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Citizen Diplomacy Programs: International Visitors Leadership Program
The International Visitors Leadership Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, operating under authority of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (Fulbright-Hays Act). The emphasis of the program is to increase mutual understanding through communication at the personal and professional levels.
 
The International Visitors Leadership Program brings participants to the United States from all over the world each year to meet and confer with their professional counterparts and to experience the United States firsthand.
 
The visitors, who are current or rising leaders in government, politics, the media, education, and other fields, are selected by American Officials overseas. More than 200 current and former Heads of State, 1,500 cabinet-level ministers, and many other distinguished world leaders in government and the private sector have participated in the International Visitors Leadership Program.
 
The U.S. Department of State directs the program in cooperation with a wide range of non-profit organizations operating under cooperative agreements. One of these organizations is International House of Metrolina. International House brings visitors from all over the world to the Charlotte community through this important program. Last year, we had 134 visitors who came to Charlotte from over 58 different countries. Since the year 2000, we have hosted over 300 visitors.
 
These visitors come to Charlotte to learn more about how Americans function in their particular fields of interests. For example, a visitor from Tunisia may visit Charlotte in order to learn the methods by which local Charlotte officials have managed a "city development project". Or perhaps multi-regional groups from Southeast Asia or Europe would visit Charlotte's large banking institutions to learn about how our banks fight against money laundering. Through these meetings with their professional counterparts, the visitors gain valuable knowledge which they then apply to their efforts at home.
 
Generally, these visitors travel to five or six cities during their stay in the U.S.; including Washington, D.C., where each participant is given an orientation to their program. Charlotte has been proud to particpate in over 17 years of programming with the International Visitors Leadership Program.

Program themes have included:

Journalism, Broadcasting, Criminal Justice, Women's Issues, Diversity, Economic Development, Anti-Money Laundering, Trade, General Banking, Governance, Democracy, Political Issues, NGO Development, Education, Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Drug Enforcement, Privitization, Anti-Terrorism, Banking Law, and many more.

For more information on the Council for International Visitors network, please visit: www.nciv.org or the State Department's web site: http://exchanges.state.gov/education/ivp/.