INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK (IEW),
NOVEMBER 14-18, 2005:
INTERNATIONAL VISITOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 14, 2005

2005/1072

As a part of the ongoing International Education Week, November 14-18, the U.S. Department of State is pleased to recognize the significant contributions made by current and former participants of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to U.S. efforts to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other nations.

The IVLP program has brought more than 135,000 individuals to the United States over the course of six decades. Alumni of the program include over 200 former or current Heads of Government or Chiefs-of-State, including Tony Blair of the U.K., Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia, and Helen Clark of New Zealand.

This week, during International Educational Week 2005, there are currently 240 International Visitors from around the world in the United States participating in 50 different projects. These programs will provide opportunities to connect with professional colleagues and to gain firsthand knowledge of U.S. institutions, culture, political processes and policies.

Many of the 240 participants in the country have been invited to participate in activities during International Education Week in communities across the United States where they will give presentations at local high schools and to local community groups. For example, as a part of their program on minorities and public policy issues, a group of six Croatian IVLP human and minority rights leaders will visit a local secondary school in Minneapolis, Minnesota this week, to talk to students and to examine programs and curricula that emphasize leadership, civic pride, respect for others, and community service as the foundations of a civil society. Local programs for IVLP participants are coordinated through Councils for International Visitors (CIVs) in over 90 cities across the United States.

International Education Week first began in 2000. In its sixth year, IEW has become a global event. During the week, students, educators, and community leaders and our Embassies participate in a wide range of activities to recognize and celebrate the benefits of internationalism in our classrooms and our educational systems. For more information on IEW, including a worldwide list of events, please visit www.iew.state.gov.