The Congressional Office for International Leadership, an agency of the U.S. Congress formerly known as the Open World Leadership Center, has sent a delegation of Mongolian professionals to Brookings through Dec. 10.
The delegation consists of five professionals and will be accompanied by a bicultural/lingual facilitator and an interpreter. While in Brookings, the Open World program participants are being hosted by the South Dakota World Affairs Council.
Prior to their arrival in Brookings, the participants completed an orientation in Washington, D.C., hosted by staff from the Congressional Office for International Leadership.
While in Brookings, delegates will collaborate on best practices for capacity building for rural NGOs or private nonprofit organizations functioning in a democracy.
Delegates will meet with Tim Reed, District 7 state representative and former Brookings mayor, and Brookings City Manager Paul Briseno, who will discuss interaction between state and local governments and private nonprofit organizations at the state and local level.
During the weekend of their arrival, the guests will enjoy social and cultural events including a South Dakota State University women's basketball game and dinner and Garden Glow at McCrory Gardens.
The Monday-through-Friday schedule will be full of meetings with several Brookings nonprofit organizations including Advance, Brookings Behavioral Health and Wellness, Brookings Rotary Club, Brookings County 4-H, the Children's Museum of South Dakota, Brookings Area United Way, Brookings Domestic Abuse Center, Boys & Girls Club of Brookings, Brookings Interfaith Council and members of the Brookings Human Rights Commission. The delegation will stay in the homes of local residents who serve as hospitality hosts.
More than 30,000 current and future leaders from post-Soviet era countries have participated in the Open World program. Open World offers one of the most effective U.S. exchange programs to promote mutually beneficial options for depolarized engagement between future national leaders. It is a unique tool for Congress to engage legislatures in critical regions of the world.
The South Dakota World Affairs Council was chartered in 2004 as a state affiliate of World Affairs Councils of America. The council enjoys a memorandum of understanding with South Dakota State University. The Mongolian delegation is the seventh Open World delegation hosted by SDWAC, including a Ukrainian delegation in 2017 and a Russian delegation in 2020. SDWC provides diverse informational and educational opportunities regarding current world affairs, cultures and critical global issues for the people of South Dakota and the region. SDWAC is a nonpartisan organization.
Founded in 1999 by Congress, the Congressional Office for International Leadership (formerly known as the Open World Leadership Center) maintains a vast network of more than 30,000 alumni in strategic countries including Russia, Ukraine, and others in the Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Its Open World program supports legislative diplomacy efforts for members of Congress by conducting exchanges that establish authentic communication and enduring relations that are maintained through its extensive alumni network. Program participants are provided with exposure to the work of Congress, American politics, accountable governance and volunteerism while being home hosted by American families. To learn more about the Open World program, visit https://www.openworld.gov/.
Categories: South Dakota, General