Omani delegate Sarah Al-Sharji and her host Debbie Melnik .

Both programs take place in Virginia and Washington, D.C. and include an American homestay experience.  Homestay  hosting play a critical role in the overall experience of international delegates and offer many benefits to host families.

LFP hosting dates:  October 9 – 14  (5 nights)

Kyrgyz Women hosting dates:  October 20 – 28 (8 nights)

If you think you might be interested in getting involved or know someone who you think might be interested in hosting, please complete the Host Family Application or contact Innocentia Afa at 434-942-6143.

The Legislative Fellows Program links legislators from the U.S. with politically-minded professionals from  the Arabian Gulf countries of Kuwait and Oman.  Following their immersion program in Congressional offices in Washington, DC, the 13 delegates will visit the Lynchburg-Bedford-Roanoke area for six days to learn about local government in Virginia.

The Kyrgyz Women’s Leadership Development program will train community leaders, educators and youth workers working in grassroots organizations for women in the Kyrgyz Republic. Twelve women will participate in training in Southern Virginia, and then travel to Washington, DC for their final week.

Since 2007, a group of high school students has been selected annually to learn intensive Arabic and be immersed in the culture of Morocco. In this photo, the 19 students selected for the 2010 program pose with their teacher in front of the majestic and famous Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.

The 19 U.S. students who participated in Legacy’s Arabic Language Institute returned home from their six-week program  inspired to continue their study of Arabic and North African Culture.

One student wrote to us to say: “Hello. My name is Spencer. I just returned from Morocco on an ALI scholarship. I just wanted to say that it was the best experience of my life, and I would like to thank you for making it happen. I have made strong connections with Moroccans, and my proficiency in both Darija and Fousha inspire me to learn even more. Thank you. I would love to immerse myself in the Moroccan culture and Arabic languagefor a longer span of time. Morocco is my homeland! Once again thank you for organizing this program.

Two of our students, Wade Allen and Connor Gilbert, enjoy holding babies at an orphanage as part of their community service project in Marrakech..

Morocco has been at the crossroad of many religions. Moroccan Jews have been one of the oldest communities in that region. This is a group photo with the Rabbi of one of the oldest synagogues in Marrakesh. This visit is part of the long series of ALI Moroccan cultural immersion presentations.

Our students, Mo, Salman, Catherine, pose with one of their Moroccan host brothers. In this photo, they have just finished learning how to write their names in the ancient art of Arabic calligraphy from a master calligrapher.

The Delegation from Batam, Riau Island Province:

Qistina Satriavi Yusuf
Her nickname is Qisty. She is 16 years old and a Muslim. She was born in Padang, West Sumatra. Her family moved to Batam Island about two years ago because of an earthquake that occurred in her hometown. She lives with her extended family: a brother and sister, a cousin and her grand mother. Her father is a businessman and her mother is a housewife. She is studying at SMAN 1 Batam, a public state high school. Her favorite subjects are biology and art. Biology is fascinating to her, especially the structure and function of humans, plants and animals.

She loves reading novels and comic books, drawing and painting. She also loves listening to all kinds of music. In her free time she works as a reporter for a local newspaper where she increases her skill in writing while earning a small sum of money. She also spends time with her friends, going to the library to read or to the Mosque for prayer. She is interested in hiking in the mountains In the US, she wants to visit the White House and an amusement park like Disneyland, and meet new friends. Her future goal is to be a doctor.

Ferry Fhrans Valentinus
His nickname is Ferry and he is 15 years old. His family is Christian and Bataknese, the native ethnic group of North Sumatra. He was born and raised in Batam, a small island bordering with Singapore.  He is a student of SMAN 1 Batam, a public state school. His hobbies are reading books and writing short fiction stories. At school, Ferry is a member of the student choir, English debate club and scouting. He has received several academic achievements in science, math and English competitions. He loves learning foreign languages; besides learning English he also studies French, Japanese and German. He wants to be a doctor and continue his study at Oxford University.

TEACHER: Mr. Africelli
Africelli goes by the nickname of ‘Celi’. He is an English teacher at SMAN 1 Batam, a public state high school. He was born and raised in a Minangkabau family, the native ethnic group of West Sumatra. He moved to Batam after he finished his undergraduate study.  A single man, he has traveled to both Singapore and Malaysia. Celi is the secretary of the Batam English Teacher Association, an elementary school teacher trainer, as well as an advisor to the debate club. The local government of Batam hires Celi as an interpreter when foreign visitors come to Batam.

He is active at his Mosque and has received awards in the martial arts (Karate), singing and English speech. He has a personal library of over one thousand books, which he is very proud of. He shares his library with the local community, neighbors and students. This is a valuable service as libraries are very rare in rural communities in Indonesia. His hobbies are listening to all types of music, travelling and photography.  He had a band in his hometown and used to play the bass. In the US, he would like to observe the teaching process in an American school and the implementation of democracy in daily life.

For more information about the Indonesian Youth Leadership Program (IYLP) and to read more profiles, visit the IYLP page.

