Meridian International Center

Meridian International Center

Formation	1960
Headquarters	1630 Crescent Place NW, D.C.
Location	Washington, D.C.
President	Stuart W. Holliday
Website	Official website

The Meridian International Center is a non-partisan, non-profit, public diplomacy organization founded in 1960 and located in Washington, D.C. It works closely with the U.S. Department of State and other U.S. government agencies, NGOs, international governments, and the private sector to create programs and partnership.

The organization is headquartered in the historic Meridian House and White-Meyer House, both in the Meridian Hill neighborhood and designed by John Russell Pope.

History

Meridian House, located in the Meridian Hill neighborhood.

White-Meyer House, located next to Meridian House.

In 1960, Dr. Arthur A. Hauck, a member of the American Council on Education and former president of the University of Maine, worked with the Ford Foundation to purchase the Meridian House from Gertrude Laughlin Chanler. The house was to serve as headquarters of a non-profit organization called the Washington International Center.

In 1961, four additional organizations joined the Center: The Foreign Student Service Council, the Governmental Affairs Institute, Institute of Contemporary Arts, and the Institute of International Education. The American Council on Education passed the title of the Meridian House to the Meridian House Foundation.

In 1969, the Board of Trustees authorized an annual benefit event, the first-ever Meridian Ball.

In 1974, the Department of State approved a proposal by Meridian to take over the implementation of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) from the Governmental Affairs Institute.

In 1977, Meridian expanded its outreach to the Washington community through a series of programs that focused on citizen education in world affairs and international cultural exchange.

In 1987, Meridian acquired the White-Meyer House and grounds from the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation.

In 1992, Meridian is renamed as Meridian International Center.

In 2010, Meridian celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Programs

Meridian's programs and conferences fall in to four different categories: leadership exchanges, cultural diplomacy, neutral forums and training.

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI)

YLAI 2016 Cohort

YLAI is a four-week U.S. fellowship which aims to empower 250 Latin American and Caribbean business and social entrepreneurs to transform their societies and contribute more fully to economic development and prosperity, security, human rights and good governance in the hemisphere. YLAI Fellows will build networks, linkages and lasting partnerships to attract investments and support for their entrepreneurial ventures. Twenty-four Fellows participated in the pilot program in 2016, and since then the YLAI Professional Fellows Program has gone on to host over 500 Fellows from 36 different countries across the region.

International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)

International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is a United States professional exchange program whose goal is to provide firsthand knowledge about the United States society and culture while also creating professional relationships. Foreign leaders participate in meetings with their counterparts on varying professional interests that support the foreign policy goals of the United States. Meridian has been a partner for over 60 years and works with members of Global Ties U.S, administering over 40 percent of all IVLP projects as a result almost 5,000 international visitors have come to the U.S،

Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP)

Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP) is a developmental exchange program funded by the U. S Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs and implemented by the Meridian International Center. PAYLP brings students from across Africa to the United States and pairs them with an adult mentor. This 3-week U.S based training and cultural exchange provides students with knowledge of civic responsibility and rights, respect of culture and the importance of community engagement. This program also includes a series of workshops, and living with American host family.

Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy (MCCD)

Meridian House

The Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy (MCCD) was created in 2014 to use visual and performing arts to achieve U.S foreign policy objectives. MCCD’s exhibitions have traveled to over 380 host venues in 44 U.S states and 57 countries.

U.S Congress- Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program

Meridian International Center has implemented the U.S. Congress - Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange program since 1997. The program, initially created by U.S. Representative Ben Gilman and his counterpart in the Republic of Korea National Assembly, David Pong, in 1981 is jointly funded by the U.S Department of State and the Republic of Korea National Assembly through its Committee on Foreign Affairs & National Unification.

Wedding Reception Venue

The Meridian House and the White-Meyer House, headquarters of Meridian International Center, are both examples of architect John Russell Pope, who designed the Jefferson Memorial, the National Gallery of Art (West Building) and the National Archives. The houses are adjacent to each other and serve as venues for events, including corporate conferences, weddings, special events and receptions.

Events

The Center organizes several large events each year. The most prominent one is the Meridian Ball, which usually takes place in October.

Meridian Ball

Meridian's 46th Ball

In 1969, Meridian launched an annual benefit. Now in its 55th year (2023), the Meridian Ball– with associated dinners at the embassies and residences of foreign ambassadors, and Meridian’s own White-Meyer House – is considered one of the most prestigious social events in Washington, D.C.

Awards

Meridian presents The Meridian Cultural Diplomacy Award. Its 2023 recipient was former Meridian president and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Lee Satterfield.