Guatemalan Indigenous Leaders Visit to the U.S.

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Participants standing in front of the U.S. Capitol

¡Bienvenidos! This was the word used all over DC as flashes of sky blue, deep indigo, and rich red were seen in the Senate, by the Monuments, in the House of Representatives, and even a local Subway. Seeing traditionally dressed Guatemalan Indigenous Leaders standing in line at Subway was definitely a site for onlookers, but it was a part of the experience that these leaders signed up for.     There was a moment when Officer of Press and Community Affairs, Municipality of Santo Tomas, Julio David Diaz Chay, discussed what December 21st 2012 really meant to the Mayan people which to the Western belief marked the...

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Bringing Peace back to the “City of Peace”

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Candles lit at the Baghdad City of Peace Festival

“Activism is action to bring about change in society. It can be trying to make a government change its laws, or trying to make people change what they do.”- Thamer Alyas Once upon a time, Baghdad was known as the City of Peace. After years of conflict throughout Iraq it is fair to say Baghdad is rarely looked at as a symbol of peace any more, but what people don’t understand is that peace is still very present in this city and all over Iraq. Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP) is a highly competitive program sponsored by the...

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Applications for Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students Have Opened

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IYLEP Flyer 2016

This past week, I was fortunate enough to be present for the launch of the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students (IYLEP) 2016 application. While we knew students were waiting for the chance to apply, the results were astonishing. Once the application was released, applications began to arrive almost immediately. Over 250 applications were started within the first 24 hours, and that number has steadily increased.  Currently, nearly 3,000 applications have been created and several thousand more are expected by the application period’s closing on December 1, 2015. Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students is implemented by...

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Why Meridian Matters

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Kirsi (second from left) with WiSci participants at the program's opening reception.

At the entrance of my alma mater, there is a sign that reads, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.” I passed by this sign every week on my way to school. It became a pivotal reminder as to the purpose behind my education – to become a more prepared global citizen and community leader. Since my time with Meridian International Center, I have continued to ponder on the sign and how it’s words apply to my experience with Meridian and its international programs. Last October, I decided to apply for the Washington D.C. Internship Program at my university....

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