2009 Delegations

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, GUYANA - December 2 - 3, 2009. A delegation of seven members of the University of the West Indies administration will visit the Community College of Philadelphia, Campus Philly and Drexel University to examine best practices in student services, international programs and career services. They will also discuss strategies for retaining students in the area following graduation. The delegation will also attend IVC's First Thursday on December 3rd.

ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, CROATIA, FINLAND, GREECE, HAITI, INDONESIA, ISRAEL, JAMAICA, KOSOVO, LEBANON, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, MEXICO, MOZAMBIQUE, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES, NEW ZEALAND, PHILIPPINES, QATAR, ROMANIA, SWEDEN, TURKEY, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM - November 10, 2009 to November 14, 2009. This multi-regional "International Crime Issues" group will explore Philadelphia's efforts to combat organized crime, human-trafficking, and port security. Twenty-four participating countries will be announced shortly.

BURKINA FASO, CHAD, COTE D'IVOIRE, ETHIOPIA, LIBERIA, MALAWI, MALI, MAURITIUS, MOZAMBIQUE, NIGER, SOUTH AFRICA, TANZANIA - October 29, 2009 to November 3, 2009. Twenty visitors on the "Religious Tolerance and Interfaith Dialogue in the U.S." group will arrive in Philadelphia to examine the role of religious leaders and to gain an understanding of how core values of individual freedom of religion with the U.S. The participants also hope to observe the relationship between politics and religion and how they relate to community activism. Participating countries will be updated shortly.

ARMENIA, CROATIA, FINLAND, GERMANY, LITHUANIA, KOSOVO, MACEDONIA, NETHERLANDS, SLOVENIA, SPAIN, TURKEY, UNITED KINGDOM - October 29, 2009 to October 31, 2009. This European group is hoping to gain "Insights on America: An Overview of U.S. Politics, Society, Culture and History." They will experience broad exposure to American political, economic, social, and cultural issues. They will also be exposed to key elements of society that help explain American traditions and values.

ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, PERU, VENEZUELA - October 24, 2009 to October 29, 2009. The "Grassroots Democracy and Youth Activism in the U.S." program will offer its participants the opportunity to explore young leaders' involvement in governance and in public policy decision-making. The program will also look at the great variety of grassroots groups, and observe how the diversity of the groups is representative of the U.S.

URUGUAY - October 24, 2009 to October 28, 2009. Uruguay's two visitors will be looking at "Education in the U.S." They will be observing both K-12 and Vocational studies and applying that experience to educational planning, administration, teacher training and technology.

UKRAINE - October 22, 2009 to October 23, 2009. These five visitors from the Ukraine will be learning about "Teaching Business in America." They will be exposed to a wide range of business faculties to learn about undergraduate education, graduate education, and MBA programs in the United States. The group will also be introduced to many types of mid-career professional training.

MONGOLIA - October 11, 2009 to October 14, 2009 Mr. Erdenebat is visiting from Mongolia to explore U.S. efforts to combat corruption, and to observe the structures and mechanisms used to promote accountability in government. He will also be looking at the high costs to society caused by government corruption.

PHILIPPINES - October 8, 2009 to October 10, 2009. "The Responsible Citizenship and the Democratic Process" program will examine the significance of citizen participation in the democratic process. The four guests will also explore the activities of citizen action groups and how they interact with elected officials.

HUNGARY - October 7, 2009 to October 9, 2009. Hungary's two visitors will participate in "American Corners: A Tool for Public Diplomacy" and hope to gain a better understanding of American society and culture.

BAHRAIN, EGYPT, IRAQ, ISRAEL, JORDAN, LEBANON, LIBYA, MOROCCO, SAUDI ARABIA, SYRIA, WEST BANK, and YEMEN - September 30 - October 3, 2009. This project is designed for women elected officials, academics, journalist, career civil servants in local government and public administration, and NGO representatives. The program will examine the important role of women leadership at the local level. While in Philadelphia they will meet with local women leaders to discuss the provision of community services, local election management and volunteerism/community service in the U.S.

COLOMBIA - September 30, 2009 to October 3, 2009. Six university rectors from Colombia will meet with local colleges and universities with the "University Administration" program. The guests will meet with Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and the Community College of Philadelphia.

