16 November 2006

Ambassador Rooney hosts reception in honor of participants of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See’s International Visitor Program (IVP), November 16, 2006

Ambassador Rooney hosted a reception in honor of the Embassy’s past and current International Visitor Program participants. The reception provided an opportunity for participants to exchanges stories and ideas from their visits to the United States with each other, as well as the Ambassador and Embassy staff.

The International Visitor Program provides an opportunity for foreign nationals to visit the United States for two to three weeks with the aim of raising awareness about U.S. culture, daily life, and government.

Former IVP participants attending were Monsignor Franco Coppola (2004), Monsignor Luis Montemayor, Father Norbert Hofmann, Father Jose Mendez, Luca Mainoldi (2006). Federica Mancinelli of Sant’Egidio will travel on her IVP in February 2007.

Program topics for Embassy Vatican’s participants have included inter-religious dialogue and cultural integration, managing diversity in a multi-ethnic society, U.S. foreign policy challenges, politics and security, and an array of global issues.