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Janani Wijetunge, Peace Studies and Training for Trusteeship Workshops Coordinator, was in the USA from August to September 2011, on an International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP), which was sponsored by the US State Department.
The Sri Lankan delegation visited the cities of Washington D.C., New York, Pensacola in Florida, Seattle and Manchester in New Hampshire, for meetings with government, non-government and private organisations, to discuss and learn about youth empowerment, civic engagement, volunteerism and political activism.
The report of her visit is as follows;
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Sri Lankan delegation that attended the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) from the 15th of August to the 2nd of September 2011, engaged and connected with various youth organisations and pragmatic young people, in the cities of Washington D.C., New York, Pensacola, Florida, Seattle and Manchester in New Hampshire. The visitors were given a chance to enjoy American culture as well, such as watching a baseball game at the Nationals Stadium in Washington D.C., going to see the Blue Man show in New York, kayaking in Lake Washington, Seattle and hiking in the Olympic National Park, Port Angeles.
INTRODUCTION
The International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) seeks to establish mutual understanding between the United States of America and other nations through carefully designed professional visits to the USA for current and emerging foreign leaders. These visits assist such visitors to obtain a greater understanding of the cultural, political and social influences that shape the US; they further enjoy a first-hand experience of the people and culture of the US. The visitors represent the government of their respective countries, media, education, non-governmental organizations, the arts, public health, international security, business, trade and other fields. Each year over 4500 such visitors, come to the US as IVLP participants, from all over the world, as selected by US embassies to travel to the US to meet and confer with their professional counterparts.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals, without whom this programme could not have been a success.
• Ms. Chamalie Weerasekera – Cultural Affairs Specialist (American Centre, Colombo)
• Mr. Joshua Kreiser – Programme Officer (Near East, North Africa, South and Central Asia Branch, Office of International Visitors, US Department of State, Washington D.C.)
• Mr. Marek Kuzma – English Language Officer (US Department of State, Washington D.C.)
• Ms. Anna Koch -English Language Officer (US Department of State, Washington D.C.)
• Mr. Henry Collins – Senior Programme Officer (Meridian International Centre,
Washington D.C.)
• Ms. Leila Batmanghelidj – Programme Associate & Volunteer Coordinator (Meridian International Centre, Washington D.C.)
• Ms. Alison Baker, Programme Officer (Office of International Visitors, New York Programme Branch, US Department of State)
• Ms. Jena Melancon (Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council, Pensacola, Florida)
• Ms. Kristen Comer – Director (International Visitor Programme, World Affairs Council, Seattle)
• Mr. Tim Horgan – Programme Director (World Affairs Council, New Hampshire)
PROGRAMME
The IVLP Programme that commenced on the 15th of August 2011 and concluded on the 2nd of September 2011, consisted of meetings with government, non-government and private organisations that work with youth in various different fields, such as the environment, social services, youth empowerment etc. The programme was conducted in the following cities;
WASHINGTON D.C.
•Capital Communications Group Inc – Mr. Akram Elias (President) – on the 15th of August 2011, at the Meridian International Centre, Washington D.C.
Mr. Elias briefed and enlightened the group on a variety of topics including federalism, separation of powers, rule of law and the independent judiciary, U.S. foreign policy process, counter-terrorism and international security, democratic capitalism, U.S. economic and trade policies, democracy and civil society, lobbying, role of media in a free society, first amendment freedoms and civil liberties. Subsequently Mr. Elias and the group engaged in the discussion of the above mentioned topics.
•Innovations in Civic Participation – Ms. Susan Stroud (Executive Director) – on the 15th of August 2011, at Busboys and Poets Restaurant, Washington D.C.
The visitors engaged in a discussion with Ms. Stroud, about the development and policy innovations in national and community service globally. She educated us, on how service learning has been introduced in the curricula of certain national schools and universities, and how such programmes had enriched and changed the lives of the students. The downfalls of such service education were also discussed.
•Mobilize.org – Ms. Jen Stark (Chief Operating Officer) and Mr. Andrew Scott (Communications Manager) – on the 16th of August 2011, at the Mobilize.org office, Washington D.C.
