GCIV had the privilege of hosting a delegation of four women from Egypt, Oman, and Yemen this past May. This delegation came to Atlanta to explore women’s health issues through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. They had the opportunity to meet with a wide range of professional counterparts while getting to know our city and its people. This fulfilling professional and cultural exchange contributed to GCIV’s goal of promoting international understanding.

The delegation began their stay in Atlanta by attending the 2008 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at Atlanta Station. After seeing the race and experiencing the wonderful energy from participants, they had a chance to meet with the race’s organizers. The following day, they had dinner in the homes of GCIV home hospitality hosts. They enjoyed the chance to eat a home-cooked meal and meet local Atlanta families.

On Monday they began their professional appointments with a visit to Cool Girls Inc., meeting with staff to discuss the organization’s many programs to educate the general public about health issues that affect young women and girls. Next they visited the Center for Black Women’s Wellness to learn about their work to improve the mental, physical, and spiritual growth of Black women and their families. They ended their day with a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site to learn about the civil rights movement.

On their third and final day of appointments, the delegation spent the morning at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They spoke with a number of officials about various women’s health issues and the latest research. Afterwards, the visitors spent the afternoon at the Georgia Division of Public Health to discuss the supplemental nutrition program for women and children offered by the State, known as WIC (Women, Infants, and Children).

GCIV was honored to have these distinguished visitors in Atlanta and meet with our many valuable professional resources. They also spent time in Washington, DC, Dallas, Lexington, and Cincinnati. Their experiences here in gave them a first-hand view of the diversity of the United States, and the knowledge that they shared will be invaluable for our Atlanta community.