About the County of Santa Clara/Ukraine Citizen Diplomacy Commission

The commissioners of the County of Santa Clara/Ukraine Citizen Diplomacy Commission work to foster art, culture and education exchanges through citizen-to-citizen diplomacy. 

Following the invasion of Ukraine, on March 22, 2022, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning all actions by the Russian government against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and to end the relationship between County of Santa Clara and the governments of the City and Region of Moscow.  Then, on October 8, 2024, the Board of Supervisors officially changed the name of the commission, from County of Santa Clara/Moscow Commission to the new County of Santa Clara/Ukraine Citizen Diplomacy Commission. 

For many years, the Commission fostered useful exchanges of information with non-governmental organizations in Russia regarding various social issues; provided sponsorship of Russian arts in our county; established an Educational Connections Program at the school level to foster shared learning among Russian and American students; and secured several U.S. Congressional Office of International Leadership (COIL) Open World Program grants to host Russian delegations. The commission facilitated the delegations, enabling them to connect with local government and community organizations in an exchange of best practices on topics of common interest, such as preventing domestic violence and promoting inclusive education.

During the last two years, the commission has broadened its global connections to begin hosting Ukrainian delegations, also funded by grants from the COIL Open World Program. Learn more about the successful 2023 and 2024 Ukrainian delegations.