(October 7, 2007)
Visit to the United States of America - The International Visitor Leadership Program
Organised by the American Embassy in Belgrade, with the support of the U.S. Department of State, Executive director of the Youth Dialogue Programme, Srdjan Vezmar took part in the study visit to the United States of America during September and October 2007. On that occasion, he visited Washington, Seattle, Port Angels, New Orleans, Burlington and New York. During the visits, number of meetings were organised with youth, governmental and nongovernmental organisations all over America. During his stay in Washington, visit to State department took place, as well as meeting with Rosemary DiCarlo – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the USA.
The International Visitor Program (formerly Managed by the United State Informatory Agency) is coordinated and administrated by the Office of International Visitors in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Each year more then 4400 visitor from around the world participate in this program. Some come from individual programs and others come as a part of single-country, regional, or multi-regional group projects.
The IVP was designed to increase mutual understanding through communications at the personal and professional level. Participants in the program are established or potential foreign leaders in government, politics, media, education, economics, drug and crime, human rights, etc… These participants are selected by American Embassy overseas to visit the United States where they will meet and confer whit their professional counterparts. During their programs, which usually last two to four weeks, International visitors have an opportunity to experience the United States firsthand.
During the 60 years of the program , hundred of former participants have risen to important positions in their own countries (Tony Blair, Muhammad Yunus, Zoran Djindjic former Serbian PM). Among the alumni of the program are 186 current and former Chiefs-of-State or Heads of Government, and more the 600 alumni are cabinet level ministers. Many other former International Visitors are changing the face of their own country and of the world as journalist, government officials , educator, judges, activists, etc…
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