Global Cleveland receives Rotary Club of Cleveland International Service Award

Each year the Rotary Club of Cleveland celebrates International Fellowship Day by honoring a person and/or organization with the International Service Award. The 2021 honoree is Global Cleveland and the award was accepted by its president Joe Cimperman.

Club President Ronald J. Felgenhauer welcomed the virtual attendees and spoke about the history and good woks of Rotary. After the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Father Ralph Wiatrowski, Pastor of St. Barnabas Church, past president Julie Brouhard presented the award.

Before the acceptance, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Lithuania Ingrida Bublys read some of the proclamations from US Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Governor Mike Dewine before showing a video message from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.

Then Joe Cimperman accepted the award and gave an inspiring speech about Rotary, Cleveland and Global Cleveland.

First annual Global Cleveland Sister Cities Conference

Cleveland is a sister city with over 20 other cities from around the world. Global Cleveland worked with other organizations to promote and enhance these relationships with the first annual Sister Cities Conference held at the Cleveland Public Library.

David Fleshler, Felton Thomas, Sherrie Miday,
Valarie McCall, Hiro Fujita and Joe Cimperman 

Flags of the world

Turkish group spell out that Turkey is cool

Delegation from Volgograd Russia

See more photos and videos from the Sister Cities kickoff event

Cleveland ethnic leaders meet with Mayor Frank Jackson and others

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, City Council president Kevin Kelley, Global Cleveland President Joe Cimperman and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams met with about 120 leaders of Cleveland's ethnic communities. The purpose was to have a dialog, answer their concerns and have a conversation about Cleveland’s local response to international relations in our community.

The meeting was closed to the media so the people could speak freely. Afterwards, a summary for the media was presented and Q&A session was held.

Mayor Jackson assured the leaders that Cleveland always has been, is and will remain a Welcoming City.

See photos and videos of the meeting with ethnic leaders and the City of Cleveland

2nd generation loses culture of immigrant parents

Leaders of the Cleveland Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese community spoke on a panel run by the Maltz Museum and Global Cleveland titled Begin the Conversation: Cleveland's Immigrant Communities Today: Pan-Asian Community.  A question was asked about the 2nd and 3rd generation losing their culture and Gia Hoa Ryan who came from Vietnam in 1971 and Asim Datta from the Indian community answered. http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/vietnam/vietnam.htm



More of the Asian Community Panel

Johnny Wu – Asian, Hispanic or American?

Cleveland Asian Community leader and filmmaker Johnny Wu spoke at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage on a Global Cleveland panel titled Begin the Conversation: Cleveland's Immigrant Communities Today: Pan-Asian Community.

He spoke about being stereotyped as Asian even though he was raised in Panama and speaks English, Spanish and Chinese in that order.

More of the Asian Community Panel

Joe Cimperman of Global Cleveland – dealing with Seniors

Joe Cimperman, former Cleveland councilman and now president of Global Cleveland, was asked about senior citizens at the ASIA Inc. Friendraiser event at the Ariel International Center.

 Joe said we shouldn’t always segment people – “It’s all of us or none of us.” Sorry about the lighting.

 http://www.clevelandpeople.com

‘Different’ people moving to town – Joe Cimperman, Global Cleveland

Joe Meissner asked Joe Cimperman, former Cleveland councilman and now president of Global Cleveland, how to reach the people in the suburbs concerning new and “different” people moving in.

This was at the ASIA Inc. Friendraiser event at the Ariel International Center.  Joe gave some personal stories as an answer and told people to bet on people who are broken, who have an accent and so on.

He also praised Dan Hanson and ClevelandPeople.Com and the Cleveland International Hall of Fame for their efforts to make this happen. Sorry about the lighting.


http://clevelandinternationalhalloffame.com and http://www.clevelandpeople.com

Global Cleveland Welcome Center

Bienvenue. Welkom. Willkommen. Dobrodošli. Vitajte. Huanyíng. Benvenuto. Bienvenido. Merhaba.

No matter what language you say it in, Cleveland now has a physical space that says "Welcome."

The ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Global Cleveland Welcome Center took place on Tuesday February 7, 2012.

3 pages of pics and videos from the Global Cleveland Welcome Center ribbon cutting and grand opening

Global Cleveland

A large crowd filled the 3rd floor of 200 Public Square (soon to be renamed the Huntington Bank Building) to hear news that many thought would never be announced.

The idea to grow Cleveland by attracting and retaining migrants and immigrants has been discussed for a decade. Last year the vision began solidifying into action as Forest City's Albert Ratner, with support from the Cleveland Jewish Federation, led an initiative which has become Global Cleveland.

The tagline for Global Cleveland is "Connecting Newcomers to Opportunity and the Region." None of the numerous businesses, organizations and individuals involved in Global Cleveland is satisfied with the declining population of the region. Aggressive efforts to attract and retain people will yield increased economic opportunities and development for all.

At a press conference launch on April 5th, Global Cleveland Board Chairman Baiju Shah announced large funding sources and a location for their headquarters which will serve as a Welcoming Center.

See photos and video of Global Cleveland launch event