Past State Alumni Members of the Month
January 2010
Nestor Tedesco (Argentina)
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – For many young students in Argentina, participating in one of Fulbright alumnus Nestor Tedesco’s youth orchestras encourages them to embrace new opportunities and to avoid dangerous activities, such as crime or drugs. Tedesco felt the profound impact of commitment to community service during his Fulbright exchange in the United States. Upon returning to his native Argentina and re-energized by his Fulbright experience, Tedesco decided to dedicate his time to providing music education to Argentina’s underprivileged youth. In 1998, with the support of the Buenos Aires city government and talented pianist Claudio Espector, Tedesco undertook a project known as the Zonas de Accion Prioritaria (ZAP) Program (Priority Action Zones Program), to teach children and teenagers in the city’s poorest neighborhoods to play in orchestras. Today, Tedesco and his colleagues have grown the ZAP Program to include some 2,000 students in 17 orchestras across Argentina. In addition to his deep commitment to youth advocacy and music education, Tedesco is a professional musician and active Fulbright alumnus.
Tedesco is a professional cello soloist in the permanent orchestra of the renowned Colon Theater in Buenos Aires. He has performed in some of the most prestigious halls in Argentina, as well as worldwide with the ensembles of the Broadway musical “Forever Tango” and “Bocca Tango.” Since 1993, Tedesco also has been a cello professor in the Department of Sonic Arts and Music at the National Art Institute University (IUNA), the Conservatory of the City, and the Alicia Terzian Contemporary Music Group.
Tedesco studied cellist repertoire while participating in a Fulbright Foreign Student Program in 1999 and 2000 with accomplished cellist Savely Schuster, took classes with master cellist and founder of the Beaux Arts Trio, Bernard Greenhouse, and studied chamber music at Boston’s New England Conservatory.
“I think of life as an accumulation of experiences, negative, positive, some inconsequential, many useful, and very few others that simply shape our minds in a permanent way and establish an aspect of our behavior from that point forward,” Tedesco said. “I think, ten years later, that the experience of having been a Fulbright scholar belongs to this last type of experiences, and each day with more conviction my exchange experience orients my actions.”
Tedesco founded and works with several student ensembles in addition to the ZAP Program youth orchestras. Tedesco also regularly works with the ZAP Program's Villa 31 orchestra, which has received wide recognition for its musical and social achievements, as well as its performance as an opening act at the Queen concert in Buenos Aires in November 2008. In addition to teaching students, Tedesco since 2004 has also trained music teachers across Argentina on how to start youth orchestras in their local areas, which has multiplied the effect of his efforts.
Tedesco is an active alumnus, who regularly participates in U.S. Embassy and Fulbright Commission events in Buenos Aires. In 2008, he was invited by the U.S. Embassy to perform, along with his Villa 31 orchestra, with visiting American violinist and Grammy winner Joshua Bell. Tedesco has organized and led tours for Argentine alumni through the prestigious Colon Theater, where he regularly performs. Seeking to collaborate with other alumni musicians, Tedesco is exploring ways to include English Access Microscholarship students and alumni in his music clinics and performances.
Tedesco has encouraged international linkages among musicians and provided young musicians with professional and academic opportunities. For example, he arranged a visit by music teachers from Concord University, whom he met while on exchange, to play with the ZAP Program's Villa 31 and the Villa Lugano orchestras. Currently, the Concord University professors and Tedesco are working to secure a U.S. university scholarship for one of Tedesco’s star students. He also worked with the Dutch Embassy in Buenos Aires and the Peter van Tilburg Talent Foundation to offer four university scholarships to his students. Tedesco credits his Fulbright experience for motivating him to pursue opportunities for others and to encourage mutual international understanding.
“Beyond the practical aspects of professional experience, we recognize [through exchanges] different points of view in order to understand and employ them, we learn, and we learn how to learn in order to teach, and finally, we feel solidarity in the first person and discover that this is an essential element of human construction,” noted Tedesco. “I believe that all of this was encompassed in my Fulbright experience.”
December 2009
Dr. István Sértő-Radics (Hungary)
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Hailing from a remote Hungarian village on what is now the eastern border of the European Union (EU), Dr. István Sértő-Radics has led a career of exceptional public service. An alumnus of both the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program and the Fulbright Visiting Scholar program, his service has evolved from family doctor, to small town mayor, to EU representative.
Sértő-Radics first came to the United States in 1991 to study public health at Johns Hopkins University through the Humphrey program. One thing Sértő-Radics took away from his experience was the idea of professional independence, which led him to leave the Hungarian hospital where he was working at the time and start his own practice as a family doctor. Later, Sértő-Radics entered the field of public health and then went on to become mayor of the small, ethnically diverse village of Uszka, a ninety percent ethnic Roma village located in one of the most impoverished regions in Hungary, where he saw he could make a positive difference.
As mayor of Uszka, he initially faced death threats from members of the community for his efforts to house a group of displaced Roma who had been evicted by a Hungarian landlord in a neighboring town. Ultimately, however, Sértő-Radics’ programs succeeded in ameliorating poverty and overcoming ethnic tensions in Uszka. In 1998, he received the prestigious European Union - United States Democracy and Civil Society Award for his work with the Roma population in his village.
In 2002, Sértő-Radics returned to the United States as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of Mississippi to research ways to resolve racial tensions. Through his scholarship, which included archival research and 110 interviews with mayors, municipal officials, educational administrators, church leaders, business leaders, and health care providers in the Mississippi Delta, Sértő-Radics explored race relations between blacks and whites, which he applied to circumstances between ethnic Roma and ethnic Hungarians in his village of Uszka.
Sértő-Radics concluded that while discrimination persists in the United States, steps to promote integration have paid off. He noted how churches and non-governmental organizations soothed tensions in multi-racial communities and the important role of education and political representation in multi-racial communities. Sértő-Radics took these lessons home with him and continued his work to improve his community through employment and educational programs.
Based on observations of one after-school program in a small town in Mississippi, Sértő-Radics started a similar fifth to eighth grade educational course. “The most inexpensive, effective and sustainable program was the organization of after school activities where I used my American experience," Sértő-Radics said.
Sértő-Radics also volunteered to host American Fulbrighters in Uszka and inspired the alumni community in Hungary to follow his example of community service. Sértő-Radics is credited with creating a real public spirit by helping to integrate the Roma population into the greater community. Through housing, employment, and education programs, he has improved the lives of people in Uszka and the region.
Since Hungary’s accession to the European Union in 2004, Sértő-Radics has been a member and the head of the Hungarian delegation to the EU Committee of Regions (CoR), an assembly made up of regional and local officials from throughout the EU. He was later elected vice president of CoR and president of the Commission for External Relations.
In addition to his career in the EU, Sértő-Radics continues to reside and practice medicine in one of the most underdeveloped parts of his country. He has been instrumental in developing and implementing community service projects through which he serves as an advocate of minority and human rights.
