Wednesday, April 17, 2002
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Wednesday, April 17, 2002 |
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Peachtree City woman working with international community A Peachtree City woman has an important role in a key organization fostering relationships between Georgia and the international community. Lucie Rivera-O'Ferrall is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Council for International Visitors. She also chairs the Trusteeship Committee and is a member of the Annual International Consular Ball committee. The GCIV is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building connections between Georgians and citizens of other nations. GCIV maintains one of the strongest international visitor programs in the United States, working primarily with international visitors brought to this country under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. The GCIV celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Some typical GCIV programs include: International visitor program. GCIV arranges professional programs, cultural orientations and home hospitality for hundreds of international visitors to Georgia each year as part of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Program. The participants in this program are prominent individuals and future leaders in their professions. They are brought to Georgia by the State Department, but it is the responsibility of the community, through GCIV, to provide meaningful programs for their 3-5 day visits. Professional exchange programs. In 1999 GCIV established a "Business for Russians" program, funded by the State Department, that brings to Georgia new Russian entrepreneurs for a five-week training program, linking them with their American counterparts. Similar programs with other countries and in other fields are now being pursued. Home hospitality. One of the best ways to increase international understanding is through the establishment of personal friendships. So GCIV offers international visitors the opportunity for a visit in a local home. For the international visitor, this is often one of the highlights of their journey to Georgia, as they experience "Southern hospitality" while establishing a very personal connection in Georgia. The benefits are just as great for the hosts, who enjoy learning about another culture. Often the friendships thus established last for years. Community educational programs. GCIV provides community education programs designed to increase public awareness of the global issues that affect Georgia. This includes sponsorship of the Foreign Policy Associations' annual Great Decisions discussion groups. These discussions, along with other lectures and symposia, enable hundreds of Georgians to become better informed on a wide array of international topics. The educational programs also provide opportunities for international visitors to share their perspective on global issues with their American counterparts. Networking opportunities. In addition to providing opportunities to meet with short-term international visitors, GCIV provides networking opportunities that enable residents of Georgia to establish international connections with each other. The International Women Associates is a group of international and American women that provides opportunities for international newcomers to make friends and become oriented to life in Georgia. The International Businesswomen's Network provides a monthly forum for businesswomen to exchange knowledge and experience on international issues. And at GCIV's annual International Consular Ball, hundreds of business and civic leaders come together to salute the growing Atlanta Consular Corps. Travel programs. A natural extension of Georgia's growing international connection is the desire to visit friends in other countries and to learn by visiting them. GCIV offers a limited number of travel opportunities each year to its members, featuring educational travel seminars that include home hospitality with friends abroad. GCIV is part of a national network of community-based organizations with similar objectives. Limited funding comes from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department, but the majority of the financial support is from individual members, corporate sponsors and state or local government agencies. The annual International Consular Ball is scheduled for Friday, April 26, at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Guests of honor will include Gov. and Mrs. Roy Barnes and Atlanta's 52 consuls and consuls general, headed by the Consul General of Switzerland, Alexander Kubli, Dean of Atlanta's Consular Corps. Each year, the Ball honors the men and women of the Consular Corps for their role in building trade and cultural relationships between the state of Georgia and nations around the world. Beginning with a reception, the evening will feature a silent auction and raffle, followed by an elegant formal dinner and dancing to the music of Jeni Michelson and Society Express. The silent auction will include approximately 100 items featuring both domestic and international travel packages, sport, art events and restaurants, as well as a 1964 baby blue Lincoln Continental convertible. Of special interest will be international items donated by the Consular Corps. The top raffle prize will include two business class round-trip tickets on American Airlines to any city in Europe to which they fly. The consuls will be seated at the various corporate sponsor tables and will be introduced at their tables by the emcee before being honored with a toast by Gov. Barnes. The major corporate sponsors of the 2002 International Consular Ball include Georgia Power; the Coca-Cola Company; Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc.; Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue; and American Airlines. Individual tickets are available at $150 per person. Corporate tables and sponsorships are also available. Proceeds from the Ball will benefit the GCIV. For more information regarding tickets, tables and sponsorships, please contact the GCIV office at 404-832-5560x16 or by e-mail at coord@gciv.org.
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