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Sunitha Krishnan
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Content created by Virtual Intern Adelle BarkhuizenSunitha Krishnan is an Indian social activist whose work combating human trafficking and protecting victims has saved lives and motivated people around the world to build a safer world for women and children.
After founding Prajwala in 1996, which rescues and protects victims of human trafficking, Krishnan has built the nonprofit from a small initiative to prevent inter-generational prostitution to an organization that has worked with survivors on a comprehensive Anti- Trafficking Bill, launched a “#ShameTheRapist” campaign - the first of its kind in the world, trained police officers, and built more than a dozen transition and learning centers for survivors.
Krishnan visited the United States in 1999 through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), and her convictions were strengthened when she met with U.S. organizations combating trafficking and with people from other parts of the world working on the same issues.
Krishnan noted that through the IVLP she learned how to view the issue of trafficking from the perspective of the victim, and to consider the impact of demand on her anti-trafficking initiatives. She returned to India with new ideas and techniques in mind, adapting them to the local context.
With more than 500 organizations joining her cause, Sunitha Krishnan's work is an inspiration as she attempts to reach her goal of ending sex slavery across the globe!
Content edited by Sallie Bestul, Regina Navarro-Gomez, and Jenna Williams
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KrishnanIVLP Alumni
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Michal Helwak
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Content created by Virtual Intern Radha Varadan
Michal Helwak is a Polish film-maker who touches not only his local community but global audiences through his candid documentary filmmaking.
Through his May 2017 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Helwak visited Hamtramck, Michigan, a city that was once a hub for Polish Catholics, but is now the first American city to have a Muslim majority in its local government. Inspired by this history and the contacts he made through through the IVLP, Helwak soon crafted a new documentary idea.
This new documentary compares and parallels the demographic changes in Hamtramck with challenges of inclusion in Poland. Through collaboration with Oscar-nominated artistic supervisor Piotr Rosołowski and producer Marcin Wierzchosławski, Helwak’s documentary was brought to life.
Helwak cites the IVLP as both the inspiration for his documentary and as a motivating and inspiring experience in his ongoing battle with a genetic condition that impacts his mobility.
Through the medium of film-making, Michal Helwak establishes relationships and builds trust and understanding between community members.
Content edited by Sallie Bestul, Regina Navarro-Gomez, and Jenna Williams
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David Ríos Duran
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Content created by Virtual Intern Regina Navarro-Gomez
Working in the law enforcement field in Panamá, David Ríos Duran has been an advocate for building relationships across Latin America and the United States. Ríos Duran's leadership is built on the foundations of interpersonal relationships and communication as he works to maintain the security and well-being of Panamanians.
Ríos Duran says, "there is a before, during, and after an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)." In 2012, Ríos Duran participated in the "Administration of Justice" IVLP, during which he attended workshops and court hearings focused on human trafficking, money laundering, and the rule of law.
Following his IVLP, Ríos Duran built a strong relationship with other IVLP participants. "There was a richness of connections that were made after the program," says Ríos Duran, noting that some of those contacts had been useful in the resolution of several important cases he handled while managing a regional immigration office. Years later, in 2018, he traveled back to Washington D.C. and completed a one-year-long Master's of Science in Inter-American Defense and Security at the Inter American Defense College. He attributes his IVLP to his acceptance into the Master's program and says, "my IVLP project opened the doors to millions of opportunities."
David Ríos Duran brings his enthusiasm, drive, and leadership to law enforcement initiatives in Panamá.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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Ríos DuranIVLP Alumni
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Lutfi Dervishi
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Content created by Virtual Intern Kristin Mitra
Prior to his visit to the United States in 2002, Lutfi Dervishi was working as the Editor-in-Chief at "Albania," a newspaper in Tirana. When he came to the U.S., he participated in an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) titled, "U.S. Foreign Policy Structures," during which he developed a stronger interest in U.S. foreign policy, especially as it relates to the Balkans. Dervishi describes the impact IVLP had on his career as "immense in a different way," noting that the experience magnified his interest in and understanding of foreign policy.