November 2009
S.M. Fahad Bin Kamal (Bangladesh)
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S.M. Fahad Bin Kamal, a 2004-2005 Youth Exchange and Study (YES) alumnus, is a community organizer in Bangladesh who is in his final year of undergraduate study. As the current president and one of the founders of YES Alumni Bangladesh, Kamal has arranged over a dozen community service projects throughout Bangladesh, including clothing drives, blood donation events, and cyclone relief efforts. YES Alumni Bangladesh is one of the most active youth service associations in the region, and Kamal strives to continue expanding its membership and scope throughout Bangladesh.
During his YES program, Kamal studied at Milford High School in New Hampshire. There he earned recognition in many club activities including the indoor track team, future business leaders association, and marketing association. As a devout Muslim, he fondly remembers his Unitarian host family, who included him in its routine activities. This experience showed him some of the many denominations of Christianity in the United States, akin to Muslims around the world who also practice and understand their faith in different ways. When asked about his YES experience, Kamal said, “That single year integrally changed my perspective on life. The YES program is a platform that helped me gain leadership skills, broadened my vision, and made me aware of my responsibilities.”
After returning to Bangladesh in 2005, Kamal founded YES Alumni Bangladesh with other members of his cohort and was appointed president; since then, he has been reelected four years running. Inspired by his YES experience in the United States and recognizing different community needs in Bangladesh, Kamal continues to draw ideas from the his surroundings to create quality service projects.
“Bangladesh has a huge population of 150 million people. Due to job scarcity, many people migrate to the capital [Dhaka] looking for work. Their average daily earning is less than a dollar. My motivation for starting YES Alumni Bangladesh was to do something beneficial for these migrant workers. By fulfilling our social responsibility, we can also create awareness,” Kamal said.
The first YES Alumni Bangladesh project, in 2005, was a clothing drive in Rayer Bazar, a slum of Dhaka where many migrant workers have taken residence. Association members worked with the National Federation of Youth Organization of Bangladesh and iEARN-BD, the Bangladesh program agency of YES, to collect and distribute over 400 pieces of clothing. The 2009 clothing drive, now underway, has already collected over 800 pieces of clothing and now accepts lightly-used blankets.
Kamal has found unique ways to team up with the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka to bring global awareness to youth service activities taking place throughout Bangladesh, including speaking to Bangladeshis this year about his exchange experience during America Week. He also brought collaboration between YES Alumni Bangladesh and the U.S. Embassy to deliver relief aid in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr in 2007. Shortly after his exchange program, Kamal attended the U.S. Department of State’s “Diversity and Tolerance Symposium” in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, an event for South and Central Asian alumni of the YES and Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) programs, two U.S. Department of State exchange programs focused on youth leadership. As one of four representatives from Bangladesh, Kamal discussed YES Alumni Bangladesh’s projects with alumni, heard about other alumni’s experiences, and parlayed these stories into a blood drive project held at the Red Crescent Society’s Bangladesh Mohammadpur Centre. This blood drive has now become an annual event for YES Alumni Bangladesh with donations increasing each year. Kamal has also led teams of YES alumni at conferences in India and the U.S., including the July 2009 YES Alumni Conference in Washington, D.C.
Kamal is a strong proponent of bringing people together to achieve great things. As president of YES Alumni Bangladesh, he not only encourages members to collaborate with one another, but also to take leadership positions as project coordinators and to contribute ideas. “As YES Alumni, we work as a team to maintain coordination among us, and we all believe in hard work. As a result, in this four year journey, we have been able to stand strong with huge accomplishments and great admiration from others.”
Kamal is now in his final year of at the North South University in Bangladesh, pursuing a bachelor of business administration in human resource management. He continues to split his time between school and YES alumni activities. When asked about his rigorous schedule, Kamal explained, “I believe we all came in this world to fulfill a certain mission. My mission is to stand next to humanity. The YES program taught us to take the lead. To make society a better place, it falls to young people to take up this responsibility and change their world.”
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Otiende Amollo
Otiende Amollo is a 2007 alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Having dedicated his life to promoting and educating the Kenyan public about human rights, civil liberties, and fair democratic rights, he is equally adept at explaining Kenyan constitutional law to U.S. Senators as he is securing better legal protection for HIV/AIDS patients. Amollo’s exchange program focused on U.S. foreign policy and human rights and took him to diverse places in the United States including Washington, D.C.; New York; Atlanta; Seattle; and New Orleans. Amollo credits the IVLP experience with having a profound impact on his professional career: “My exchange program gave me a very meaningful insight to the workings of American democracy.”
In March 2009, Amollo was appointed by President (and fellow IVLP alumnus) Mwai Kibaki to rewrite the constitution of Kenya. When discussing this task, Amollo said that his IVLP experience, “is helping me design what is helpful for Kenya. It also helped me understand coexistence in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious community. It was a real lesson on how to diffuse the tribal divisions that exist in Kenya.” Of the nine committee members, six are Kenyans and three are international experts. The committee was given 12 months to rewrite the constitution after which time it will be referred to the country for a vote. As an active supporter of the alumni community in Kenya, Amollo engages in discussions organized by alumni and offers his opinions and expertise. He is constantly in demand by the international community to give direction on legal matters. Amollo is a natural-born leader who works to defend fellow Kenyans in the court of law, by providing direction and assistance on legal matters.
Amollo frequently receives invitations to serve as a researcher, participant, and presenter at human rights and constitutional law discourse sessions in Kenya and around the world. When President Barack Obama visited Kenya in 2006 as a senator, Amollo met with him to provide his expert opinion on the Kenyan legal system before the former senator’s lecture at the University of Nairobi. Amollo’s meeting with the future U.S. President is just one example of his readiness to engage guests to Kenya one-on-one. This personal level of engagement has allowed members of the international community to have a better understanding of Kenya. Being an active and accomplished alumnus, Amollo is a role model for the younger Kenyan alumni and often engages them during alumni gatherings.
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As a legal advocate, Amollo dedicates his time to doing pro-bono work for underprivileged members of the Kenyan society. For example, he successfully represented a person afflicted with HIV/AIDS who had been dismissed from her place of work due to her health status. As a result, the court ordered the employer to compensate the victim. This was a landmark case in Kenya and a real win for the fight against the HIV/AIDS stigma in that it established the triple principles that onecannot test an employee without his or her expressed consent; one cannot disclose the test results to the employer without expressed consent; and one cannot terminate employment on account of only the employee’s HIV status. These principles are now encapsulated in the HIV Act which Amollo spearheaded and drafted, and which has finally become law.
Influenced by his late father, Amollo runs a school program for 12 orphans in his village of Chianda, located about 440 km outside of Nairobi. Through this program he pays the orphans’ school fees and opens up his country home for them to stay in. Amollo’s father freely gave his time to teach and accommodate orphans for 14 years up until his passing last year, and he has thus taken it upon himself to keep his father’s legacy alive.
