May 1, 2010—The “Volunteerism: United We Serve” Program, a part of the International Visitor Leadership Program, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Meridian International Center, and IIE, took place from April 12 through May 1, 2010. Inspired by the call from President Obama for a renewed commitment to public service, more than 100 community activists, government officials, nongovernmental organization leaders, educators, and journalists from 95 countries around the world participated in a three-week long excursion to experience volunteerism in the United States.
The program began in Washington DC, toured a number of different cities throughout the United States, and culminated in San Francisco with a welcome reception at City Hall hosted by San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom, and a spirited session at Glide Memorial Church with First Lady of California, Maria Shriver. The participants engaged in interactive discussions with representatives from Visa, Oracle, Intel, Google, IBM, and PG&E among many others. The International Visitors ended their program with a renewed and energized passion for volunteerism. They were so inspired by their American experience that they founded a global network, VOLiNTEER, which will promote volunteerism and service within and among their countries.
Learn more about the International Visitor Leadership Program