Mission

The Pittsburgh Center for International Understanding (PCIU) is a non-profit organization offering volunteer and service-learning opportunities throughout the world.  Through grassroots programs worldwide, PCIU aims to promote dialogue and deepen understanding between people of varied religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds from different regions of the world. 

Realizing that open communication is the key to resolving differences and enhancing mutually beneficial exchanges, PCIU supports educational programs and artistic and literary works that promote peace.

However, creating change and promoting peace involves more than just dialogue.  Working with students, young professionals, academics, and business leaders, PCIU hopes to develop multinational, non-governmental, and independently funded grassroots programs in areas of critical need throughout the globe.

Our focus is on supporting programs that fulfill a critical need while acting as a catalyst to improve the lives of area residents.  By developing an international team to work together in resolving the world’s most pressing issues at the grassroots level, we hope to promote a deeper understanding of each other as human beings and open the lines of communication beyond borders.   PCIU also promotes and implements training, exchanges, and academic programs, literary and artistic pursuits, and other charitable works in furtherance of greater global understanding.