Ms. Stark and Mr. Scott spoke about how Mobilize.org is dedicated to educating, empowering and energizing youth to increase their civic engagement and political participation. It seeks to show young people how public policy impacts their lives, and more importantly, how they can impact public policy. Their annual summit and how participants of such summits carry out innovative projects subsequent to the summit was illustrated to us.
•United States Institute of Peace – Ms. Susan Hayward (Senior Program Officer) – on the 16th of August 2011, at the United States Institute of Peace, Washington D.C.
Ms. Hayward engaged with the group in a discussion, on how the Institute meets its congressional mandate through an array of programmes, including research grants, fellowships, professional training programmes, conferences and workshops, library services, publications and other educational activities. Ms. Hayward further spoke to us about a programme that they hope to launch in Iraq in a near future, called Salam Shabab, which uses television to educate youth about peace, and bring the youth of Iraq together.
•American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) – Ms. Linda Rotunno (Chief Executive Officer) – on the 16th of August 2011 ,at the ACYPL office, Washington D.C.
Ms. Rotunno educated us on the function of ACYPL, which is an organisation dedicated to fostering relations between the next generation of political leaders in the United States and their counterparts around the world. The group and Ms. Rotunno engaged in a discussion about Mr. Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign of 2008, and the various elements that made his campaign successful, as well the differences between the Republican Party’s policies and the Democratic Party’s policies.
•Search for Common Ground – Mr. Saji Prelis (Director, Children and Youth Programme) – on the 17th of August 2011, at the Search for Common Ground office, Washington D.C.
Search for Common Ground is an organisation that works in the areas of conflict resolution and prevention, and works to transform conflict into cooperative action, through its many programmes and projects worldwide. Mr. Prelis illustrated its various programmes worldwide, and gave special attention to the work they have been engaged in the last few months in the African region. The visitors learnt much about the innovative methods that can be used for conflict transformation.
•United States Department of State – Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs – Mr. Jim Moore (Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Global Youth Issues), Mr. Ronan Farrow (Special Adviser to the Secretary, Director, Office of Global Youth Issues), Mr. Nolan Klein (Desk Officer for Sri Lanka and Maldives, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Affairs) and Mr. Joshua Krieser (Programme Officer, Office of International Visitors) – on the 17th of August 2011, at the US State Department, Washington D.C.
The Bureau deals with U.S. foreign policy and U.S. relations with the countries of Aghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The Department of State further, advises the President in the formulation and execution of foreign policy. The visitors along with some of the staff members of the Bureau, embarked on a discussion about the current situation in Sri Lanka, and the role of youth in the affairs of the country.
•Youth Service America – Ms. Danielle Miranda (Manager of Outreach) – on the 17th of August 2011, at the Youth Service America office, Washington D.C.
Ms. Miranda explained to the group that Youth Service America is a resource centre that partners with thousands of organisations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally and globally. She went on to further discuss with us, how youth from a very young age could be encouraged to be committed to social service, and the different projects that, the said youth have been involved in through the assistance of Youth Service America.
•Ashoka – Ms. Rachel Centariczki (Programme Facilitator) and Ms. Jackie – on the 18th of August 2011, at the Ashoka office, Arlington, Virginia
Ashoka’s mission is to develop the profession of social entrepreneurship around the world. The organisation identifies and invests in these social entrepreneurs when no one else will, so that they may bring about leading social change in education and youth development, health care, environment, human rights, access to technology and economic development. Ms. Centariczki illustrated the various programmes that Ashoka is working on currently, such as the Youth Venture, which supports young people that benefit their community, and bring about change. She went on to further speak about some successes that have had with their Youth Venture, such as Talia Leman, with the Random Kid project, for persons affected by Hurricane Katrina and Pascal Katana with his innovative Smart Charger.
NEW YORK
•Effective Alternatives in Reconciliation Services (EARS) – Ms. Marcy May, Mr. Tony Pommells, Ms. Amirah and Ms. Cristina – on the 19th of August 2011, in the Bronx, New York
EARS empowers young people with the skills to become self-sufficient and responsible young adults, preparing them to meet the challenges of adolescence and urban life in a safe, supportive setting. The EARS team engaged with us in an interactive workshop, which helped us develop personal empowerment mantras, how a restorative justice circle can empower youth as well as how different issues, facing youth can be addressed in an innovative way. The EARS team further enlightened us on how they engage and assist the various youth groups that live in the Bronx, so that they may improve their standards of living, and have better job opportunities.
