GCIV is excited to announce that Ambassador Reda Mansour, Dean of the Consular Corps and Consul General of Israel, will deliver the keynote talk at the Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy.  In addition to serving as a diplomat, Ambassador Mansour is a poet and an activist in the promotion of dialogue between Arabs and Jews in Israel. We invite you to hear his talk on the importance of citizen diplomacy along with hundreds of other local citizens. Click here for Ambassador Mansour's bio. You can also click here to read an article recently written by Ambassador Mansour describing what makes Atlanta an international city.

Click here to register for the Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy!  On Saturday, November 14th, GCIV will host this exciting event at North Atlanta High School. The summit will promote an understanding of diverse values and cultures, educate participants about global perspectives, and further mutual understanding.  GCIV aims to raise awareness about cross-cultural understanding and the responsibilities of citizen diplomats through this interactive summit.  It will feature concurrent workshops, including regional briefings, introductory language classes, global business forums, cross-cultural communications seminars, and more.  You can now register for the summit online.  Register by October 14th to qualify for early-bird prices!  Both GCIV member and non-member prices increase by $10 after this deadline - sign up today!

A key figure in shaping the region's global commerce strategy, the Metro Atlanta Chamber's Jorge Fernandez is often the first face foreign executives see when they consider doing business or landing a headquarters in Georgia.  Since being named vice president of global commerce for the chamber in 2006, Fernandez has been the energetic and determined force behind connecting Atlanta-area companies to a continuous stream of international business growth opportunities.

For his tireless efforts and full-steam commitment to fostering and developing global business initiatives in metro Atlanta and negotiating a host of key deals, Jorge Fernandez has been named the Individual of the Year for the 2009 Governor's International Awards.  Click here to read more.

Middle- and high-school students in the state of Georgia are invited to submit an original artwork and/or essay on the theme of "Who's My Neighbor?" The purpose of this contest is to have students in middle and high schools think about and be involved in solving social problems in our world today.  The Program is geared towards an interdisciplinary approach to solving world and community issues in that the theme of the program each year looks towards global peace and intercultural understanding.

The prizes include trips to Turkey and gift cards for both students and teachers!  Please visit the contest web site to find out more information about the theme, rules, and prizes.

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. You can now pay for your membership online using paypal!