Along with being an advocate of the High Court, Amollo is very active in the legal community. He has served as chairman, secretary, and council member of the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists for the past nine years as well as as secretary general, deputy secretary general, and council member of the East Africa Law Society. As a member of the Law Society of Kenya he has acted on the Committee of Legislation and Law Reform and the Committee on Constitutional Reform. Amollo is also a founding member of the All Africa Human Rights Pressure Group and he serves as a mentor for upcoming lawyers at the University of Nairobi’s Law Forum. He is currently the chairman of ActionAid-Kenya, a non-partisan, non-religious development organization that has been working in Kenya since 1972 to end injustices and poverty.
In 2003, Amollo was awarded the Antony D’zuya Leadership Award. This is an annual award given by the Young Professionals in Kenya in honor of Antony D’zuya, a young, outstanding professional and human rights activist. He has also been recognized by the Law Society of Kenya and the International Commission for his outstanding service to both organizations. He has served for many years as the editor of “The Advocate” and “The East African Lawyer,” two official journals for lawyers.
September 2009
Dana Tai Soon Burgess (United States)
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Fulbright Specialist and Cultural Envoy alumnus Dana Tai Soon Burgess uses his expertise as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher to encourage dancers and audiences alike to explore dance, and the arts more generally, as an expression of the global connections among individuals and communities. Burgess travelled as a Fulbright Specialist to Peru in 2006 and 2008. He has served as a Cultural Envoy on several occasions, including to Panama in 1999, to Peru in 2004, and to Egypt, Israel, and India in 2007. Burgess’ many exchange experiences have bolstered his belief that dance is a shared language capable of building bridges of understanding. Of his exchanges, Burgess said, "International dialogue has and continues to inform every aspect of my artistic and educational work. I search out the universal symbols which connect humanity across all cultures, through the medium of dance."
Mutual understanding and international dialogue are clear themes in Burgess’ work in academic curriculum development and at his own dance company. As chair of the Department of Theater and Dance at The George Washington University (GW), Burgess has worked with arts organizations around the world to establish new study abroad opportunities for performing arts students at GW. He is also reformulating the performing arts curriculum at GW to incorporate a deeper international perspective. In 2008, following his second Fulbright experience, Burgess worked with colleagues at the National University at San Marcos in Lima, Peru, the oldest university in the Americas, to develop its performing arts curriculum.
Burgess also incorporates the value of cultural exchange in his work as artistic director of his own dance company, Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company. A prominent Asian-American company, it is recognized for its international character, always infusing international themes to enlighten American audiences. Additionally, Burgess’ exchanges and performances around the world convey to international audiences and artists a sense of American dynamism in the arts and the importance of heritage and diversity for American artists. For example, his work "Chino Latino" explored the connection between Asian and Latino communities in the Americas. Burgess reflects, "My work as a dancer and choreographer has been enhanced by encounters with other cultures – whether similar or different. I have become convinced of the value of cultural exchange in building meaningful dance work and in transmitting that work to students, dancers and audiences."
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In addition to exploring inter-cultural themes through his professional work, Burgess is an active alumnus participating in programs in Washington, D.C. and worldwide, while regularly welcoming artists on exchange from around the world. Burgess and his company members welcomed Cultural Visitors from India to join in their classes and workshops, and he organized special events for their visit in 2006. As a result of this initial meeting, two dancers from Burgess’s company travelled to India in 2007, and then Burgess, travelling as a Cultural Envoy, along with his company travelled to India in 2008 for a residency and performance with his Indian colleagues. What’s more, after his initial trip to Peru as a Cultural Envoy, Burgess established an exchange with the National Ballet of Peru resulting in a performance at the Kennedy Center in 2005. This experience ultimately led to Burgess’ two Fulbright exchanges to Peru at the San Marcos University.
Burgess’ work has always included service to the communities where he resides and where he travels on exchange. Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company began in 1992 as a non-profit arts organization focused on education and outreach to Asian-American youth. Burgess has also worked with the School Without Walls public high school in Washington, D.C. for several years teaching dance and incorporating students in his company’s activities. While touring internationally, Burgess regularly includes performances or workshops to non-urban sectors and diverse socio-economic communities.
Burgess has been recognized often as a leader in his field and in the arts community in Washington, D.C. and beyond. He is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Arts Award, the most prestigious honor conferred by the District of Colombia on individual artists, organizations and patrons of the arts. Burgess was also among 50 people from across the United States invited to participate in the Kennedy Center’s capacity building program for arts managers of color. Since he began participating in this program in 2003, Burgess has mentored other arts managers around the country. He is also regularly invited to serve as a grant review panelist for prestigious funding organizations for the arts, such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the former Arts International. Of Burgess, ECA colleagues have stated that he "is a model of how an artist can build a global community."
August 2009
Mochamad “Roni” Zamroni (Indonesia)
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Mochamad “Roni” Zamroni, a 2008 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumnus, is an environmental activist in Indonesia. He is the founder of Tunas Hijau (“Green Buds”), an environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), and for 10 years both he and his organization have been campaigning and advocating on behalf of environmental issues. His contributions, especially in his hometown of Surabaya, have led to his receipt of several awards from local, national and international organizations.
As an International Visitor, in June 2008, Zamroni focused on sustainable development and environmental protection. While in the United States, Zamroni met and exchanged ideas with several government officials and fellow NGO leaders to learn about environmental policy and best practices toward implementation. He also visited national parks throughout the United States and witnessed several environmental projects firsthand.
When asked about his experience in the United States, Zamroni said, “Before I joined the IVLP, I had an impression that the U.S. government does not really care about environmental issues, and I was wrong.” During his visit to Jackson, Wyoming, he witnessed policy in action. The City of Jackson is committed to reduce the use of energy by 10% by the year 2010. After returning to Indonesia, Zamroni took the concepts and ideas generated from his exchange and put them into practice. For example, he celebrated Earth Day 2008 by spearheading events through his organization Tunas Hijau at schools around the region. The program included workshops on environmental issues, a mural competition, tree planting and training for recycling programs.
Having spent time in Florida during his IVLP, Zamroni was also inspired by the Pier2Pier program, which introduces ecological education to primary and secondary schools. Zamroni applied the ideas of an eco-school program by adapting it to local issues in Indonesia. In an interview, Zamroni said, “[C]reating an eco-school cannot be done through a one-time workshop or activity…It has to be done continuously, and making this happen is not always easy because it requires active participation from all stakeholders. This is why we try to conduct different programs in different schools everyday to keep the students’ excitement up.” He added that he hoped to develop linkages between schools in Indonesia and in the United States on environmental projects in the future.
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In addition to projects that resulted from his program experience, Zamroni’s leadership of his NGO Tunas Hijau has won him numerous accolades. In 2004, Tunas Hijau, under Zamroni’s leadership, was given a “Surabaya Academy Award,” a prestigious honor given by Surabaya citizens to individuals or organizations for their outstanding contribution to Surabaya society. During the same year, members of Tunas Hijau were chosen to represent Indonesia in the International Children’s Conference on the Environment in the United States.
