CIF ITALIA

The Council of International Fellowship
is an independent, private, voluntary organization, which promotes exchange programs for human service workers.
The dead line for application is march 1st. The application form must be sent to CIF Italia address.
The next Italian program will be held between September 21 and October 14, 2012. It is entitled "the peace project". For further information click here (PDF)

C.I.F. main objectives are::

to increase professional knowledge in the field of human services (in particular social work) by learning from one another;
to increase the understanding of the world's diverse cultures through contact among the participants themselves and so contribute to promote world peace.

The Council of International Programs (C.I.P.), originally The Cleveland International Program, was founded in the U.S.A. in 1956, and it's the largest multinational specialist program of its kind.
Each year, about 200 human service professionals and volunteers from about 85 Countries participate in C.I.P. Programs in the United States, for either four months or thirteen months.
Since 1956, more than 5,000 participants from 110 Countries have been a part of CIP activities. Former C.I.P. participants officially organized the alumni association named The Council of International Fellowship (C.I.F.), establishing national branches.
C.I.F. INTERNATIONAL, constituted formally in 1960, has grown consistently through the years; in fact today it counts thousands of members in about 100 different countries.

Introductory phase.

The introductory phase give the participants the possibility to know and understand salient aspects of the Italian social and political life, as a background reference to better comprehend the general organization of the social service system. Seminars, meetings and agency visits are utilized to present the different realities. The participants also have the opportunity to exchange information about their own Countries.

Fieldwork experience.

Placements in the areas previously indicated are offered for a second period in various parts of Italy. Due to the limits of time and the language barrier during this phase, the participant will probably have the role of a mere observer. The combination itself of study, fieldwork, exchange, reciprocal learning and teaching on an international level gives the program its unique and peculiar characteristics.

Final evaluation.

In the last three-day phase, the participants express their ideas and feelings on the whole experience.

Other activities.

During the program, there is the possibility to live informal moments (social reunions, meals, social activities, etc.) that altogether represent other significant occasions for further interpersonal exchanges. So far our experience has been successful in creating the right conditions to allow people to get to know each other as people with full respect and appreciation for differences.