Travel the World without Leaving Home
GCIV works with the U.S. Department of State and other agencies to host emerging world leaders to Georgia. In turn, GCIV offers Georgia citizens like you the opportunity to meet international visitors on a personal and professional level.
International visitors are fascinating dinner company. Visitors typically tell hosts about their home countries or their professional expertise and hosts provide visitors a home-cooked meal and a glimpse at an American home.
Imagine having France’s Nicolas Sarkozy, Mexico’s Felipe Calerdon or the prime minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, over for dinner. They were all international exchange participants and dinner hospitality guests early in their careers. Individuals like you hosted them for dinner, just as you can host the next generation of world leaders.
Dinner hospitality also often leads to lasting friendships and invitations abroad. GCIV announces dinner hospitality opportunities in our monthly GCIV e-newsletter. Please subscribe to learn about visitors coming to town.
Professional meetings provide a forum for an exchange of ideas and sharing of best practices between leaders from around the world and their counterparts in Georgia. This valuable experience often leads to collaboration with colleagues abroad.
“We have been really amazed at how connected you can become in conversation with people who barely speak English. You don’t have to have something significant to discuss, just ask about their families, jobs and lives and you could talk all night. People ought to realize that you do not need to have a showplace and a chef-quality meal at all. Keep it casual, simple, warm and people just want to be open and talk and talk. We now have email ‘pals’ and are really enjoying this whole concept. What a life-enriching and really fun thing to do!”
–GCIV Member Bethany Lane
“I truly want to thank GCIV for allowing me the pleasure of meeting and entertaining these wonderful people. It’s an experience I will never forget.”
–GCIV Member Vicki Van Der Hoek
Contact Lindsey Gantt at lindsey@gciv.org for more information on how to get involved in professional programs or dinner hospitality.