As a part of the ongoing
International Education Week, November 14-18, the U.S. Department
of State is pleased to recognize the significant contributions
made by current and former participants of the International
Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to U.S. efforts to increase
mutual understanding between the people of the United States
and the people of other nations.
The IVLP program has brought more than 135,000 individuals
to the United States over the course of six decades. Alumni
of the program include over 200 former or current Heads
of Government or Chiefs-of-State, including Tony Blair of
the U.K., Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Mikhail Saakashvili
of Georgia, and Helen Clark of New Zealand.
This week, during International Educational Week 2005, there
are currently 240 International Visitors from around the
world in the United States participating in 50 different
projects. These programs will provide opportunities to connect
with professional colleagues and to gain firsthand knowledge
of U.S. institutions, culture, political processes and policies.
Many of the 240 participants in the country have been invited
to participate in activities during International Education
Week in communities across the United States where they
will give presentations at local high schools and to local
community groups. For example, as a part of their program
on minorities and public policy issues, a group of six Croatian
IVLP human and minority rights leaders will visit a local
secondary school in Minneapolis, Minnesota this week, to
talk to students and to examine programs and curricula that
emphasize leadership, civic pride, respect for others, and
community service as the foundations of a civil society.
Local programs for IVLP participants are coordinated through
Councils for International Visitors (CIVs) in over 90 cities
across the United States
International Education Week first began
in 2000. In its sixth year, IEW has become a global event.
During the week, students, educators, and community leaders
and our Embassies participate in a wide range of activities
to recognize and celebrate the benefits of internationalism
in our classrooms and our educational systems. For more
information on IEW, including a worldwide list of events,
please visit http://iew.state.gov/.
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