IVLP Programs 2016

December 2016

Women Leaders: Promoting Peace and Security – A group of 10 visitors from Africa and the Middle East will visit Seattle to assess the impact of United Nations resolutions regarding women in peace and security and to examine the historical roles of women in conflict prevention. They will engage with political experts, government officials, journalists, and activists to discuss current security situations and the best practices being implemented for promoting gender equality and for protecting women rights.

November 2016

Civil Society Activism – A group of 8 U.N. officials and non-profit directors from Mozambique will visit Seattle to examine the role of schools, community organizations, and secular and faith-based groups in promoting effective community and civic engagement in youth. They will look at a variety of media and social networking tools for facilitating civic action and outreach and promoting civic responsibilities and rights in youth populations.

Politics and Elections – A group of 6 government officials, lobbyists, and journalists from East Asia and Oceania will visit Seattle to experience the electoral process in the U.S. They will explore the registration and vote counting procedures and examine the importance of candidate transparency, accountability to constituents, and citizen participation in the electoral process. They will also work with voter turnout groups to analyze how advocacy groups and political parties work to impact election outcomes.

October 2016

Promoting NGO Management Excellence in the U.S. – A group of 4 visitors from China will visit Seattle to explore the diverse nonprofit sector within the city and examine the innovative management strategies of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) here. They will be looking at practical ways to mobilize local community to action and strengthen their leadership skills through discussing how to best employ volunteers, use social media, and fundraise.

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Program – A group of 10 young entrepreneurs from all over Latin America will visit Seattle to examine the business sector of the city and develop management skills. They will be paired with mentors from around Seattle, who specialize in each visitor’s particular sector, to discuss how to start a successful business as well as the importance of vision and goal setting.

Environmental Issues in the U.S. – A group of 5 sustainable energy and environmental protection specialists from China will visit Richland, Washington to discuss best practices in renewable energy.

Distance Learning for Students with Disabilities – A group of 3 visitors from Russia will visit Seattle with a focus on developing techniques and strategies to properly integrate modern distance learning technology to reach underserved students, particularly those that are disabled. They will explore U.S. methodology and techniques of educating disabled students while focusing on the advantages of using technological advances in teaching approaches.

Civic Activism – A group of 2 visitors from Thailand will visit Seattle to meet with organizations to assess the role of press in democracy. They will focus on the governmental protections of free speech through examining negotiation and peaceful conflict resolution processes as well as the role NGOs and political activist organizations play.

Japan Productivity Center – A group of 15 business leaders from Japan will visit Seattle to explore Corporate Social Responsibility and local American culture by visiting a high school Japanese language classroom and having dinner with local families.

Professional Fellowship Program: Women’s Empowerment – A group of 6 visitors from Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia will visit Seattle to meet with local fellows to discuss the promotion of women in business that can be employed by civil society and the private sector. They will be learning how to empower women to get involved in business in their societies.

Global Government-to-Government Partnership Fellow– An official from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) will be visiting Seattle to examine the impacts of climate change and environmental regulations on US ports.

Open World Russia: Accountable Governance & Media Practices/Independent Media – A group of 7 visitors from Russia will visit Seattle to explore the media community here through discussions with media leaders and organizations throughout the city. They will discuss topics such as media activism, techniques in covering elections and political events, and the role of the press in governmental transparency.

September 2016

Promoting Social Change and Disability Awareness Through the Arts — A group of 7 visitors from Azerbaijan will visit Seattle to examine best practices in using the arts to raise awareness about the rights of the disabled, with a particular emphasis on promoting understanding and support for women and youth. They will also attend Bumbershoot, in order to explore arts organizations and festival management.

African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (English) — A group of 9 visitors from Africa will visit Seattle to explore how women and other disadvantaged groups have overcome social barriers, raised capital, and developed sound business plans that result in successful entrepreneurship. The visitors are entrepreneurs in the field of crafts and home décor, and will meet with local organizations in these fields to examine the political, economic and social factors that influence and encourage the professional development of women entrepreneurship in the U.S.

Technology Entrepreneurship: Boot Camps, Venture Pitching and Crowd Funding — A group of 24 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to explore youth involvement in MakerSpace and education, and to meet with local entrepreneurs to discuss best practices in founding and pitching business ideas, as well as business development.

Wildlife Tracking and Protection — A group of 13 visitors from Africa will visit Seattle to examine local fish conservation and sustainable fishing programs, as well as local laws and systems that address wildlife crimes and poaching. As part of this work, the group will visit North Cascades National Park.

