Across America

Across America is an initiative of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) that takes European and transatlantic foreign policy conversations to communities across the United States. The program engages leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors at the state and local level on transatlantic and other international issues.

Security stands at the core of the transatlantic partnership. GMF’s Across America initiative builds connections and identifies shared interests and security priorities between European and US stakeholders and citizens who live outside national capitals. With this effort, GMF reaffirms the legacy of the Marshall Plan and former Secretary of State Dean Acheson’s famous nationwide tour that aimed to communicate to the American public the importance of Europe's post-World War II recovery for US vital interests in “political and economic stability” and “promoting human freedom and democratic institutions”. This premise remains true today as values of democracy, sovereignty, and personal liberty are challenged around the world, most starkly by Russia’s war against Ukraine and its provocations of the United States and its allies. To meet the challenge, GMF leads impactful exchanges of ideas to build a stronger alliance that defends shared security interests and democratic values on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Geostrategy North team leads GMF’s Across America programming from the organization’s headquarters in Washington, DC. The team’s work focuses on geostrategic and security issues facing North America, Northern Europe, and the Arctic to identify common solutions to shared challenges. As part of this effort, GMF leads study tours that bring European defense officials and security experts into communities across the United States. Geostrategy North cooperates with local partner organizations, universities, and military institutions to hold a wide range of convenings, from public talks and discussion forums to small, private meetings. GMF draws on a large network of more than 4,000 well-connected leadership program alumni and other partners to bring critical security discussions to key public, private, and civil society stakeholders and outline US domestic priorities for transatlantic partners. At a time when the United States and Europe face increasing competition from strategic rivals and growing environmental threats, dialogue among a wide range of stakeholders is critical for identifying whole-of-society approaches to foreign policy challenges.