Meridian International Center

Programs: Introduction to meridian:meridian international center seeks to advance u. S. Prosperity and security by promoting mutual understanding, cooperation and collaboration with leaders from around the world. These leaders include representatives of government, the private sector and civil society. Through sharing of best practices, capacity building and exchange leaders from the us and abroad can forge better solutions to global challenges, overcome barriers and unlock economic potential. Meridian accomplishes its goals though programs including leadership exchanges, trade missions, conferences and seminars, cultural activities and education. International visitor leadership program (ivlp):for more than 60 years, meridian has been a principal partner in implementing the international visitor leadership program (ivlp), which is the u. S. Department of state's premier professional exchange program. Working with the bureau of educational and cultural affairs, meridian administers roughly one third of all ivlp projects annually, introducing to the u. S. Approximately 1,500 emerging leaders from fields including government, politics, media, education, and the judiciary among other sectors. Efforts include designing and developing program content, introducing american culture and managing logistics. Program topics are diverse and, during 2017, included journalism, terrorism/countering violent extremism, entrepreneurship, women leaders, education, ngo management, energy, environment, health, and youth. The year's highlights featured multi-regional projects focused on democratic transitions in the u. S. Political system, our planet urban sustainability: resilient cities, marginalized populations and health care, disaster preparedness, global health: building capacity, new and traditional broadcast media, u. S. Foreign policy: energy security, tourism and economic development, youth: inspiring leadership and civic participation, u. S. Foreign policy: the decision-making process, ngos and civic activism, women and justice, accountability in government, and strong cities network. Meridian's alumni include 175 former and current heads of state.

customized exchange programs:meridian partners with the department of state, u. S. Embassies, local and international non-governmental organizations, foreign governments, and private sector organizations to deliver customized exchange and training programs that educate and develop rising leaders from around the world. Through 120 customized programs, the goal is to provide opportunities for participants to interact with u. S. Counterparts, learn from mentors and return home to make an impact in local business, political and social sectors. The programs also seek to benefit american counterparts through exposure to international leaders and economic relationships. During fiscal 2017, nearly 1,000 leaders from throughout the world travelled to the u. S. To meet, train and learn from u. S. Counterparts. Programs included targeted training, fellowship placements, reporting tours, online platforms for networking, and follow-up activities. Highlights include the young leaders of the americas initiative professional fellows program with over 250 entrepreneurs from latin america and the caribbean placed in fellowships through the u. S. In over 24 cities; the afghan diplomat training program for 15-early-career diplomats, and the pan african youth leadership program focusing on leadership development for 150 high school students from sub-saharan africa.

cultural diplomacy programs:through its center for cultural diplomacy, meridian provides a platform for domestic and international audiences to learn about nations and cultures around the world. Through art exhibitions, exchanges and events that bridge cultural divides, worldwide coordination with embassies, ministries of culture, museums, collectors and artists have facilitated exhibitions in over 380 host venues in 44 u. S. States and 57 countries. These exhibits promote partnership, dialogue and cultural understanding among participants and include panel discussions, lectures and film screenings in concert with traditional museum and gallery experiences. Other efforts promote community outreach and engagement through visual and performing arts. Major programs during 2017 included a u. S. -japan baseball diplomacy exhibition and two exhibitions for the u. S. -embassy in ottawa, canada celebrating 150 years of diplomatic relations between the united states and canada. Other exhibitions under development in 2017 included a major retrospective on two-centuries of u. S. -thai relations, as displayed in gifts exchanged between the thai royal monarch and u. S. Presidents. In addition, meridian's cultural office organized mural arts exchanges in nigeria and the dominican republic, hip hop exchanges in morocco, azerbaijan, and egypt, and two circus arts exchanges to turkmenistan. Cultural programs include meridian's annual chinese lunar new year celebration with the embassy of the people's republic of china as well as a speaker series to complement the display of the baseball diplomacy exhibition. Meridian's cultural office continues to diversify its offerings with both the public and private sectors and remains a vital partner for the u. S. Government in developing programs to support u. S. Foreign policy goals.