About Brussels

🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium

PTPI Brussels Chapter and Global Coordination Centre

📍 Brussels, Belgium
📮 Community Chapter and Global Headquarters
📧 Email: office@ptpi.network 
🌍 Website: ptpi.network

Contact

Chalks Richard Corriette

Director-General and Brussels Chapter President
📧 Email: chalks@ptpi.network
📞 Telephone: +32 478 48 20 23

Our Brussels Story

People to People International has had a chapter in Brussels since 1970.

Like other PTPI chapters around the world, its original focus was on Belgian community interests, international friendship and connecting people across cultures and borders.

🇪🇺 Brussels Becomes the European Headquarters

In 2015, Brussels became the headquarters for PTPI Europe.

A registered Belgian organisation was established, taking forward the European responsibilities previously managed through the PTPI office in Berlin after that office closed.

🌍 A New Global Responsibility

A major transition followed the closure of the PTPI World Headquarters in Kansas City in 2022.

Work began that year to protect PTPI’s international legacy, reconnect members and recreate the global chapter network. Brussels played a central role in bringing people together, restoring communications and ensuring that chapters could remain connected.

The work to establish the PTPI Global Coordination Centre began in 2022. Its formal registration as a legal entity in Belgium was completed in 2023.

Today, Brussels has two closely connected roles:

• PTPI Brussels serves people and communities locally in Belgium.
• The Global Coordination Centre supports PTPI chapters, members and partners around the world.

This journey reflects the strength of citizen diplomacy. When formal structures changed, committed people stepped forward to protect the relationships, history and values that make PTPI special.

The Global Coordination Centre

From Brussels, the Global Coordination Centre supports:

• 🌐 International chapter coordination
• 🤝 Membership and chapter development
• 📣 Global communications and digital platforms
• 🎓 Youth mobility and international learning opportunities
• 🌱 Partnerships and community projects
• 📚 The preservation of PTPI’s history and international network
• 🧭 Governance and organisational development

The Centre does not seek to control the work of local chapters. Each chapter understands its own community best.

Our role is to connect, encourage and equip people to turn local ideas into meaningful action.

What We Do in Brussels

Brussels is one of the world’s most international cities. It brings together local residents, international professionals, students, newcomers and communities from across Belgium.

Working with trusted partners and volunteers, PTPI Brussels supports:

• ☕ Coffee mornings and Job Clubs
• 🗣️ Networking gatherings and community celebrations
• 🛠️ Workshops and skill-sharing sessions
• 🤝 Volunteering days for local and international causes
• 🌍 Cultural activities that bring different communities together
• 💡 Community-led projects and new ideas

Our greatest contribution is often as an enabler.

We connect people, ideas and organisations. We create space for cooperation and help community members develop activities that reflect their own interests and needs.

We do not tell our community what to create. We listen, connect and provide encouragement, practical support and visibility.

Everything remains grounded in the PTPI mission of Advancing Peace through Understanding.

About Brussels

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and home to many European and international institutions.

It is a city where global affairs meet neighbourhood life, welcoming cafés, cultural diversity and a strong sense of community.

Places to Discover

• 📍 Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• ⚛️ The Atomium, created for the 1958 Brussels World Expo
• 🖼️ Outstanding museums and galleries
• 📚 Belgium’s famous comic-strip heritage
• 🌳 Beautiful parks, forests and historic neighbourhoods
• 🍫 Traditional chocolate makers and breweries

About Belgium

Belgium is a small but remarkably diverse European country, shaped by several languages, cultures and regional identities.

It is celebrated for:

• 🧇 Belgian waffles
• 🍟 World-famous fries
• 🍫 Fine chocolate
• 🍲 Rich stews and moules-frites
• 🍺 An extraordinary brewing tradition

Beyond Brussels, visitors can explore the peaceful forests and villages of the Ardennes, the historic cities of Flanders and Wallonia, and Belgium’s North Sea coast.

You Are Always Welcome

Whether you live in Belgium, are visiting Brussels or want to reconnect with People to People International, you are welcome to contact us.

PTPI Brussels provides a local doorway into an international community, while the Global Coordination Centre helps that community remain connected across countries and continents.

Come and meet the people carrying PTPI’s mission forward.