Sarah with Congressman John Conyers (D-MI)

It’s barely been 2 weeks since I got back to Oman, but it feels a lot longer already, just as it felt when we were in DC. Participating in the the Legislative Fellows Program has been the experience of a lifetime for me.

In the span of one month I feel I have acquired a wealth of knowledge in so many different aspects. But the one thing that struck me the most was the hospitality extended to us by Legacy. Having participated in another State Department program before, I really felt the difference with the program administrators this time around. You have humbled us with your hospitality and kindness and that is probably the biggest thing I take back with me to Oman. Mr Rash, I congratulate you on this wonderful organization which you established and wish you continued success in all your endevours.

In a bit of news of how we made use of our time in D.C., Riyadh and I managed to set up a training program with our contacts at the Commercial Law Development Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which will be taking place on Monday and Tuesday this week at our ministry. We’re excited that it has come together so quickly and are grateful for the time we had in D.C. to put this together. If there’s one thing we did right, we certainly did a lot of networking!

Sarah’s three week fellowship was in the office of Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

A leader in education reform in rural Georgia, Nanuli was particularly impressed with her visit to the Burton Center for Arts and Technology in Roanoke, Virginia.   She decided to duplicate this model in her school, as the idea of vocational education is a new concept for her region.

Educational reformers in Georgia are prioritizing the decentralization of secondary schools. As part of this process, schools around Georgia now have independently elected school boards and directors. Schools are allowed to manage their own budgets and generate income from other activities. A central component of the decentralization is that it enables local communities to play a greater role in the function of their schools.

Nanuli and her fellow delegates are from the mountainous communities of the Keda and Khelvachauri districts of the Adjara Autonomous Republic in the Republic of Georgia.  Each delegate returned home with tool and innovative plans for improving their education system and empowering local community members to participate in the education system.

Opening the new vocational center at the Kakhaberi Public School

Israeli and Palestinian youth on stage at the Global Youth Village in 1985

In 1985 and 1986 Legacy trained Israeli Jewish, Arab, and Palestinian youths from Jerusalem, an Israeli kibbutz, and the city of Akko, in leadership and dialogue skills.  These young leaders travelled around the US to summer camps, including Legacy’s Global Youth Village, to share their perspectives with American teens. (That documentary “Planting Seeds for Peace” aired on the Discovery Channel.)

In 1987 these young leaders were interviewed for the “Time for Understanding” documentary.  Twenty five years later, these adults are now in their 40’s and are professionals making a positive difference in their communities.

One Legacy Alumni is a district attorney of Jerusalem, having served in the Israeli Army as a Captain. Another is a director of a modern Palestinian city in Ramallah that is being developed. A third alumni is a successful businessman with his own oil and gas company. A fourth is an orthopedic surgeon, while another is a speech therapist working with children in Jerusalem.

Legacy will be returning to the region to interview these social innovators and completing the “Time for Understanding”documentary.  Using flashback, the video will examine the directions their lives took, the forces and factors affecting their attitudes since they participated in dialogue activities in the US, and to share their current attitudes and hopes for the future.

Thank you Bright Images for helping us take the first step toward completing this powerful documentary.

Talal and Riyadh participated in a lively discussion on “Grassroots/Youth Engagement in Politics and civil Society” led by Jeremy Bird, Deputy Director of Organizing for America, a grassroots organization that works to build support for president Obama’s policy initiatives.  Talal shared his views of how to sustain youth involvement in Kuwait through inter-generational programs and Riyadh shared his experience using social media to promote civic involvement in Oman.  To read more about the fellows experiences in the U.S. visit the LFP Fellows blog .

Legacy International, in partnership with AMIDEAST, conducted an open merit based competition for fellows in Kuwait and Oman. We received over 100 applications and interviewed 40 people for the 20 finalist positions. Finalist bios have been posted.

The Spring delegation to the US include four from Oman and two from Kuwait. The Fall delegation will include fourteen total (six from Oman and eight from Kuwait).

This two-year program is designed to strengthen mutual understanding of the legislative or policy-making processes in the U.S. and Gulf region countries and enhance appreciation of the role of civil society engagement.

Asel Kuttubaeva hosts a dinner at her home. Asel participated in Legacy's program on civic education and responsible governance in Central Asia

Legacy staff Leila Baz and Khaled Hassouna traveled to Kyrgyzstan last month to interveiw finalists for the Kyrgyz Women’s Leadership Development and NGO Capacity – Building Program.

The project is designed to positively impact emerging professionals (community leaders, political leaders, educators, and youth workers), and to strengthen grassroots organizations.

Twelve Kyrgyz women and eight U.S. delegates comprise the initial exchange groups.  Kyrgyz finalist were selected and will travel to the U.S. later this year.

While in Bishkek, Leila and Khaled also reconnected with alumni from several previous regional programs.

The city of Osh is getting ready for Nourz, the first day of Spring. A yurt is being put up near the main square in the city.