BANGLEDESH, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, BURMA, CHILE, CZECH REPUBLIC, EGYPT, GERMANY, HONDURAS, HONG KONG, INDIA, ISRAEL, JORDAN, LIBYA, MACEDONIA, MEXICO, MONTENEGRO, MOROCCO, NETHERLANDS, NIGERIA, PORTUGAL, RWANDA, SWAZILAND, UNITED KINGDOM, WEST BANK - September 24, 2009. 27 visitors for the “Promoting Tolerance Through the Arts” program hope to examine art education and artistic expression by community arts organizations. They will partake in Philadelphia’s diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds to explore innovative art programs that promote tolerance and multicultural understanding.

AUSTRALIA, BAHRAIN, BRAZIL, EGYPT, ISRAEL, JORDAN. KENYA, MALAYSIA, MONTENEGRO, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA, PHILIPPINES, SAUDI ARABIA, SINGAPORE, SRI LANKA, TURKEY - September 22, 2009 to September 25, 2009. The 18 participants for the “Grassroots Democracy” project will meet with Constitution High School, the National Constitution Center, WHYY, and the Center for Community Partnership to discuss the impact of grassroots organizations. The group will also study free press coverage of grassroots issues and civic education to American youth.

IRAQ - June 14, 2009 to June 17, 2009. Nine guests arrived in Philadelphia to look at “Combating International Crime." While in the U.S., they examined the U.S. criminal justice system and reviewed how its principles are applied to the investigation and prosecution of international crime; as well as major international crime issues in the U.S. Additionally, they discussed the roles, responsibilities, and cooperative efforts of key law enforcement institutions at the international, federal, state and local levels.

UNITED KINGDOM - September 20, 2009 to September 23, 2009. The three visitors from the United Kingdom will develop contacts with Philadelphia and Harrisburg counterparts and hope to understand the U.S. political process. The visitors will also explore domestic and foreign policy; and experience U.S. pluralism and diversity.

BAHRAIN, BANGLEDESH, BURMA, CHILE, EL SALVADOR, ESTONIA, HONDURAS, INDIA, INDONESIA, ISRAEL, JAMAICA, JORDAN, KENYA, NETHERLANDS, NICARAGUA, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, POLAND, ROMANIA, SINGAPORE, SLOVAK REPUBLIC, SRI LANKA, SWAZILAND, SYRIA, TANZANIA, TRINIDAD and TOBAGO, TURKMENISTAN, ZIMBABWE - September 10, 2009 to September 12, 2009. The 28 participants will visit Rutgers University - National Institute for Early Childhood Education Research and attend Philadelphia area schools that will include a classroom visit, lunch with students, and meetings with administrators as part of the “Early Childhood Education” program.

ROMANIA - September 9, 2009 - September 12, 2009. One visitor from Romania will review the preservation and management of "Arts and Culture" while in the Philadelphia. He will also explore how cultural heritage and preservation may be used to revitalize urban areas and promoting cross-cultural understanding and dialogue.

CHILE – September 3, 2009 to September 6, 2009. Four Chilean visitors hope to visit the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Franklin Institute, and the National Constitution Center to research the storing of exhibits, public relations, and audience participation.

FRANCE - September 2, 2009 to September 6, 2009. The visitor from France will be participating in a farm to table tour of dairy production in Lancaster, PA.

JAPAN - August 27, 2009 to August 30, 2009. A Monitor for the Japan Self Defense Forces will attend Philadelphia to examine peace and security protocols.

Prospective appointments include the Office of Defense Conversion, Philadelphia Naval Base, and the Willow Grove Air Force base.

ALGERIA - August 14, 2009. Four visitors studied “American Libraries: American Corners Management. The visitors analyzed the role American libraries play in building a strong democratic society. They also learned how university libraries support research and information flow and explored American life and culture. They met with representatives from the Free Library of Philadelphia to learn about the role of volunteers and the libraries community programs.

TAIWAN - August 13, 2009 to August 15, 2009. One guest from Taiwan researched “U.S. Political Systems and Elections” while in Philadelphia. He met with several Temple University, Department of Political Science faculty to discuss the oversight, regulation and administration of the election process. He also had the opportunity to meet with a former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to discuss running political campaigns and implementing strategies and tactics for empowering voters.

TURKEY - August 11, 2009 to August 14, 2009. The Turkish visitor sought to “Strengthen Individual Rights and Equal Justice” by meeting with the Philadelphia U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the ACLU of Pennsylvania. The guest also attended professional appointments in Harrisburg with the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

INDONESIA - August 7, 2009 to August 8, 2009. Two guests explored "T.V. Broadcast Journalism" during their visit to Philadelphia. The Indonesian

guests examined current and potential contributions of television broadcast journalism towards the forming of informed citizenry and its role as a medium that influences and reflects a diverse and democratic society. The visitors also sought to understand the rights and responsibilities of broadcast journalist.

