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“Welcome a stranger; send home a friend.” That was Nancy Gilboy’s central message on October 28, as the first of three International Studies speakers slated for this year. Gilboy, president and CEO of the International Visitors Council (IVC) of Philadelphia, captivated a combined middle and upper school audience. She began by asking how many students had traveled outside the U.S. Hands went up around the theater. How many students were from foreign countries? Different hands waved.
Gilboy outlined a brief history of the IVC, founded by the State Department in 1954 to further international understanding and cooperation. The network of 92 councils and 80,000 citizen diplomats was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. She explained the role citizen diplomats play in international relations. “By welcoming international visitors into our homes, schools and workplaces,” she said, “We forge bonds that help dispel negative images of the U.S. when the visitors return to their home countries and share their experiences.”
IVC arranges professional meetings during which foreign visitors meet their American counterparts, dine in their homes and often stay with host families. Friends Select frequently partners with the IVC and has welcomed groups from Vietnam, the Balkans, Great Britain and Bangladesh in the past year alone. The most recent contingent came to school on November 4, to observe Election Day activities in order to better understand the dynamics of the U.S. electoral process.
Gilboy’s remarks were peppered with memorable anecdotes. One example: A contingent of six Chinese artisans spent four months restoring the Chinese gate in Chinatown, originally presented 25 years ago as part of a cultural exchange between Philadelphia and its sister city, Tianjin, China. Determined to use only authentic materials for the restoration, the artisans insisted on tung oil boiled over an open flame, as well as 32 gallons of fresh pig’s blood. Ever the culturally sensitive diplomat, Gilboy described the machinations required to satisfy their requests. End of story: This fall, Mayor Nutter re-dedicated the gleaming gate at the corner of 10th and Arch Streets.
Gilboy concluded her remarks by exhorting the students to expand their personal horizons. She suggested that they:
- Learn about the world.
- Become culturally sensitive.
- Host an exchange student.
- Learn another language.
- Be friendly to every tourist they encounter.
- When traveling, remember that they represent the United States.
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