The alumni website is currently undergoing changes, and we hope to back up soon. In the meantime, if you’re an exchange alumni, check out exchangealumni.state.gov to connect with fellow alumni, join groups and events, search for job opportunities, and more! And check out eca.state.gov to find out more about our exchange program opportunities.
A collection of photos from the celebration of the second anniversary of WoWoman, a women’s empowerment platform which creates space and tools for women to develop themselves personally and professionally.
The Professional Fellows Program is pleased to announce the four spring 2017 Alumni Impact Award (AIA) recipients selected in recognition of the impact they are making on their communities after participating in the Professional Fellows Program. Their outstanding achievements will be acknowledged at the upcoming Spring Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, D.C., May 29 – June 1st, 2017, where they will discuss their work and have the chance to connect with over 270 Fellows from 44 countries. The winners are:
Ines Amri, Tunisia U.S. Host Organization: Legacy International U.S. Placement Organization: Office of Congresswoman Betty McCollum Dates of Fellowship: Fall 2013 Program Theme: Legislative Fellows/Legislative Process & Governance
Ines Amri credits her Fellowship at the U.S. Congress in the fall of 2013 with widening her knowledge about how governments function. During her one-month fellowship at the U.S. Congress, she says her perception of the relationship between governments and civil society organizations (CSOs) completely changed. There, she learned about the effectiveness and importance of policy analysis, policy-making, advice and recommendations developed and introduced by think tanks, universities and CSOs. Today she bridges her previous activism with engagement with decision makers such as the Deputy Secretary General/ Director of the Maghreb Economic Forum, an independent think tank called Think-Do-Tank, which works on economic, cultural and political issues in the Maghreb region.
Ines is an activist, teacher, and expert in founding and establishing socially-minded start-ups. Currently based in Tunis, she originally hails from Gabes in Tunisia’s southern region, and became a respected community organizer and advocate through her work with local activist networks during the 2011 revolution. In May 2012, Ines founded and served as President of Organisation Volonté et Citoyenneté (Will and Citizenship Organization), a youth-led, post-Revolution NGO formed to promote the importance of civil society, social entrepreneurship and human rights in shaping Tunisia’s future.
Aria Widyanto, Indonesia U.S. Host Organization: International City/County Management Association (ICMA) U.S. Placement Organization: City Government of Iowa City, IA Dates of Fellowship: Spring 2015 Program Theme: Economic Empowerment
Aria Widyanto is the Vice President of Amartha, an Indonesian financial technology startup that focuses its mission towards providing affordable financial access and mentorship to women villagers in the country. After returning from his fellowship at the Iowa City Manager’s Office, Aria helped Amartha transform from a conventional microfinance institution into one of the largest financial technology lenders in Indonesia. Operating as a peer-to-peer lending platform, Amartha channels more than US$7 million funds from nearly 5,000 lenders to over 30,000women borrowers living in rural villages in Indonesia. According to Aria one of the key lessons he learned during his time in the U.S. was what he terms as a fundamental practice of good governance: collaboration among public, private and civic society in development is essential. Aria was therefore convinced that his community problems should not be surrendered to the government solely to solve, but that as a member of the private sector, he also had the responsibility to be part of the change that he wanted to see. He therefore committed to doing his part. Aria also actively advocates with the Indonesian Government, NGOs and private sectors to take part in Amartha’s effort in creating justice and equal opportunity for everyone to prosper through his campaign: microlending reimagined.
