MISSION

The mission of the World Affairs Council of Arizona is to develop citizen diplomats in public and business sectors through education and awareness of international issues and by providing a broader understanding of world cultures and global affairs through the hosting of foreign leaders.

CITIZEN DIPLOMATS
In this era of dramatic global change, new channels of communication are opening between people and cultures eager to share ideas and learn from one another. Diplomacy is often thought of as exclusively practiced at summit meetings by heads of state. Instead, diplomacy's sincerest practice may be in the hands of people with an active interest in international affairs, people who come together under the banner of the World Affairs Council of Arizona, Inc. (WACAZ).

For more than 25 years, WACAZ members, from all walks of life, have enjoyed the unique opportunity of serving as unofficial ambassadors to foreign visitors from all over the world. As the local designated programming arm for the National Council of International Visitors and the United States Department of State, WACAZ hosts ambassadors, government officials, educators, journalists and business and opinion leaders who visit Arizona to learn about our community.

WHAT WACAZ DOES
Our members engage with visitors invited to America by the United States Department of State and other federal government agencies by:

§         Arranging their appointments with local government officials and business leaders

§         Scheduling their visits to educational and cultural institutions

§         Hosting receptions and dinners with community and corporate leaders

§         Providing home hospitality with volunteer host families

The local community also benefits from our lecture series, mixers and receptions, and foreign policy discussions.