The American MidEast Leadership Network (AMLN) hosted our most successful grassroots US-Syrian student exchange in Damascus, Syria in the summer of 2009. We accepted 12 American students and 12 Syrian students from an application pool of hundreds of interested students, and brought them together for a two and a half week intensive program in Syria. Every day, the students studied language and media, participated in Conflict Resolution Dialogue sessions, met with leaders from Syria’s political and religious elite as well as US officials in Syria, and traveled the country. The outcome was more than I or the other program organizers could have imagined, especially since there is no other educational program like this in Syria. Lasting bonds of friendships were formed, an appreciation of Syrian and American cultures was established and, best of all, the seeds of mutual respect and understanding were planted between Americans and Syrians. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better outcome and response to this mission, and AMLN is determined to remain at the forefront of grassroots educational and cultural exchange programs.
2009 Grassroots Diplomacy Program Newsletter PDF
View videos of the event: part 1 part 2 part 3View 2009′s Blog Pages
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