Legislative Fellows Sponsored by: U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Partners of the Americas’ Legislative Fellows Program is a professional leadership exchange for experts in legislative processes, accountability, transparency, citizen advocacy and participation. Throughout 2012, 42 Fellows from Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and the United States representing 41 organizations across five sectors— private, academic, media, government and non-profit—participated in fellowships that harnessed the power of citizen diplomacy. Partners’ program fostered integration, mutual understanding, and long-term engagement around the issues of good governance and democracy in fellowship classes. The three classes averaged 14 Fellows who traveled to the U.S. or participating Latin American and Caribbean countries for three to five week fellowships in host organizations. The Latin American and Caribbean fellowship classes traveled to Washington, D.C. for a fellowship debrief and to participate in a Professional Fellows Congress. Legislative Fellows were able to meet with other U.S. Department of State-sponsored Fellows from around the world to discuss and exchange ideas regarding the issues of good governance and democracy that affect their communities. Participants and host organizations in the program built sustainable relationships with professionals and organizations in diverse communities. Post-fellowships, Legislative Fellows participated in Integrated Community Projects. Those projects included training to grassroots organizations in Haiti on project management and civic participation, as well as an online local government public budget transparency portal in Mexico.
John Ogonowski And Doug Bereuter Farmer To Farmer Program Funded by: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) The Farmer to Farmer Program takes a people-to-people approach to sustainable agricultural development. The program links U.S. technical experts with small- and medium-scale producers, farm organizations, cooperatives, and related agricultural enterprises to increase productivity, profitability, and access to markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. Farmer to Farmer improves economic opportunities by focusing on select agricultural value chains and providing technical assistance to farmers, cooperatives, agribusinesses, extension services, government agencies, and other institutions at all levels of these chains. Through the program, U.S. agriculturalists have the opportunity to share their technical knowledge and benefit from meaningful cultural exchange. In 2012, Farmer to Farmer sent 177 volunteers on assignments to 13 countries, directly benefiting over 15,000 people. The program promotes sustained and broad-based economic growth in targeted agricultural sectors while also focusing on critical environmental and natural resource management issues.
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