GCIV was honored to host a delegation of seven government and NGO officials from Bangladesh over the recent holiday weekend. The group came to Atlanta to meet with professional counterparts and discuss human rights and the U.S. judicial system. They enjoyed their professional appointments and found a unique insight into American cultural when they had the opportunity to spend Memorial Day at Stone Mountain Park.

Before coming to Atlanta they knew that May 25th would be a holiday, because there was only one day of professional meetings scheduled for this leg of their trip. They weren’t sure what to expect as they headed to Stone Mountain to meet the GCIV hosts, Ron and Bethany Lane. They walked around Stone Mountain Park and had the opportunity to see the exhibits and shops, try fried chicken, and watch the laser show at the end of the evening. They were delighted to experience this patriotic holiday in the United States and enjoyed the day at the park. Many of the visitors commented that this was a unique experience that they would cherish for the rest of their lives.

On their day of professional appointments, the delegation started their day by meeting with Mr. Joe Beasley of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. He spoke to the group about the civil rights movement, past and present. Afterwards, the group went Metro State Women’s Prison for a private tour of the facilities. They appreciated the opportunity to see the condition of the facilities, and were pleased to have an open exchange with the administrators. The delegation ended the day with a meeting with Mr. James Polite of the Atlanta Police Department, where they learned about community policing efforts.

This group had the opportunity to visit Washington, DC, Albuquerque, Portland, and New York in addition to Atlanta. The entire delegation commented that would have liked to have more time in Atlanta. While here, they had a valuable professional experience and saw real American culture. GCIV was honored to have this distinguished group visit our city, and looks forward to hearing updates from them.