After his return, Dervishi began working in public television, where he organized a series of talk shows about U.S.-Albania relations and dispelled existing rumors regarding American foreign policy. He is now one of Albania's leading media experts and helps mold future journalists as a professor at the University of Tirana in Albania's most prominent journalism program. His influence doesn't stop at the university level; Dervishi is a founding member of the U.S. Embassy-supported Investigative Journalism Lab, which focuses on teaching transparency and investigative journalism skills to aspiring young journalists.
Through his teaching and experiences, Lutfi Dervishi has improved the quality of Albanian journalism and built a more transparent way to keep citizens informed.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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DervishiIVLP Alumni
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Peter Masika
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Content created by Virtual Intern Celeste Lan
Peter Masika is the founder and CEO of Tanzania Youth Alliance (TAYOA), an organization that fosters leadership potential in Tanzanian youth. In his 2003 “Youth Leadership in the US” International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Masika saw new programming opportunities to teach citizenship and independence to young audiences. His IVLP experience inspired him to start HIV prevention services in Tanzania, which include programs aimed at encouraging behavior change, communicating knowledge, and developing technical leadership skills. Masika now understands the importance of technology as a tool to develop leadership and connect youth in communities around the world.
Masika believes “we [Tanzanians] need leadership not only in politics but also business and everywhere.” Since his return to Tanzania, he continues to promote health, leadership, and entrepreneurship among youth and adults as a way to move from ignorance, poverty, and disease to true freedom. TAYOA hosts talk shows, workshops, and outreach activities - all of which promote understanding and equality and engage Tanzanian youth with international volunteers.
Masika formed the National AIDS Helpline Service to provide counseling and prevention services to over three million Tanzanians, who are mostly between the ages of 14 and 24. In 2011, Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete personally commended Masika for his leadership during a visit to TAYOA.
Peter Masika is utilizing community-level HIV services to promote health, address high-risk behaviors, and cultivate leadership skills for Tanzanian youth in vulnerable communities.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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MasikaIVLP Alumni
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Francisco Ussene Mucanheia
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Content created by Virtual Intern Nayantara Arora
Mozambique Parliamentarian Francisco Ussene Mucanheia is a prominent advocate for environmental stewardship who has held various government positions, rising from a junior administrative officer to a member of parliament.
As a junior officer he visited the United States on an International Leadership Visitor Program (IVLP) in 1994, after Mozambique emerged from civil war and shifted to a new democratic constitution. During his IVLP, Mucanheia visited municipal governments and witnessed a mayoral election that profoundly influenced his understanding of local politics. During his IVLP, Mucanheia saw the importance of decentralized governance and he is proud to say the IVLP formidably impacted his career.
Since returning to Mozambique, Mucanheia has attempted to work in a bipartisan manner to reach consensus on important issues. His successes include the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement and passage of the Conservation and Biodiversity Protection Law. Mucanheia supervises the approval of all national plans of action for the environment and natural resources management in Mozambique.
Francisco Ussene Mucanheia's successful political career has positively impacted communities and improved environmental policies in Mozambique.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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MucanheiaIVLP Alumni
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ECA Announces 2022 Fulbright HSI Leaders
Watch this space for the 2022 Fulbright HSI Leaders announcement on October 11, 2022.
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Nearly 500 Young African Leaders to Attend Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Symposium in South Africa
Building on a decade of success, nearly 500 young African leaders will convene in Boksburg, South Africa from March 12-18 for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Symposium.
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AFCP & World Heritage Photo Gallery
Through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), the U.S. shows its respect for the cultural heritage of others and reinforces its commitment to World Heritage.
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Getting Down To Business in Tunisia
After participating in a 2012 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focused on entrepreneurship and women’s issues, Leila helped establish a partnership between the Tunis Business School, where she teaches, and the World Trade Organization Chairs Programme (WCP), where she is a newly-minted Chair.
