I first came to the US in 2000 for my International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). I remember my meeting at Meridian International Center with my program officer and 14 years later…I am back in DC !
A lot has changed since then. Before the 9/11, the key issue of the program (IVLP) was about discovering the US and its people. After this tragic event, we (in France) consider that we have to express our friendship to the people of the US that has hosted us during our program. More than this, we believe that citizen diplomacy is everyone’s responsibility to build a better world.
Since then we are more than 500 french alumni in the « Cercle Jefferson », and all over the world associations are spreading. 14 years after, it is my privilege to come back to DC in order to join the board of “global ties » ( NCIV) and to be part of the adventure, again and again.
Citizen diplomacy is a journey that never ends !