Current U.S. Social, Political and Economic Issues for Young European Leaders II — A group of 17 visitors from Europe will visit Seattle to visit local government and nonprofit organizations that provide support for immigrant integration. They will also explore issues of economic cooperation and foreign policy in Washington State, and examine public-private cooperation in issues of environmental sustainability.

Free Trade Agreement Implementation — A group of 5 visitors from South Korea will visit Seattle to review the economic forces that shape U.S. trade policy, and discuss the development and implementation of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).

August 2016

Summer Leadership Program for Cuban Youth 2016 — A group of 11 students from Cuba will visit Seattle to explore leadership and teamwork styles, with a focus on civic engagement. They will create group projects designed around these themes, while developing their cross-cultural experience and awareness.

Law and Legal Issues in the U.S. — A group of 6 visitors from China will visit Seattle to discuss and exchange best practices for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) awareness campaigns, and explore U.S. federal, state, and local entities that create and influence IPR protections, with a particular emphasis on entrepreneurial law.

Marine Parks Management and Conservation — A group of 4 visitors from Malaysia will visit Seattle to examine how local marine park agencies conserve U.S. territory and marine biodiversity, and to network with local counterparts to discuss best practices and innovative approaches in managing marine parks.

The Role and Operations of U.S. NPOs — A group of 10 visitors from South Korea will visit Seattle to learn about U.S. policies enacted to support intermediary organizations, and to understand their contributions to social innovation and community development and growth.

Law of the Sea and Maritime Security — A group of 13 visitors from Asia will visit Seattle to explore how customary international law, as reflected in the LOS Convention, applies in the South China Sea and the Pacific. They will also analyze issues affecting freedom of navigation in the SCS and the Pacific.

July 2016

Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program — A group of 12 students and 2 young adult mentors from Iraq will visit Seattle to develop skills in leadership and civic engagement, with a focus on public health initiatives. They will also create group projects focused on issues of public health and civic engagement, and explore different leadership and teamwork styles.

NGO Management in the U.S. — A group of 10 visitors from China will visit Seattle to explore best practices in social enterprises and social entrepreneurship innovation and incubation. They will review methodologies used by local organizations for strengthening leadership, and using technology and social media.

Smart Cities — A group of 4 visitors from Indonesia will visit Seattle to examine public and private sector initiatives in smart city integrated technology and urban planning. They will meet with local leaders to discuss challenges and achievements in realizing urban sustainability objectives.

Jóvenes en Acción (Youth in Action) — A group of 12 students from Mexico will visit Seattle to explore leadership and teamwork styles, with a focus on preventing bullying and gender and domestic violence. They will create group projects designed around these themes, while developing their cross-cultural experience and awareness.

Global Leadership in International Aviation — A group of 22 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to examine best practices in aviation sustainability planning, and to collaborate with local aviation leaders on positive cooperative aviation policies.

Demographic Change and Integration in a Multicultural Society — A group of 4 visitors from Germany will visit Seattle to observe and discuss successful examples of refugee integration strategies and vocational and employment programs for immigrants.

Comics and Graphic Novels — A group of 6 visitors from Russia will visit Seattle to examine the local comic book and graphic novel industry, and to explore efforts to promote tolerance and dialogue on critical social issues using the comic arts as a medium.

June 2016

Our Oceans: Protection and Sustainable Use — A group of 6 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to examine U.S. efforts to address coastal and marine management issues, and to discuss efforts to promote sustainable fisheries by eliminating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices.

Young Transatlantic Innovation Leadership Initiative — A group of 7 visitors from Europe will visit Seattle to participate in an advanced professional development fellowship with local businesses and organizations in the innovation, technology, and environmental sectors. They will participate in the day-to-day operations of their host institution in order to develop their entrepreneurial and innovation skills.

Reinventing Japan’s Food Safety System — A group of 10 visitors from Japan will visit Seattle to better understand how the overlapping layers of the U.S. food safety system effectively protect U.S. and Japanese consumers, and to identify best practices for effective outreach ahead of mandatory HACCP implementation in Japan.

Journalists and Foreign Policy — A group of 4 visitors from Kazakhstan will visit Seattle to connect with local foreign policy journalists and discuss approaches to reporting on U.S. foreign policy and U.S.- Asia trade relations, and examine ways to engage local and minority communities in media.

Women’s Empowerment — A group of 5 visitors from Turkey will visit Seattle to examine the U.S. political system and the role that women play as agents of change within their broader communities. They will also explore and evaluate public and private sector strategies to increase women’s access to education, economic opportunities, and health care.

