Working with people of different cultures has always been a goal of mine.

Transcription

1 An Amazing Semester at the International Hospitality Council Working with people of different cultures has always been a goal of mine. Whether professionally or through volunteer work, I knew cultural exchanges would play an important role in my life. When I heard about the work done at the International Hospitality Council, I knew it would be a great fit. Working with a non-profit also interested me. I had volunteered with various non-profits in the past, but I wanted to really understand the different aspects of this type of organization ranging from the Board of Directors and the structure of their meetings to the work involved in fund raising. Much of what I would be doing at the IHCA would be new to me, and I considered any new experiences in a professional capacity invaluable. Bringing the world to Austin, bringing Austin to the world is the slogan the International Hospitality Council of Austin has accurately used for the last eleven years. The IHCA celebrated its 50 th anniversary this year, but began its life operating out of the International Office at the University of Texas organizing Home Hospitality and the Friendship Program for international students. In the late 1970 s the IHCA began programming for foreign delegations sponsored by the State Department as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Over the last decade the IHCA averaged 50 to 75 programs per year with anywhere from 1-20 visitors per program. These programs cover topics from Agriculture to Zoning and include countries from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe. The mission they operate under states: The International Hospitality Council of Austin will strengthen

2 international bonds and friendships by providing a forum to exchange ideas and will also achieve cultural symbiosis through training programs, community activities and via host families. The IHCA will focus on three international groups: students, government representatives and business leaders. Internship Overview The two International Hospitality Offices are located in the very back corner of a City of Austin International Center building. They are side by side with what would be a reception area just in front, but the space is simply occupied with two oversized chairs and an end table. There is nothing that belongs to the IHCA outside of the offices except a printer that is labeled For IHCA use ONLY. Not property of the City of Austin. The first impression made of this organization is that it is something small and special. There are no frills or extras. No water coolers or secretaries, just important work being done. The two offices are relatively the same size, but the one occupied by the Executive Director has a larger desk and hutch, signifying the elevated status of her position. All paperwork is neatly organized either on shelves, or stacks on her desk. I would not have noticed the significance of this when I first started, but I now realize that she doesn t deal with paperwork like the programmer. She reaches out into the community and makes contacts for the IHCA. Thus, she is rarely in the office. The programmer s office is a touch smaller, with a smaller desk overflowing with files and

3 paperwork. There is a shelf full of worldly knick-knacks given to her by members of different delegations. You can tell this is where the action happens. There are three phone lines that are constantly ringing and being answered by Pam Mohamed, the programmer. She seamlessly juggles the phone calls with the grace of a ballerina. I share an office with Pam. My small table is taken over with the Dell I work from. I hold the files from which I work in my lap. Though we share an office, it is obvious who is in charge, but because we share an office an ease and openness has developed in our relationship. We hear each other talk to ourselves, and easily start conversations over the smallest things. We share our snacks, and hear each other s personal conversations. Also, because I am inside one of the two offices as opposed to being outside, I feel comfortable talking to the Executive Director, Margie Kidd. I simply walk into her office or she walks into ours. Overall, there is not much to see inside the IHCA, but that adds to the casual feel inside the office and the feeling that you are a part of something small and intimate; a non-profit that is trying to make a difference through diplomacy, One handshake at a time. My list of duties at the IHCA were various and expansive. My most common and consistent task included updating the ECIV. entered all relevant information into the ECIV. When a program was complete, I This included the delegation s schedule while in Austin, complete with the dates, times and participants of each meeting. This database of programs was used at the end of each grant year in September to compile a discrepancy report. The State Department used this file to easily reference all programs and participants in 2010 if any discrepancies were to arise when allocating

