UPCOMING PROJECTS 2012
January
Brazilian Youth Ambassadors Jan. 11-23rd, 2012
In partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Brazil and World Learning, the Cleveland Council on World Affairs is administering the Brazilian Youth Ambassador Program 2012. There will be eight Brazilian students and one adult visiting Cleveland.
The Brazilian students were selected by the Embassy in Brasilia based on personality, academic performance, leadership skills, community involvement and volunteer experience. None of the students have traveled outside of Brazil prior to this trip. Thanks to the generosity of eight families from Wickliffe high school, each student will be able to experience American family living for the duration of their time in Cleveland.
The 2012 Brazilian Youth Ambassadors program in Cleveland will aim to enhance the students’ understanding of Social Justice and Volunteerism in the United States in effort to make positive changes in Brazil. Some of the questions that will be explored over these 12 days will be:
1.) How does volunteering enhance one’s life?
2.) What does social justice mean to American peers and why is it important?
One of the most important goals of the program is to empower these youth leaders to train their Brazilian peers through student led community service projects. The students will have the opportunity to apply their new knowledge into action by implementing “follow-on” projects upon return to their communities in Brazil.
Some of the highlights of their itinerary will be:
• Tour of Cleveland and surrounding areas
• Shadowing host siblings at Wickliffe High School all day.
• Volunteering with other young leaders (Corp members of City Year Cleveland) on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• Snowdays at Progressive Field
• Give a live presentation about Brazil to area high schools via distance learning at WVIZ Ideastream.
• Serve food at Cosgrove Homeless Shelter
• Volunteer with the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland
• Workshop with the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio
• Stop the Hate! Tour at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
• Spend a full day at Shaw High School
• Visit and learn about the Malachi House’s large volunteer base
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
• Meet high school students from the Cleveland Municipal School District who will be traveling to Brazil in with International Partners in Mission
• Cavs game
February
Open World Project Feb. 10th – 18th, 2012
Ukraine –Accountable Governance: The Role of Legislators
Five visitors from Ukraine, all members of their local city councils, will be coming to Cleveland to learn about the federal, state, and local levels of the legislative branch in the United States. The group will meet with professional counterparts and local NGO leaders to learn about creating economic development initiatives to spur small and medium sized business growth, encouraging open an transparent government, as well as creating and utilizing public-private partnerships to better serve their constituents. This program is funded by the U.S. Congress and administrated by the Open World Leadership Center, the first and only international exchange agency in the U.S. Legislative Branch.
Civil Society and NGO Management: A Project with Libya
February 15-21st, 2012
Four delegates will be visiting Cleveland for six days as part of a 21-day program designed to provide participants with an enhanced understanding of civil society and the non-governmental sector in the U.S. The program will examine elemental characteristics and facets of American civil society and in doing so, will address topics ranging from civic participation and good governance to conflict resolution and civil liberty protections. Central to the program will also be exploration of the functions, best practices and challenges of non-governmental organizations and the role they play as critical actors within civil society. A workshop targeting NGO management skills will be also included in the program. While the visitors are in Cleveland, they will particularly focus on accountability and transparency in local government; the impacts of local citizen action; youth civic education, empowerment and political participation; and ensuring integrity in local elections.
Media Literacy: Promoting Civil Society Through New Media Technology
March 6th -10th, 2012
This Multi-Regional Program will examine the growth of new media technology and its impact on civil society, with particular emphasis on methods to promote media literacy to enable students and citizens to become educated consumers of new media. The main objectives will be:
1.) To examine a variety of new media and social networking tools
2.) To explore citizens’ rights and responsibilities in civil society in the U.S. and how new media can be used to promote transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors
3.) To learn how citizens are educated to become discerning consumers of on-line content.
Women as Political Leaders: A Regional Project for the Near East and North Africa
March 11-15th, 2012
The meetings in Cleveland will give the delegates insight to women’s leadership in local government, the role of nonprofits and educational institutions in promoting women’s well-being, educational and economic empowerment, encouraging women’s political participation, and women’s use of media as a means of empowering communities. This project is designed to illustrate the vital political roles that women play in the U.S. from the local to national levels. Participants will explore principal issues around which American women have organized and influenced change; examine models for leadership training and networking; and consider women’s experiences in running for and holding elected office. In addition, the project will highlight the essential role of non-governmental and grassroots organizations in supporting women leaders, empowering women, and protecting women’s rights. The project will also include a tailored workshop on women’s leadership skills.