Official flag of the 1st Diaspora Friendship Games presented

The American-Croatian Congress (ACC), along with nearly 70 partner organizations from Croatia and the world, including numerous media outlets, private companies, and the most prominent emigrant and Croatian organizations, presented the official flag of the 1st Diaspora Friendship Games, Split & Brač 2026, an international sports, cultural, and economic event that will be held for the first time from July 16 to 20, 2026 in Split and on the island of Brač.

The official flag was simultaneously presented in North and South America at the end of the week, symbolically connecting the Croatian diaspora on several continents. In North America, it was presented in front of a packed hall at a ceremonial business event of the Dalmatian-American Club in San Pedro on the Los Angeles Peninsula, in the presence of representatives of the city, institutions, and the business community. This is a club with a rich tradition of preserving Croatian culture and identity, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in early May. The club has been successfully led for many years by Rudy Svorinich, an American of Croatian descent.

The Dalmatian American Club of San Pedro is widely known for organizing significant events attended by high-ranking officials of the Republic of Croatia, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman.

In South America, the project was presented online, via the podcast "Bar Croata" from Rosario, Argentina, led by Prof. Javier Santich and Ivan Grbec. The podcast, as well as its listeners and collaborators, brings together prominent members of the Croatian diaspora, who are also members of the global organization American Croatian Congress (ACC), which further confirms the strong and global networking of the Croatian diaspora and the homeland, as well as the connection and cooperation of Croatians in North and South America. These simultaneous presentations strongly confirm the unity of the Croatian diaspora and friends of Croatia around the world, while giving additional importance to increasing Croatia's visibility in the world.

As previously pointed out, the Games are expected to attract the participation of Croatian diaspora, athletes, students from 35 countries around the world, Paralympians, people with disabilities, representatives of institutions, the Church and veterans, as well as the arrival of diplomats and distinguished guests from the United States and other countries.

The World Diaspora Friendship Games are not just a one-summer event, but a permanent platform for connection, a bridge that connects continents, generations and experiences for the benefit of Croatia.

The initiator and main organizer of the Diaspora Friendship Games project is the American Croatian Congress (ACC), with around seventy partner organizations from Croatia and the diaspora, numerous media and private companies, which further confirms the importance of this international gathering. The Games are hosted by the Aspira University of Applied Sciences, and the opening ceremony is scheduled for July 16, 2026 at the Meštrović Gallery in Split.

Source: VOC/ACC