Arizona Council for International Visitors

Arizona Council for International Visitors (AZCIV), a World Affairs Council, is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to hosting international visitors in Arizona in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State and Global Ties U.S.

For 47 years we have been hosting thousands of carefully selected international visitors to Arizona, many of whom have gone on to become political, business, or community leaders in their home countries.

As a member of Global Ties U.S. and a participant in the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), AZCIV provides members with the opportunity to host and meet with professionals and leaders from around the world. That gives members a chance to learn more about our visitors’ circumstances, and shares with them our way of life – in business, government, family and community.

What We Do:

• Established in 1964 by J. Lester Shaffer as the World Affairs Council of Phoenix. Renamed AZCIV in 2011.

• AZCIV has grown to include over 250 corporate and individual members, volunteers and citizen diplomats, and hosts over 250 international visitors to Arizona per year.

• Provides a network for building personal and business relationships between Arizona and the international community.

• Participates in IVLP, a professional exchange program that seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through carefully designed short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders.

• Provides important cultural interchange between its visitors and members, through events such as global affairs speaking events, citizen diplomacy receptions, and through sponsoring such events as the China Town Hall.

• Serves as an international networking hub for businesses in Arizona.

• Adheres to the Principles for Civil Dialogue “I will genuinely listen; speak respectfully; and be accountable for my words and actions.”

• Follows the principles of Global Ties U.S. to promote excellence in citizen diplomacy.

• Educates the community on international matters, one handshake at a time.

AZCIV is made up of a diverse group of community members, teachers, students, business leaders and government representatives from across Arizona. We seek to attract members with varied interests and perspectives on global issues from a variety of different backgrounds and age groups.

The mission of AZCIV is to promote international cooperation, understanding and relationships between individuals and businesses through citizen involvement, and to provide current and emerging foreign leaders and dignitaries the opportunity to meet and confer with professional counterparts in Arizona.