In July 2008, Zamroni and Tunas Hijau shifted their focus to youth empowerment. In Surabaya, his NGO organized the Asia Pacific Interfaith Youth Camp on Climate Change, which brought more than 125 youth from 11 different Asia-Pacific countries together for a day of environmental service activities and discussions. In 2009, his NGO organized a two-month internship program on environmental projects for youth from various countries, such as Canada, Australia, Netherland, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, India, Brazil, Japan and England. His NGO also developed an environmental children’s game that was modeled after the classic board game “Snakes and Ladders” (also known as “Chutes and Ladders”). The board game, which has evolved into the Ozzy Ozone Game, has since been adopted by the United Nations Environment Program for their OzonAction Multimedia Collection to educate children and adults around the world about the importance of protecting the ozone layer. The game has been translated into English, Spanish, and French.
As a teacher and activist, Zamroni continues to engage his students and community. “We have to stop seeing young people as the objects of our good intentions. Instead, my organization sees students and young people as ‘agents of change.’” Zamroni’s dedication and action offer inspiration to the next generation of young Indonesian leaders to positively shape their environment.
July 2009
Karine Taslakyan (Armenia)
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As an active member of the U.S. government-sponsored exchange program alumni network, 2004-06 Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program alumna Karine Taslakyan from Armenia organizes and participates in a number of community development projects. Her efforts aim to increase civil society organizations’ capacity building, promoting active democratic citizenship advocacy, and facilitating cross-border cooperation. According to fellow Muskie alumnus Edward Safaryan, “Karine is a natural leader who understands a group’s needs and characteristics. She sets a strong example, has excellent planning and organizational skills, knows how best to use a group’s resources and is ready to counsel when needed."
As soon as Taslakyan returned to Armenia in 2006, she became a board member of the American Graduates Association of Armenia (AGA), an association of U.S. government-sponsored exchange program alumni, and, after serving for two years, was elected as vice president of the organization. Among AGA’s goals are strengthening the network of Muskie alumni and of alumni of other exchange programs through promoting participation in the development process of Armenia and in different aspects of civic engagement.
"As [an] alumna," Taslakyan explains, "I feel responsibility to share experience and knowledge gained through [my] exchange, with this regard, alumni projects are very effective for involving others into learning and active social inclusion and participation through community volunteering and team work."
Seeking to address concerns over environmental damage in Armenia's Lake Sevan region, the largest fresh water reservoir in the country, Taslakyan initiated, designed, and organized a student congress entitled, “Alumni in Eco Action.” This student congress generated public awareness and youth participation in ecological preservation. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of State, Democracy Commission Small Grants in April, 2009. As inspiration, Taslakyan recalled Earth Day celebrations in which she had participated during her exchange in her host state of Washington in the Pacific Northwest. Working with young students and educating them on the region's ecology, she and other alumni served as role models for the participating children, encouraging them to engage in civic participation.
A month earlier, in February, 2009, Taslakyan implemented a project to provide professional development training for rural development NGO stakeholders from remote borderline communities of Georgia and Armenia. With the support of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan’s Alumni Small Grant program, Taslakyan organized and provided project management training for around 40 rural NGO leaders.
Two years earlier, in May, 2007, Taslakyan actively involved herself with other alumni in the The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission to monitor Armenia’s parliamentary elections. She and fellow alumni assisted key election mission staff and helped interpret for the 250 OSCE/ODIHR short-term observers who were deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.
Taslakyan’s alumni involvement has not been “all work and no play,” though. She also brought her U.S. host university’s favorite “happy hour” socializing and networking concept back to Armenia. Together with karaoke and picnic events, the happy hour alumni meet-ups have found a place among AGA’s alumni activities.
Looking forward, Taslakyan continues to work for the Armenian branch of Heifer Project International, in the capacity of program coordinator. In both her professional and alumni activities, Taslakyan is dedicated to the mission of working with people to develop stronger communities and to better care for the earth.
June 2009
Dr. Claudia Abi Nader (Lebanon)
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Lebanese Citizens Exchange alumna Dr. Claudia Abi Nader has worked to improve the image of the Lebanese businesswoman. Returning home from her citizen exchanges program in 2001, which focused on the role of women as leaders in organizations, Abi Nader has conducted hundreds of international seminars and workshops to promote the role of women in society and the importance of cultural exchange and civic education. She has dedicated herself to sharing her message that “a leader is someone who dedicates himself to his society.”
While in the United States, Abi Nader visited several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and experienced the importance of community service. Says Abi Nader, “I learned that NGOs have a great role in society and solidarity is the base of a powerful society.” She also visited a school where she discovered that human rights, particularly women’s rights, are taught to students at a very young age. While at a local television station, she was impressed by the organized dissemination of news even at the community level. Inspired by the patriotism of America and the way in which Americans do not allow race, religion, or gender to be determining factors in their political decisions, Abi Nader resolved to bring this message home to Lebanon.
Abi Nader, who studied law, philosophy, and French literature at Lebanese University, is the founder and president of the Lebanese NGO Council of Thought. Founded in 1992, Council of Thought organizes lectures and roundtables with the goal of spreading awareness on human rights, women’s rights, and the role of youth in reforming Lebanese society. After participating in the Citizen Exchanges program, Abi Nader returned to Lebanon with a strong will to transfer what she had experienced in the United States: “I learned how to express my will, to reach my targets, to better serve my community as a professor and as the president of the Council of Thought.” As the Council of Thought president, she has published three books about themes of marriage, society and women: “Meeting and Pledge”; “So that We Stay Together...”; and “Women and Sustainable Development.” In 1995, she became a committee member of the Union of Lebanese Writers, which works to defend writer’s rights.
In 2003, Abi Nader was nominated to be the Ambassador of Peace for Lebanon by the Universal Peace Federation. She received this honorary title for tirelessly working to implement peace and promote conflict resolution. In 2005, she was nominated to be the vice president of the League of Lebanese Business Women, in charge of the cultural committee. The League works to empower Lebanese women in business and is the Lebanese chapter of the Arab Business Women’s League. Although Abi Nader does not own her own business, she was nominated to be vice president because the League believes that any business activity requires cultural thinking, an area in which she excels.
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Through a variety of media outlets, Abi Nader has taken advantage of the opportunity to promote awareness and positively impact society. From 2005 to 2008, she hosted a popular radio show on the national Lebanese radio station called “My Country,” which focused on Lebanese patrimony, habits, and traditions. She has also hosted four different television programs: “Studio Al Fan” (a weekly art variety competition show on the Lebanese Broadcast Corporation station which features Lebanese Art talents), “Opinion and Vision” (a weekly show on Tele Lumiere, which deals with recent international and local issues that appeal to Lebanese society, “Where Are You?” (a weekly show on Tele Lumiere about working women in different fields [e.g. architects, lawyers, doctors, judges] and how they are involved and responsible for building a health society), and “Your Country is Your Decision” (a two minute daily appearance on Tele Lumiere where Abi Nader gives advice on citizens’ social rights and obligations especially focusing on the electoral process).
As a dedicated alumna, she consistently encourages her students in the Military School to participate in U.S. government-funded exchange programs and coordinates closely with the U.S. Embassy Beirut to recruit exchange participants. Abi Nader was part of the 2008 Founding Committee of the Lebanese State Alumni Community (LSAC) which successfully formed in 2009. As a member of this committee, she and her peers set the by-laws and identity of the association. The LSAC is a cultural association which aims to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Lebanon, and contribute to the development of Lebanon.
