SACIV Fall Highlights

Connecting San Antonio to the World

SACIV Newsletter | Fall 2023

Dear Members and Friends of SACIV,

Welcome to the Fall Newsletter of the San Antonio Council for International Visitors (SACIV).

In this edition, we share highlights from the delegations we welcomed during the months of October & November, revisit recent events our staff and Board have attended with our community partners, share opportunities to engage with our upcoming international visitors & fellow SACIV members, and more!

We are thankful to have such a dedicated network of citizen diplomats in our community and we are grateful for your support of our work connecting San Antonio to the world!

International Visitors: Welcoming Global Leaders

Past Delegations

This fall, we hosted three delegations, welcoming a total of 27 visitors from three continents to San Antonio during October and November.

In October, we hosted a delegation of law enforcement officers from Brazil for an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP ) project on "Law Enforcement: Community Policing".

Photo: Delegation meeting with the Bexar County Sherriff's Office

In October, we welcomed another delegation of law enforcement officers, this time from Mexico, for a program on training for K9 Units as part of the "Law Enforcement and Security Exchange Program (LESEP)".

Photo: Visitors observe a training demonstration with SAPD's K9 Unit

In November, we organized an IVLP project entitled "Building Influential and Impactful Ethnic Educators" for a delegation of educators from Burma.

Photo: Participants exchange gifts with San Antonio College President Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus after spending the day visiting the campus

Upcoming Delegations

We look forward to welcoming a delegation of 9 visitors - traveling from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brunei, Czech Republic, Ireland, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Ukraine, and Vietnam - for an IVLP program on "Combating Trafficking in Persons" on December 6th through December 12th.

We'll be sharing photos and updates on this visit via our social media channels, so follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to learn more!

SACIV in the Community: Engaging Globally & Locally

SACIV Executive Director Cecilia Cross (center left) with the 2023 Irma Reyes Citizen Diplomacy Scholarship recipient Gabriella Rodriquez (center right) at Northeast Lakeview College's Scholarship Awards Ceremony.

SACIV Board Members & staff at the University of the Incarnate Word's Lewis Center of the Americas speaker series featuring special guest Rigoberta Menchu.

Community Events: Bringing the World to San Antonio

Join fellow citizen diplomats in celebrating the season during our Holiday Party on Sunday, December 10th at 3pm-5pm at Paesanos 1604. We will be welcoming a delegation of international visitors from nine countries around the work, thanking our home hospitality host for their generosity this past year, and introducing our newest Board Members and Staff, while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and libations.

Please register here by December 5th. Free for members, $10 for non-members.

Membership Opportunities: Join the SACIV Community

Are you interested in building international friendships and connecting with global leaders?

SACIV offers a variety of membership options that provide unique opportunities to meet international visitors and participate in cultural events.

Learn more about membership opportunities here.

Stay Connected: Follow our Socials!

Stay up-to-date with our latest news and events by following us on

Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook! We share photos and stories from our events, as well as updates on our international visitors and community initiatives.

Thank you for your support of SACIV!

We look forward to continue building aim to build international friendships, facilitate exchange of ideas, foster cultural understanding, and promote San Antonio as an international city.