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Husham is the Director of Iraqi Safe House of Innovation. Husham credits his initial IVLP on Special Education with helping him protect countless Iraqi orphans from falling victim to child labor abuse, violence, and extremism by providing leading these children toward creativity, art, music, and civic engagement instead. He has been calling on the Iraqi government to enact child labor laws to protect children and provide them safe haven. He continues to try to persuade the government to allow private orphanages to care for the many children who lost their families in the aftermath of ISIS, aware that these children are the most vulnerable targets of terrorism.

His first U.S. visit helped him embrace innovative approaches to reach at-risk youth through education and therapy as well as sports and cultural programs, all of which have greatly increased the success of his organization. His successful treatment program has helped many orphans realize their artistic talents, and several of the orphans have gone on to win national, regional, and international awards. His program model has been adopted in other countries, and he has been invited to speak about his work with orphans in Germany, Finland, Holland, Sweden, Jordan, and the United States.

During his return trip to the United States, Husham will speak at the Diplomacy Begins Here Summit in Miami, Florida, a Global Ties U.S. initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. He will also present to U.S. Department of State staff members on November 6 on how the IVLP shaped his career success.

Throughout his travels to Washington, DC, Seattle, WA, San Diego, CA, and Miami, FL, Husham will meet with psychologists and community leaders to exchange best practices in providing psycho-social support and services for traumatized children, and learn about U.S. efforts to advocate for and support the homeless, the disabled, and at-risk youth.

Follow Husham’s journey on Facebook and Twitter at @StateIVLP.

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U.S. panelists included representatives from the:

• FBI Art Crime Team
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Investigations office and Legal Counsel
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Archeology office
• U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The U.S. Embassy also sponsored an exhibit of successfully returned cultural heritage items at Colombia’s National Museum. This workshop and exhibit underscore the joint efforts of the United States and Colombian governments to combat the trafficking of Colombia’s cultural property, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both countries in 2006. This MoU has led to the repatriation of numerous artifacts that were illegally trafficked from Colombia.

The workshop included a ceremony commemorating the return of 11 cultural objects from the U.S. to Colombia, thanks to a joint effort between the FBI and Colombian authorities. At the ceremony, U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Aleisha Woodward noted:

“Our two countries share important cultural heritage through our African, Indigenous, and European roots. These connections are weaved into our present-day collaboration on cultural exchange and initiatives that promote racial and ethnic equality. The United States is proud to partner with the Government of Colombia to fight looting and trafficking of cultural property.”

Minister of Culture Carmen Inés Vásquez Camacho said:

“Today we inaugurate the exhibit ‘To the Rescue’ in the National Museum of Colombia which exhibits some successful cases of recovered and repatriated goods from the Unites States as a sample of our coordination and joint efforts to rescue, preserve, and make known our cultural heritage.”

A concurrent ceremony took place at the Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C. at which the FBI returned nearly 30 additional artifacts and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Zimdahl Galt gave remarks.

About the Department of State’s Cultural Antiquities Task Force

Established by the U.S. Congress in 2004, the CATF is led by the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center. It comprises federal agencies that share a common mission to combat trafficking in antiquities in the United States and abroad. Since its creation, the CATF has supported more than 75 international and domestic cultural property training programs.

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This performance year, OneBeat selected 24 exceptional international artists from 18 countries to visit America for one month of public performances, events, and workshops with local artists to build mutual understanding through culture and shared values. 

Music is what connects these artists to America however, OneBeat fellows are also social pioneers, using their talent to create a global dialogue while artistically communicating social and political messages and promoting positive change in the hearts and minds of their listeners.  During the program, musicians are encouraged to develop projects in their home countries linked to a mutually-reinforcing network of music-driven social initiatives.

Since the Program’s inception in 2012, there have been 75 OneBeat performances with a culmination of 73,434,500 views of its musical content on YouTube.  The artists have performed in 26 U.S. communities in 14 states, successfully sharing   their musical gifts with American audiences to bring awareness to global matters.

