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HISTORY AND MISSION

The D.I.V.E. (Donne Italiane che Vivono all’Estero = Italian Women Living Abroad) is a non-profit association formally born in Washington, D.C. in 2001, exclusively based on volunteering, registered in 2012 as a 501c(3) organization and recognized by the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The members are Italian-speaking women who reside in the Baltimore and Washington area, motivated by a spirit of friendship and the desire to know each other while keeping Italian traditions and culture alive.

Our Mission and Philosophy

The Board of Directors is committed to carrying out the mission and philosophy of D.I.V.E by:

 

  • Helping the integration of Italian women and their families recently arrived in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area (D.C., MD, and VA).

  • Fostering interpersonal relationships and friendship between women who are native or fluent Italian speakers and reside in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.

  • Spreading the Italian language and Italian culture through events and initiatives.

  • Collaborating with the Italian Embassy in the USA and other Italian and Italian-American associations.

  • Promoting civic responsibility and non profit fundraising initiatives.

Our History

In the second half of the 1990s, four Italian women residing in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area decided to form a small group to meet occasionally, celebrate traditional Italian holidays together, and have their children practice the Italian language. Subsequently, many other women joined the initial group and started to organize social gatherings, cultural events, and activities for children, exclusively in Italian.

 

In 2001, the D.I.V.E. association was formally founded. The D.I.V.E. quickly became an important meeting point for many Italian women in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.

In 2012, the D.I.V.E. of Washington, D.C. became an ONLUS (Non-Profit Organization of Social Utility) and, together with other associations, serves as a reference point for the Italian female community of the US capital.

Currently, there are two related associations: "Le D.I.V.E." of San Francisco and "Le D.I.V.E." of Los Angeles.

We invite you to view the video below, shot by RAI in 2014, so that you can get to know us better.

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