CHINA - July 16, 2009 to July 21, 2009. Three visitors researched ways to expose China's remote provinces and ethnic minorities to international practices and

standards for "Labor Law in a Market Economy. The participants met with the AFL/CIO Philadelphia Council to foster the development of NGO's to provide migrant worker rights protection and public service.

ECUADOR - July 15, 2009 to July 18, 2009. The Director of Education, Culture, and Sports Directorate from Ecuador sought information on "Education Administration and Curriculum Development." The guest visited both Philadelphia and Harrisburg to explore education administration applicable to elementary through the high school levels, the effectiveness of teacher evaluation processes, and an evaluation methodology for curricular design.

BANGLADESH, BRAZIL, EGYPT, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, KENYA, KOSOVO, LEBANON, LESOTHO, MEXICO, NEPAL, NIGERIA, PANAMA, PHILIPPINES, SIERRA LEONE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, TUNISIA, TURKEY, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, WEST BANK, ZIMBABWE - July 2, 2009 to July 5, 2009. A twenty- four participant group from twenty one countries investigated issues of “Women and Entrepreneurship” while in the U.S. Philadelphia program included their final evaluation day, enriched with a tour of the National Constitution Center and July 4th activities.

BRAZIL - June 9, 2009 to June 10, 2009. Ten participants representing Brazilian energetic sector were in Philadelphia under a program theme “Abraceel-Electric Energy Traders." All guests were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.

UNITED KINGDOM - June 6, 2009 to June 10, 2009. Metropolitan Police Service Officer visited the U.S. to explore the diversity of the American culture and its variety of ethnic, religious, linguistic and racial groups and examine the concepts of democracy, pluralism, tolerance and volunteerism as components of civic life in the U.S. He learned about U.S. policies on immigration, refugees and citizenship and how the various segments of society, such as special interest groups, can influence public policy and investigate public and private-sector programs that facilitate the integration of immigrants into American society.

BURKINA FASO, CHAD, GHANA, KENYA, MADAGASCAR, MALI, MOZAMBIQUE, NAMIBIA, NIGER, NIGERIA, SENEGAL, TANZANIA - May 15, 2009 to May 17, 2009. Fourteen visitors arrived in Philadelphia to study “Religious Freedom and Interfaith Dialogue”. They had a tour of Philadelphia historic houses of worship, visited the National Constitution Center and Christ Church.

WEST BANK - April 29, 2009 to May 1, 2009. Six participants arrived in Philadelphia under a program theme "Combating Violence against Women". They were looking at NGO and municipal partnerships to combat violence and Muslim-American women’s groups. The guests also attended IVC’s 55th Annual Meeting Reception.

UKRAINE – April 23, 2009 to April 25, 2009. A five-participant group explored current trends and challenges in preparing law students for the practice, including interactive teaching methodologies, practical skills education requirements and accreditation standards, among many. They came here under a program theme “Legal Education Reform’.

UNITED KINGDOM - April 23, 2009 – April 25, 2009. Four guests came to Philadelphia to study aspects of "Youth Leadership". The issues of interest were youth crime and violence, prevention for at-risk youth and faith-based/interfaith projects, among many.

ROMANIA – April 15, 2009 to April 18, 2009. Two participants examined “American Corners: Libraries as Partners for Public Diplomacy” while in Philadelphia. They visited Drexel University’s School, Philadelphia Library for the Blind, and Library Company of Philadelphia, among many.

THAILAND – April 10, 2009 to April 12, 2009. Two guests studied “Religious and Ethnic Diversity in the U.S.” While in Philadelphia they explored historic roots of freedom of religion at the National Constitution Center, visited the Amish country and attended other activities.

IRAQ – April 1, 2009 to April 4, 2009. Ten educators arrived in Philadelphia to study operations of university English-language programs in teaching philosophy and approach. They examined the role of American studies and cultural programs in ESL/EFL classes. All participants came to the U.S. under program theme “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages”.

IRAQ - March 26, 2009 to March 31, 2009. A nine-participant group studied “Interfaith Dialogue” while in Philadelphia. During their stay they gained knowledge on secular vs. religious education; democratic values and civic engagement; religious freedom as a civil liberty; religious observations and traditions. A weekend day trip to Lancaster County, PA was arranged to allow the visitors to interact with the Amish community there.

