Lincoln Council for International Visitors

The Lincoln Council for International Visitors (LCIV) is one of the longest-standing and best-rated member councils affiliated with the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). We are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization in Lincoln, Nebraska that strives to connect with people from around the world and introduce them to Citizen Diplomats in our community through professional meetings, school visits, cultural opportunities, and dinners in local members’ homes. The origins of the Mayor’s Committee for International Friendship and the Lincoln Council for International Visitors date back to April, 1966 when Mayor Dean Peterson appointed a committee to establish a hospitality organization for Lincoln. It was an outgrowth of an interest and vision by many forward-thinkers to enhance the experiences of foreign visitors to Lincoln. The following year the Mayor’s Committee was accepted into membership of the national organization which eventually evolved into the National Council for International Visitors. The parallel organization, the Lincoln Council for International Visitors, was formed in 1997 to provide a mechanism to receive and distribute Federal funding to support the international visitors activities. Over the past 55 years, thousands of emerging leaders from countries throughout the world have been welcomed to Lincoln by the Mayor’s Committee and the Lincoln Council. Hundreds of Lincoln residents have donated countless hours hosting these visitors, arranging and providing informational and educational sessions for wide varieties of topics ranging from the law to entrepreneurship to governance and education. And, these guests have been warmly welcomed into Lincoln homes for a glimpse of heartland hospitality.