2009 November Invitation

IVC's First Thursday & Hosting Alerts

Making friends leads to peace. It really is that simple.

Our thanks to Dilworth Paxson LLP for supporting IVC's international relations work and helping us make friends for the U.S. - one person, one country, at a time.

In this email...

Sister Cities Program - Cameroonian agricultural importer & Russian vodka importer

Welcome German student interning at Convention Bureau

Meet Israel's new Deputy Consul

Welcome international business & law students

Homestay Hosts Needed for Japanese Execs - November 20th

Homestay Hosts Needed for French Firefighters - December 6th to 11th

Be a Thanksgiving dinner host!

We love our Sister City volunteers!

Join IVC - First Thursdays are free for members

Meet PennDiplomats - Philadelphia's "First Globals"

FIRST THURSDAY - November 5th

Join IVC for an evening of citizen diplomacy where you can build your international network, promote Philadelphia and improve the image of the U.S. abroad - all in just two hours!

November's First THURSDAY international reception features guests of honor from Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Georgia, Germany, India, Israel, Mali, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdon.

So do join us this Thursday, November 5th at 5:30 p.m. to welcome our special international guests on several programs, including Philadelphia's Sister Cities Program, The Consular Corps of Philadelphia and three local universities. It's free for IVC members, and just $15 for non members. Email Alan Hatfield or call 215-683-0992 to let him know you'll attend.

Your "job" at First Thursday!
When you pick up your name badge, be sure to get the list with our guests' names, their interests & why they're here. It also tells you what color ribbon they're wearing so you can easily identify them in the crowd. Then walk up, say hello and you'll see how easy it is to start a conversation. We guarantee this friendly citizen diplomacy will create lasting - and positive - impressions of the U.S., Philadelphia - and you.

Sister City Program -
Welcome "family" from
Cameroon & Russia

DOUALA, Cameroon: Our Cameroonian Sister City family expands through Danielle, who first brought us her sister (who's now at La Salle as a Sister City Scholar), and on Thursday we meet her father, Pierre Ngaba, Ph.D., a retired executive of a multinational company in Cameroon. He is now involved in farming activities including producing and transforming agricultural products (i.e. palm nuts to palm oil) and organic fruit and vegetable farming. He has created an association seeking to obtain an authorization to export and promote agricultural products to the United States. Join us in welcoming him to Philadelphia!

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia: Welcome back Timur, a young man from Nizhny, who's returned after 15 years to visit his Philadelphia host, a long-time IVC member. Tim now represents a premier vodka (that's produced in Nizhny) and is in the U.S. to develop importing opportunities in the tri-state area. He looks forward to introducing this authentic Russian vodka to the U.S. market! (Sadly, we'll have no samples at First Thursday.)

Also from NiNo is Kate, a young woman musician, who is studying piano at Temple.

Welcome German Student

Catherine Wall arrived just two weeks ago from Germany and lost one week battling the flu (she's fully recovered). The remainder of her 3-month internship at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau should be more pleasant, and she's looking forward to meeting young Philadelphians and getting to know the U.S. and American culture. She is a university student in Kehl, where she studies Public Administration.

IVC welcomes Israel's new
Deputy Consul General

IVC continues its tradition of welcoming new Consuls to Philadelphia. Israel's Consulate General has two key diplomats in Philadelphia, and the latest to arrive is Raslan Abu Rukun, Deputy Consul General. This Druze-Israeli arrived in Philadelphia in June and looks forward to connecting with IVC's diverse group of members and friends.

Welcome business graduate students from St. Joe's & Temple & LLMs from Temple

IVC's Discover Philadelphia program is designed to create positive American experiences for the city's international graduate students.

Joining us this Thursday are MBA students from St. Joseph's University (India), and Temple's International Business Association (Georgia, Mali, Sweden & USA). Joining us again from Temple's Law's LL.M. Program are new friends from Germany and Jordan. Join us to welcome them as they take a much-needed break from their studies.

Bartlett, Inc. - United Kingdom

Join us in welcoming back to First Thursday Richard Bartlett, a new IVC member, who opened the Philadelphia office of Bartlett, Inc. in May 2009. Bartlett, Inc. is an independent, family owned, global insurance broker with offices in Europe and Asia - and now in Philadelphia.

Tel-Aviv - A Love Story at 100

Philadelphia's Sister City is celebrating it's 100th birthday and The Temple Judea Museum has a fascinating exhibit running through December 4, 2009 showcasing Tel-Aviv's founding through objects, video, historic and contemporary photographs and original art work with special emphasis on The White City, Tel-Aviv's Bauhaus heritage. For information call 215-887-2027.

Homestay Hosts Needed for Japanese Executives for
Friday, November 20th

Share the ultimate American experience with businessmen from Japan: an overnight in your home! Ten Japanese executives are in the U.S. to learn about American business and culture and we've been asked to arrange an overnight for them with friendly families. They will have spent the day volunteering before heading to their hosts. Their English is limited, so expect a lively evening of sign language & laughter! If you'd like to host two or more, and can pick them up in Center City and return them by noon Saturday, contact Jennifer McGinn, 215.683.0993.