•Youth Bridge New York – Rabbi Bob Kaplan (Director, Intergroup Relations and Community Concerns, and New York Centre for Community and Coalition Building) and Ms. Karen Lander (Programme Director) – on the 19th of August 2011, at the Youth Bridge New York office, New York
Youth Bridge New York is an organisation that trains extraordinary teens from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds to master the skills they will need to be New York City’s next generation of leaders. Through skill-building workshops, community service activities and spearheading diverse initiatives, the organisation empowers diverse teens to have a meaningful impact in their schools and communities. Rabbi Kaplan and Ms. Lander explained to us how their Fellowships programme operates, and how it empowers and enables youth to engage more in community service projects, and work with local community-based agencies, for the betterment of the community.
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
•Round table discussion with community and government bodies-Mrs. Megan Pratt (Councilwoman, Pensacola City Council), Mr. Chad Stacey (President Elect, Pensacola Young Professionals), Mr. Mark Harden (2010 Curriculum Chair, Leadership Pensacola) and Mr. Barrie Arnold (Founder, Emerging Leaders Society) – on the 22nd of August 2011, at City Hall, Pensacola, Florida
The group engaged in a lively discussion, with the various community and government bodies present, about political representation and activism in the city of Pensacola, the involvement of women and youth in politics, in Pensacola, how businesses in the area have been involved in promoting youth projects and programmes, and the internship and mentoring opportunities offering by such businesses to young people etc. Further discussion went on to illustrate how young professionals and youth leaders in the city of Pensacola, participate in the activities of the community, for the betterment of the community.
•Centre for Independent Living Disability Resource Centre – Ms. Laura Jo Hust (Asst. FAAST Programme Coordinator) and Mr. Don Risavy (Independent Living Specialist) – on the 22nd of August 2011, at the Disability Resource Centre, Pensacola, Florida
The Centre for Independent Living is an agency, that is designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities and provides an array of independent living services. Ms. Hust educated us on the rights and privileges extended to differently abled persons through a special Act, which is a part of the Florida legislation. She further went on to show us various different devices that have been made, especially for differently abled persons, so that their lives are made easier. Mr. Risavy illustrated to us, the workings of a special computer software, that has been specially designed to aid the visually impaired.
•Pensacola State College – Dr. Gael Frazer (Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity) and Ms. Juanita Scott (Director, Staff and Programme Development) – on the 23rd of August 2011, at the Pensacola State College, Pensacola, Florida
Dr. Frazer and Ms. Scott discussed with the group, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008, and the various aspects with regard to the campaign. They went to further explain to us political activism, and challenges her group faced and the lessons they learned in the Republican-leaning part of Florida. The voucher system of education was explained to us, whereby public school students are given the opportunity to attend private schools. Dr. Frazer also illustrated the challenges of managing an ethically and racially diverse academic environment in a region closely associated with the American civil rights movement.
•Escambia County Supervisor of Elections – Mr. David Stafford – on the 23rd of August 2011, at the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office, Pensacola, Florida
Mr. Stafford discussed with us, the recent changes in the Florida election laws, and how he has addressed challenges, and translated political activism into victory at the ballot box. He further explains to us programmes such as Kids Vote Too and Teens Vote Too that have been launched by the Escambia County to increase knowledge and awareness of the electoral process in local schools and among youth thus increasing youth activism in the electoral process.
•Chain Reaction – Ms. Emily Haller (Coordinator) – on the 23rd of August 2011, at the Chain Reaction office, Pensacola, Florida
Chain Reaction is an organisation, based in Pensacola that gives teens the opportunity to participate in volunteerism, leadership training and teen-led initiatives. The visitors were privileged to meet some of the youth, that are members of Chain Reaction, and hear from them the various projects that they work on; such as their summer convention, food banks, the Pensacola Opera etc. The members of Chain Reaction, further engaged in a discussion with the group about youth activism in Sri Lanka.