To learn more about the program and tour schedules please visit, https://1beat.org.
 

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The Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF) recently supported a workshop in Cairo jointly organized by the U.S. Embassy and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities on protecting cultural property and investigating cases of illegally exported antiquities. Presenters from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center joined participants representing agencies such as Egyptian Customs and the Tourism Police.

The weeklong workshop provided participants with foundational training on cultural property preservation and protection issues, investigation and prosecution of cultural property crimes, the repatriation process, and tools to combat trafficking and looting. The workshop also bolstered greater understanding of the U.S. legal system concerning cultural property and helped to improve cooperation between U.S. and Egyptian law enforcement.

The training directly supports the cultural property agreement between the United States and Egypt that, since 2016, has restricted the import of certain Egyptian archaeological objects from entering the United States.

About the Cultural Antiquities Task Force

Established by the U.S. Congress in 2004, the CATF is led by the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center. It comprises federal agencies that share a common mission to combat trafficking in antiquities in the United States and abroad. Since its creation, the CATF has supported more than 75 international and domestic cultural property training programs, among other initiatives.

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The Congressionally funded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program broadens the U.S. student population studying and interning abroad by providing scholarships to outstanding undergraduate Pell Grant recipients who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise study abroad. Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 28,000 Gilman scholars to 145 countries around the globe.

USA Study Abroad’s series of workshops will help Gilman alumni develop the professional skills they need to translate their experiences abroad into meaningful careers. Through employer panels, networking sessions, and skill building activities, alumni will learn how their new language abilities, regional knowledge, and cross-cultural communication skills can lead to careers advancing the economic prosperity and security of their home communities and the United States at large. Alumni will also learn about their non-competitive eligibility status for federal hiring and network with alumni of the Critical Language Scholarship Program and Fulbright U.S. Students Program.

"The Gilman Program aims to make study abroad, and its career advantages, more accessible and inclusive for all American students. We look forward to including the voices of alumni from across the country in our workshops,” said Heidi Manley, the Chief of USA Study Abroad at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She notes that the program particularly focuses on supporting first-generation college students, students in the STEM fields, ethnic and racial minority students, students with disabilities, student veterans, students attending community colleges and minority serving institutions, and other populations underrepresented in study abroad. It also focuses on broadening the diversity of destinations where students study or intern.

According to an independent evaluation of the Gilman Program, more than 80 percent of these diverse alumni return home to seek jobs that enable them to interact with people from different backgrounds and nationalities. “The greatest learning outcome I gained from my experience abroad was the importance of being culturally open-minded and the ability to collaborate in a diverse global setting,” shared Tom Mitchell, 2013 Gilman Scholar and Air Force veteran from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Through its workshops, USA Study Abroad will prepare Gilman alumni to find, obtain, and thrive in meaningful careers, enriching their own lives and their communities.

To learn more about the Gilman Program and how its diverse alumni are entering into impactful careers in the government, non-profit, and private sectors, visit www.gilmanscholarship.org.

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This week, 41 women entrepreneurs from around the world arrived in Washington, D.C. to begin their International Visitor Leadership Program(IVLP), “Women Entrepreneurs: Alumni as Economic Multipliers.” The participants are returning to the United States as IVLP alumnae of women’s entrepreneurship and small business development programs. They are based in 36 different countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

The women will meet with public and private sector representatives to discuss federal and global efforts to promote the status of women and foster economic growth and stability. The program includes opportunities for them to collaborate with other women business leaders in the United States and around the world at all levels of development, from start-ups to major corporations, as well as business incubators, financial institutions, NGOs, and universities that support entrepreneurship among women.

The program begins in Washington, D.C. before the participants split up and travel to California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas. During these city splits, they will meet with women business owners and state and local organizations that support women in the workplace. The program will close on September 28 when the participants return to their home countries.

Join the conversation on social media at #IVLP and #ExchangeAlumni.