Dr. Claudia Abi Nader is a symbol of the successful patriotic Lebanese woman. She has succeeded in adding value to society through teaching, writing, and constantly defending women’s rights. As she says, “One should continuously keep searching for new horizons and challenges.”
The Citizen Exchanges program promotes professional exchanges which typically last several years and include internships, study tours, or workshops in the United States and in the host country. Participants in this program come from a variety of professions including education administrators, journalists, civic leaders, and entrepreneurs.
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Sonny Nyein, a 1993 alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), has been a key contributor to advancing the arts in Burma and contributing effective alumni activities.
During Sonny Nyien’s IVLP experience, he studied gallery administration and the arts, and toured galleries in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Kansas City, and New Mexico. His meetings with American art associations gave him important skills he has used over the past 15 years to contribute to the Burmese art community.
Sonny Nyein is actively engaged in community service projects and his articles and discussions on topics such as contemporary arts and exhibition planning attract large audiences. He has traveled to Burma’s ethnic regions and documented the lives of minorities in his art work. In 2006, he arranged a children's art exchange program with the Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, N.J. Sixty American children sent original paintings to Burma and 60 Burmese children sent paintings to America; art galleries in the respective countries displayed the paintings for public viewing.
In 2006, Sonny Nyein organized and led a speaker program on Burmese ceramic arts and displayed original pieces at national art exhibitions. The next year, he held a contemporary solo exhibition at the Suvannabhumi Art Gallery and Chiang Mai University Art Museum in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In 2008, Sonny Nyein organized an art exhibition entitled “Spirit: Myanmar Contemporary Art." American filmmaker Robert Lieberman, who was visiting Burma as a Fulbright Specialist at the time, will highlight the exhibit in his upcoming documentary film about Burma.
Sonny Nyein, along with several Burmese alumni of State Department programs, founded the Myanmar-United State Friendship Exchange (MUSFEX) in 2004. He currently serves as the head of Arts and Culture programming for MUSFEX. In this role, Sonny Nyein works on art exchange programs, such as a project to bring Japanese sculptors to Burma to train local artists to sculpt tree trunks into museum pieces. Most recently, under a MUSFEX small grant, Sonny Nyein developed a catalog of Burmese natural dyes in cooperation with the Saunders Weaving School in central Burma and published Burma's first gallery guidebook. In 2008, he led a MUSFEX environmental campaign against plastic waste with a local youth group.
The MUSFEX logo, which is Sonny Nyein’s original work, features a peacock, which is an important symbol in Burma and represents the Burmese people’s strength and autonomy. The striped star in the background represents mutual understanding and cooperation between the U.S. and Burmese people.
Regarding the enormous impact of his exchange experience, Sonny Nyein said, “The IVLP program opened my eyes to global contemporary arts. It not only introduced me to new fields, but also opened the doors to international understanding and cooperation.”
April 2009
Silvia Regina Lorenso (Brazil)
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Fulbright alumna Silvia Regina Lorenso Castro is dedicated to educating and advocating for the residents of her community Aglomerado Santa Lucia, a poor community in the city of Belo Horizonte in southeast Brazil. Her Fulbright exchange contributed to her dedication, of which Lorenso says that the “Fulbright award provided me with the tools I needed to be strongly committed [to] social transformation, critically engaged in the development of scholarship open to [a] different sort of knowledge, and intellectually motivated to pursue further wisdom."
Upon return from her exchange in October 2007, Lorenso conducted a workshop to share her exchange experience with community members. Her presentation was well received and community members expressed great interest in learning English and pursuing educational exchange opportunities. Shortly thereafter, Lorenso began to work with local partners to offer “English for Social Inclusion,” a series of English courses for working students to improve their language skills and to prepare them to apply for additional job and fellowship opportunities. Under Lorenso’s leadership, along with her partners at a local Catholic church, a private language school and several donors, the program has expanded to offer four courses with students ranging from age 11 to university students.
Lorenso emphasizes hope and the many ways that disadvantaged communities can resist victimization in her research and community activism. Drawing on her experiences as an academically trained activist, she oversees an education and human rights project within her community. The project, started in 1996 by the United Nations’ Human Rights Committee, was intended to counter the high incidence of police brutality and social violence in Aglomerado Santa Lucia. Generally, the project aims to foster a “community memory,” or a sense of community history as articulated by its residents. In an effort to build a community memory, Lorenso oversees several project components, such as the community’s “Memory Magazine,” a community archive and restoration project, as well as performances by community members. Since the project’s beginning, violence within the community has decreased and signs of hope and achievement are on the rise.
In addition to her community activism, Lorenso’s academic research on Afro-Brazilian literature is on the cutting edge and in great demand as Brazilian school systems search for appropriate literature on Afro-Brazilian culture and history to comply with a federal law passed in 2003. Following her Fulbright exchange, Lorenso has gone on to pursue doctoral studies in literature at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is now in her second semester of coursework. Recently, Lorenso won a University of Texas essay contest, for which she was granted a pass to the 2009 South by Southwest music festival. She was the only international student among the group of winning students.
In her capacity as a Fulbright alumna, Lorenso actively works with the U.S. embassy and consulates in Brazil and the Fulbright Commission to share her exchange experience and to educate underprivileged students within her community about the opportunities that exist to study abroad. Lorenso has also organized a number of events to foster mutual international understanding, among them, a conference on African studies with colleagues at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo and Boston University, and a visit by a renowned Nigerian professor teaching at the University of Texas at Austin to discuss the African Diaspora. Lorenso studied at both Boston University and the University of Texas at Austin during her Fulbright exchange.
Lorenso says of her exchange experience, “One thing that I realized while abroad is that my opinion and the point-of-view from where I speak count, and they sometimes make people understand themselves even better. After getting more fluency in English and being able to communicate my ideas, I could realize the beauty of talking to people who have a completely different background.”
In many respects, Lorenso is a first within her community. She was the community’s first student to pursue a university education at the prestigious Universidade de São Paulo, where she studied Linguistics and Afro-Brazilian literature. Lorenso was also first in her community to pursue education abroad, and she is the only student to have participated in a Fulbright exchange.
Of her life and the impact of her Fulbright exchange, Lorenso comments that, “During my life I have been presented with few opportunities. Nevertheless, I have always taken full advantage of each one that came along. I had an idea of what it meant to be awarded a Fulbright grant; however, only by being a Fulbrighter [did] I realize the magnitude of this opportunity. I have become a better person by [being] exposed to different cultures, languages and people.”
March 2009
Dr. Remus Pricopie (Romania)
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As a Fulbright New Century Scholar Program alumnus, policy maker, and communication specialist, Dr. Remus Pricopie has been an indefatigable proponent of the Fulbright program and higher education. “The Fulbright New Century Scholars Program offered me the chance to interact and network with colleagues around the world,” Pricopie explains. “Helped by my colleagues from the [Fulbright] Program, I succeeded to promote new policies in the Romanian higher education system.”
