Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
ECA NEWS
Home > ECA News

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release
February 11, 2008
Media Note
2008/095

Citizen Diplomats from Across Nation to Gather at the National Council for International Visitors Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Representatives from 90 communities across the country will gather at the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) Annual Meeting, February 13-16, at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel, 999 Ninth Street, NW. As part of the NCIV network of organizations that coordinate local programs for the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), these citizen diplomats play a crucial role in furthering America's foreign policy goals. In Washington, DC they will increase understanding of U.S. diplomacy and sharpen their programming and management skills.

The NCIV National Meeting is open to press coverage. Many citizen diplomats, with years of cross-cultural exchange programming in their local communities and beyond, will be available for interviews. Other meeting highlights include:

• Garth Fagan, Tony Award-winning choreographer of “The Lion King,” will receive the NCIV Citizen Diplomat Award. (February 13 at 6:00 p.m.)
• Alina Romanowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Office of Professional and Cultural Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, will address the Opening Plenary. (February 14 at 8:30 a.m.)
• The Honorable Roy Blunt, Minority Whip, U.S. House of Representatives (R-MO), will address the NCIV Luncheon with the Ambassadors. (February 14 at 12:00 Noon)
• Juan Williams, Senior Correspondent, National Public Radio Morning Edition, will address the Citizen Diplomacy Luncheon (February 15 at 11:45 a.m.)
• Nadwa Al-Dawsari of Yemen, IVLP alumna (2004) and Senior Program Manager, National Democratic Institute–Yemen Conflict Management Program, will address the Alumni Luncheon. (February 16 at 12:45 p.m.)
• Dr. Jemilah Mahmood of Malaysia, IVLP alumna (2005) and President of MERCY Malaysia, will address the Alumni Luncheon. (February 16 at approximately 1:45 p.m.)

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' International Visitor Leadership Program annually brings more than 4,300 potential or established leaders in government, media, public policy, education and other fields to the United States for professional programs and to gain firsthand experience of American society and culture. Alumni of the program include such distinguished leaders as Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Ehud Olmert of Israel, and Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom.

For more information about the NCIV National Meeting or to arrange coverage, please contact Catherine Stearns at (202) 203-5107 or StearnsCL@state.gov.

Back to the top