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IVC is celebrating 55 years of Citizen Diplomacy!

IVC is a designated United Way recipient
Our number is 00685
- Welcome a stranger, send home a friend -
at IVC and our 23rd Annual International BBQ

Thursday, July 23rd! The College of Physicians, 22nd near Market (hey, it's air-conditioned!)

Interesting people! Great fun! Great food! S-p-e-e-d networking!
Terrific music! Dancing! It’s all happening at the summer’s best party!

New to IVC?  Don't worry!
This year we've added the "I Don't Know Anyone Tables!"  for newcomers and others looking to connect with even more people!

Purchase your tickets and/or drawing tickets here. 
Here's who's supporting our work:
Corporate Table Sponsors    Citizen Diplomat Donors
Our Committee   Our Supporters  Our terrific Prizes!  Purchase your drawing tickets here - (You don't need to be present to win!)

Become a Citizen Diplomat Sponsor for IVC - just click here.
IVC's annual BBQ is our only fund-raising event of the year.  It provides us with funds to keep our events free for members (or at a very nominal fee) and inexpensive for non-members.  Our goal is to engage as many Americans as we can with guests of the U.S. Department of State, Sister Cities, and international students at universities.  As an American "citizen diplomat" you show our guests the real United States and influence the lasting image new world leaders have about us. More than 25% of nations in the U.N are headed by former guests of the "International Visitor Leadership Program."
IVC is international relations as it should be  - one person, one handshake - at a time. Making friends leads to peace - it really is that simple.

IVC gives you a tangible way to make friends & improve the image of the U.S. abroad.  Become a participant, not an observer - join IVC today!

Hosting Alert for Cyprus and Ukraine!

CYPRUS - Hosting Alert for Saturday, July 18th - Members Only
IVC invites members to host two or more guests from Cyprus for day-long hospitality, such as sightseeing, museum visits, baseball games and family picnics, on Saturday, July 18th. Read more...

UKRAINE - Homestay Hosting Alert for October 3-22, 2009
We are pleased to have been awarded a grant from USAID to develop and manage a 3-week training program in October 2009, for ten Ukrainians with the topic of "Performance Arts Management - Classical Music". The participants will be managers of classical music artists, orchestras, ensembles and venues. More information...

Middle East Partnership Initiative for Women - (MEPI)
Our thanks to  BDP, Community Legal Services, Dilworth Paxson, Federal Reserve Bank, PECO, Tierney Communications  and Wachovia for providing internships this year. 

MEPI is a Presidential initiative founded to support reforms in the Middle East and is structured in four areas:  political, economic, education, and women's empowerment.  IVC of Philadelphia has again been asked to arrange fellowships (internship) placements for several of them.  In the past, generous Philadelphia companies and one law firm provided training and positive American experiences for eight women.  Our thanks to BDP, Community Legal Services, Dilworth Paxson, the Federal Reserve Bank, PECO, Tierney Communications and Wachovia for their support of the women and this important program.  Participating Countries 2009: Algeria, Israel, Lebanon, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates & West Bank. You can meet the women at IVC's First Thursdays and our July 23rd BBQ.  Members wishing to host them for dinner can call Jennifer McGinn at 215-683-0993.

What is Citizen Diplomacy?  In a vibrant democracy, it's the right - if not the obligation - of each citizen to help shape U.S. foreign relations - "one handshake at a time." Read an article on the U.S. public diplomacy.

The International Visitor Leadership Program - check out who's coming to town!  Visit our hosting opportunities (hosting is an exclusive benefit for IVC members) to share an American experience with our guests! If you'd like to host, contact Ron D'Alonzo at 215.683.0995 or fill in the form online.