RUSSIA – March 21, 2009 to March 24, 2009. A twelve- participant group of educators arrived in Philadelphia to get a broad exposure to “U.S. History and Culture through Language Assessment”. They explored cultural, political, and economic approaches top the teaching and testing of American culture with the focus on methodology, teaching strategy, source materials and bibliographies, among many.

FRANCE – March 18, 2009 to March 21, 2009.Two guests came to the U.S. under a program theme ”Pluralism and Democracy in the U.S.”. The participants had opportunities to examine the topics in areas of U.S. Immigration, Civil Rights and Equality, Providing Opportunities for at-risk Youth, and many more.

SWAZILAND – March 5, 2009 to March 8, 2009. Four guests examined the issues referring to “The Legislative Process in the U.S.”. They also addressed themes ensuring the Public Trust: Transparency and Accountability in Government as well as Civic Education.

PAKISTAN – March 3, 2009 to March 6, 2009. Six educators and religious community leaders examined various aspects of the U.S. education system. They came to Philadelphia under program theme “Elementary and Secondary School religious and Secular Education”.

TAIWAN – May 28, 2009 to May 30, 2009. Three experienced prosecutors interested in learning about ways to use to financial paper trails to investigate and prosecute these types of crimes visited Philadelphia for two days. They met with federal, state, and local judges and prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, financial regulators, and private stakeholders. They came here under the auspices of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program themed “Law Enforcement: Financial Crimes and the U.S. Legal System”.

AFGHANISTAN, BAHRAIN, FINLAND, GEORGIA, GHANA, IRAQ, ITALY, KAZAKHSTAN, KENYA, LEBANON, MEXICO, MONTENEGRO, OMAN, QATAR, RUSSIA, SRI LANKA, SURINAME - May 21, 2009 to May 24, 2009. Twenty guests came to Philadelphia to explore issues of “Cultural Heritage Preservation”. They had tours of Independence Hall and Liberty Bell and learned about the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

ARGENTINA – February 25, 2009 to February 27, 2009. Seventeen guests from “Fundacion Universitaria del Rio de la Plata” ( FURP), a private, non profit organization created for young Argentine professionals to promote non-biased, non-partisan dialogue on political , economic, and social issues to create young responsible leaders from all political parties. While in the U.S., the participants were provided with direct exposure to U.S. social, economic, and political processes, and, at the same time, to strengthen institutional linkages between U.S. and Argentine institutions.

IRELAND - January 22, 2009 - January 25, 2009. One guest from Ireland visited Philadelphia to look at Federalism and the U.S. Government, and Pennsylvania as a swing state.

BELGIUM – January 16, 2008 to 18, 2008, a member of the Cabinet of the Vice President of the European Commission visited Philadelphia and attended President – Elect Obama’s events.

ALGERIA, EGYPT, IRAQ, JORDAN, MOROCCO, SAUDI ARABIA, TUNISIA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES & WEST BANK – January 14, 2009 to January 17,

2009. Sixteen visitors from nine countries were looking at “Grassroots Civic Engagement” as an important tool in the promotion of responsible and informed civil society, promoting the peaceful participation of citizens in democratic processes.

ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, CHILE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, HONDURAAS, MEXICO, PERU, URUGUAY & VENEZUELA - January 16, 2009 to January 21, 2009. Thirteen delegates from ten countries observed “U.S. Political System: Transition to a New Administration” while in the U.S.. Specifically, they examined transition’s impact in Eastern Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia and watched the Presidential Inauguration.

BRAZIL – January 21, 2009 to January 24, 2009. Ten guests representing the Institute of Historic and Cultural Patrimony came to Philadelphia to establish cooperation ties that will lead to an increased collaboration and exchange among prestigious cultural institutions in Brazil and in the U.S.

NIGERIA – February 3, 2009. Three visitors representing Voluntary Visitor program for the Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF) arrived in Philadelphia under the program theme “Art Preservation”. They focused on art conservation/storage, preservation, and cultural development around the foundation’s art collection. Furthermore, they discussed linkages with other museums; and information on organization workshops, seminar and research studies to assist with the foundation’s future publications.

AFRICA REGIONAL PROJECT: ANGOLA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, ETHIOPIA, GAMBIA, GHANA, LIBERIA, MALAWI, NAMIBIA, NIGERIA, SOUTH AFRICA & TANZANIA – January 25, 2009 to January 29, 2009. A group of twelve visitors from eleven countries were exploring “Transparency and Good Governance” issues.