Mark your calendar for the second annual Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy, which will take place on November 16th at Georgia State University! The Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy will offer all Georgians the opportunity to attend regional briefings and cross-cultural trainings, hear from members of the Consular Corps, and learn about the opportunities for citizen diplomacy throughout the city and state. Brad Minnick, Director of the U.S. State Department's Office of International Visitors, will give the keynote address over lunch. Special thanks to corporate partners Porsche and Reece & Associates for sponsoring the lunch.

The summit is free and open to the public, but you must register to attend. We'll only be able to accept the first 350 registrations. You can take a look at the day's schedule and register on our web site. Please contact Ashley Mastin at 404-832-5560 x 13 with any questions.

Additional thanks to the City of Atlanta's Advisory Committee on International Relations, the Georgia State University Office of International Affairs, and the National Council for International Visitors for their support of the summit.

GCIV recently hosted NGO officials from Poland who came to the U.S. to look at HIV/AIDS relief programs as part of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. Ms. Daniluk-Kula, Ms. Gajewska, and Mr. Minalto represented two Polish organizations, the National AIDS Center and the AIDS Committee Training Center. They were in Atlanta October 8th to the 11th, and also had the chance to visit Washington, DC, Chicago, and San Diego. Click here to read more about their program in Atlanta.

GCIV had the opportunity to host a delegation of women from all over Africa, representing Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Equitorial Guinea, Guinea, Madagascar, Senegal, and Togo. This distinguished group was participating in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. The participant backgrounds ranged from NGO officials, journalists, elected officials, civil servants, attorneys, to educators. They were in Atlanta September 25th-28th, and also had the chance to visit Washington, DC and Salt Lake City. The delegation also split into three groups to visit Boston, Chicago, and New Orleans before reconvening in Atlanta. Click here to read more about their program.

Usually we put our home hospitality opportunities on the left side of our newsletter, but there are too many to fit in this one! Please take a look at the delegations needing home hospitality in the coming months and consider hosting a visiting professional in your home for dinner.

Thursday, November 22nd - One visitor from Romania would like to experience Thanksgiving home hospitality with a GCIV host. His program in the U.S. will focus on the adoption process for older children. His availability is flexible due to the holiday, and he may be accompanied by an interpreter.

Sunday, December 2nd - Seven visitors from Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka would like to experience home hospitality with a GCIV host. Their program in the U.S. will focus on human rights advocacy and awareness. They are available for home hospitality at 6:00 PM and do not need interpreters.

Sunday, December 2nd - Seven visitors from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan would like to experience home hospitality with a GCIV host. Their program in the U.S. will focus on HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. They are available for home hospitality at 6:00 PM and do not need interpreters.

Tuesday, December 4th - Seven visitors from India, Nepal, and Pakistan would like to experience home hospitality with a GCIV host. Their program in the U.S. will focus on HIV/AIDS education and prevention efforts. They are available for home hospitality at 6:30 PM and do not need interpreters.

Thursday, December 6th - Four visitors from Serbia would like to experience home hospitality with a GCIV host. Their program in the U.S. will focus on migration, refugees, and diversity. They are available for home hospitality at 6:30 PM and will need interpreters.

Please note: Home hospitality opportunities are available to GCIV members only. Hosts are asked to provide transportation to and from the hotel on the evening of home hospitality. If you are interested in hosting visitors in your home for dinner on these dates, please contact Emily Bushey at 404-832-5560 x 15. Remember that the next GCIV Host Orientation will be at the Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy on November 16th. Register today!

Last week Business for Diplomatic Action released "America's Role in the World: A Business Perspective on Public Diplomacy" at the annual Public Relations Society of America forum in Philadelphia, PA. The report calls for a greater focus on public diplomacy efforts by the U.S. government, both in terms to human resources and funding. You can download a copy of the report at the BDA web site.

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!

Thursday, November 8th - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
IWA November Meeting
The International Women's Associates will have a Fashion show sponsored by Talbot's and a Holiday Bazaar. Please contact Emily Bushey at 404-832-5560 x 15 to receive an invitation.

Friday, November 9th - 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
GCIV Global Lunch Forum: Muslim Participation in Politics in the U.K.
Join GCIV visitor Mr. Mohammed Khaliel, UK Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate, for a lunchtime discussion. 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.

Friday, November 16th, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy
Join fellow Georgians at Georgia State University for a day of cross-cultural training to prepare for your role as citizen diplomat. Go to the GCIV web site for more information about the Atlanta Summit on Citizen Diplomacy. Registration is now available!