It was great to see the flurry of activity down the hall this past week as the Midwood International & Cultural Center was designated as an early voting site.  We particularly celebrated the day that one of our newest staff members, AmeriCorps Member Tanja Pauler, voted in the U.S. for the first time. Originally from Serbia, Tanja recently became a naturalized U.S. citizen and was eager to take advantage of her newly earned right to vote for candidates of her choice.

Tanja Pauler:  New US Citizen and First Time Voter

Unfortunately, many native-born U.S. citizens don't exercise this important right. Statistics show that the average voter turnout in the US during a Presidential election is only 48% and even less in years when no Presidential election is held. This means that the US is ranked 120th out of 169 countries.  In other places, voter turnout is much higher. For instance, 81% of eligible voters in Norway go to the polls, and this high turnout occurs in a country where political advertising on radio and television is banned!

Today is another election day where U.S. citizens have the opportunity to vote for candidates that represent the policies they support. It is easy to let cynicism, the political polarization in Washington, and disgust at the onslaught of negative TV ads become excuses for not participating in our democratic process. But, don't let important issues be decided by a fraction of those eligible to vote! Visit International House and be inspired by those who have waited many years to become U.S. citizens and are overjoyed to finally have the privilege of voting.  You will be reminded that there are many places around the world where people have much less voice in determining the leadership and direction of their countries.  If you haven't already done so, I hope you will exercise your right to vote today!

at International House.  This club is open to everyone.

 Click here to learn more about the 2014 book selections.

International House celebrates language and culture through weekly conversation hours.  

FREE and for all levels! 

*No registration required

* Drop-ins welcome

Conversation hours are held at 1817 Central Avenue, 

Room 202.  Check out the calendar and  join us today!

Our international visitors this fall:

Thailand - Media Literacy

International House had the honor of hosting two cohorts of Professional Fellows from Zambia and Zimbabwe this past year. Our most recent delegation featured 6 dynamic young entrepreneurs who spent three weeks with us in October. They enjoyed staying with their Charlotte home hosts and made the most of their time in the Queen City by networking and connecting to other entrepreneurs, business executives and academic scholars. 

 One example is Ms. Jospephine Takundwa who runs 'Earthlink Technologies' in Zimbabwe. She distributes power surge protectors and IT Hardware throughout Southern Africa.   

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Sponsored by Choice Translating 

Wednesday, November 5th, 6-8pm.

Refreshments provided.  Free for YP@IH mem¬bers. Non-members $15. Learn more  here.

 On the evening of November 18th, International House will be hosting an International Performance Showcase featuring special short film presentations, spoken word, and musical performances from our visiting group of entertainers from Zimbabwe. We will also be featuring local spoken word and music artists!

Please join us as we celebrate our community and its global connections through this international performance collaboration. This FREE event will be taking place on Tuesday, November 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Auditorium at the Midwood International and Cultural Center 1817 Central Charlotte, NC 28205.

All artists interested in performing may contact Carole Ward cward@ihclt.org or 704-342-2248 ext 123.

Considering a global adventure that will change your life and help others?  Learn more about the Peace Corps at this free information session!  You will hear from former Peace Corps Volunteers about what it is like to live and work with a community overseas and how they provided support for Third-World development projects. Deborah Buckley, a 50+ recently returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV Romania 2009 - 2011; 2013) and regional recruiter, will be joined by other RPCVs to share stories, answer questions, and provide guidance on how to navigate the newly revised application process, that now includes choice!

Deborah will be joined by Jim Morrill and Blair Wrangham.  Jim worked as a school construction volunteer in Togo from 1973 - 1976. Currently he is a political writer for the Charlotte Observer. Blair worked in the Municipal Development Program in Honduras from 2009-11. Her work included promoting a clean cook stoves program and a health initiative to educate and empower young girls in six rural elementary schools. Blair is a UNC graduate now working at Self-Help Credit Union with homeowners having difficulty making their mortgage payments.

International House's vision is a Charlotte that welcomes and embraces the world.

Our mission is to promote international understanding and help immigrants integrate fully into our community.