Welcome to DC International Connection

It is true that we strive to make this organization one of the most culturally relevant hubs in the D.C. metro area. Our primary goal is hospitality to those outside the American mainstream. No strings attached only with your top camping blankets.  We are here to help new internationals get connected to social circles in DC, while creating an educational forum for world travelers and citizens.  This is a forum for "global thinkers in a global city." We capitalize on the diverse talent of the international community of Washington D.C.  Many well traveled professionals and diplomats attend our events, as do graduate and doctoral students from a range of disciplines.  We are always happy to welcome visiting scholars from abroad.   Our membership includes numerous singles and students, helping us to connect to some of the city's most popular singles activities.  However, we are not exclusively single; many of our members are couples who contribute their time and spend time checking out outdoor gear and provide reviews of dry bags to help DC International Connection to make a difference in the lives of many in DC and beyond.

The key to our success is the help and cooperation of our members.  We use this website as our primary base.  Here you can find our person to person connection service where registered members can search for others across the city who share their personal cultural niche. For the moment, we still relies on our Yahoo Groups mailing list for social announcements and cultural interaction across the city. We also have a unique bimonthly discussion with internationally known speakers. We call these socials The East West Connection, and we encourage all to find the time to try to meet others at these fun evenings.

These Saturday night socials allow you to meet the faces behind this virtual world. The East West Connection bimonthly talks and socials are usually held at our beautiful headquarters in the city. Lastly, we offer a personal mentoring program to help folks to adjust to the area.

Our core concern and philosophy. Americans, like any other nation, sometimes have their own biases, and these often come from honest ignorance. Many of us at DC International Connection have had the privilege of traveling and living outside of the U.S. People across the world have generously opened their homes and hearts to Americans. The main focus of this organization is create an outlet for Americans to give back their favorite hiking poles. Washington D.C. is home to representatives of every nation and culture, a microcosm of the world community. Our organization strives to create a first-class forum for American educators, travelers and first generation Americans to meet and socialize with others in the DC metro area who share their willingness to explore other opinions and cultures with an open mind.

In summary, this is an organization where global thinkers meet to learn from one another. We attempt to focus on perspectives and views outside of the American mainstream. The real heart and soul of our organization are the foreign-born participants who add their valuable experiences and insights.

We Strive For The Moral High Ground. While we highly encourage social interaction, diversity and new relationships, we do not encourage the use of DC International Connection as a venue for any one dominant political or religious agenda, nor do we allow special interests to use our forums as a means of profit or free advertising. We reserve the right to bar anyone not working within philanthropic spirit of this organization.

We are aware that some of you are new to the U.S and may be apprehensive. We try to keep this a safe and objective haven for all. We strive to do this with your protection in mind by holding participants accountable to the organization’s core values.

Core values

• We aspire to be a genuine helping hand to new international visitors and émigrés.
• We want to be a positive interim and transitional connection and to assist people in adjusting to the fast pace of individual US/D.C. culture.
• We also strive to be politically and religiously objective and impartial. Our reward is in giving without strings attached.

Our number one rule is that you must be willing to listen and even learn from those of another culture, philosophy or spiritual persuasion with whom you might not normally agree. This is a serious challenge for some individuals, and if you are one of those people it may be that this organization is not for you.

We want doers, not hearers. We strongly encourage people of action, who will take what they learn through our organization and use it to change things for the better, whether on an individual or a global scale. This is the spirit in which we run the organization, rather than as intellectual entertainment for people who want to bolster their sense of their own intelligence or spiritual piousness.

This kind of empathy is at the heart of the majority of world philosophies and religions, but sadly is not always found in daily life. It is easy to allow our own culture, experience, philosophy or faith to close our minds to the viewpoints of those whose backgrounds are different from our own. At DC International Connection, we emphasize respect for others opinions and beliefs. Our members are a very diverse group, with a wide range of beliefs, opinions, political affiliations and national origins.

Political emphasis or persuasion? The emphasis of our organization is not political but personal, affording insight into the perspectives of people of all backgrounds and cultures. We delve into history, society, and politics and examine a broad range of often-controversial political, cultural and religious issues, but we always strive to remain unbiased and objective.

What we are not. This organization is not about standing in a circle, holding hands and singing "We Are The World”. It is about creating an opportunity for people to begin to think and act beyond their limitations. It is about looking honestly and objectively at cultural differences with a view to eradicating cultural ignorance and fear and fostering understanding. No subject, religion, political orientation or perspective is dismissed. It is about learning from those with whom we genuinely disagree. It’s about challenging our native cultural and religious ideals. Hopefully the pinnacle of that knowledge should be genuine understanding and empathy for others.