After participating in the Fulbright program, Pricopie was appointed state secretary for higher education in the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research. Pricopie is currently a counselor on international relations in the Ministry of Education, continuing his service to improve Romanian higher education.
Pricopie contributes to educational reform in Romania by introducing international regulations, by developing new incentive mechanisms to implement regulations, and by introducing new concepts to the national education system. Working with universities, the Ministry of Education, and international institutions (including the Council of Europe, European Union, and UNESCO), Pricopie has served as a mediator in the implementation of international educational standards and practices. He has also presented the Romanian education system to the rest of the world through his scholarly publications. In October 2009, a new loan scheme developed by Pricopie to assist Romanian students will take effect.
Paralleling his efforts to reform and promote higher education, Pricopie has increased the visibility of the Fulbright program at both the national and international level. “As a Fulbright fellow, I have considered [it] my duty to promote and support the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission,” Pricopie says.
He has served as a member of the Fulbright Board of the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission and as the newly appointed chair of the Fulbright Commission’s Board of Directors. Pricopie has built an alumni network in order to promote new policies for high education, to recruit applicants for the Fulbright program, and to encourage alumni to use their Fulbright experience to improve the Romanian economic, educational and political environment. Pricopie also organizes regular meetings with Fulbright alumni to discuss additional fundraising options for the Fulbright program, which has created a proactive alumni network.
Pricopie’s activities have contributed to the improvement of the Romanian education system and demonstrate his commitment to community service.
As Pricopie explains, “The Fulbright New Century Scholars Program has had a significant contribution to my professional and even personal development, as many of my projects have been built on the experience gained and networking shaped since the beginning of the program.”
February 2009
Saima Khusro (Pakistan)
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Saima Khusro, an alumna of the Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute (PELI), is a science teacher at F. G. Girls Model School, an all-girls high school in Islamabad, Pakistan. Recognized for her leadership capabilities, Khusro was selected to spend a month learning about the American educational system at the Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute at Plymouth State University (PSU) in New Hampshire. Hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Citizen Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Khusro shared expertise and experience garnered working as a high school teacher in Pakistan with her American counterparts at PSU. Following her PELI exchange, Khusro implemented her action plan for integrating at her school in Islamabad what she learned once she returned home to Pakistan developed by establishing a “Save the Environment Club” among Pakistani high school students at her school.
Upon her return to Pakistan in August 2008, Khusro launched the nine-week project at her school. The Save the Environment Club’s vision is, “to make the environment cleaner and healthier.” Khusro’s encouraged the participating students to become active and responsible citizens for environmental issues and sensitizes students to the importance of reusing materials and environmental preservation by educating the students about conservation and by raising awareness within the local community. Making connections between the United States and Pakistan, Khusro highlighted how developed nations are dealing with environmental problems. She said, "In an underdeveloped country, don't drink water, in a developed country, don't breathe the air."
One of the project’s most dynamic components was “Plantation Week,” during which the students sowed seeds in small pots and donated them to the school. The students were taught how to reuse different materials and share their knowledge with their families and peers by distributing plants they sowed. The club also held a “Cleanliness Week,” during which members cleaned up the school grounds and surrounding areas, then trimmed the overgrown grass and weeds. Other activities included essay writing, and poster and debate competitions among the students to raise civic awareness among local community members.
Khusro took her Save the Environment Club project to a global level by creating a website to document the entire project. Through the site, Khusro links grassroots educational initiatives in Pakistan with a global network of teachers. Photos taken at F. G. Girls Model School, Islamabad, document various activities held by the club under the theme “teachers without frontiers” to demonstrate the manner in which teachers share common goals throughout the world.
On November 10, 2008, the Save the Environment Club was officially recognized by the Government of Pakistan. The club’s formal inauguration ceremony was held by Professor Muhammad Rafique Tahir of the Ministry of Education Federal Directorate of Education. At the ceremony, membership certificates were distributed by the honorable chief guest Tahir and the Parent Teacher Association president made a monetary donation in support of the club’s future endeavors.
Khusro has been active with the PELI alumni community in Pakistan as a project advisor, role model and professional development advisor. Since her return to Pakistan, Khusro has remained in close contact with PSU serving as an alumni advisor. She also shared photo albums and publications with fellow PELI alumni through the State Alumni website, and is an active contributor to the PELI alumni website. She actively participates in alumni meetings and shares her training with PELI alumni from other cohorts. Khusro will be involved with mentoring participants in the 2009 cohort of PELI participants.
January 2009
Yves Chan Kam Lon (Mauritius)
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Yves Chan Kam Lon, an alumnus of the Fulbright Junior Staff Development Program (1989-1991) sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, has contributed significantly to his profession and home country of Mauritius since returning from Columbia University with a master’s degree in library science. As a dedicated Fulbright alumnus for over 15 years, Chan Kam Lon has worked to improve the library system in Mauritius, as well as increase appreciation and recognition of library science as a profession.
During his Fulbright study in the United States, Chan Kam Lon found that librarians were highly regarded professionals and enjoyed great respect in American society. In Mauritius, librarianship had a lower profile. At the time, there were very few libraries in the country and Mauritius did not possess a national library. Yves set himself three goals in order to give due recognition to his “noble profession,” as he called it: first, to raise the status of the profession of librarianship; second, to encourage young people to join the profession; and third, to encourage Mauritius to establish a national library.
In 1991, with the help of several American professional librarians, Chan Kam Lon established the Association of Professional Librarians. He went on to be instrumental in enacting the Council for Registered Librarians Act of 2000. This act, which took effect in 2003, compels every new librarian working in Mauritius to register with the Council. As a result, librarians in Mauritius are considered professionals in their own right and Chan Kam Lon has served as president of the Council since its creation.
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Chan Kam Lon also assisted the University of Mauritius in starting a diploma course in library and information science for library personnel and was a part-time lecturer there from 1994 to 2006. The University of Mauritius now offers a degree course in library and information science, alongside the diploma course, creating a direct path for young aspiring librarians to follow.
Chan Kam Lon was at the forefront of the establishment of the National Library in Mauritius. In 1992, he and the Fulbright Alumni Association organized an international seminar on “The Need to Establish a National Library in Mauritius.” Experts from the U.S. Library of Congress, the National Library in France, Reunion Island, and local librarians attended the event. In 1993, he sat on the organizing committee for the “National Seminar on the Formulation of a National Information Policy for Mauritius.” These two seminars eventually led to the establishment of a national library. Chan Kam Lon was on the committee responsible for drafting the National Library Bill, and in 1996, was the representative for the bill in the National Assembly. In April 1999, he was appointed director of the National Library of Mauritius, which opened to the public in January 2000. After almost nine years of existence, the National Library is the leading library in Mauritius, with Chan Kam Lon aiming to make it a star among leading institutions throughout the Indian Ocean region!
