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Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy Is a Resounding Success! |
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The Georgia Council for International Visitors organized Atlanta’s first ever summit on citizen diplomacy, bringing together 200 community members for a day of cultural competency training, regional briefings, and conversations with members of Atlanta’s distinguished Consular Corps.
The summit was part of a national movement organized by the Coalition on Citizen Diplomacy and supported by the National Council for International Visitors. The goal of the summit was 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. The Atlanta summit is one of over fifty that have already been held around the country.
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Four Consuls General address summit participants in "The Diplomatic Life" session (L-R): Mr. Hans-Joerg Brunner, Consul General of Germany; Mr. Shoji Ogawa, Consul General of Japan; Mr. Martin Rickerd, Consul General of the United Kingdom; and Ambassador Reda Mansour, Consul General of Israel.
Photo by PR-PICS.com
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Citizen diplomacy is the idea that the individual citizen has the right – even the responsibility – to help shape U.S. foreign relations "one handshake at a time." The summit reinforced the idea that Americans must make an effort to better prepare themselves to interact with an ever-shrinking world.
Dr. Sherry Mueller, President of the National Council for International Visitors, started the summit with remarks on “The Power of Citizen Diplomacy.” After the opening participants had the chance to participate in two sessions of concurrent workshops – the first focused on learning about various regions of the world and the second aimed at improving cultural competency. The summit also featured a session entitled “The Diplomatic Life,” where four consuls general stationed in Atlanta talked about their careers as diplomats.
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Keynote Speaker Tom Miller of Business for Diplomatic Action addresses the crowd.
Photo by PR-PICS.com
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After the two sessions of concurrent workshops, participants gathered for lunch and listened to keynote speaker Tom Miller, Vice President of Business for Diplomatic Action. Mr. Miller gave an inspiring presentation, citing the importance of citizen diplomacy in stemming the growth of anti-Americanism around the world. After this speech everyone took part in citizen diplomacy discussion groups to talk about ways to strengthen citizen diplomacy efforts in the United States. At the end of the day, GCIV gave away several door prizes, including a first class Delta ticket to any destination in the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean; tickets to a Southern Center for International Studies event featuring the former president of Brazil and a one-year SCIS membership; culture-in-a-bag from Global Education Matters; gift certificates to The Globe Restaurant; and gift certificates to Panahar Bangladeshi Cuisine. GCIV would like to thank Tim Shannon of PR-PICS.com who photographed the event and provided the pictures for this article.
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GCIV would like to thank all speakers and panelists who shared their time and expertise at the Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy:
Mr. Hans-Joerg Brunner, Consul General of Germany
Mr. Shoji Ogawa, Consul General of Japan
Mr. Victor Onochie Bosah, Consul General of Nigeria
Mr. Martin Rickerd, Consul General of the United Kingdom
Ambassador Reda Mansour, Consul General of Israel
Ambassador Theodore R. Britton, Jr., Honorary Consul General of Albania
Ms. Maria Teresa Fraser, Honorary Consul of Guatemala
Dr. Sherry Mueller, National Council for International Visitors
Mr. Tom Miller, Business for Diplomatic Action
Ms. Soumaya Khalifa, Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta
Dr. S. Rashid Naim, Georgia State University
Dr. David Bruce, GSU Institute of International Business
Mr. Jorge Fernandez, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Patrick Ayota, East Africa-America Business Council
Ms. Aminata Lo, Freelance Journalist
Ms. Vicki Flier, High Road Presentations
Ms. Judy Cantwell, International Workforce Effectiveness
Mr. Eric de Groot, Global Education Matters
Mr. Jerry Striplin, The Striplin Group
Ms. Claire McLeveighn, Atlanta External Affairs and International Relations
Mr. Manny De Barros, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
GCIV would also like to thank all of its partner organizations:
Atlanta International School
Atlanta City Council Advisory Committee on International Relations
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Georgia Department of Economic Development
Atlanta Ministry with International Students
CARE-USA
The Carter Center
The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
CIFAL-Atlanta
Friendship Force International
Global Atlanta
Southern Center for International Studies
World Trade Center Atlanta
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