GCIV recently hosted five members of the Ugandan Parliament who came to Atlanta to learn about the role of elected representatives in a democracy. While participating in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, the group met with government, media, and NGO officials to discuss the American political system. All were recently elected to Uganda's parliament, and three had defeated sitting Cabinet ministers. The group had the opportunity to meet with a wide variety of professionals in Atlanta from July 3 - 7, 2007. In the photo above two members of the delegation exchange gifts with their GCIV hosts, Jason and Sabrina DeJoannis. Read more.

At the request of the U.S. government, five women from the Ukraine came to Atlanta to discuss the role of women in government, business, and civil society. The visitors are leaders in various NGO groups in Ukraine. While participating in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, the group hoped to meet with government and NGO leaders to discuss the role of women in American society. The delegation was able to meet with a wide variety of professionals in Atlanta from July 3 - 7, 2007. In the photo above the group is meeting with Georgia State Representative Sheila Jones. Read more.

On Friday, November 16th, 2007, GCIV will host the second annual Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy. The goal of the summit is to raise public awareness of the international interests of Atlanta and Georgia, and to provide a forum for participants to exchange perspectives on issues that affect Georgia's global engagement. Our summit will offer participants several "cultural competency" workshops and sessions focused on various areas of the world. Please put this exciting event on your calendar and stay tuned for more information!

Sixty countries now have consular or trade representation in Georgia. Earlier this month, Dr. Bruce Allen was appointed Honorary Consul for the Principality of Liechtenstein. In a ceremony in Macon, GA, both the Foreign Minister and Liechtenstein's Ambassador to the U.S. gave remarks. This is the first consular office that Liechtenstein has opened in the world. Read more about the ceremony in GlobalAtlanta.

GCIV Trustee Astrid Pregel will address The Siegel Institute at their Phenomenal Women's Global Alliance conference, "Women of Character, Networking for Change" Aug. 7 at Kennesaw State University. Astrid will speak on "Unleashing the Economic Power of Women" and will describe her economic program, "Feminomics," also the name of her Atlanta-area consulting firm.

An hors d'oeuvres reception begins the evening at 6:30, and Astrid will speak 7:00 - 8:00 PM. This event will be held at the Kennesaw State University Leadership and Fireside Rooms of the Student Center. Tickets are $15, and reservations are recommended. Reservations can be made online at www.siegelinstitute.org.

Below is the final installment of Vicki Flier Hudson's Fifteen Ways to Increase Cultural Competence. Vicki provides cross-cultural trainings for corporations, classrooms, and many other settings. Visit her web site at www.highroaders.com.

14) Increase flexibility: In the new global market, more and more organizations around the world are acquiring companies from outside their home country. While these acquisitions offer excellent opportunities for revenue growth, they can bring a host of problems for employees with opposing cultural values that must learn to work together.

For example, a US American company acquires a company located in the United Kingdom. In the US, hard work is valued and employees are often required to put in weekend hours and weekday overtime. In the UK, when the workday ends, other areas of life take a high priority such as time with family and friends. This gap in values can cause conflict.

Both sides must engage in flexibility to come up with solutions. The American company might consider more careful planning and budgeting for vacation time, crosstraining and policy revision. The British employees could then show good will by volunteering some extra hours when needed and being accepting of decisions made after careful consideration of British needs. Be creative with solutions and increase employee retention rate.

15) Have fun: When working with people of other cultures becomes a chore, productivity suffers and the organization does not meet its full potential. Create opportunities to share culture, including the majority culture, such as festivals, international lunches, film screenings, music or heritage events. Home Depot puts on events focusing on Hispanic and Black heritage during the lunch hour so that most employees can attend without disrupting work. Enjoy your diverse employees and take advantage of their rich background and experience - not just for them but also for you.

Be sure to check out the GCIV e-newsletter in coming months for more tips from Vicki Flier.

GCIV's membership is critical to the success of our organization, as it serves as an important indicator of community support for the U.S. Department of State and other agencies that rely on us to arrange programs for hundreds of international visitors each year. Becoming a member is easy - just visit our membership page to download an application.

Tuesday, August 14th - 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
GCIV Global Lunch Forum: Impressions of the U.S. from MEPI Participants
Join GCIV visitors from the Middle East and North Africa for a lunchtime discussion. Ms. Mony Abou Jawdeh, Ms. Amina Ben Habib, Ms. Lamees Albinali, Ms. Nisreen Musleh, Ms. Doua Mansour, and Ms. Salma Tounsi will talk about their experience as participants in the U.S. State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative. The Global Lunch Forum will be at the GCIV office downtown. Participants can bring lunch or purchase a boxed lunch ($10). Registration is 12:00-12:10, and the Global Lunch Forum begins promptly at 12:10 PM. Contact Ashley Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 to RSVP.

Wednesday, August 15, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
GCIV Host Orientation
Learn the "ins and outs" of hosting while getting to know GCIV staff and fellow hosts. GCIV will organize host orientations once each quarter to help experienced and new hosts alike stay informed and become better citizen diplomats. Participation in an orientation is mandatory for all hosts. Please join us for one at your earliest convenience. The orientation will take place at the Regency Suites Hotel, 975 West Peachtree Street in midtown. Food will be provided by Ali Baba's Mediterranean Cuisine. RSVP to Emily Bushey at 404-832-5560 x 15.

Sunday, August 26th, 10:00 AM
GCIV Envoy Event - Whitewater Rafting with MEPI Fellows
Join GCIV Young Professionals in sending off six participants of the Middle East Partnership Initiative in a fun way: whitewater rafting! This is your last chance to meet this delegation before they return to their respective countries (Algeria, Bahrain, Morocco, West Bank, UAE). We will carpool to the Nantahala River in western North Carolina, have a picnic lunch, and spend a few hours on the river. Each person will pay the $50 fee and for their meal. Please RSVP to Ashley Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 by Friday, August 17th.

Tuesdays, September 25-November 20, 7:30-9:00 PM
Evening at Emory Great Decisions Group
Join this upcoming discussion group and increase your understanding of world affairs. This eight-week series is based on a briefing book published annually by the nonpartisan Foreign Policy Association. The topics of discussion for 2007 include: the Middle East, Climate Change, Mexico, Migration, South Africa, War Crimes, Central Asia, and Children. Register for the course at the Emory web site, or contact Ashley Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 with questions.