UPCOMING PROJECTS
July
July 22-27, 2010
Environmental Law Enforcement- Regional Program
10 guests from the Western Hemisphere will be coming to Cleveland on the topic of Environmental Law Enforcement to discuss issues including: environmental waste, agrochemicals, biotechnology, genetically modified species, food safety/pesticide use, air pollution, alternative energy and electrical grid problem, wildlife protection and biodiversity.
July 28-August 19, 2010
Community Connections- Public Health
10 visitors from Ukraine will be visiting our city to explore our expertise in promoting public health in the community. The Government of Ukraine has recognized the value of health promotion and disease prevention in a number of laws recently enacted by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament). These include laws to combat tobacco and alcohol use, as well as the State Program “Reproductive Health of the Nation” through 2015 adopted into law by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2006. However, implementation of activities under these laws has proved challenging since government officials, private enterprises and even NGOs generally have very limited appreciation of health promotion. Clearly, the population would benefit from the adoption by the government of public health-based, prevention-oriented approaches in its current health programs, including those aimed at reducing infectious diseases and improving maternal and child health.
In the US, the NGO sector, professional associations, health insurance providers and governmental departments on the national, state and local levels have long been involved in promoting healthy life practices. There is an active and collaborative movement to increase health literacy in the population. Information is readily available to families and individuals, young or old, on ways of improving health and staying healthy, incentives for a healthy lifestyle, recommendations for reducing accidents and avoiding risks to health. There are support systems to help and encourage individuals to achieve life-long good health. Health promotion is integrated into school curricula, disseminated via mass media and advertising. It is a focus of medical and health care professionals and paid for through various funding sources.
The proposed region for participation in this program is Crimea which is scheduled to receive targeted USAID support in fiscal years 2009-2010, including funding for health programs. During FY 2010, the Together for Health project plans to work intensively in Crimea to increase the use of modern family planning methods and to improve reproductive health as a preventive measure in reducing abortions and sexually transmitted infections. There will also be focused programs undertaken in maternal and infant health, tuberculosis control and avian influenza preparedness with ongoing assistance in the area of HIV/AIDS.
Building on this assistance program, it would be beneficial for USAID projects and enormously valuable for both the Government of Ukraine and the population to have a cadre of professionals who are familiar with successful health promotion programs in the US and best practice health promotion methods. Such a cadre of professionals, together with the institutions they represent, would provide critical momentum to USG work on disease prevention with health policy makers, health managers and the population by reinforcing behavior change and promoting healthy lifestyle approaches.
OVERALL PROGRAM GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of this program is to prepare participants to advocate for, plan and implement health promotion/preventive health programs in Crimea.
The objective of the program is to provide participants with an understanding of:
a. The concept, methods and importance of health promotion;
b. Current US health promotion strategies and the role of health promotion activities/campaigns in contributing to improved public health in the US;
c. Strategies and priorities that participants can pursue when they return to Ukraine;
d. Ways to share information broadly with colleagues throughout Ukraine.
Participants will have the opportunity to experience health promotion first-hand. By “living” health promotion while in the US, the group will have the ability to learn about and participate in civic activism, explore the dynamism of the NGO sector and study the collaboration between the public and private structures – outstanding features of health promotion in the U.S..
Exposure to US culture and the approaches used in health promotion will help the group to better understand the concept of health promotion and health promotion methods. By studying concrete examples of health promotion programs, participants will recognize the critical role of health promotion in improving public health. They will return home equipped to apply similar ideas, concepts and examples in Ukraine.
August
August 1-13, 2010
Iraq- Youth Exchange
The program will begin with an orientation in Istanbul, Turkey, followed by travel to Brattleboro, VT for the start of the U.S. portion of the program. The program will begin in Brattleboro, Vermont, along with a group of 10 competitively selected American teenagers for an American-Iraqi Youth Camp. This camp will focus on developing skills for peace building and leadership through experiential experiences. The camp will focus on building communication, conflict management, negotiation, group decision-making and problem-solving skills in youth leaders, as well as inspiring their motivation to bring about long-term positive social change in their communities.
The participants will then travel to Cleveland for a twelve day home stay experience. American students who participated in the Vermont week are expected to participate in activities during the host community program. The goals of the community program are to:
-Emphasize and see examples of ethnic tolerance in a multi-ethnic society and youth leadership;
-Create a multi-media project;
-Meet with local government, community and religious leaders;
-Highlight civic participation in the United States; and
-Interact with their American peers.
Overall Program Goals:
1) To develop a cadre of young adults in Iraq who have a strong sense of civic responsibility, a commitment to community
development, an awareness of current & global issues, and strong interpersonal leadership skills;
2) To enable participants to understand civic participation and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy;
3) To develop leadership skills among high school students and adult leaders appropriate to their needs;
4) To foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups in Iraq; and
5) To promote mutual understanding, respect and collaboration between the United States and Iraq.
