Welcome to the Louisville International Cultural Center web site.

International understanding and world peace are lofty goals for humanity to aspire to, but the reality of understanding and peace begins on a more personal level. As long as we think of other cultures as "them," the people of other lands are only abstractions. When we come to know them as individuals, we quickly discover that they have the same basic hopes and dreams that we do. This also applies to the many different cultural groups in our own country. By opening the doors of our minds and hearts to the people of other cultural backgrounds, we expose ourselves to the richness that diversity provides.

LICC fosters the development of this interpersonal understanding by providing a broad range of programs that bring the people of Louisville and our region into close contact with people from all over the world. Opportunities to meet and interact with our guests from abroad are available in many different settings. Individuals and families are given the opportunity to host international guests in their homes for periods of from a few days to several weeks or more. This provides an excellent opportunity for our international guests to learn about America at the grass roots level and provides the host family with a richer understanding of our guests and their cultures. This experience can be a wonderful educational opportunity for children to learn first hand about the countries and cultures that they have only encountered in books at school. Businesses are also afforded the opportunity to host related business guests and to engage in knowledge transfer that cuts both ways. LICC also provides receptions, dinners, international food tastings, and other similar events to create an atmosphere of peace and understanding. Hundreds of international visitors are hosted each year under a number of programs. LICC is also a member of the National Council for International Visitors.

Additional opportunities are afforded by GEN (Global Education Network), an organization supported by LICC, which provides resources and programs for educational institutions, educators and their students. GEN is being well received in our regional educational community. The World Affairs Council, which has become a close partner of LICC, provides informative and educational lectures and seminars by respected leaders in the international community on a variety of topics and themes. One of our goals is to increase our collaboration with other internationally oriented organizations in our region.

We invite you, whether as an individual, family, business, organization or educational institution, to join us in this effort to increase global understanding and laying a foundation for world peace. Explore our web site to learn more about LICC and the opportunities that await you as a member. Revisit to be kept abreast of new initiatives and programs. We look forward to seeing you at one or more of our events. If you would like to become a member, a convenient on-line form is available on the web site. LICC has greatly enriched my life and I am confident that it will enrich yours as well.

Sincerely,

Don Anderson,
LICC Chair

Louisville International Cultural Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and nurturing cross-cultural relationships among people and institutions in the Greater Louisville area and their counterparts in the world.

Please visit links on the left to learn about our Mission & Vision, LICC history, and the members of the LICC Board & staff.