CITIZEN DIPLOMACY ALIVE AND WELL – AT HOME AND IN OUR NATION’S CAPITAL

By Billie Fouts, VP Marketing & Development


A year ago next month I boarded a plane bound for Washington, D.C. to rendezvous with a top International Center volunteer, Betty Bledsoe, along with 10 of her 11 adopted children. The occasion: They, not just SHE, were to be presented with the Lorinne Emery Volunteer of the Year award from Global Ties U.S. Global Ties U.S. is the organization under the purview of the U.S. Department of State that administers the nation’s premiere citizen diplomacy program for visits to the U.S. by delegations of emerging leaders from around the world.

75 Years of International Exchange

At The International Center we strive to facilitate international exchange. One of our core programs is the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), managed by Beth Barich. The program helps bringing leaders from all around the world to the United States in order to improve international diplomacy. It was first introduced in 1940 and was solely created for Latin American leaders but quickly evolved into what it is known as today. That is, bringing leaders from all around the world to US communities. In its first 75 years, the IVLP served 200,000 emerging leaders in diverse fields. Today, the IVLP is facilitated by Global Ties US, a non-profit organization, and the Department of State. They work hand in hand to provide their members with leadership development and to involve Americans in building mutual understanding between people and nations.