In addition to his efforts to consistently improve the national library system, Chan Kam Lon is also a very active Fulbright alumnus. In 1991, he created the Mauritius Fulbright Alumni Association. He takes a great deal of pride in talking about his experience in the United States and recalls his days at Columbia University, where he received the “John Lewis Wheeler & Joseph Towne Wheeler Award” for his outstanding academic performance. Chan Kam Lon never misses a chance to promote the Fulbright Program to his colleagues or guests at U.S. Embassy - Port Louis events, activities at the University of Mauritius, or at the National Library’s annual book festivals. With his dedication to the Association and its members for over 15 years, he is one of the driving forces behind the Mauritius Fulbright Alumni Association’s success.
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In recognition of the integral part the Fulbright Program had in making him the person he is today, Chan Kam Lon said:
Although I have a European tertiary education, I must sincerely admit that my American experience has been very enriching, especially having been able to secure a seat at one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, Columbia University. The time I spent in New York has had a real impact on my personal and professional life. Apart from being coached by eminent professors in the field of library science, I enjoyed the intense cultural life in New York. As a Fulbright Student, I was fortunate to secure free tickets to different performances, be they musical [or] theatrical, in practically all the theatres and concert halls in New York. It was a dream come true. I am very proud to be a Fulbrighter and I thank the Embassy of the United States of America for having enabled me to fulfill my dreams.
Chan Kam Lon received public recognition in 2008 when he was named in the collection of the American Biographical Institute (ABI). The ABI has issued a collection of biographies of personalities since 1967. The institute awarded him the title of Man of the Year representing Mauritius in 2008 for his “outstanding contributions to the country as recognized by the American Biographical Institute.” In a letter address to him, the president of ABI said:
The Institute’s International Board of Research decided on your nomination due to its global efforts to locate accomplished individuals like you…Often the Board discovers distinguished persons through correspondence with universities, businesses, publications, and organizations around the globe…You are our choice for your country after reviewing hundreds of achievements that have had a positive impact on the lives of others worldwide.
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Prior to joining the National Library, Chan Kam Lon was head of the Library, Archives, and Museum Department of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. He is the chairman of the Mauritius Council of Registered Librarians, president of the Association of Professional Librarians (APL-Mauritius), and is socially active in the “Association Communautaire de Saint Malo,” a community project in a vulnerable area in Tombeau Bay. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (U.K.), a member of the American Library Association, and a registered librarian of Mauritius.
December 2008
Monty McGee (United States)
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Since his Gilman International Scholarship Program exchange to China in 2007, alumnus Monty McGee has devoted his professional career and volunteer work to educating others about the importance and accessibility of exchange programs. The Gilman International Scholarship Program, named in honor of former Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. The Gilman Program offers grants to American citizen undergraduate students with limited financial resources to pursue academic studies abroad.
McGee, a graduate of Norfolk State University – a historically black college – understands the importance of increasing the diversity of American students participating in international academic exchange programs. To that end, he currently works as an Institutional Relations Associate at Diversity Abroad, an organization that targets non-traditional student groups for international exchange opportunities. Diversity Abroad maintains a comprehensive website that highlights the available resources and benefits of exchange programs. McGee works with students and institutions across the United States to promote international exchange programs, while he shares his experience and practical information on scholarship opportunities and resources available on university campuses and online.
Of his exchange experience and subsequent career choices, McGee says, “I truly believe that I gained much more out of my abroad experience than any other experience during my undergraduate education. Much of my gained understanding has enabled me to speak with confidence on various global issues. This understanding has also given me a renewed spirit for international service and continues to be a focal point in my career objectives.”
Along with his outreach in a professional capacity, McGee also volunteers to educate students about the importance of exchange experiences. For his Gilman Follow-On Service Project, he presented to over ten undergraduate classes at Norfolk State University on the benefits of international exchange and the financial assistance available to students. McGee was also invited as a Gilman alumnus to share his reflections on his exchange experience at the Gilman Underrepresented Institution Workshop at Spelman College in August, 2008.
In addition to his contributions at Norfolk State University and Spelman College, McGee has shared his knowledge and perspective on international exchange with students at several colleges and universities throughout the United States. In his presentations to students, he often draws upon his own exchange experience and stresses the importance of intercultural understanding. McGee says of his Gilman exchange to China, “I learned firsthand the importance of breaking down stereotypes that I held, while also offering a clearer perspective on African American culture here in the U.S.”
Outside of his work as a professional and an active alumnus, McGee has volunteered his time in communities both in the United States and in China. In the United States, he mentored high school students preparing for college and he taught English to immigrant restaurant workers in Washington, D.C.’s Chinatown neighborhood. In China, McGee volunteered to teach English in communities throughout the Yunnan Province.
For his academic achievements and his commitment to international exchange, McGee has been recognized by various organizations. In March, 2008, McGee was invited by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education to serve on a panel to discuss shaping the future of minority participation in international academic exchange. In December, 2007, the Council on International Educational Exchange invited McGee to present his research on the effects of hydroelectricity in modern China. In 2005, he was selected as an Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP) Fellow. McGee has also been recognized as student of the month by the Knowledge Exchange Institute, School for International Training, and IIE Passport for his commitment to promoting international exchange.
November 2008
Dayanch Hojagyeldiyev (Turkmenistan)
I try to do my best in conducting various community development and youth learning projects.
- Dayanch Hojagyeldiyev
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Dayanch Hojagyeldiyev is an alumnus of the Eurasian Undergraduate Exchange Program* (UGRAD) and an enthusiastic organizer of community service projects in his hometown, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. During the 2004 academic year, Dayanch traveled to the west coast of the United States to study sociology at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. “My exchange year in the United States gave me a great a chance to learn and witness how people could make a change and improve things around them,” Dayanch says. Upon his return to Turkmenistan, he actively applied his newly honed skills to foster civil society development.
Dayanch had a lot of great ideas for community projects but was unsure about how to make them a reality. He turned to his friends at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat and elsewhere for guidance. According to Dayanch, “[i]t wouldn’t have been the same success without the constant care of the U.S. Department of State. I value the support provided by the people who work at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat and its Public Affairs Section, International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), and American Councils for International Education (ACCELS).”
Dayanch’s civil society development efforts got underway when he was awarded two Project Smile grants. Project Smile is a program that funds community development programs led by alumni of programs sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Project Smile focuses on community service activities that benefit children and elderly people.
Dayanch used the first Project Smile grant to organize a geography club named “Young Explorer.” Through this project, he gathered a group of local middle school students and made a series of interactive world geography classes. Some of the questions that the children raised about the United States were surprising. One student asked whether it was possible to take a bus or a train to travel from Turkmenistan to the United States. After a few classes on geography, the students learned how to use compasses and enjoyed guest speakers who shared their experiences living in different countries in the world and knew the answer to that student’s question about the distance between Turkmenistan and the United States.
Later, Dayanch was awarded his second Project Smile grant to coordinate several performances to benefit World War II veterans and other elders. He organized a group of children to tell jokes and talk with elders about their experiences. At a social function, war veterans spoke about their war experiences. He also arranged a field trip for young people to Geokdere, a local countryside resort, and Geoktepe Fortress, sites that are symbolic of Turkmen people being liberated from Russian invaders.
