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Kamel Daoud
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Short Biography
Content created by Virtual Intern Kristin Mitra
An Algerian journalist and writer, Kamel Daoud's contributions to literature and journalism have made a significant impact on Algerian cultural awareness. In 1996, Daoud began writing for Le Quotidien d'Oran, a French-language Algerian daily paper, and has also contributed to the New York Times.
Daoud's 2005 visit to the United States for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) changed the way he looked at journalism. "This trip made me think about how I write and how to change things in my country." As a current affairs reporter, he realized that he needed to consider all points of view in his reporting. He became more aware of the distinction between opinion and information, which liberated him as a columnist and allowed him to distinguish, at times, the challenges of journalism in Algeria.
During his IVLP Daoud also learned more about the American political system; it was much more complex that he had realized. Being from a generation directly influenced by the propaganda and ideology of pan-Arabism, his IVLP experience taught him to conceptualize the idea of "the Other," a point of view that he had not previously incorporated into his work. When he arrived to the United States, he realized that his preconceived notions of what an American looked like were false. Daoud describes his prior worldview as being distinctly Franco-Algerian: "Algerians perceive the West through France and decipher it through French culture or colonial trauma." In his current work as an opinion columnist, he helps Algerians try to understand the world from all perspectives.
Kamel Daoud is a popular columnist who works to break down stereotypes and expand the worldview of the Algerian public.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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DaoudIVLP Alumni
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Anthony Blair
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Short Biography
Content created by Virtual Intern Erinn Heffes
Anthony (Tony) Blair, served as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 - the only Labour leader in the party’s 100-year history to win three consecutive elections. He had never been to the United States prior to participating in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the 1980s and was able to get a glimpse of an entirely different side of the United States of America.
During his time in Downing Street, Blair implemented a major domestic reform agenda, transforming the UK’s education and healthcare sectors. Overall crime was reduced by a third, and the first ever national minimum wage was introduced. As Prime Minister, Blair was also a central figure on the global stage. He helped bring peace to Northern Ireland, securing the historic Good Friday Agreement in 1998. He was a passionate advocate of an interventionist foreign policy, creating the Department for International Development, tripling the UK’s foreign aid to Africa, and introducing landmark legislation to tackle climate change.
Since leaving public office Tony Blair established the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change to address some of the challenges in the world today, believing that real leadership has never been more necessary or more difficult. Currently, teams from the Institute are directly supporting leaders across the globe in their fight against Covid-19, delivering analysis and advice to help countries mitigate the economic impact, to harness the power of technology and to better position themselves for the rebuilding to come.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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BlairIVLP Alumni
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Announcing the Cultural Heritage Game Jam
The Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF) in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is diving into the world of video games.
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AWE Alumni Turns Farming Into a Cooperative Practice
Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) alumni Anapidédé Kibandou Betema in Togo is helping empower women in her community to earn their own income with her farm business SCOOPS-BC.
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Madiha Saad
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Short Biography
Content created by Virtual Intern Nayantara Arora
Madiha Saad is a Pakistani leader, activist, and educator who fights against patriarchal injustices through journalism and digital media. As a journalist, she primarily freelances for newspapers and writes articles focused on women and education. Saad is also an alumnus of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, an examiner and teacher for the International Baccalaureate diploma program, and has served as a journalism instructor at a leading university in Karachi.
In March 2016, Saad traveled to the United States for an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), focused on "Media Literacy- Promoting Civil Society through New Media." Her time spent in diverse cities allowed her to understand the impact of new social media trends and explore the role that digital technologies play in activism, campaigning, and promoting the development of civil society. "Our collective experience of foreign culture and our enriching exposure to the state-of-art innovations in media and technology...made our IVLP journey extraordinary," said Saad.
After her IVLP, Saad used her knowledge of digital technologies to host workshops for teachers, plan campaigns, and write articles on the social inequalities faced by women in Pakistan. She has helped introduce the concept of "solutions journalism" to her colleagues in Pakistan.