Toni Panetta, Colorado U.S. Host Organization: American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) Foreign Placement: Philippines Dates of Fellowship: Spring 2015 Program Theme: Legislative Process and Governance
Toni Panetta serves as deputy director for Susan G. Komen Colorado, where she provides strategic direction and oversight for implementation of the organization’s operations focused on saving lives by meeting the most critical needs in the communities served by Komen Colorado. Ms. Panetta served as a mentor to young political and health policy leaders in the Philippines through the Professional Fellows Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). Working with one of her Fellows from the Philippines, Ms. Panetta helped with an initiative to train and mentor youth who want to become more active in their communities. Ms. Panetta was named a 2012 fellow of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) to promote intercultural dialogue between the West and Arab/Muslim societies through meetings with religious and political leaders in Morocco, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and she participated in the 2nd Annual World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2013. Ms. Panetta is a political partner with the Truman National Security Project and was appointed to the Denver Women’s Commission by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. K She previously served on the board of directors of the Women’s Lobby of Colorado, a non-governmental organization that lobbies for economic, political, and social opportunities for women.
Tara Parrish, Massachusetts U.S. Host Organization: WSOS Community Action Commission/Great Lakes Consortium Foreign Placement: Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia Dates of Fellowship: Spring 2015 Program Theme: Legislative Process and Governance
Tara Parrish is a community organizer who has worked for progressive social change in communities across the U.S. and internationally. Tara is the currently the Director and Lead Organizer at the Pioneer Valley Project, an organization of people and institutions that includes congregations, unions and other groups building community and power for justice in Springfield, Massachusetts. Tara has been a host and mentor for the Professional Fellows Program since 2015. As director of the Pioneer Valley Project, she has hosted fellows from Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, Uganda, and Rwanda and has provided support and training to participants in the areas of community building, civic engagement and grassroots leadership development.
At the center of Tara’s work is the belief that all people should have a voice in the political and economic decisions that affect their lives. Tara has a long track record of bringing diverse groups together to work for a common goal. In addition to her organizing work, Tara has successfully pursued other interests, which include co-founding the Capitol Cinema Collective and directing the Hartford International Film Festival. Tara has also worked with grassroots leaders and refugees in South Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia to improve educational and economic opportunities for people impacted by conflict. Tara is a co-founder of Peace in Place, an organization supporting higher education for the youngest survivors of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda and bringing Americans to Rwanda to learn conflict resolution and restorative justice practices for building more peaceful American communities.
Moldovan cultural heritage is in many ways an amalgamation of the cultures of the various civilizations and societies that have had an influence in the region since the 3rd century. Romanian and Soviet cultures might dominate, but the contributions of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, the Slavs, the Magyars, the Ottoman Turks, the French, and other Western Europeans have also left their imprint on contemporary Moldovan culture. Shared knowledge of Moldova’s rich cultural history is essential for the preservation of its national identity and this is precisely what Fulbright grant recipient, researcher, and historian Rachel Retaliatta seeks to promote. In partnership with Global Undergraduate Exchange Program alumnus Victor Popovici and a team of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, Rachel conducted research into the archives of the Agency for the Inspection and Restoration of Monuments in Moldova and visited numerous historic cultural sites. Consequently, Rachel and Victor quickly realized there was an opportunity to raise awareness about Moldovan historical sites that have been neglected or unknown to the larger public, to give the public a voice in defining their own sites of cultural heritage, and to promote civic engagement and the sharing of personal connections to these places.
Rachel and Victor turned to social media and created the #LoculAcestaContează campaign to promote cultural preservation in Moldova. #LoculAcestaContează is part of the global This Place Matters campaign initiated in 2008 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the purpose of engaging the public in thinking about and sharing the historic places that are important to them. #ThisPlaceMatters is launched annually in May to coincide with National Preservation Month. #LoculAcestaContează is largely successful in part to Victor Popovici who works for the Agency for Monument Inspection and Restoration. In this capacity, he has been an instrumental partner and advocate for this campaign. #LoculAcestaContează is financed through the U.S. Embassy Chisinau Individual Grants Program and, with the help of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, Rachel and Victor were able to garner participation from many rural communities. Cultural preservation through greater awareness and civic action is essential to preserving Moldova’s rich history. Visit #LoculAcestaContează and its Facebook and Instagram page to share your photographic stories and help raise awareness of cultural sites important to you and your community.
