United States Department of State Ends FY 10 International Visitor Leadership Program in San Francisco – California State

An International Visitor Leadership Program sponsored by the United States Department of State and designed and coordinated by Meridian International Center ended on Friday 30^th April 2010, on the theme, Volunteerism:  United We Serve.

The 3-week program April 10-30 comprised 103 participants representing 95 countries with various professional and cultural backgrounds.  It was an overwhelming consensus that the experience was an inspirational one and it created a paradigm shift in the way service and volunteerism is understood around the world.   

While in the United States, we spent the first week in Washington D.C., then were divided into four groups that visited Houston, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Kansas and Salt Lake City, Utah.  We were further divided into pairs and went to another 52 cities before reconvening in San Francisco for the final week.  We worked side by side with Americans to complete a total of 1600 hours of community service activities and were involved in several inspirational forums on volunteerism. 

During our first week in Washington D.C. we were challenged by the founder and CEO of the organization Be the Change Mr. Alan Khazer, to work together on the idea of creating an international network that will spread the message of volunteerism globally, while supporting each other worldwide.  This has been accepted and a new global organization established called the International Volunteer Service Network, with the logo VOLiNTEER 

Vision

“We envision a world in which citizens, regardless of where they live, can contribute to the global well-being and have an equal opportunity to serve in the spirit of humanity, compassion, solidarity, non-violence and trust”.

Further, we were honoured with an inspiring presentation made by the Secretary of Service and Volunteering in the State of California, Hon. Karen Baker, who agreed to mentor the new movement and be the Honorary Chairperson.

Encouragement and motivation were also received from California’s First Lady Maria Kennedy Shriver, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Mr. David Eisner, former head of Corporation for National and Community Service.

I want to conclude my thanking the US Embassy in Sierra Leone particularly the Public Affairs Section for nominating me and the United States Department of State for the approval of my nomination as a participant, as the program afforded me the opportunity to experience the power of service in the United States.

I realized that volunteerism and civic engagement is a powerful tool for bringing people together in the spirit to achieve common goal.

By George Agbeigeima Dambo, Sierra Leone

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