4 grant money. The accuracy of this document is crucial. Other duties included researching potential resources for upcoming programs, calling and updating our member database in the ECIV, general office work, attending board meetings, and occasionally greeting arriving delegations. The last two mentioned were more a privilege than a duty, and really added a new dimension of experience and excitement to my time spent at the IHCA. Citizen Diplomacy The International Hospitality Council functions upon a concept known as citizen diplomacy. They not only serve as a catalyst for citizen diplomacy, but they rely upon volunteers who serve as citizen diplomats. According to the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy, citizen diplomacy is defined as the concept that the individual has the right, even the responsibility, to help shape U.S. foreign relations one handshake at a time. Citizen diplomats can be anyone ranging from students, to athletes, to business people to tourists. It is simply anyone who is motivated by a responsibility to engage with the rest of the world in a meaningful, mutually beneficial dialogue The reason foreign delegates take meetings and meet people of varying views and professions, not just government officials, is due to the power of citizen diplomacy. The IHCA serves as the liaison between these delegations, and Austinites who participate in any of the numerous groups that come through town. The locals who participate range from professionals who take meetings with the delegation, local families who host these delegations through a program called Home Hospitality, or

5 simply the board members of IHCA. These people do not get paid, and partake in this process simply for the joy of interaction with people of different cultures. In this sense, the IHCA relies on citizen diplomats to make the programs a success. Citizen Diplomacy is considered extremely important in this era of globalization. People place more value on face-to-face interaction, because it is becoming increasingly rare. Also, in a time when people around the globe are wary of the U.S. government s intentions, an active role by American Citizens to display our compassion and kindness is extremely crucial. The U.S. government s goal to bring citizens from all over the globe `together is built into the bureaucratic structure at the national level through a program called the International Visitor Leadership Program. The International Visitor Leadership Program The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is a professional exchange program between the United States and other countries. The U.S. sponsors foreign leaders and distinguished individuals to travel through the U.S. for short periods of time, generally from one to three weeks. The IVLP was formed in 1940, and began with the name exchange of persons program. It did not become the IVLP until The first exchange was a delegation comprising of 130 Latin American journalists. According to Pam Mohamed at the IHCA, the timing of this first program was an attempt to prevent Latin American countries from becoming Nazi sympathizers. The United States hosts over 4,000 international visitors every year as part of the IVLP. The visitors do not themselves apply for the program, but instead are nominated

6 by Foreign Service officers at U.S. embassies stationed around the world. Once they are nominated they must go through a rigorous application process complete with a background check. Their first stop in the U.S. is usually Washington D.C, where they take their first round of meetings. Then they follow the itinerary their National Program Agency and local CIVs have planned. A National Program Agency is defined by The National Council for International Visitors website as a nonprofit organization that brings international visitors to the United States for professional meetings or training opportunities, and has a current cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State s Office of International Visitors. There are only seven nation-wide and they all reside in Washington. The NPA s compete with each other to receive the programs from the state department. What the NPA receives is usually just the focus of the visit and they decide which CIV s would be best suited for the program. A Council for International Visitors (CIV) is a non-profit that relies on local members of the CIV to set up professional meetings, home hospitality, and cultural events for delegations with the IVLP. The IHCA is one such CIV and the only in Austin, TX. When a CIV is chosen for a project, they receive a concept paper that contains a description of the project, the project objectives and the program content. The following is an example of a project description and project objectives: Description: This project will examine the U.S. education system and current trends and challenges in elementary and secondary school education. Meetings will address the responsibilities of local, state, and federal governments with regard to

7 public education, and how the decentralized nature of education in the U.S. differs from many education systems worldwide. A major component of this program will cover new and creative approaches to curriculum design that reflect the current efforts in place to prepare American students for their future roles as actively engaged members of civil society. Project Objectives: -To provide an overview of the U.S. system of education and current trends in elementary and secondary school education; -To explore innovative education initiatives that respond to the needs of American youth to prepare them to become productive and responsible citizens; -To provide opportunities for participants to compare and contrast the American education system with their own, to identify common interests and concerns, and to facilitate cooperation among educators worldwide. Once the IHCA receives the project details, it calls upon its vast network of resources to set up meetings and home hospitality for the delegation. Home Hospitality is when a local host either invites a delegation into their home for the evening or meets them for dinner. The host is often matched to the group either by similarities in culture or profession. For example, we had a group of artists from the Middle East in town in

