NGO Work
Through my work in public diplomacy, I’ve managed and facilitated several international projects. My personal goal is to facilitate exchanges in a way that leaves a positive impact on the exchange participants and the project partners who engage with them.
“Diplomacy is listening to what the other guy needs, preserving your own position, but listening to the other guy. You have to develop relationships with other people so when the tough come, you can work together”
– Collin Powell
The International Peek program aims to create access to global affairs in the Delta Region of Arkansas by serving the region with educational, leadership, and professional development opportunities that are internationally relevant. It has been developed by John Presime (Dominican Republic )and Ra’phael Davis (United States) and funded with $10,000 by the U.S. Department of State through the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund. The program will offer training in leadership skills, intercultural communication, and job-seeking. It will also offer seminars in youth-focused program development, foreign service, and other topics.
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
The Open World Leadership Center administers the Open World program, one of the most effective U.S. exchange programs for countries of the post-Soviet era. The program has enabled more than 29,000 current and future leaders from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan to meaningfully engage and interact with Members of Congress, Congressional staff, and thousands of other Americans, many of whom are the delegates’ direct professional counterparts.
The Open World program focuses both on assisting the Congress in its oversight responsibilities and on conducting exchanges that establish lasting professional relationships between the up-and-coming leaders of Open World countries and Americans dedicated to showcasing U.S. values and democratic institutions. The Center’s bipartisan nature and independence from the priorities of any presidential administration is an important asset for the program.
Meridian is pleased to implement the U.S. Department of State’s Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP) on behalf of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Each year, this dynamic youth leadership program engages 150 high school students and adult mentors from over 38 countries in Africa for a three week U.S.-based cultural exchange and civic engagement training program.
When we think of youth, we think of idealism, hopes, and dreams for the future. The Pan Africa Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP) believes in the potential for great & lasting impact when leadership development programs target young emerging leaders and adults who empower them. PAYLP brings together anglophone and francophone high school students and adult mentors for practical leadership and technical skills training centered around an action-planning curriculum & capstone. PAYLP offers:
- Interactive leadership trainings
- Conflict resolution seminars
- Social entrepreneurship classes
- Community service opportunities
- Two weeks of homestay with American host families
- An overview of U.S history and institutions
- Exciting cultural activities
- A lifelong PAYLP alumni network