Meeting with 500 Mandela Washington Fellows earlier this week, President Obama praised the “incredible talent” of the fellows and the diplomacy value of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI):
“These connections, partnerships, and friendships forge an understanding that brings our peoples closer together.”
The YALI program is an opportunity to develop global leaders, Obama explained to the fellows:
During the three-day Presidential Summit of the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders earlier this week, Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) commended the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and its potential to foster change and create long-term, positive effects.
After congratulating the Washington Mandela fellows on their participation in the very competitive program, Rep. Johnson noted:
A group of “outstanding young nonprofit leaders [from] around the world” are serving U.S. nonprofits and honing their professional skills, reports The Washington Post.
U2 singer-songwriter Bono paid tribute to the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program and to the Irish students affected by a balcony collapse this summer, The Irish Times reports.
Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA) spoke in support of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) program yesterday on the House floor, noting that the program “has shown tremendous success in fostering a stronger relationship between the United States and Germany.”
In his remarks, Rep. Thompson outlined several of the long-term benefits of the program for both German and American CBYX participants:
A recent White House report reaffirmed the “rich cultural experience” provided by the Exchange Visitor Program and commended the State Department for its “comprehensive approach” to the program. The report was created in response to a Presidential Memorandum issued by President Obama to examine ways of improving the U.S. legal immigration system.