NCIV National Meeting 2012

The 2012 NCIV National Meeting took place February 15-18, 2012, in Washington, DC. The annual NCIV National Meeting has long served as an opportunity to exchange ideas, develop knowledge, and cultivate skills in support of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other exchanges. The IVC Detroit chapter was well represented by a contingent of 5 members comprised of staff and board members.
Interesting highlights of the conference included:

• Pre-meeting Capacity Building Workshop with Gail Perry designed to provide attendees with tips and guidance on crafting an effective message about citizen diplomacy
• NCIV Luncheon with the Ambassadors featuring the opportunity for America’s citizen diplomats to network with Washington’s official diplomatic community. In addition, the Keynote Speaker for the Luncheon was Senator John McCain
• NCIV Breakfast on the Hill attended by staffers from Senator Stabenow’s and Senator Levin’s office. In addition, IVC Detroit’s Program Coordinator Imke Baumann, was able to secure Congressman Hansen Clarke as one of only four Congressional Speakers at the Breakfast

The conference attendance was close to 600 and the informative sessions included topics on fund-raising ideas and diverse sources of funding, collaboration with governmental leaders both locally and nationally, regional reports of U.S. Department activities etc. In addition, IVC Detroit staff and Board members attended Receptions at the State Department and various foreign embassies.

For more information, please visit the NCIV website: http://www.nciv.org/National-Meeting/national-meeting.html