Lincoln FF hosts Romanians

August 8 – 16, 2025 (Open World/COIL)

By Maxine Moul, Friendship Force of Lincoln
Five delegates from Romania and a facilitator and interpreter spent a week in August learning about Lincoln, Crete, Nebraska City and Syracuse and state and local governments. They were sponsored by the Open World and Congressional Office of International Leadership and hosted by Friendship Force of Lincoln.
The delegates are elected deputy mayors of their cities and counties in a country the
size of Michigan and a neighbor to Ukraine. Their Nebraska experiences started with a tour of Crete with the mayor, city council and city officials. They were hosted at a welcome dinner with Friendship Force members where the Romanians presented videos, photos and information about their home cities. A special guest was the canine member of the Crete police department.
They experienced about 40 hours of educational meetings, including with the city,
county and state government including a tour of the state capitol and a luncheon
meeting with the local and state government reporters for the Lincoln Journal-Star. A trip to Syracuse also included meetings with the mayor, city council, State Senator Bob Hallstrom.
They met with a county commissioner and other county officials and with Nebraska City officials.
The delegates said Romania is among the safest countries in Europe, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine has cut off traditional energy sources. They are grateful for solar panels provided by the European Union for houses and businesses.

Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon is co-chair of the Congressional Office for
International Leadership  and spoke on the House floor in July about the importance of assisting Romania’s neighbor Ukraine with veterans’ services and trauma care.

Members, Judy Keetle and Julie Albrecht, were the co-chairs of the week. Other members coordinated the visits and/or were home, day and meal hosts.