This post is the seventh entry in a blog series detailing the itineraries of both current and former Heads of State who participated in a Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project arranged by Meridian International Center. The entry below summarizes the IVLP itinerary of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Continue
IVLP Alumni Spotlight features U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni as they reflect on the impact of the program and how it has affected their work and lives. Here we feature the Co-Founder of a martial arts and community engagement center for at-risk youth in Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Adrian Sealey. Mr. Sealey spent two weeks in the United States examining community resilience, leadership and advocacy skills, and effective ways to positively engage youth. This project was offered in support of the Strong Cities Network (SCN), the first global network of cities and other sub-national entities working together to build social cohesion and resilience to prevent violent extremism in all its forms. Mr. Sealey and the other participants met with key SCN members, such as Mayor Tom Tait of Anaheim, California, who spoke with them about his campaign, “Making Kindness Contagious.” Continue
IVLP Alumni Spotlight features U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni as they reflect on the impact of the program and how it has affected their work and lives. Here we feature the director of the Nordic Institute of Art who participated on the IVLP in 2013. The participant spent three weeks in the United States examining museum administration and exploring the role of art museums in U.S. society to create and sustain regional and cultural identity. Continue
Music, dance, theater and other art forms have long been windows into understanding cultural differences and similarities, avenues for building empathy, promoting dialogue, and confronting social issues. As the artist Alex Grey says, “When artists give form to revelation, their art can advance, deepen and potentially transform the consciousness of their community.” Continue
This post is the sixth entry in a blog series detailing the itineraries of both current and former Heads of State who participated in a Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project arranged by Meridian International Center. The entry below summarizes the IVLP itinerary of Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė.