SEATTLE
•EarthCorps – Ms. Su Thieda (Programme Director) and Ms. Erin Thomas (Corps Operations Manager) – on the 25th of August 2011, at the EarthCorps office, Seattle
EarthCorps provides training for youth in leadership, habitat and community. The organisation fosters a commitment to environment responsibility and global cooperation in young people of the world. As illustrated by Ms. Thieda and Ms. Thomas, the organisation trains youth in the restoration of the environment, and carries out various projects in King County. They plant native trees and plants, remove invasive plants, restore wetlands and salmon habitat, build trails and bridges and decommission logging roads. Graduates of the programme are now working in resource agencies and on environmental projects in the region, across the country and in their home communities around the world.
•The Washington Bus – Mr. Alex Miller (Outreach Coordinator) – on the 26th of August 2011, at the Washington Bus office, Seattle
The Washington Bus offers a platform for young people to make their voices heard on issues that speak directly to their shared values, such as health, education, peace and political activism etc. Their spirit of civic engagement has turned an unresponsive system into something that reflects the values of young people all around the state of Washington. Mr. Miller further illustrated to the group creative and innovative methods used by the group to increase the political participation of youth in the election process, as well as innovative methods for citizens to better know their candidates.
•The Connections Group – Ms. Cathy Allen (President) – on the 29th of August 2011, at the Connections Group office, Seattle
The Connections Group, is a business that specialises in using campaign techniques to move the public agenda. Ms. Allen took the group through an interactive exercise on leadership analysis, whereby we were taught how to project ourselves and our image effectively, as well as how to speak about the work we do and our campaigns, in a more productive manner, so as to convince the community to engage with us more. The visitors were further taken through an exercise where Ms. Allen instructed the group on how to effectively ask for and receive funding for their respective campaigns.
•Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP)– Mr. Roger Kluck (Vice President) – on the 29th of August 2011, at the Interfaith Community Church, Seattle
AVP is an international association of community based groups and prison based groups offering experiential workshops in personal growth and creative conflict management. Their goal is to reduce the level of violence by introducing people to ways of resolving conflicts. Mr. Kluck, first showed the group a video about conflict resolution between the Hutu and Tutsi groups, subsequent to which he engaged the group in an interactive workshop on conflict resolution, through a series of exercises, such as a problem and solution root etc.
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
•New Hampshire Teen Institute – Ms. Marissa Carlson (Programme Director) – on the 31st of August 2011, at the New Hampshire Teen Institute office, Nashua, New Hampshire
The organisation works with at-risk youth to help them to learn leadership skills and to help them make responsible choices, with regard to their lives. Ms. Carlson explained to the group about the variety of programmes that the Teen Institute engages in, to help hundreds of teens in the Nashua area to become effective future community leaders. She further went on to illustrate, the annual workshop they organise for such teens, for the purpose of encouraging youth activism and capacity building.
•Nackey Loeb School of Communications – Mr. David Tirrell-Wysocki (Executive Director) – on the 31st of August 2011, at the Nackey Loeb School of Communications, Manchester, New Hampshire
The School provides free training to community members, who are interested in learning about how to work in media, with a variety of classes on news writing, sports writing, photography and social media etc. Mr. Tirrell-Wysocki, went on to tell the group about the successes of the school, and its plans to expand, so that more students can be accommodated. The benefits of blogging and the improvement of writing skills were further illustrated to the visitors, so that they could make their own campaigns more successful.
•The New Hampshire Centre for Non-Profits – Ms. Jamie Batson – on the 31st of August 2011, at the New Hampshire Centre for Non-Profits, Concord, New Hampshire
The organisation is a non-profit, state-wide association dedicated to providing programmes and resources that support non-profit organisational capacity building, while partnering with sector leaders, businesses, and the broader community to elevate the visibility and status of the non-profit sector. Ms. Batson, discussed with the group, the current situation with regard to non-profits in Sri Lanka, and what essential ingredients are needed, for a non-profit to be successful, in the current global situation.
•Girls Inc – Ms. Cathy Duffy (Executive Director) – on the 1st of September 2011, at the Girls Inc office, Manchester, New Hampshire
Girls Inc. works mainly with girls aged 10-14, they strive to help girls achieve their personal best through one-on-one attention, leadership development, a wide range of enrichment programmes and a caring family environment. Ms. Duffy explained to us the various programmes and projects run by Girls Inc. in the New Hampshire area, illustrating the successes the programme has had over the years. The group went on to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka, with regard to young girls with Ms. Duffy and the staff of Girls Inc.