Who is IVC? 
Since 1954 we have been the official host for the U.S. Department of State’s highest exchange, the International Visitor Leadership Program.  We are part of a unique “citizen diplomacy” network of 92 Councils throughout the U.S. that receives established and emerging leaders from 120+ countries visiting the U.S. as guests of our government.   Each participant travels to up to five U.S. cities for meetings with their professional counterparts as well as experience American life at informal dinners with families in their homes, and by attending local cultural events.  Each carefully-designed program allows  visitors to see the country first-hand so they can form their own opinions of the U.S., its policies and people.  Past visitors include F.W. de Klerk, Hamid Karzai, Willie Brandt, Nicolas Sarkozy and 280+ others who later became heads of Government.  Unlike other government-sponsored exchanges, this program is by invitation only.  The network of 92 Councils and 80,000 + citizen diplomats, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

Name Change for IVC?
With our 55th anniversary in 2009, we've been considering changing our name to better reflect the work that we do engaging citizens in international relations. Click here to learn more and offer your own suggestions! And click here to see the suggested names and vote for your favorite!

What's happening at IVC..

First Thursday! First Wednesday is gone, replaced by First Thursdays with even more interesting people from across the globe.  Our next First Thursday is on Thursday, August 6th, 2009! In June you could have met guests of honor from Algeria, Cameroon,  China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates & West Bank. Please join us in welcoming international guests to Philadelphia.   Read more..
Visit FT gallery to view photos from our past events!
International First Fridays!
View IVC's Discover Philadelphia gallery!  International First Friday is sponsored by the City of Philadelphia and by TD Bank. Contact Ann Stauffer for info.
 
 
  TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation helps improve U.S. Image Abroad 

IVC's 2008 BBQ festivities were made even livelier when two executives from Commerce Bank - Darrell German, Regional VP, and Linda McGuigan, Senior VP for Philadelphia Metro Market - presented IVC with a huge - and generous - check for $20,000 from its TD Charitable Foundation. This grant for IVC's Discover Philadelphia initiative is already at work engaging international graduate students in Philadelphia's business and cultural activities - helping them fall in love with the city and region. Read more..
Unpaid Internships Needed

IVC is looking for unpaid internships for Penn LLM and MBA Program spouses and partners. Read more..
SISTER CITIES PROGRAM! 

Aix-en-Provence

Visiting Philadelphia in March and April were five people from our French Sister City, Aix-en-Provence. They came to Philadelphia to see the Cezanne and Beyond exhibition in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They spent a few days in Philadelphia and the region going on tours and visiting museums. One of the guests was our friend Marie-Odile Chotard who brought the group of folk dancers, the chef and Cezanne expert to Philadelphia last May. If you plan to visit Provence this year, you should know that they prepared exceptional events for 2009!  There will be a host of major events on the PICASSO theme, from May through September, offering visitors a chance to discover the region’s most beautiful sights and follow the footsteps of this inimitable artist. To view a complete cultural itinerary of Picasso in Provence Cote D’Azur please visit this site. However, if you plan to be in Aix in different months, you can explore the city of Cezanne going on tours and visiting many sights the city has to offer. For information please visit Aix-en-Provence tourism office site.

Sister Cities Educational Exchange with Poland

Swenson Arts and Technology High School in Philadelphia and the IVC look forward to the continuation of the Sister Cities exchange program between Tadeusz Kosciuszko High School #4 from Torun and schools from Philadelphia. We are happy to announce that a group of students and teachers from Torun accepted our invitation to visit Philadelphia and the region in October 2009! Read more..

This past October 2008, a group of twenty-seven Philadelphians had a great opportunity to visit Torun, Philadelphia’s  Polish Sister City. During a busy week, they visited Torun, Gdansk, Warsaw, and met with Lech Walesa, former President of Poland and Nobel  Peace Prize recipient. We received many friendly responses from the students participating in the project and look forward to a reciprocal visit of Torun students in October 2009! They have been invited to Philadelphia by Swenson Arts and Technology High School. Read more.. View the gallery.
TORUN PHOTO PROJECT - June 22-28,2009
Philadelphia’s Sister Cities Program has been invited to send a photographer to Torun this June. Partner Cities Association in Torun, is inviting several photographers from Torun’s Sister Cities to take part in the 4th edition of a photographic art project entitled “Torun in the Twin Lens”. The workshop will take place in Torun, between June 22– June 28, 2009. The selected works that will emerge from a series of photographic workshops will be exhibited in Toruñ in October 2009 and in Philadelphia in 2010.  Read more..

