The Institute of International Education (IIE) advances citizen diplomacy by providing professional, cultural and educational meetings between emerging foreign leaders and the San Francisco Bay Area community, primarily in partnership with the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). These emerging foreign leaders are selected by our American embassies overseas and travel to the Untied States under the auspices of the U.S. State Department. Among the prestigious alumni are more than 1,500 cabinet ministers and 200 current and former heads of state, including Margaret Thatcher, Anwar Sadat, Indira Gandhi and Tony Blair.

The volunteers in San Francisco and around the nation who contribute their time and energy to the International Visitor Leadership Program were collectively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

Description:
IIE enables citizens and businesses to take an active role in promoting cross-cultural understanding and forming relationships that last a lifetime. It is based on the premise that in a robust democracy such as ours ordinary citizens like you have the right - even the responsibility - to play a role in the foreign policy of our country. Citizen Diplomats - our members and volunteers - promote international understanding through person- to-person interaction with emerging foreign leaders from across the globe. Through direct contact with international leaders, Citizen Diplomats have an opportunity to share unique aspects of the Bay Area and establish direct dialogues with tens of thousands of international emerging leaders. Alumni from the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, the main program with which we work, include more than 145 counties and over 200 current and former heads of State, such as Tony Blair, Anwar Sadat, Hamid Karzai, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Margaret Thatcher.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) believes that no nation can prosper economically, culturally or intellectually in isolation from the rest of the world. We believe that peace and prosperity in the 21st century depend upon increasing the capacity of people to think and work on a global and intercultural basis. As technology opens boards, educational and professional exchange opens minds. Join the West Coast Center of IIE and participate in an international community committed to education, understanding and friendship.

For over 50 years, IIE West Coast Center has been bringing IIE-administered programs to a seven state region of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Hawaii and Idaho. The office is comprised of five divisions: Fulbright and other Educational Services; International Leadership Program; International Corporate Programs; Women In Technology Program; Population and Reproductive Health Program.

History:
Professional Programing for international visitors began in the Bay Area in 1952 under leadership of the International Hospitality Center. The focus then was on arranging home hospitality and sightseeing for foreign visitors and presenting a variety of functions for members of the Consular Corps and their families. When the U.S. Information Agency closed its San Francisco Reception Center in 1983, IHC assumed full responsibility for administering the USIA's International Visitors Program in the Bay Area. Consequently, the name was changed to the International Visitors Center. In 1994, the name was changed to IVP. In October 2005, the International Diplomacy Council transfered its international visitor programming responsibilities to the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Timeline
1940 Nelson Rockefeller was named coordinator of Commercial and Cultural Affairs for the American Republics. He initiated an exchange of persons program with Latin America, inviting 130 Latin American journalists to the United States.
1942 In February, a network of 14 short-wave transmitters began broadcasting the "Voice of America," a new radio program geared toward promoting better understanding of the United States and other countries. In June, the Office of War Information (OWI) was established to consolidate scattered agencies of domestic and foreign information.
1948 The Smith-Mundt Act established a statutory information agency for the first time in a period of peace. Its mission, "to increase mutual understanding between Americans and foreigners," gave full recognition to the importance of educational and cultural exchanges sponsored by the government. Seeing a need to build up a corps of well-informed intellectuals and opinion leaders in the political and social infrastructure, the International Visitor Program (IVP) was established.
1952 The United States Information Agency (USIA) was formed by President Eisenhower to consolidate information administered by the State Department and other agencies. The International Diplomacy Council was founded under the name International Hospitality Center to give a more friendship-based face to the IVP.
The slogan of the IHC was "They are our neighbors...make them our friends." San Francisco became the model for other cities across the nation and close relationships with the diplomatic corps were established.
1961 Passage of the Fulbright-Hays Act reaffirmed the objective of increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other nations.
1978 Reorganization resulted in designating USIA and the United States International Communication Agency (USICA) with responsibility for the public diplomacy of the U.S. It combined the information mission with educational and cultural exchanges.
1983 At the request of the State Department, the International Hospitality Center assumed full responsibility for all SF Bay Area professional programming of the International Visitor Program. IHC was renamed the International Visitors Center.
1995 In March, the International Visitors Center once again underwent a name change. The International Diplomacy Council became and remained one of the largest Council for International Visitors (CIV) in the country, arranging over 14,000 professional appointments for 1000 visitors annually.
2005 In October, IDC became the International Visitor Program at Institute of the International Education.

Contact person: Kari Anderson, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email)
Main office number: (415) 362-6520
Office fax number: (415) 392-4667

Address:

530 Bush Street, Suite 1000 San Francisco, CA 94108 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.iiesf.org

Directions:

We are located two doors down from the Chinatown gates, next to famous Union Square. From the Montgomery Street BART/MUNI station, walk north on Montgomery street, turn left on Bush, and continue past Grant street. We are on the right. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Montgomery Street BART/MUNI,   Walk distance (in minutes): 10   Nearest Bus Stop: Busses 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 30, 38, 45, 5-10 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Arabic, Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	16
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	No

Overall Experience   
It has been very rewarding to contribute to citizen diplomacy and world peace by volunteering 25 hours a week for this wonderful organization.

The International Visitors Program contributes to world peace by working with the U.S. State Department to bring foreign visitors to the Bay Area to visit with organizations and universities in order to learn about our country and take the information back to their countries with them. I contibute by maintaining the U.S. State Department database fo resources and contacts in order for our visitors to get the most out of their visit. I also compile information in order to help obtain grants so that we can continue our long tradition of citiezen diplomacy. I find the work incredibly rewarding and love the people for whom I work. posted by david wilkinson on April 27, 2006