Washington DC was the site of the national conference in February. One of the events was the reception at the Embassy of Switzerland with Ambassador Ralf Heckner who spoke about the close relationship between the two countries with Switzerland being a democracy as is the USA.
The warmth of the welcome, a chance to visit personally with Ambassador Heckler and the beautiful view from the embassy to the Washington Monument was a delight. The ambassador told me that he has two years left at this post and then he will be on to another location.
The meetings at the conference were informative and well attended. The opportunity to visit with those from the Department of State Education and Cultural Affairs Division was rewarding and informative. With hopes being high that the IVLP program will continue to function and bring diplomacy to so many countries through the personal connections made with the visits from those that are involved (on both sides, the visitors and the presenters and hosts.)
This was Pat Watson’s last conference as Executive Director of Citizen Diplomacy Alliance since she is retiring on June 1, 2025.