Welcome to the Memphis Council for International Visitors.
Our organization has been working for more than 50 years
to advance the idea of citizen diplomacy through volunteers
who care about Memphis and our country's relationship with the rest of the world. I would
like to take this opportunity, in advance, to thank you for considering our mission and
perhaps becoming one of our volunteers or partners.
We are a community based organization which designs and implements professional
programs and provides cultural activities and home hospitality opportunities for foreign
leaders, specialists, and international scholars.
Members of the Memphis Council open their home, offices, and schools to foreign leaders
participating in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Program and other
exchanges. But more so, by opening their hearts to the visitors, our members foster international
understanding and cooperation, constructive economic connections, and peaceful interactions.
Citizen Diplomacy is the idea that the individual citizen has the right — even the responsibility — to
help shape U.S. foreign relations "one handshake at a time."
So when I say "welcome," I want you to know that "everyone is welcome" to become part of this
meaningful and fulfilling endeavor.
ELISABETH SILVERMAN
Executive Director
