International Visitors Council of Philadelphia
International AffairsPennsylvania, United States0-1 Employees
Since 1954 we have been the official host for the U.S. Department of State’s highest exchange, the International Visitor Leadership Program. We are part of a unique “citizen diplomacy” network of 95 Councils in 48 states that receive established and emerging leaders from 120+ countries visiting the U.S. as guests of our government. Each participant visits up to five U.S. cities to meet their professional counterparts and experience American life through dinner with families in private homes and attending a variety of cultural events. The program allows visitors to see the country first-hand to form their own opinions of the U.S., its policies and people. Past visitors include F.W. de Klerk, Hamid Karzai, Willie Brandt, Nicolas Sarkozy and 300+ others who later became heads of Government. Unlike other government-sponsored exchanges, this program is by invitation only. The network of 95 Councils and 80,000 citizen diplomats, is part of the Global Ties U.S. Network that was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.