Madiha Saad's continuous dedication to promoting women's education through journalism in Pakistan has made her an equality and education leader.
Content edited by Sallie Bestul, Regina Navarro-Gomez, and Jenna Williams
Blog Post
Blog
IVLP Media Literacy: a truly enriching and unforgettable experience by Madiha Saad
My selection and participation in IVLP Media Literacy: Promoting Civil Society through New Media marks an important milestone in my life. The experience was phenomenal and enriching as it brought together participants from 21 countries and set them on a journey of exploration and evolution in terms of their perception of civil society and ways in which it can possibly benefit from the rapidly changing digital landscape.
It is because of this diversity of backgrounds that we all hailed from, our collective experience of a foreign culture, and our enriching exposure to the state-of-art innovations in media and technology, that made our IVLP journey extraordinary.
The three-week program started with our arrival at Washington D.C and focused on multimedia approaches to journalism and digital activism; the highlight of which was our enlightening sessions with Lily Ciric Hofman (award-winning multimedia journalist) and Nick DeSarno (Director of Digital and Policy Communications) centered around multimedia storytelling, political campaigning and federal approaches to utilizing new media. I remember being awestruck after these sessions that gave me insights that not only helped shape my understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the digital landscape in the US but also the challenges back at home.
Then, as we traveled across the country, from New York to Boston, Boston to Indianapolis (some groups also traveled to Utah and Kansas City), we continued to explore how digital media was used to build authentic news experiences, efficient government transparency, and active public advocacy. It was exciting to witness the media and civil institutions relentlessly exploring ways to use new media to build a stronger and more active society, empowering people to make informed decisions regarding their social and political choices, and mustering their collective strength to work for the benefit of the entire nation.In terms of exposure to novel experiences, our time at MIT (Center for Civic Media) with Ethan Zuckerman, and RYOT, Huffington post was most fascinating and enriching. It educated us on ways to assess media impact on civil society and showcased advancements in immersive journalism, something which was then unheard of in Pakistan.
Apart from our academic and practical learnings, there’s a lot more we learned about operating in a different culture, interacting with each other and the local communities.It also brought to focus the commonality of human emotions and shared experiences instead of aspects that divide us. With respect to this, our visit to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites was remarkable; it was a walk through the history of the US, its agrarian past, its native cultures and freedom struggles. I believe the experience strengthened my bond with the culture and history of the US more than anything as I felt connected to the country’s past which greatly helped me understand its present hopes and fears.
The home hospitality was another memorable highlight of the visit. It was for the first time that we were invited into a local household, where the hosts had made generous arrangements to indulge and entertain us. More than their generosity, the intimacy of the experience made it all so delightful. As a group, we were most comfortable with each other, celebrating our differences and cherishing the similarities; and in a short time, became lifelong friends. These humbling and exciting experiences will forever remain a part of me and I will continue to use them as a means to promote the idea of global citizenship and peace.
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SaadIVLP Alumni
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Believe in Yourself!
Khadija Bencekri, 2012 TechGirl Moroccan alumna from Zagora, teaches HTML to young girls in her home community. She also organized the fist ever TEDx in Zagora, Morocco.
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5th Annual EducationUSA Forum Convenes U.S. Higher Education
The fifth annual EducationUSA Forum will take place in Washington, D.C. June 23-25, bringing together more than 60 EducationUSA regional experts and 550 U.S. College and association representatives.
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Become a Host Family with the State Department
Serve your country, become a host family! Hosting is great opportunity for you create mutual understanding and be a citizen diplomat.
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Comedy and Disability Breaking Down Barriers #ADA25
Comedians Josh Blue and Shannon DeVido opened the 25/40 event Celebrating the ADA 25th and VSA 40th Anniversaries with a stand-up comedy performance.
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P2P: Challenging Extremism Together
To combat the spread of hateful and deceptive propaganda, the U.S. government is investing in creative ways to work with civil society and academia to challenge the rhetoric. The P2P (Peer to Peer): Challenging Extremism initiative is a leading example.
