Citizen Diplomacy Council of San Diego

What is the Citizen Diplomacy Council of San Diego?

As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, the mission of Citizen Diplomacy Council of San Diego is to promote global understanding between San Diego citizens and our neighbors around the world. This mission is accomplished by arranging face-to-face professional and cultural exchanges between our visiting international leaders and our San Diego citizens and experts.

Each year, over 500 international leaders from over 140 different countries are sent to San Diego from the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), and other government and private agencies. Our council is part of a nationwide network of more than 90 organizations that cooperate with the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV).

Who are our international visitors?

Many of our international visitors travel to San Diego under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). IVLP delegates are chosen to come to the United States because they are nominated by U.S. embassies and are seen by the Department of State as future leaders in their countries.

Our visitors are high-level professionals and leaders working in the areas of Youth Leadership, Foreign Policy, Freedom of the Press, Human Trafficking, AIDS/HIV Prevention and Awareness, Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders, Grassroots Activism, Arts and Culture, Education, and many other fields.

Among the thousands who have participated in the IVL Program, more than 140 participants are current or former chiefs-of-state, over 600 have gone on to reach cabinet-level positions, and countless others have become distinguished leaders in the public and private sectors.