AFC Member of Parliament Trevor Williams will be participating in the US-sponsored International Visitor Leadership (IVLP) exchange programme to observe the US elections process.
In a statement, the US Embassy announced that Williams, along with 30 other participants from around the world, will be travelling to the US to take part in the programme on “U.S. Elections: A Project for Young Political Leaders,” which runs from October 29th to November 19th, 2012. It will see them visiting “key battleground states” such as Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina and Florida. After the elections, the participants will journey to contrasting US states, such as Texas, California and New York, for post-elections assessments.
Williams yesterday met with the United States Ambassador to Guyana Brent Hardt to discuss his participation in the programme. During the meeting, Ambassador Hardt encouraged Williams to explore all facets of the US system of elections, while Williams assured the ambassador that he will take advantage of the programme to learn about the role of youth, the private sector, civil society and the media in shaping the outcome of the political process.
According to the statement, both men discussed the challenges and opportunities that are generated when a country has a parliament or congress controlled by a party or parties different from the executive branch and also shared thoughts about ways to enhance public knowledge and participation in political processes.
Williams stated that upon his return to Guyana he intends to work with stakeholders to champion local practices for campaigning and organizing by political parties.
U.S. Elections: A Project for Young Political Leaders is a Multi-Regional Programme under the flagship of the IVLP, a professional exchange programme run by the US State Department. It sponsors approximately 5,000 foreign nationals from all over the world to the United States to confer with their professional counterparts as well as to experience America for themselves.
The programme usually targets leaders or potential leaders involved in the areas of government, politics, media, education, the arts, business and other fields.
According to US Embassy, of the thousands of individuals that participated in this programme over the years, more than 290 are present and former Chiefs of State and Heads of Government, 2,000 have become cabinet-level ministers, and many, many other distinguished leaders from the private and public sectors. In the individual case of Guyana, over 100 persons have participated in IVLPs since its inception.