Philadelphia is linked with ten Sister and Partner Cities in nine countries!
Learn more about Philly's sister and partner cities and read about our recent and upcoming projects. For Sister Cities program exchanges, please contact Jennifer McGinn at 215.683.0999.

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IVC's Past Events

Did you know that IVC of Philadelphia  is a recipient of: 

- 2009 Preservation Alliance's Community Action Award

- 2005 Consular Corps Global Leadership Award

- 2004 Human Rights Award from Phila. Human Relations Commission

- and the network of 92 IVC's across the U.S. was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for their work with the International Visitor Leadership Program. Check all distinguished IVLP delegations that visited Philadelphia in 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004.

Philadelphia's IVC Hosted State Department "Fam" Trip 

Thank you for Hosting 143 Fulbrights!
Thank you to our hosts!  Please send photos from your Friday night dinner! This year's Fulbrights were from 67 countries.  Read more..

SISTER CITIES!

Friendship Gate Rededication Ceremony

This past November,  Mayor Michael A. Nutter joined a delegation from Philadelphia’s Chinese Sister City, Tianjin, at a rededication and lighting ceremony of the Friendship Gate in Chinatown. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on November 19, 2008. 
Mr. Zuo Ming, Vice Director of The Standing Committee of Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress, was heading the delegation of eight officials from Tianjin visiting Philadelphia from November 17 to November 19.  While here, Mr. Zuo and his group met with Mayor Nutter and other city officials, business leaders and representatives of the Chinatown community. Read more.. View the gallery.. Read the article about the Friendship Gate.

Aix-en-Provence Group in Philadelphia
In the first week of May 2008 we welcomed twenty-three people from Philadelphia's French Sister City , Aix-en-Provence!  This Sister City sent us 23 people as part of a special cultural exchange. View photos from their visit to Philly! 

 

We’d like to thank everybody who helped us create unforgettable experiences for our Sister City guests, and especially..


IVC's 55th Annual Meeting took place on Thursday, April 30th  in Mayor's Reception Room, City Hall. IVC honored Greater Philadelphia area residents and organizations who have made an outstanding contribution to Philadelphia and the world in the fields of business, culture, education, government, media, research, sports and community service. The State Departmen'ts Michelle Lampher was our guest speaker.  Photos from this event are here.

IVC Announced Groundbreaking Partnership with Mosul, Iraq

 

In 2005, the State Department and Sister Cities International announced that the Philadelphia IVC would be linked with Mosul in its Partners for Peace Program.  We were chosen based on our strong programming history with State and Sister Cities.  IVC provided humanitarian aid and brought members of Mosul’s City Council to Philadelphia to learn about state and local government in a democracy.

 Read latest articles about IVC in the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Daily Pennsylvanian, and more..

Catch up what's happening at IVC - read our newsletters!

 

 


Considering an internship with IVC ..? 
Read what our past interns wrote about their experience with us.

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Make friends.  Make contacts.  Make peace.SM

IVCSM - International Visitors Council
1515 Arch Street, 12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 1.215.683.0999
Fax: 1.215.683.0998

Below is the "counter" of people who have come
to this home page since June 7, 2005


Watch Mr. Jamison Reed, UK Labour Member of Parliament, speak about his experience with the special I-VOTE program. Mr. Reed visited Philadelphia in November 2008 under the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program.

Support a new French company which has recently relocated to Philadelphia. They offer a range of language learning products which also develop awareness of cultural differences. Find out more here.

Public Diplomacy in Europe

Read the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs report from April 2008

“U.S. Courts the Support of French Muslims”

Read Katrin Bennhold’s article in the International Herald Tribune

Make friends. Make contacts. Make peace.

 

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