YOUNG GEORGIAN LEADERS EXCHANGE IDEAS WITH LOCAL COLLEGE STUDENTS
By Herb Pence, Board Member
Five college leaders from the Republic of Georgia, located on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, visited New Hampshire recently as part of the Council's International Visitors Program. They were on a U.S. Department of State-sponsored visit to the United States in order to expose the Georgian students to American university student governance and communication.
Each of the Georgian students- who attend colleges in Tbilisi- were leaders at their home schools including: Anna, a professional mountain climber and director of the Student Alpinist Club; Aleksandre, studying to be a neurosurgeon and a member of the Student's Self-Government club; and Nino, a member of the Student's Self-Government club, who is fluent in Georgian, English, Russian, German and Japanese at just 20 years old!
They are part of a premier group of 4,500 international visitors selected to learn more about specific aspects of U.S. life. Each group spends between 15 and 21 days in the United States, visiting three to five cities across the country. The Georgian students' program included meetings with local college political groups, the Saint Anselm College Model UN Club, Southern New Hampshire University's student newspaper and outing club, among others.
The students also had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Council speaker Jack Matlock, who served as the American Ambassador to the U.S.S.R. at the end of the Cold War and spoke during the Council's Global Tipping Points series.
This group was funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Members were hosted nationally by Meridian International Center and locally by the World Affairs Council of NH.
FIND OUT WHO'S VISITING NEXT WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS PROGRAM
COUNCIL PROGRAM HAS $400,000 IMPACT ON STATE
The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire recently issued a report on the local economic impact of its International Visitors Program over the 2011 fiscal year.
Here's more about the impact, by the numbers:
221 - # of visitors - hand-picked as emerging leaders by the U.S. State Department - hosted over the fiscal year
1078 - # of nights visitors stayed in local hotels
$172,480 - Funds spent in-state on behalf of international visitors & programs
$53,902 - Federal grant funds that the Council receives in support of the program
$64,825 - Corporate, Individual, & Foundation contributions raised to support the program
$43,546 - Fee-for-service revenue raised to support citizen diplomacy
2,956 - Volunteer hours donated to program by World Affairs Council of NH trustees, interns & community volunteers (professional resources, organizations and dinner hosts) worth $63,140
TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT: $397,893+
This information has been compiled from Community Impact Reports submitted to the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) by its community member organizations for FY 2011. NCIV is a nonprofit membership association which includes individuals, program agencies, and more than 90 organizations in communities throughout the United States. The International Visitor Leadership Program is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
DID YOU KNOW?
Our International Visitors Program receives federal grant support, but we still spend about $100 per visitor out of our own budget to host each international visitor in New Hampshire. What price would you put on sharing American values, face-to-face, and fostering cultural awareness?
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IN BRIEF
Council member, staff and program news!
THANK YOU
... to members Campbell Harvey & Elliott Berry, for hosting Georgian visitors for dinner this month.
... to President Kathryn Muirhead & Jim Muirhead for hosting Venezuelan visitors for dinner this month.
... to member Elizabeth Webber for hosting Venezuelan visitors for dinner this month.
... to members John & Martha Mueller for hosting European visitors for dinner this month.
... to members Daniel & Martha Lyman for hosting Brazilian visitors for dinner this month.
.... to member Marina Forbes for hosting visitors from Kyrgyzstan for dinner this month.
... to board members Joan Reische & Herb Pence, and Jim Muirhead, for escorting international visitors to meetings around the state this month.
CONNECT WITH THE WORLD BY HOSTING INTERNATIONAL VISITORS FOR DINNER!
NEWS
Charles Doleac, Council board member, recently joined Russian and Japanese scholars for an international symposium on the Portsmouth Peace Treaty.
READ MORE
Anna Berry, Council Director, will attend the Annual Leadership meeting of World Affairs Council CEOs from around the country in Denver, Colorado on April 30. The meeting will provide Council leaders with the opportunity to exchange best practices and ideas for strengthening local councils and the national council system, as well as the network's ability to fulfill its mission of educating the American public on global issues.
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Foreign Policy insight
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The Council on Foreign Relations finds that the U.S.'s failure to educate its students threatens country's ability to thrive in a global economy and maintain its leadership role - READ REPORT
CNN asks: Should Foreign Policy be Politicized? - READ ARTICLE
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WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCILS OF AMERICA
CHOOSE TOP ISSUES FOR 2013
The World Affairs Councils of America, the largest non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to educating the American public on global issues, recently released its national network leadership survey results that determined the Six Top National Security Issues facing the United States for 2013. The issues are:
US Economic Competitiveness
US Education: Competing Globally
Middle East
Afghanistan/Pakistan
China
US Energy Policy
The survey, which was conducted March 8-15, 2012, asked the council leadership from almost 100 non-partisan, non-profit educational World Affairs Councils from across the country to determine the Six Top National Security Issue areas that need to be debated and discussed in 2013.
The Six Top Issues for 2013 will play a central role in the World Affairs Councils of America's national network 2013 effort to educate and engage the American public. The public discussion of these 2013 Six Top National Security issues will be launched at WACA's 2012 National Conference, November 7-9, 2012 in Washington, DC.
Dr. Lori E. Murray, President & CEO of WACA, stated upon releasing the results, "There is no better group of citizen leaders to turn to for insight and direction on the top National Security issues before us than the world affairs councils network that is based in communities across the country. We look forward to working with the next administration and with leading national security analysts to provide reasoned and thoughtful debate and discussion on these top six priorities in 2013."
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