“April is our favorite month of the year on the Global UGRAD team. The month not only brings the famous cherry blossom trees to full bloom, but it also brings the Global UGRAD participants to Washington, DC for their End-of-Program workshop. We are honored to spend time with these participants articulating the key components of this program: leadership development, civic engagement, and appreciation for diversity in all of its forms. This edition of the Global Gazette illustrates some of the activities that students take part in during their transformative semester in the United States, non-violence training, traveling the U.S., and learning more about others. Bethany Gilchrist and Will O'Roark also share tales of their travels to campuses in the U.S. to see the Global UGRAD experience first-hand.”
Three of the winners of the U.S. State Department’s Emerging Young Leaders Award are alumni of State Department exchange programs.
The award is given to ten outstanding young adults (ages 16-24) nominated and selected by Embassy staff around the world for their efforts to expand civic engagement, improve education, and promote interfaith dialogue and conflict resolution within their communities.
Jahongir Olimov hails from Rasht Valley, Tajikistan, and is a coordinator for the NGO Marifatnoki; a youth outreach organization that focuses on developing English language skills and leadership skills in an underserved area of Tajikistan. In 2015 and 2016, Jahongir led projects aimed at preventing young people from joining extremist and terrorist groups. Jahongir also implemented an interconnected system of Marifatnoki youth groups throughout Rasht Valley to promote greater intercommunity communication. Jahongir is an alumnus of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and spent a year in the United States attending Lakota East High School in Ohio. After returning to Tajikistan, Jahongir took English courses in the English Access Microscholarship Program and later became a teacher for the same program. Jahongir also was a team member for the project “Volunteer to Prosper Our Community,” which won an Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund grant and brought 1800 youth together for training in civic education focused on volunteering, leadership and community service.
Raj Kumar from Umerkot, Pakistan, is an active member of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network and has served in many leadership positions, most recently as General Secretary for the Islamabad/Rawalpindi Chapter. In these positions, Raj won grants totaling $10,000 to implement projects on women’s empowerment, interreligious understanding, and countering violent extremism. One of Raj’s projects, “Days of Interreligious Youth Action – Promoting Peace through Arts, Sports, Dialogue and Music,” brought together 500 community members from different ethnic and religious backgrounds to paint and share messages of peace through art and Sufi music, as well as teach teamwork and sportsmanship lessons. Raj is an alumnus of the Global UGRAD program, which places outstanding international students at U.S. universities for one semester of study, community service, professional development, and cultural enrichment. Raj spent his semester studying business at Juniata College in Pennsylvania.
Noé Petitjean is from Arlon, Belgium, and is a passionate promoter of intercultural and interfaith understanding. Noé founded Our Shared Difference, a project that brings together youth from different cultural, religious, and economic backgrounds to engage in dialogue about faith. Our Shared Difference has brought teenagers to the European Parliament to discuss European identity and members to local mosques to discuss religious differences. Under the motto “gather our difference for humanity,” the organization hopes to solve issues like overconsumption, disease, and political conflicts through the multi-background approach. Prior to founding the organization, Noé participated in the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute at Purdue University in Indiana and took classes in International Diplomacy, Media and Journalism, Global Problems, Democracy, and Civic Education with 35 other European Fellows and 10 US Fellows.
The Emerging Young Leaders will be in Washington, D.C. on May 4th for an award ceremony and to attend trainings and meetings with officials from the U.S. government and NGOs. The participants will then travel to Austin, Texas, to attend more meetings and develop project plans for initiatives in their home countries, which they will share with each other briefly in Washington before departing for their home countries to continue the experience through virtual exchange.
The Department of State’s Office of Global Health Diplomacy has developed a mailbox for U.S. government-sponsored exchange program alumni interested in the field of global health. Write to us at StateHealthAlumni@state.gov to join our listserv and share your thoughts on how we can better help alumni to network and share information on global health issues.
by Jennifer Bullock Director, Office of Global Health Diplomacy
In February, my colleague and I had the pleasure of meeting the thirty American exchange alumni who gathered in Atlanta for the Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminar (Alumni TIES). The theme of the seminar was “The New Frontiers of Global Health”. Over the course of four days, alumni shared innovative and community-centered projects they had piloted as well as best practices and new findings in the field of public health. Some of the areas of focus included: access to health care for underserved communities and the growing role of media and technology in public health.
