2015 Tutu Fellow Goriola Erogbogbo has been selected for the prestigious U.S. State Department's International Visitors Leadership Program. The IVLP is the U.S. Department of State’s premiere professional exchange programme. Through short-term visits to the United States, the US seeks to engage current and emerging foreign leaders from a variety of fields and thereby cultivate lasting relationships between these leaders and their American counterparts.
Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States. Nearly five thousand exchange participants come to the US through the IVLP each year and this has included more than 500 current or former heads of state or government. Goriola joins a unique group of people - there are no applications for the IVLP - participants are nominated and selected annually by the staff at US Embassies around the world.
The IVLP sets up meetings between those selected for the programme and communities relevant to the individual's professional background and interest. The programme lasts almost a month and participants get to meet with their US counterparts. The programme was launched in 1940. It's unofficial motto is citizen diplomacy making a difference 'one handshake at a time'.
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