The US Embassy has announced the latest International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participants: Lysa Wini (Young Women Parliamentary Group, Solomon Islands), Isabel Koredong (Bougainville Women’s Federation) and Angelyn Kobuka (Bana District Youth A
The trio departed Port Moresby on November 26 for the United States.
The three will participate in the IVLP project themed ‘Women Leaders: Promoting Peace and Security’, which runs from November 28 through to December 16 in the United States.
This project will examine the current and historical roles of women in political transitions, post-conflict reconstruction, humanitarian emergencies, conflict prevention and peacemaking efforts.
It will also compare conflict transformation, resolution and mediation techniques, and their situational benefits and challenges; demonstrate the role of women in civil society, government, business, politics and education in promoting community stability, security and well-being.
The project will also illustrate how women leaders mentor the next generation of female leaders in various specialties/areas of expertise in service to their communities; familiarise participants with the constitutional, judicial and legislative processes and practices that promote gender equality and protect women’s human rights; and assess the impact of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which reaffirmed the important role of women in peace and security, and explore inter-agency coordination to implement the resolution.
The three will visit Washington, D.C.; New York, New York; Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Denver, Colorado.
The IVLP program is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience the United States firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts and experts from other nations.
Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
The Office of International Visitors within the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs manages IVLP projects.
(IVLP participants Angelyn Kobuko, third from left, Lysa Wini, third from right, and Isabel Koredong, second from right, posing with U.S. Ambassador Catherine Ebert-Gray and Embassy staff.)