August 4-7, 2010
Energy Policy- China
2 guests
2 guests from China including a professor and the Director of Energy Research from two prominent universities will be coming to our city to discuss Energy Policy in the US. The participants in this project will examine aspects of energy security and its foreign policy implications, with emphasis on academic and private sector input into policy making. Some of the specific topics to be discussed include: An overview of U.S. foreign policy, especially as relates to energy policy and the foreign policy implications of security threats to global energy markets; U.S. strategies to expand and diversify energy supplies, reduce consumption, increase investment in research and technology, and strengthen international cooperation in energy security; Current U.S. policy and legislation regarding climate change; Visits with companies in the energy sector, including alternative and renewable energy, to understand their role in creating reliable and sustainable energy supplies; An overview of U.S. financial institutions and their influence on the global economy; and the views of average Americans on the United States' role in the world.
August 18-21, 2010
Religious Diversity-Indonesia
7 guests
Seven guests from Indonesia including the Executive Secretary of the Marturia and Interfaith
Cluster from Communion of Churches in Indonesia, the Secretary of Art, Culture, and Sport
Section from National Board of Muhammadiyah,a Youth Director from the Center for Pesantren
Studies, a Lecturer from the Literature Faculty of the Islamic State University (UIN) , and the
Vice Secretary General, Central Board of Indonesian National Youth Council, will be visiting
Cleveland to understand Religious Diversity in the US. The delegation aims to become familiar
with democratic principles and practices; Increase understanding of the relationship between
religion and policies in U.S. society; Observe the breadth and scope of religious diversity in the
United States; Explore NGO and religious advocacy and activism dealing with inter-religious
and race-relations issues and Network with various religious, political, and NGO leaders as
related organizations, leaders, and scholars.
August 19-25, 2010
Community Policing- Regional Project
11 guests
11 guests consisting of municipal leaders, law enforcement officials and instructors, educators, NGO representatives and journalists concerned with community security and welfare will be visiting our city to explore the topic of community policing.. The goals of the project will be to observe community policing practices in both rural and urban areas; and to visit with community action groups to discuss their methods of assessing the security needs of the public, and how community security can be increased through planning, communication and use of volunteers.
The security of communities is the responsibility of the citizens who live there, as well as the local police. Police must work with communities to cope with problems, not merely respond to incidents. Among the problems with which the police are concerned are those involving disorder and incivility as well as those involving serious crime. Reducing crime and disorder requires that the police work cooperatively with people in neighborhoods to identify their concerns and solicit their help.
The participants will visit community action groups to discuss methods to assess the needs of the public; they will examine neighborhood services and crime prevention programs and how they are implemented through planning, communication and the work of volunteers. The visitors will observe programs in schools, in the community and in the workplace that instill and nurture the values and practices that make a community governable, as well as programs to engage youth.
The visitors will examine civics education and citizen participation in the community. They will meet with NGOs and academics to discuss research on urban policy and crime, and with local police departments to discuss their programs to foster community involvement and increase youth involvement in community issues.
September
September 1-4, 2010
Urban Sustainable Development- Multi-regional project
8 guests
Eight guests on the topic of sustainable urban environment representing 8 different countries including ministers of economic development, directors of NGO’s, directors of tourism and transport will be coming to our city to explore topics such as Local Government and Urban Development, Regional Environmental Cooperation, the Impact of Industrial Changes , and the Challenges of Gentrification.
September 9-14
Alumni Relations- MRP
20 guests
The Office of International Visitors is pleased to announce a special Multi-Regional Project (MRP) on the topic of “Alumni Association Leadership Development,” designed for foreign alumni who are leaders of existing USG alumni associations and who are working to further develop and expand their respective organizations. Areas of focus will include fundraising, membership creation/retention, strategic planning, alumni programming, best practices across industries/organizations, and follow-on project development. The project aims to:
• Maintain and strengthen alumni organizations;
• Identify strategies for to design, fund, and implement alumni activities and projects that benefit the community and the nation in which the organization exists;
• Maximize networking within the organization and among similar organizations, nationally, regionally, and internationally;
• Learn to deal with specific issues and challenges (e.g. defining the relationship between the alumni organization and the U.S. Embassy, locating financial resources, maintaining an organization that depends primarily or exclusively on members, willingness/ability to volunteer their time and talent, etc.)
• Make full use of the State Alumni website (https://alumni.state.gov) and other USG resources .
September 29-October 2, 2010
Young European Leaders- Europe
14 guests
Fourteen leaders from a variety of European countries including journalists, mayors, parliamentary members, political party representatives, and NGO leaders will be coming to our city to better understand American political, economic and social issues and associated policy formulation;--To gain an understanding of interrelated U.S. foreign and domestic policy topics, including homeland security, trade and economic development, immigration and integration, and health and human services; -To promote mutual understanding through dialogue and discussion among the European participants and their U.S. counterparts.