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Egyptian musicians Dina Elwedidi, Mohamed Abozekry and Karkade, and Youssra El Hawary will officially kick of their tour in the Nation’s capital this month, with the inaugural Kennedy Center performance planned for September 9. The artists will bring a variety of sounds to Millennium Stage from classic Egyptian melodies to jazz and underground rock threaded with social and political messages. Ukrainian artists Teatr-Pralnia with CCA Dakh and Kurbasy will begin their D.C. tour in October.

Since the program’s establishment in 2012, Center Stage has touched 85 communities in 34 states and hosted 154 musicians from numerous countries including Algeria, Egypt, Haiti, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ukraine, and Vietnam. While on tour, the international musicians conduct master classes, lead workshops, and informational sessions with American artists and students to learn and exchange ideas.

Now in its fourth season, Center Stage has proven to be a successful exchange program that allows international musicians to share their talent with American audiences with the intention of building mutual understanding through culture. It exists through partnerships with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, with support from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc.

To learn more about the program and tour schedules please visit, https://centerstageus.org.

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On view May 11 through November 24, 2019, the Biennale will mark a major international presentation for the artist, whose work has remained at the forefront of American creativity and who will create new site-specific pieces for the U.S. Pavilion. The 2019 U.S. Pavilion is commissioned and curated by Deputy Director Brooke Kamin Rapaport and Senior Curator Martin Friedman of Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York City. The exhibition marks the first time in the history of the Biennale that the U.S. Pavilion will be organized by an institution whose visual arts program is focused exclusively on public art. Madison Square Park Conservancy and Mr. Puryear previously collaborated on the commission of a public art installation of his monumental sculpture Big Bling in 2016.

The Venice Biennale, one of the most influential international art exhibitions in the world, provides an opportunity to showcase American excellence in the visual arts. U.S. participation dates back to the first Venice Biennale, inaugurated in 1895. In recent years, the U.S. Pavilion has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors.

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Solvita is the Board Chairman of the NGO Apvieniba JUMS, and founder of “Start Strong Bauska,” which provides career and entrepreneurship advising for young adults, at-risk youth, and educators from across the region. Start Strong provides young adults and educators with hands-on, interactive lessons on various career, personal development, and entrepreneurship-related topics, as well as curriculum and a toolkit for educators.

Ms. Jirgensone’s outstanding efforts and collaboration with the Latvian Ministry of Education, Embassies in Riga, Vilnius and Minsk, schools, universities, youth NGOs, and USG alumni has led to the program’s high popularity among students and educators in three countries. Since 2016, the Start Strong program has been successfully integrated into high school curricula in various regions of Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus. Her 2013 IVLP addressing issues facing American youth was instrumental to her success, providing the contacts and ideas needed to further her career.

During her return trip to the United States, Solvita will speak at the 'Diplomacy Begins Here' summit in Charlotte, NC, a Global Ties U.S. initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. She will also present to U.S. Department of State staff members on August 21 on how the IVLP shaped her career success.

Throughout her travels to Jackson, WY, Grand Island, NE, and Charlotte, NC, Solvita will engage with successful educators and innovators in various sectors to exchange best practices and develop more effective public-private partnerships.

Follow Solvita’s journey on Facebook and Twitter at @StateIVLP.

This September, 250 business and social entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean will arrive in Detroit, Michigan to start the five-week Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Program.  Fellows will collaborate with their counterparts in businesses and organizations in 20 U.S. cities, strengthening business ties between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean. The program concludes with a Closing Forum in October in Washington, D.C., focused on leadership and skills development training.

During the program, the 2018 Fellows will advance their entrepreneurial ideas and build leadership skills to effectively contribute to social and economic development in their communities.  Working with their counterparts, the Fellows will develop and refine action plans in fields ranging from clean energy and e-commerce to health care and hospitality.

Fellows representing 36 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean were selected from 2,500 applicants in a competitive application process. Upon completing the exchange, Fellows will return to their ventures with new skills, resources, ongoing support from U.S. counterparts, and an improved network. 

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