Law and Legal Issues in the U.S. — A group of 6 visitors from China will visit Seattle to explore how different stakeholders influence U.S. trade policy, and to examine the importance of rule of law and transparency for fostering a positive investment environment.

Inclusive Maker Movement — A group of 6 visitors from Russia will visit Seattle to explore best practices and new technologies in the local Maker Movement, with a particular emphasis on engaging students in STEM arts and design and broadening the participation of girls, young women, and older people.

Human and Civil Rights for the LGBT Community — A group of 24 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to examine U.S. and international initiatives to promote and protect the human rights of the LGBT community, to explore equal access to educational, economic, and healthcare opportunities for citizens with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and to consider strategies and partnerships that seek to end targeted violence and hate crimes.

American Culture and TEFL Education — A group of 7 visitors from Venezuela will visit Seattle to interact with language teachers and students in classroom settings and exchange views with teachers on pedagogical methodology, and connect with local educational policy makers.

May 2016

U.S. Electoral Process and Campaign Practices — A group of 10 visitors from Bulgaria will visit Seattle to examine U.S. election processes and campaigns, study voter registration and outreach, and analyze measures to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process. They will also have the chance to observe the Washington State Republican Presidential Primary.

Professional Fellowship Program: Disability Issues — A group of 4 visitors from Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia will visit Seattle to build their knowledge in the field of disability rights and advocacy through a 4-week fellowship with Disability Rights Washington, Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center, and Washington Talking Books and Braille Library. They will have the opportunity to network with local disability rights organizations, and discuss ways to address gaps in services and representation for individuals with disabilities in their home countries.

Arctic Environmental Protection and Innovative Solutions to Oil Pollution, Prevention, and Response — A group of 6 visitors from Russia will visit Seattle to explore approaches to address the risk of oil spills, mitigate environmental damage, and develop and maintain oil spill response capability.

Broadcast Journalism: New and Traditional Media — A group of 23 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to review the history, structure, and future of broadcast journalism in the U.S., and to explore the influence of social media and digital technologies on how citizens use and share information.

International Trade in a Changing Global Economic Landscape — A group of 24 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to examine current federal, state, and local initiatives in international trade and export promotion, and to review domestic economic forces that influence U.S. trade policy.

US Presidential Elections — A group of 4 visitors from India will visit Seattle to explore the primary elections system and how they shape the Presidential election cycle, see the work of campaign offices, and examine ways in which political parties resolve internal disputes.

Global Health: Building Country Capacity — A group of 24 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to promote international cooperation on the challenges facing the global community in preventing, treating, and managing health problems affecting general populations.

April 2016

Fulbright Scholars Enrichment Seminar — A group of 75 Fulbright Scholars from around the world who are currently working at universities across the United States will visit Seattle for a seminar on climate change.

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) — A group of 9 visitors from the Middle East will visit Seattle to explore best practices in foreign language teaching and training, and to observe English teaching methods at universities and secondary schools in Seattle.

Refugee Resettlement and Integration — A group of 7 visitors working in refugee aid and resettlement in countries across Europe will visit Seattle to learn about refugee resettlement and reintegration within the local community.

Combating Wildlife Trafficking — A group of 7 visitors from Mozambique will visit Seattle to assess U.S. efforts to deter poaching and trafficking of wildlife resources, and to discuss and strengthen global cooperation against wildlife trafficking.

Data Privacy and Protection in the U.S. — A group of 5 visitors from around Europe will visit Seattle to examine U.S. policies related to data privacy and protection, and to share perspectives on data privacy and its role in transatlantic cooperation and commerce.

American Libraries — A group of 6 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to explore the importance of community-based partnerships and strategies for promoting sustainability in American libraries, and to examine the role of libraries and information specialists in U.S. society.

Towards a More Safe and Secure World: International Crime Issues — A group of 6 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to examine the structure of the U.S. criminal justice system and how its principles are applied to the prosecution of international crime, and to foster global cooperation against terrorism and other international crime.

Law of the Sea: Maritime and Territorial Disputes in the Asia-Pacific Region — A group of 4 visitors from East Asia and the Pacific will visit Seattle to explore the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, analyze the meaning of freedom of navigation in the Pacific and South China Sea, and assess options for peaceful dispute resolution.

March 2016

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI)— A group of 7 Tech Entrepreneurs from Latin America are visiting Seattle as a part of this pilot project, which is President Obama’s new program to expand opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and civil society activists in Latin America. Their program is focused on technology and business, and fellows participate in an internship with local incubators.

