Our Vision
Connect People. Improve the World.
Our Mission
The San Diego Diplomacy Council creates inclusive professional, cultural, and educational experiences that connect local and global changemakers, fostering convergence in a divergent world.
What We Do
We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, one of over 80 nationwide organizations designated by the U.S Department of State to deliver programs and services that allow local communities to connect and participate in the international sphere. We connect community leaders and changemakers in the San Diego region with their counterparts around the world to foster personal connections, address common challenges, and promote mutual understanding with the aim to create a more peaceful world. We also work to expose San Diego youth to educational and career pathways in international affairs, international business, and diplomacy, in order to equip our next generation leaders.
Our Story
Established in 1979 as the International Hospitality Council of San Diego, we began as an organization staffed by all volunteers.
In 1985 our name was changed to International Visitors Council of San Diego (IVC). Our earliest volunteers established an excellent resource database and our Council became known as a prominent international organization in the San Diego community.
By the 1990’s, IVC’s increased funding base allowed the Council to hire full-time paid professional staff and expand the number of delegations welcomed annually.
On July 1, 2004 we became the Citizen Diplomacy Council of San Diego (San Diego Diplomacy) to better reflect the Council’s diplomatic mission. Senator Arlen Specter nominated our international network of volunteer citizen diplomats for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 2009 we received a complete makeover by a prominent San Diego web design firm. The new brand image draws inspiration from the Olympics, and features a five color palette, unique icon and word-mark. The speech bubble icons were selected to represent the communications and meetings that we arrange for our visiting delegates.
In 2015, we moved our headquarters to the Price Charities Building in City Heights, San Diego. Today, we are known as the San Diego Diplomacy Council, a growing international organization with award winning staff and world class programs.
Our Key Objectives
- Execute extraordinary programs that connect global change leaders to San Diego innovators and audiences, promoting the inclusion, collaboration and inspiration that can change lives, communities and the world.
- Engage with our members, partners, sponsors, and allies to create more opportunities for travel, education, discussion and involvement focused on realizing our shared global visions.
- Excel at empowering our staff, utilizing our resources, using technology effectively, and managing our finances to increase our impact.
Our Five-Year Goal
The San Diego Diplomacy Council will:
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- Create thousands more opportunities for global cooperation, collaboration and inspiration via unique custom programs connecting international trailblazers with diverse, expert counterparts across a broad range of San Diego communities.
- Include new initiatives to expand our impact through sports diplomacy, binational programs and youth engagement.
- Increase corporate, foundation and community support to hire diverse staff, design innovative educational programs, and link the widest possible San Diego audience with new avenues for meaningful global engagement.