Homestay Hosts Needed
French Firefighters
December 6 - 11

Fifty French firemen & women will arrive in the U.S. at the beginning of December for training in Philadelphia at Philadelphia's Fire Academy. Most are staying at Chamounix Mansion in Fairmount Park, and seventeen of them have requested host families (or host individuals) for that special American experience. The firefighters come from throughout France and are being trained at the well known National Officer Fire Academy in Aix-en-Provence, France, Philadelphia's Partnership City. Email Jennifer McGinn or call 215-683-0993 to host!

Be a Thanksgiving dinner host!

IVC's guests of the U.S. Department of State and Sister Cities enjoy seeing the personal side of the U.S. through dinner in homes of Americans. In fact, it's often the most memorable part of their U.S. visit. Thanksgiving is a wonderful American holiday to share with someone who is far from home. If you're interested in hosting one or more people in your home for Thanksgiving dinner, contact Matt Drexler for State Department visitors, and Jennifer McGinn for Sister City guests who are studying or working in Philadelphia. Hosting is an enriching experience and a special benefit just for IVC members.

First Thursday Details...

We hope you'll join us and others from the Greater Philadelphia area who are interested in citizen diplomacy, making friends and improving the U.S. image abroad.

FIRST THURSDAY @ THE ANNEX:
Philadelphia Courtyard Marriott,
across from City Hall

No Cost for IVC members & new guest

- $15.00 for Non-members*
- $20.00 at the door without a reservation

DATE: First Thursday

TIME: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Annex Grille - Courtyard Marriott - East of City Hall

MORE: Hors d'oeuvres, cash bar & interesting people!

RSVP: to Alan Hatfield, 215.683.0992 or
alan.hatfield@phila.gov or go to our website and the First Thursday form.

IVC is Philadelphia's official host for U.S. Government-sponsored visitors. IVC promotes mutual understanding among nations through citizen diplomacy. IVC's network of 92 IVCs across the U.S. was nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. A copy of IVC's official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1.800.732.0999.

We love our volunteers!

IVC's work involves engaging hundreds of volunteers every year. A special thanks to all the generous people who helped with the planning and logistics for the ten-day Torun, Poland Sister City visit - from Dave Kipphut and Charles Graham to Dilworth Paxson LLP, Theresa Romanowski and the Polish American Cultural Center, to Andrew Kozieja (our hero!) and Anna Adamska, to CETRA Language Solutions, the Zoo's Vik Dewan, and Bob Borski. They, plus all the people who met professionally with the Torunians, made the visit of Torun's Mayor, head of City Council and Education, and 29 high school students and teachers a huge success. Our thanks also to Aix chef at restaurant

Mayor Nutter, Councilmen Bill Green, Curtis Jones and Frank Rizzo, Council President Anna Verna, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, INHP's Cynthia MacLeod and Frank Eidmann, Temple's Martyn Miller, and Senators Arlen Specter, Bob Casey, Reps Bob Brady, Patrick Murphy and Allyson Schwartz.

And our thanks to David Perri, John Lutz and the other nice officials from the Streets Department, and Andrew Stober from the Mayor's Office of Transportation & Utilities. And we really appreciate the Airport's Ditta Kullman for not giving up on finding the Mayor's luggage (which never did come), and the warm hospitality the officials received at the Courtyard Marriott by Jim Gratton and his team.

We couldn't have done it without all these people or the Philadelphia Trolley Works, and we send very special thanks to the homestay & dinner hosts!

Not an IVC Member yet?

Become part of the nation-wide network of citizen diplomats nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. It's easy to join! You'll enjoy at least ten receptions each year at no cost - plus have the benefit of hosting an established or emerging leader in your home or a restaurant through the U.S. Department of State.

IVC's upper-level members are also included at private Sister City and State Department receptions.

Call Alan Hatfield at 215-683-0992 or go online to join today.

IVC Welcomes PennDiplomats to First Thursdays

Polling powerhouse John Zogby, of Zogby International, writes in his book, "The Way We'll Be," that the United States is being changed by the 18 to 29 year-olds he calls the "First Globals." This generation, he writes, are "the first to bring a consistently global perspective to everything..."

IVC didn't have to look far to find them. Students at the University of Pennsylvania have formed their own group, PennDiplomats. Founded by Penn student Dan Brinkley and his friends, PennDiplomats share IVC's interest in creating positive American experiences and improving the U.S. image abroad. Still a small group, Dan and his members will be joining us at the First Thursday receptions (when exams allow) and introducing others at Penn to IVC and the concept of citizen diplomacy and being internationally involved. Dan understands the need for citizen engagement in international affairs more than most - he worked at the Detroit IVC where he learned about the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program and sought out the Philadelphia IVC when he arrived at Penn to continue his involvement. And he spent last academic year in Germany before returning to form PennDiplomats. Two years ago he wrote an article about IVC and Penn for Penn's "Daily Pennsylvanian," which has been on IVC's website and is still there for you to read.

Dan will be in New York at a graduate school fair this week, but other PennDiplomats will be there, including three from Costa Rica & France. We look forward to seeing the PennDiplomats at all of our First Thursdays!