Defending Dignity — A group of 6 visitors from Russia will visit Seattle to examine the U.S. justice and legal system, and to explore non-profit advocacy and civic engagement.

Cyber Security and Government Interoperability — A group of 6 visitors from Poland will visit Seattle to study initiatives aimed at increasing coordination between government agencies that respond to cyber incidents and explore the critical roles of government, public and private partnerships working to prevent future cyberattacks.

Economic Development and Regulatory Reform — A group of 4 visitors from Kyrgystan will visit Seattle to examine state and local support for small businesses, especially involving minority and women entrepreneurs, as well as public and private organizations seeking to advance economic development in a transparent and accountable manner.

Environmental Stewardship and the Clean Energy Future — A group of 5 visitors from East Asia and the Pacific will visit Seattle to explore environmentally responsive technologies that improve air and water quality, recycling programs, environmentally sustainable industries, next generation energy innovations, and financing clean energy initiatives.

Advancing and Sustaining Civic Engagement — A group of 6 visitors from all over the world will visit Seattle to explore the American experience in expanding equal opportunities and civil rights for minority, indigenous, and immigrant communities, as well as promoting political and social engagement and the state and local level.

U.S. Foreign Policy for Telegu Journalists — A group of 5 visitors from India will visit Seattle to explore the use of social media and the role it plays in race-related social justice issues, media-related mechanisms for political analysis, the local impact of U.S. foreign policy priorities in tourism and international trade, government efforts to combat threats posed by terrorism and climate change, and non-profits working to end domestic violence.

Inclusiveness in the Decision Making Process — A group of 5 visitors from Turkey will visit Seattle to examine the methods employed to ensure accountability and responsibility to the public, prevent judicial corruption, encourage ethical leadership and transparency in business, and promote political participation and representation of minority and indigenous groups.

UNESCO/Freedom of Expression, Media Development, and Information Sector — A visiting member of UNESCO from China will visit Seattle to examine internet governance, freedom of expression, privacy laws and public access to information, the role of media and non-governmental organizations in information transparency, and U.S. elections.

February 2016

Emerging Leaders on Environmental Enforcement in Support of the U.S. —  A group of 5 visitors from Peru will visit Seattle to examine U.S. environmental enforcement policy and the impact of public involvement on the prevention of illegal logging and mining on protected U.S. land.

Early Childhood Education — A group of 4 visitors from the Kyrgyz Republic will visit Seattle to develop an understanding of the U.S. primary education system by examining the role of state government in education, curricular decision-making, educational policymaking, administration and management of schools, and school funding.

Women’s Empowerment — A group of 5 visitors from Turkey will visit Seattle to examine the U.S. political system and the role that women, through social and political activism, play as agents of change within their broader communities.

Regional Economic Connectivity — A group of 5 visitors from India will visit Seattle to explore the impact of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) on economic development and investment patterns, including issues of market access, intellectual property rights, worker wages and rights, environmental protection, and other trade-related issues.

U.S. Foreign Policy Challenges — A group of 19 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to discuss foreign policy issues of concern to Europe and the U.S., including counter terrorism and security, transatlantic relations, the changing roles of international organizations such as NATO and the United Nations, and global trade trends which frame positions in U.S. foreign policy.

Combatting Trafficking in Persons — A group of 5 visitors from Malaysia will visit Seattle to explore the role of government agencies and private sector organizations in protecting victims of human trafficking, as well as U.S. policies and approaches to combat trafficking.

TTIP: Trade and Economic Development (Agriculture) — Two visitors from France will visit Seattle to examine the U.S. political process, including the function of think tanks and advocacy groups in shaping debate, and the prominence of issues such as agriculture and free trade in this election cycle.

Global Health Security — A group of 18 visitors from around the world will visit Seattle to foster an understanding of the purpose and function of the Global Health Security Agenda, and to create a greater appreciation for the need to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats internationally.

January 2016

Accountability in Government and Business —A group of 19 visitors from Africa will visit Seattle to examine the role and structure of ethics in government and business in the United States and to illustrate the principles underlying transparency and accountability. They will address international efforts to strengthen the integrity of governments and businesses worldwide.

Youth Ambassador Program — A group of 13 youth leaders from Brazil will visit Seattle to develop their leadership skills, explore issues of social justice in both the United States and Brazil, and foster relationships with individuals of different ethnic, religious, and national groups.