The U.S. State Department just launched a new fellowship program for young leaders from abroad, aged 25-38, to spend 4 months in the U.S. working at community-based organizations and government agencies. The goal of the Community Solutions Program fellowship is to help these young leaders gain experience and new skills they can use in their own countries.
One of the incoming Fellows, Thomas Julo Barlue of Liberia, will be working at Peace First, an organization in New York City founded as a response to the sky-rocketing youth homicide rates in the early 1990s. Thomas writes:
“During my stay in New York, I will be focusing on critical conflict resolution skills and how to develop projects that improve communities and instill a sense of civic engagement, in schools and among young people.” Read more.
66 young leaders from 21 countries will come the U.S. on August 16 for an orientation in Washington, DC. In addition to spending 4 months at a community-based organization, the Fellows take part weekly in an online leadership institute. The Fellows work in the fields of transparency and accountability, tolerance and conflict resolution, environmental issues and women’s issues. Read the full article here.