National Policy, the City of Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber hosted an event exploring Atlanta’s global engagement and role in U.S. foreign policy. Atlanta has grown into a global gateway and logistics hub, anchored in a strong civil rights legacy, diversity, and thriving migrant and diaspora communities. The panel discussion featured the Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens; CEO of the Carter Center, Paige Alexander; and President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Katie Kirkpatrick, and was moderated by the Truman Center’s Vice President of Policy and Programs, Jon Temin. The Truman Center also hosted a private roundtable that morning facilitated by Max Bouchet, Visiting Senior Fellow for City & State Diplomacy, with key Atlanta leaders from across sectors. These conversations emphasized five main themes related to Atlanta and city diplomacy:
1. Why going global matters to Atlanta
Atlanta’s thriving business community has deep roots in its international connections. Since the early 1970s, beginning with the construction of what is now the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta has established itself as a major player on the world stage. Connecting with the world directly impacts the city’s prosperity and residents quality of life, through the attraction of foreign investment, innovative companies, and the creation of good-paying jobs. Atlanta’s higher education and university system also creates a big draw for companies looking to attract young talent.
Mayor Dickens emphasized the benefits of connecting with a global network of cities and metropolitan areas facing similar challenges as Atlanta. On issues of sustainability, public transportation, and affordable housing, Dickens asserted that mayors of cities around the world are some of his most valuable resources when it comes to solving Atlanta’s local challenges.
2. Leveraging Atlanta’s identity and history to tell a unique story to the world
Atlanta’s soft power and ability to attract talent, companies, and visitors are anchored in a strong global identity. This identity reflects values of a welcoming and inclusive community, which harnesses the city’s cultural vibrancy and legacy in the civil rights movement. As home to large diasporas from around the world, the city has a diverse population that drives how the city markets itself to the international community. This diversity is key in creating what Katie Kirkpatrick of the Metro Atlanta Chamber describes as Atlanta’s biggest asset: its diverse talent pool. Companies looking to establish new headquarters are attracted to the wide-range of lifestyles and cultures available in the city of Atlanta.
With hundreds of foreign delegates visiting annually, Atlanta plays an important role as a representative of the U.S. to the world at large. The city hosts more than 70 foreign consular offices and trade representatives and frequently serves as the center of discussions around cultural and economic relations.
3. Organizing the region for international competitiveness
Atlanta, like many U.S. cities, often engages with the world at the metro level. The city leads many partnerships, but also leverages the initiatives and connections of a wide range of regional actors, from the chambers of commerce, to businesses, non-profits, and academic institutions. Building connectivity between these sometimes disparate efforts helps tell a cohesive story to the world.
Universities have developed partnerships with foreign universities and established campuses around the world to streamline exchange of students, train globally-minded leaders, and multiply exposures to international experiences, such as Georgia Tech’s Europe campus in France. Cultural exchanges and projects within diaspora communities also create avenues for international cooperation that transform Atlanta into a more globally connected city.
4. Engaging youth and sports for inclusion and global appeal
Mayor Dickens declared 2023 Atlanta’s “Year of the Youth,” with an emphasis on investing in future generations and making Atlanta the best place to raise a family. Global connections play a crucial role in that vision. Sports initiatives like Soccer in our Streets, which brings soccer and sports to underprivileged youth, have put Atlanta on the global map for sports visitors and companies, and helped the city attract global events like the Olympics and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. The city’s international initiatives aim to increase the exposure of Atlanta youth to international affairs, preparing them for careers connected with the world.
5. Connecting Atlanta’s international engagement with U.S. foreign policy
Atlanta’s presence and voice in the world influence how foreign communities perceive and engage with the United States. From a foreign policy perspective, city and state diplomacy is a powerful resource to deliver on goals and increase connections. As Paige Alexander of the Carter Center explained, Atlanta’s strong civil rights legacy makes it a significant influence on other cities and countries, and on human rights progress globally.
Mayor Dickens said that the new State Department Unit for Subnational Diplomacy can help further connect Atlanta to foreign counterparts, as well as support the international connections of the city. Although Atlanta already has the world in its DNA, a stronger partnership between the city and the federal government can be a powerful multiplier for Atlanta’s goals for international engagement.
