About Us
“People are people the world over. If a person gets sick, has a car break down or a pot boil over, the reaction is the same because we are all human beings. Once we share a meal or spend the day with a foreign visitor, we realize how alike we are and the differences between people melt away, even if ideologies differ.”
— Founder, J. Lester Shaffer
Our Story
Global Ties Arizona has a rich, nearly 60-year history of fostering global connections for Arizonans through international exchange programs, community educational programs and special events. We care deeply about facilitating real people-to-people connections and have relied on a robust network of volunteers and community partners to execute our exchange and educational programs. With their support, Global Ties Arizona has been able to expand international opportunities in the state of Arizona and build international relationships for Arizona citizens.
Our Vision
Advance Arizona’s global presence by connecting industry and government leaders and our communities through citizen diplomacy and cross-cultural initiatives.
Our Mission
Global Ties Arizona’s premier international exchange and cross-cultural education programs transform visiting leaders into partners, youth into global citizens and those who are globally curious into informed ambassadors for Arizona.
We are recognized for fostering trustworthy, reliable and unwavering relationships with national and international partners, visitors, communities and each other
We are kind, respectful and accessible. We treat our visitors, hosts, and partners in ways that promote harmony
Our Core Values
We know lasting ties come from real conversations and genuine collaborations that underscore the importance of democracy
We treasure real human-to-human connections that promote cultural engagements and lasting impact
We encourage intellectual curiosity and open-mindedness to promote deeper understanding
We are driven by a passion to accomplish programming goals with high standards of success that lead to impactful outcomes
Excellence
Inclusive
Curious
Welcoming
Authentic
Trusted Partner
Our History
By virtue of many influential leaders and organizations, through the years, who all value citizen to citizen diplomacy, Global Ties Arizona and its predecessors have been integral contributors to our community and the world for decades. Learn more in the timeline below!
1950
World Affairs Council of Phoenix started in 1950. It began as a non-profit, volunteer, autonomous organization which was affiliated with the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV). World Affairs Council of Phoenix worked in conjunction with the Department of State Foreign Visitors Program, connecting international leaders and students with Arizona counterparts through “citizen to citizen diplomacy”. The organization was led by J. Lester Shaffer. At the time, it was the only completely volunteer organization in the network in the United States. In 1950, they humbly began by hosting only 12 total visitors throughout the entire year.
1964
World Affairs Council of Phoenix peaked with 3,000 international visitors coming to Arizona in one year.
1966
World Affairs Council of Phoenix, with the aid of a grant from the Junior League of Phoenix, was incorporated and established its first office at 1001 North Central Avenue, room 209 in Phoenix. The office was staffed completely by volunteers from across the valley.
1987
World Affairs Council of Phoenix changed its name to World Affairs Council of Arizona and moved its office to Scottsdale.
1994
World Affairs Council of Phoenix began contracting with the City of Scottsdale to promote business and social contacts to promote business and social contacts between Americans and foreign visitors.
2004
The International Visitors’ Program changed its name to the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
2011
The World Affairs Council of Arizona changed its name to the Arizona Council for International Visitors (AZCIV) to align with its parent organization, National Council for International Visitors.
2014
National Council for International Visitors changed its name to Global Ties U.S. Arizona Council for International Visitors changed its name to Global Ties Arizona accordingly.
2019
Global Ties Arizona hosted nearly 300 international visitors through the IVLP program with a local economic impact of 1.5 million dollars.
2020
COVID-19 changed the face of international exchange as travel became restricted. The Department of State equipped the network with technology and training to rethink the way people-to-people exchange could remain meaningful across international borders in a virtual setting.
2021
Global Ties Arizona relaunches in the Arizona community with virtual international exchange programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Global Ties Arizona begins planning for a return to in-person people-to-people exchange programs and hosted nearly 300 delegates from over 70 countries.