This spring, we received a small group of visitors from Libya who traveled to Pensacola on a U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) titled Women in Leadership: Drivers of Political and Social Change. While they were in town, they met with several locals who described the opportunity to interact with them as inspiring.
Council Member Sherri Myers welcomed the visitors and shared an overview of the city’s history while Grace Resendez McCaffery of the University of West Florida & La Costa Latina discussed the challenges of addressing and accommodating the demands of a pluralistic and ethnically diverse society.
The group also attended an informal session with Clancy Bambrick of Co:Lab, Rebecca Ferguson of the City of Pensacola, Sena Maddison of FloridaWest, and Myra Van Hoose of the Institute for Women in Politics of Northwest Florida where they shared their own efforts in working for human rights and women’s political empowerment and discussed the importance of economic development. They then met with Dr. Deborah Douma, Dr. Monique Collins, Barbara Rodriguez at Pensacola State College to talk about the role of colleges in supporting education, including vocational education.
At the PACE Center for Girls, Executive Director Laurie Rodgers and Ashley Donahoo guided the group through the school and introduced them to students who spoke about the program. PACE is a nonprofit educational organization focused on helping at-risk girls ages 12 to 18 to stay in school and avoid juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, dependency on welfare, and substance abuse.
When IVLP participants spend time in northwest Florida, the inspiration abounds as locals and international visitors alike plant seeds of inspiration. The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council thanks everyone who found time in their schedules to make room for this exceptional group. Sharing ideas & best practices makes a difference, here and abroad.