8 October and they were hosted by a local Austin photographer. The host invited other local artists, so the delegation could engage in meaningful conversation with real Americans. themselves. A goal often stated by both the State department and the guests Home Hospitality is sometimes mandatory per the State Department. All hosts and individuals who take meetings do it for the love of interaction with the international visitors, and the desire to learn about other cultures and teach about their own. This is the concept of citizen diplomacy that the entire IVLP program relies upon. I did not fully understand the concept of citizen diplomacy until I had a chance to witness its effectiveness first hand at an event called a closing. The Closing On Friday October 22 nd I had the opportunity to attend a closing. A closing is a meeting which occurs at the end of a large group s visit to the United States. The very last city on the circuit will hold a large meeting with the entire delegation, the delegation s interpreters, the program officer from the closing city s CIV (in this case Pam Mohamed from IHCA), the program agency officer from the NPA and a representative from the State Department. The delegation comprised 11 participants from various African countries. Their project topic was Transparency and Good Governance. The cities visited included Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Charlotte, NC, Salt Lake City, UT, Kalamazoo, MI and of course, Austin, TX. The meeting was held in a board room at the Radisson Hotel. Tables inside the room were arranged in the shape of a square so people were facing each other. This promoted an open and communicative environment with no one person in a place of

9 greater importance than someone else. The only division occurred along language lines: all English speakers sat together, and all French speakers sat together. We all wore earpieces attached to the interpreter s microphone to allow us to hear their translations while speaking in a low tone. The group elected one member of the delegation for every city visited. Each elected member discussed the meetings attended in each city, what they learned, what they like about the meeting and suggestions on how to improve each city visit. I felt a sense of pride when Austin was discussed, because the delegation absolutely loved the meetings Pam set up. A workshop they attended in Austin was said to be the only hands-on training of their entire trip. After each city was discussed, each participant was asked to share their impression of the United States, what they learned individually, what they planned to implement in their home country and any suggestions. I was quite moved by the very detailed and ambitious plans this group had. Also, when sharing their impression of the United States many admitted, whether they had previously visited the United States or not, that the kindness of the people they met took them by surprise. They all said they viewed the U.S. as a fast paced country where people were all about business and did not have time for each other, let alone a stranger. So, when this group began taking meetings and enjoyed home hospitality, they were completely shocked at the level of kindness and patience experienced. This I realized, was what Citizen Diplomacy was all about: connecting with people of all backgrounds on a human level; changing their impressions of the U.S. and its citizens; and expanding others

10 knowledge, as well as your own, about other cultures. Other Experiences This was not the only chance I witnessed the effectiveness of the IVLP and Citizen Diplomacy. Often when a delegation would arrive, because of the IHCA s location downtown, we would walk to whichever hotel they were lodging at, and greet them. Though this is such a simple action, the groups always loved getting to meet the people in charge of their program, and just to chat with real Americans. As mentioned before, not meeting enough Real Americans, meaning ordinary citizens outside of their meetings, was sometimes a complaint by the delegates of the IVLP. I also had the opportunity to take one of our delegates to the mall. The entire group was planning a trip to the outlet mall on their last day in town to buy souvenirs. This particular guest specifically wanted to purchase an I-pad by Apple, which I knew was not available at the outlet mall. I offered to take this guest to the mall since it was on my way home. As we approached my car, I began to apologize for the mess I knew was inside. He of course didn t care, but as I got in and reached across to open his door, I noticed the banana peel from my breakfast that morning still lying in the seat. As the delegate got inside my car, I hurriedly picked it up and disposed of it, completely mortified. Of course, again, he said he didn t mind. But never that morning did I think, when I half-hazardly tossed my breakfast remains onto the passenger seat, that the mayor of Melbourne, Australia would be riding in it! My time spent at the IHCA was amazing and invaluable. Never could I have

11 imagined that I would learn so much. Even though I spent the majority of my time doing office work, the professional and life lessons were abundant. After each encounter with any of the International Visitors, I was on Cloud 9 for hours. The simplest conversations would bring cross-cultural comparisons that I never would have thought of or realized from reading a textbook or listening to a lecture. Classroom knowledge is necessary, but to fully understand Anthropology and other cultures, real-life interaction with members of different cultures is crucial. This internship cemented my desire to work over-seas, or in an international field. The question that remains is what sector that professional experience will occur in; either non-governmental or governmental. Regardless, my focus for the future, though still not totally certain, has been clarified by this priceless experience.