I moderated a panel featuring the work of Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Gilman Scholarship alumnae, Alexandria Dyer and Angelica Rockquemore. Alexandria and Angelica each presented their projects designed to improve community health through community gardens. Other alumni led interactive and thought-provoking Learning Labs based on their expertise in environmental health, sex and sexual health, and mental health and well-being.
As staff of the Office of Global Health Diplomacy (GHD), we were delighted to have the opportunity to learn more about the terrific work of our citizen diplomats. GHD organizes briefings for ambassadors and other US diplomats on the USG global health programs in their country of assignment. We also teach classes to State Department and other US government employees whose portfolios include global health issues.
The U.S. Department of State works to promote global health in a variety of ways. For example, as the leader of the U.S. government’s effort to combat HIV/AIDS, the State Department’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy manages the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States’ flagship global health program. Established in 2003, PEPFAR is supporting life-saving antiretroviral treatment for nearly 11.5 million people and has resulted in over 2 million babies born HIV free. The Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs (OES) takes the lead at State on pandemic preparedness and the Global Health Security Agenda, which bolsters countries’ capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.
Many other State offices also have a role in supporting international cooperation on public health. Nation- to-nation diplomacy plays an important role in promoting initiatives that contribute to improved global health, but so does citizen diplomacy. International exchange alumni, like the ones we met at TIES, are proof of the effectiveness of citizen diplomacy in the field of global health.
We would love to hear from and support the many international exchange alumni who, like Alexandria and Angelica, are making a difference in their communities’ health. To this end, we have launched an Alumni mailbox to hear from alumni interested in global health and will develop a listserv to share interesting information about and opportunities for alumni working this field. Also, if you are working on a project you would like to share with others, we would love to feature this on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you!
Interested alumni should e-mail the StateHealthAlumni@state.gov address and include their name, U.S. government-sponsored exchange program information, how they are involved in global health, and what types of global health issues most interest them.
Two exchange alumnae are among the five women honored at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards held on International Women’s Day 2017. Vital Voices is a non-governmental organization that partners with women leaders to advance women’s economic empowerment, women’s political participation, and human rights worldwide. Every year, Vital Voices bestows Global Leadership Awards to women leaders who have made strides toward these goals.
Nadia Bushnaq speaks at the Global Leadership Awards ceremony, where she was presented with the Human Rights Award for her work with refugees in Jordan.Photo Credit,Vital Voices
Nadia Bushnaq, the Founder and Executive Director of the Family Guidance and Awareness Center (FGAC) in Jordan, is this year’s winner of the Human Rights Award. Ms. Bushnaq is a dedicated women’s rights activist whose center offers legal assistance, psychosocial support, and education services for refugees in Jordan.
Ms. Bushnaq’s tireless work has created programming that directly helps refugees, especially refugee women; she has developed training programs that guide women through the transition to post-conflict life and manages a refugee hotline that answers 120 calls per month on legal issues, psychological issues, and education.
Nadia Bushnaq participated in a 1994 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) exchange focusing on sociology and social work. She founded the Family Guidance and Awareness Center in 1996.
ElsaMarie D’Silva accepted the Light of Freedom Award for her advocacy work for victims of sexual violence.Photo Credit,Vital Voices
ElsaMarie D’Silva is the founder and CEO of Red Dot Foundation (Safecity), India, and the winner of this year’s Light of Freedom Award.
Ms. D’Silva, a digital sex activist, created Safecity as a platform where victims of sexual violence and abuse could document these events anonymously for community members to track and analyze. Safecity is helping women bring invisible issues to light and helping communities in India, Cameroon, Kenya, and Nepal respond to these problems.