•Meelia Centre for Civic Engagement – Mr. Dan Forbes (Director of Service Education) – on the 1st of September 2011, at Saint Anselm’s College, Manchester, New Hampshire
The Meelia Centre, is a college department, where service learning or civic engagement, is facilitated for Saint Anselm’s College. Mr. Forbes engaged the group in a discussion on how to engage college students in volunteer work, and how to make them see the value of service education and giving back to their respective communities. The visitors were also fortunate to meet some students that are involved in the programme, and hear about their life changing experiences, through volunteer work.
•Meeting With Young Democrats and Young Republicans – Mr. Theo Groh (Secretary)-on the 1st of September 2011, in Manchester, New Hampshire
Mr.Groh engaged the group in a conversation about youth engagement in politics, with regard to Young Democrats and Young Republicans in Manchester. He further went on to illustrate to the group the history of the Republican and Democracy parties, in recent years, in the Manchester area.
•Meeting at Souhegan High School – Mr. Dick Miller (Teacher) – on the 2nd of September 2011, at Souhegan High School, Amherst, New Hampshire
The Souhegan High School, serves the towns of Amherst and Mont Veron, and educates around 1000 students in total. The visitors met with an 11th grade World Studies class, which gave the students and the group, the opportunity, to discuss the geography, history, political and current situation, with regard to Sri Lanka. The group and the students went on to further engage in conversation about the myriad of differences between the US and Sri Lanka.
•Meeting with Democracy for New Hampshire – Ms. Nancy Tobi – on the 2nd of September 2011 in Manchester, New Hampshire
Democracy for New Hampshire, is a small non-profit that works to inform people about the dangers of electronic voting machines and how these machines are a danger to democracy and freedom. Ms. Tobi explained the downfalls of the electronic voting system to the group, as well as how such electronic machines can be tampered with and manipulated, to give out false results.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAMME
Baseball Game
A first-time experience for all the visitors, the group was taken to watch a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds, at Nationals Stadium, Washington D.C. The group immensely enjoyed watching their first baseball match, and learning the intricacies of the game of baseball.
Blue Man Show
While in New York, the group was fortunate to be able to go see the Blue Man Show. A cultural phenomenon, the Blue Man show, brings together comedy, media and multimedia theatrics, in a unique form of entertainment, with a playful party atmosphere.
Digital Media Education (DME)
DME situated in Pensacola, Florida, conducted an interactive workshop for the visitors, training them in the many aspects of filming and editing a short video; such as getting the right shots from the right angles, editing a video by adding visual and audio effects etc.
Outdoors for All (OFA) Kayaking Programme
OFA, is the largest non-profit organisations providing year round instruction in outdoor recreation for people with physical, developmental and sensory disabilities. The group was given the opportunity to go kayaking on Lake Washington, Seattle.
Olympic National Park
The National Park is home to the Olympic Mountains, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the glacially-carved Lake Crescent, Rialto Beach, the Hoh Rain Forest and the Elwha River, situated in close proximity to Port Angeles. The group visited Hurricane Ridge, which is the most easily accessed mountain area within Olympic National Park; where the group went hiking along the nature trails.
OBSERVATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
• The IVLP gives an excellent opportunity to the youth of Sri Lanka; to visit, observe and learn about another country, and also gives them a wonderful exposure to the outside world.
• The programme was well-rounded, including many outdoor and physical activities, such as kayaking in Lake Washington and hiking at Olympic National Park, Port Angeles.
• The organisations and personalities that the group met through the programme provided valuable insight into how to take youth projects and programmes forward. On a personal level, the connections that were made with the organisations and people, during the programme, will be invaluable for the future projects that my organisation hopes to carry out in the near future.
• It would have been wonderful, if further interaction had been possible, with the youth that work for the various youth organisations that were visited during the programme, on a more social basis.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I would like to, once again thank all persons involved in organising such a wonderful programme, and giving such an amazing opportunity to the youth of Sri Lanka, to expand their horizons and learn about a people and culture, which is different to their own. The experiences and lessons learnt will prove invaluable to the furthering of youth activism in Sri Lanka, in the future.
