| Happy New Year! |
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The staff at GCIV would like to wish you a peaceful
and prosperous new year. Thank you for your support in
past years. We look forward to your participation in
GCIV programs in 2008!
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| March 8th Is a Night to Remember at
the 27th Annual International Consular Ball
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The International Consular Ball
on March 8th is sure to be a night to remember, with
dinner, dancing, and an opportunity to meet and honor
distinguished members of Georgia's Consular Corps. GCIV
will offer a new live auction at the event, with the
exclusive items to be revealed next month. Surprise
entertainment will add to the
excitement!
Invitations to GCIV individual and
corporate members will arrive in the mail next month.
Invitations are only available to GCIV corporate and individual
members.
Corporate sponsorship opportunities
are available. Contact Shell Stuart at 404-832-5560 x 21
for more information.
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| Great Decisions 2008 Starts This
Month! |
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GCIV's Great Decisions
discussion groups begin in January around the state.
Increase your understanding of world affairs through
this eight-week series based on a briefing book
published annually by the nonpartisan Foreign Policy
Association. GCIV presents this series in order to help
participants develop an informed opinion on the role the
United States plays in world affairs. The topics of
discussion for 2008 include: Iraq: endgame; the European
Union at 50; Talking to our enemies; Russia; U.S.
defense & security policy; Latin America: shift to
the left?; U.S.-China trade policy; and Private
philanthropy. Click
here for a list of discussion groups - we will
update it as more groups are formed. Contact Ashley
Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 to find out more
information, join an existing group, or to start your
own discussion group.
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| Belarusian Journalist Shares Best
Practices with Atlanta Media Professionals |
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GCIV hosted Ms. Maryia Sadouskaya
of Belarus in Atlanta December 19-22, 2007. Ms.
Sadouskaya is Manager of Radio Belarus, an independent
radio station based in Poland. She came to Atlanta to
meet with counterparts in the U.S. broadcast media field
to discuss journalism ethics, new media technologies,
and citizen journalism. Ms. Sadouskaya also took the
time to speak with GCIV members about her work back
home. Click
here to read more about her program in
Atlanta.
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| Consular CORPSner |
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Beginning on July 1st, 2008 France
will be taking its lead in the presidency of the Council
of the European Union which rotates every six months
amongst the country members of the EU. During this
presidency, many key issues for France and the EU will
be raised since it is happening on the eve of the
implementation of the Simplified Treaty (Treaty of
Lisbon). For the Southeast region, the beginning of 2008
marks France's turn at the Presidency of the European
Union, due to the absence of local diplomatic
representation for Slovenia. Check the French
Consulate's Press Office for more
information.
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| Become a Citizen Diplomat Today!
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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 or hundreds of international
visitors each year. Becoming a member is easy - just
visit our membership
page to download an application. You can now pay for
your membership online using paypal!
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| GCIV Upcoming Events |
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January/February/March
2008
Great Decisions Foreign Policy Discussion
Groups
It's that time of year again - GCIV's
Great Decisions foreign policy discussion groups will
start in January 2008. Increase your understanding of
world affairs through this eight-week series based on a
briefing book published annually by the nonpartisan
Foreign Policy Association. Click
here for a list of discussion groups and the annual
topics - we will update it as more groups are confirmed.
Contact Ashley
Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 to find out more
information, join an existing group, or to start your
own discussion group.
Thursday, January 10th -
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
IWA January Meeting
The
International Womens Associates will meet for a taste of
sparkling wines and a discussion of "Women in the
Winemaking Business" with Mr. Parks Redwine. Please
contact Emily
Bushey at 404-832-5560 x 15 to receive an
invitation.
Tuesday, January 15th - 6:30
PM
International Dining Experience at Divan
Persian Restaurant
Get to know other GCIV
members and hosts and share your questions, experiences
and insights about hosting international visitors in
your home. We are also inviting the Canadian delegation
focusing on trade issues. The menu is $30 and includes a
family-style Persian meal, non-alcoholic drinks, tax,
and gratuity. Contact Ashley
Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 for more information or
to RSVP.
Tuesday, January 29th - 12:00 PM -
1:00 PM
GCIV Global Lunch Forum: Human Rights
Advocacy in Kazakhstan
Join GCIV visitors
from Kazakhstan for a lunchtime discussion about their
human rights work. 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.
Tuesday, January 29th - 7:00 PM
GCIV
Envoy Event: Fugaku Taiko Drum Performance
Join
GCIV young professionals for a taiko drumming show.
Fugaku Taiko's spectacular performance style, featuring
a combination of artistic skill, dexterity, and physical
endurance, is certain to heat things up this winter!
While drumming in Japan can be traced back to ancient
times, the ensemble style of taiko performance has
primarily grown to popularity since the mid-twentieth
century. Fugaku Taiko was founded in 1977 and presents
more than 100 performances a year in Japan and around
the world. This concert is free and open to the
public, and is sponsored by Agnes Scott College, Nippon
Taiko Foundation, Japan-America Society of Georgia, and
the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta. We will
invite our delegation from Kazakhstan to join us.
Contact Ashley
Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 to RSVP.
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| Other Opportunities |
January-April 20,
2007
Lecture at the High Museum: For
Life's Sake: Art in the Yoruba World
Join
Babatunde Lawal, Virginia Commonwealth University and
visiting professor of art history at Williams College,
as he offers insight into the nexus between art and life
among the Yoruba of West Africa. Art is inseparable from
life in Africa essentially because many African creation
narratives identify the human body as a piece of
sculpture or mask materializing the soul on earth. As a
result, African cultures often use works of art not only
to embody the sacred, but also to project aesthetic and
cultural values. This lecture focuses on the
metaphysics, poetics and politics of art among the
Yoruba of West Africa. It offers rare insights into the
link between art and life in their culture, most
especially their use of dress, ritual implements,
sculptures, and masks to harness spiritual powers and to
dramatize their belief in life after death, among
others. Free with Museum admission to the Embodying
the Sacred in Yoruba Art exhibit and free to
members.
Thursday, January 24th - 7:30 AM -
9:15 AM
SCIS Breakfast Briefing: Hotspots Around the
World
This breakfast briefing will featuring SCIS
President Peter White, SCIS VP and Director of
Programming Cedric Suzman, and Wayne Lord, Former VP
Governmental Affairs, Pilgrim's Pride Corp. They will
comment on the situations in China, the Middle East,
Russia and South Africa. Email register@scis.org to
RSVP.
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| About GCIV |
The mission of the Georgia
Council for International Visitors is to build
cross-cultural understanding and mutually beneficial
personal and professional relationships between
Georgians and leading citizens from around the
world.
Our vision is that every Georgia citizen
has the opportunity to become more globally
engaged.
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