To continue his commitment to community service, Dayanch won a small alumni grant to organize the first Model United Nations Club in Turkmenistan. Through his work with Model UN, Dayanch helped teach youth about issues affecting many countries. He taught the Model UN participants how to focus on international issues and how to debate. Through this, students learned about the interests and values of other countries. In October 2008, Dayanch and two other Model UN Turkmenistan Club members participated in the International Model UN conference in Odessa, Ukraine, promoting the Club and the Model UN action in Turkmenistan. Dayanch’s efforts won him the award as the best speaker of the conference.
Dayanch is a strong supporter and organizer of alumni activities in Turkmenistan and is a founding member of the Ashgabat Alumni Association. Through Model UN, Young Explorer clubs, and other projects, he creates opportunities for youth to learn about their communities and the rest of the world, to develop skills necessary to succeed, and to spend their time in a positive, creative, and supportive environment. In his community service work, he serves as a role model for youth and members of the wider community. These activities extend the lessons Dayanch learned through his UGRAD exchange to teach youth participants the knowledge and skills needed to foster and nurture the development of civil society in Turkmenistan.
* Established by the U.S. Congress in 1992, the UGRAD program aims to promote cultural understanding by increasing Eurasian diversity on college campuses throughout the United States.
October 2008
Veronica Arpintin (Moldova)
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Since participating in the Community Connections program in March, 2004, Veronica Arpintin has been one of the most active members of the Alumni Community in
On the Community Connections program in the
Following her exchange, Arpintin subscribed to the American concept of constant knowledge upgrade. Springing from her professional interests, she initiated a number of activities to provide alumni and non-alumni alike with training and opportunities related to starting a business and business development. For example, from January through May 2008, she developed and conducted a business start-up course aimed at introducing participants to the most important aspects of starting their own business in
Arpintin’s activism, however, extends far beyond her business and professional interests. Immediately after returning from her exchange program, Arpintin became involved in the local alumni community. At the annual national Alumni Congress in 2005, her fellow alumni elected her to serve on the 2005-06 Alumni Board as a representative from the regional Central Alumni Board. In this capacity, she organized 10 alumni events and contributed to reaching out to and reintegrating inactive alumni into the alumni community and making them feel welcome.
Arpintin’s alumni involvement took on an international dimension when, in 2007, she recruited a marketing specialist, FLEX alumnus Oleg Gaidaenko from St. Petersburg, Russia, to come to Moldova to provide professional development training for alumni. Arpintin came across Gaidaenko's resume when browsing the State Alumni website and thought that the knowledge he could share from his professional background would be valuable to Moldovan alumni. A few months later, in spring 2007, Gaidaenko accepted Arpintin’s invitation and met with alumni at the U.S. Embassy Chisinau’s
Arpintin also collaborates with youth initiative groups from
Locally, Arpintin initiates even more community service and charity projects. After witnessing her host family in the
In April 2008, Arpintin initiated a community service project to renovate a local playground in the middle of four nine-story-apartment blocks in the Ciocana district of Chisinau. Arpintin involved local public administrators, public utilities officials, a group of four other alumni, and local community members to clean the playground, plant new trees and bushes, renovate park benches and buy a new sandbox for the children. Most recently, Arpintin helped organize relief for the more than 500 families affected by the devastating floods during the summer of 2008 in the northern and eastern portions of
September 2008
Abbass Abbass (Israel)
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Abbass Abbass
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Abbass Abbass of Israel is a 2007 alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) whose program focused on “Accessibility and Equality for People with Disabilities.” During his International Visitor Leadership Program project in September 2007, Mr. Abbass examined the role and relationship of the government and the private sector in addressing disability issues; investigated the development of policies and legislation that ensure the protection of the civil and human rights of people with special needs in all aspects of American society; explored education programs and social services that support and provide opportunities for individuals who are blind, wheelchair-bound, deaf and/or hard of hearing; and examined the role of NGOs in raising awareness of disability issues by advocating for legislation and improved services. His program included visits to Washington, DC, Baltimore, Maryland; and New York City.
Born in Nazareth in 1976, this Israeli-Arab lawyer is the co-founder and director of Almanarah – the Society for Advancing the Arab Blind in Israel. Previously he did volunteer work at the Study Center for the Blind at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem from 1996-1999, at Bizchut – the Israel Human Rights Center for Peoples with Disabilities from 2001-2002, and at the Arab Association for Human Rights from 2002-2003. Abbass also ran his own law practice between 2004 and 2006.
Israeli Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare statistics indicate that there are over 5,000 blind and visually impaired Israeli-Arabs. Although Abbass is legally blind, he does not feel “disabled.” In fact, he avoids the term, describing himself as a person “with special abilities.” He inspires all who come in contact with him. With his boundless energy, the best way to characterize Abbass’ leadership qualities is to compare him with the ads of a well known battery company – he just keeps on going and going. Abbass explained his outlook in an interview with the national Israeli newspaper Haaretz: “It’s as if there is a demon pursuing me. Instead of taking life easy, I have to be the best, to excel, to stand out. As if I owe someone something. That is what is instilled in us. For a blind person to stand out, he has to be the best.”
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Abbass gives a presentation on the International Visitor Leadership Program.
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Since returning from his exchange program in the U.S., Abbass has expanded his outreach efforts even further. He now has extensive contacts with the national media and the Knesset (Israeli parliament), and has opened a Braille library collection in the Nazareth Municipal Library.
This project is increasing public awareness and drawing public attention to the need for accessibility and equality for people with disabilities.
Abbass recently produced a CD with essential information sources for the blind. The Israeli Ministry of Welfare decided to distribute this inspiring CD to all Arab blind in Israel.
During his IVLP, Abbass also explored Equal Employment Opportunity law and practice in the U.S. Using what he learned, he continues to advocate for the rights and opportunities of the Arab blind in Israel. In December 2007, he organized a program for municipal and business community leaders in Nazareth on equal employment opportunity, at which he described in detail his IVLP experience.
Inspired by his visit to the United States Library of Congress, National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Abbass has begun a new project: building the first Arab Audio Library for the blind in Israel. The purpose of this project is to develop a collection of audio learning and scientific and artistic materials. Abbass expects the collection to include many internationally recognized classics and inspirational books (e.g., the biography and writings of Helen Keller) - books that aim to improve self-confidence and motivation. He would also like the library to include American classics and prize-winning books already translated into Arabic. By building an audio library for the blind, Abbass hopes to transform the lives of the Israeli-Arab blind community, enabling them to live independent lives as part of mainstream Israeli society.
All of Abbass’ activities are aimed at one ultimate goal – “to help Israeli-Arab blind achieve their full potential (with a healthy measure of self-esteem and confidence), so that they can broaden their professional and interpersonal horizons through the power of knowledge.” Abbass had this to say about his experience as an International Visitor: “The IVLP program in America for me was a great adventure. It exposed me to a new unique horizon especially concerning my organization’s social and cultural activities. I always quote Helen Keller’s famous saying, “Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”
Congratulations to Abbass Abbass, September 2008 State Alumni Member of the Month!