The 80 Faces of Exchange Celebration is a project of the U.S. Department of State commemorating the success of 80 years of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) and its alumni. As a virtual intern and content creator for this celebration, I had the unique experience of connecting back to those involved in the IVLP during its long history. Over the course of virtual interviews and email correspondences, I helped create several profiles for IVLP alumni highlighting their work and the impact of the program on their careers, which can now be found on the website of the U.S. Department of State.
Being a part of Gulf Coast Diplomacy, both as a Youth Diplomat and as an intern, I had prior experience working with the IVLP and witnessing its far-reaching benefits in our local community. By hosting international visitors in various cities within the U.S., the IVLP helps catalyze the spread of information and ideas over geographical boundaries. This program has been fundamental in shaping my perspective as a young adult who is curious about a career in international relations, and it has given me valuable opportunities to experience cultural exchanges while remaining in the U.S. I was delighted when I discovered I would continue with this connection to the IVLP by serving as a content creator during the program’s 80th-anniversary celebration.
During 2020, international exchanges were reimagined into virtual settings to ensure continued global engagement despite travel restrictions. The 80 Faces of Exchange Celebration is an example of how to support international engagement through an online medium. Interns from all over the U.S. aided in the process of interviewing and creating profiles in a TIME 100 style spread of selected IVLP alumni. In turn, by sharing the stories of those impacted by the IVLP, one may begin to see the lasting, positive changes an exchange with the U.S. can create around the world.
It was humbling to connect to several world leaders throughout my internship, such as the current U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, and to see how his experience with the IVLP helped forge a passion for international cooperation during his career. Additionally, my interview with Mohamed Amine Zariat, founder of the non-profit organization TIBU which works to create a community space for at-risk Moroccan youth, was a notable highlight throughout this experience. During our conversation, he described his work and how the IVLP inspired him to expand his programs while allowing him to gain valuable contacts within the U.S. His story was supportive of the positive impact the IVLP creates in both international and U.S. communities.
Being an intern for this project was an enlightening experience in how, despite cultural or linguistic differences, the passion to create a better world overcomes any barriers. Through the spread of new information and ideas, the IVLP has had a far-reaching impact around the globe and this is exemplified in the 80 Faces of Exchange Celebration. The importance of this project is not solely in the stories shared but in the reminder of how necessary global perspectives continue to be during this unprecedented time. I believe this project has been a beacon of hope in using innovative ways to connect to the world around us, inspiring global citizens to continue to do the work that keeps us all interconnected.
– Eden Davenport