Exchange alumni have also been Global Leadership awardees in past years: since the 2002 inauguration of the award, 17 of its recipients have been Department of State exchange alumni. Notable alumni include Inez McCormack, a 1990 IVLP participant honored in 2002 for her contributions to the Good Friday Agreement; Maria Pacheco, a Fulbright 1987 and 2006 IVLP Voluntary Visitor alumna honored in 2007 for her efforts to bring entrepreneurship to rural Guatemala; and Rosana Schaack, a 2007 IVLP and 2008 Humphrey Fellowship Program alumna honored in 2012 for her advocacy and rehabilitation of girl child soldiers in Liberia.
Exchange alumni in Saudi Arabia have successfully increased alumni engagement and expanded the Saudi alumni network through a series of events known as the Entrepreneurship Diwaniya.
Traditionally, a Diwaniya is a relaxed place where people gather to discuss significant issues of the day. The Entrepreneurship Diwaniya is a series of networking and educational events connecting established Saudi and U.S. entrepreneurs with emerging youth innovators. The effort aims to connect and establish a community of advocates, professionals, investors, and creative thinkers that can advance the Saudi entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Since the program’s inception in May 2016, Diwaniya events have brought together over 600 people focused on hands-on skills building, innovative team building, networking, research, and mentorship. Monthly Diwaniyas feature prominent entrepreneurs and innovators to discuss a range of topics – from “Building a Creative Team” to “Creating Silicon Valleys Around the World.” Speakers have included a Senior Advisor at the Saudi Ministry of Energy, a Chief Technology Officer from Baker Hughes, and leading entrepreneurs from Saudi Aramco.
These activities culminated in the Entrepreneurship Diwaniya Summit in December 2016, held at the Dhahran Techno Valley research park. Over 120 alumni and 30 private sector companies and organizations participated in the three-day summit, exploring topics such as design thinking, entrepreneurial leadership, and small business development across 27 workshops, panel discussions, and keynote lectures. Among the keynote speakers was leading innovator Dave Blakely from the Stanford Design School and mach49 Incubator in Silicon Valley, who led hands-on sessions on innovation teambuilding and customer-focused research.
For alumni participants, the Summit opened a new network of professional contacts and mentors to drive their ideas forward. Alumni expressed that this experience helped foster new connections and relationships, and ultimately expanded their networks, both in Saudi Arabia and abroad.
The team behind this amazing series is the Dhahran Alumni Steering Committee: Retal Al- Turki, Abdulmalik Kohaji, Alaa Al-Abdrabbuh, Reem Al-Ghamdi, and Batoolah Al-Shabbar. They come from a variety of different programs including the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Middle East Partnerships Initiative (MEPI), and the Saudi Young Leaders Exchange Program (SYLEP). Their goal for the series was to create opportunities for alumni of diverse backgrounds and professions to share challenges, best practices, and foster cooperation.
Peter Winter, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Dhahran noted, “as Saudi Arabia embarks on its transformative Vision 2030, this group of alumni identified a key area for collaboration, building a network of young Saudi and American innovators, advocates, and officials to drive forward the country’s entrepreneurship community."
The committee successfully brought together alumni from across the country, and hopes to continue expanding their membership and network throughout the country and regionally. They will hold elections for new committee members soon. We look forward to seeing how this initiative continues to grow.
WoWoman project managers presented their achievements for 2016 at the 2nd anniversary celebration.
WoWoman team members danced together to Shakira's song, "Try Everything"
Exchange alumni gathered at the celebration to support Zara (center in white lace dress) and congratulate WoWoman.
These activities culminated in the Entrepreneurship Diwaniya Summit in December 2016, held at the Dhahran Techno Valley research park. Over 120 alumni and 30 private sector companies and organizations participated in the three-day summit, exploring topics such as design thinking, entrepreneurial leadership, and small business development across 27 workshops, panel discussions, and keynote lectures. Among the keynote speakers was leading innovator Dave Blakely from the 