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“I will remember my time in Los Angeles because L.A. doesn’t leave anyone behind. I learned there are interesting programs with former gang members, the detention facility, among others. It believes in hope rather than giving up on people who are being challenged due to their life situations.”

You wouldn’t think sunflowers would be an accurate metaphor for an organization providing free programming for underprivileged youth in Los Angeles, but what may have started as a less expensive graduation gift, quickly proved to be a wonderful symbolic gift to their graduating youth. Loren Rubin, Senior Director of Programs at Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), called the symbolic flowers a “happy accident”. The students at HOLA are not only encouraged to reach for a better future but are provided countless opportunities for growth and self-expression. Much in the same way sunflowers reach for the sun, the students do as well.

Last month IVCLA arranged a meeting for a group of international visitors to learn about HOLA’s mission and the opportunities for success they provide to youth. The visitors, who were on an IVLP project to discuss Community and Youth Engagement Centers, were from Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and The United Arab Emirates.

During the meeting, Mr. Rubin explained some of the many types of programming HOLA offers from art and music courses to educational tutoring and college preparation and scholarships. He shared the mission of "HOLA is caring adults offering supportive relationships for young people and providing them with positive opportunities for growth." HOLA’s work targets youth in underprivileged communities offering them a safe and supportive environment to thrive that they may not otherwise have. In-house scholarships for college provide an amazing possibility for students who cannot afford higher education without incurring crippling student debt.

When the topic of symbolic sunflowers and HOLA graduation was raised, the visitors were curious about the role of alumni at HOLA. Mr. Rubin said many alumni return to HOLA on their vacations, volunteering their time to give back to an organization that gave them so many wonderful opportunities. Several alumni even return to work for HOLA. Beyond programming, the organization's alumni provide another guiding force to current youth. Younger students see a good role model in the alumni and older students and the older students and alumni really see the value they can bring into their community.

One visitor expressed interest in the way HOLA brings students and youth from many different cultural backgrounds together while honoring their own traditions and experiences. Mr. Rubin said, "We intentionally honor each of [the students] cultures and traditions in regular celebrations, letting everyone know that they are valued, welcomed and that [HOLA makes the effort] to learn and understand more about them." He stressed that "we do address it directly and sometimes indirectly...not by separating them from, but by bringing [students cultures] together for better understanding and cooperation." Through their programming and youth engagement, the students learn to coexist respectfully with their peers and celebrate their differences.

The meeting represented the true value of international exchange, as the visitors and Mr. Rubin were able to share their cultural experiences and backgrounds while learning from one another. HOLA provided a wonderful example of the type of work involved in youth programming and what the visitors hope to learn from and provide to youth in their communities.

Congratulations to our IVLP alumnus Achaleke Christian Leke on being appointed an African Youth Ambassador for Peace representing Cameroon for the African Union! Mr. Leke, an International development and peacebuilding expert, visited in May 2016 for a project on Youth and Community Conflict Resolution.

During his time with IVCLA in Los Angeles, Mr. Achaleke along with participants from The Bahamas, Ghana, Hungary, India, Jordan, Kenya, Republic of Kosovo, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, met with various Los Angeles based organizations. Including, Youth Mentoring Connection, Inner-City Arts, KEEN, The California Conference for Equality and Justice, Santa Monica Police Activities League and Homeboy Industries.

Achaleke shared on Twitter it was during his IVLP program in Los Angeles where he learned Homeboy Industries' model for rehabilitating and reintegrating violent offenders, which he then brought back to his community in Cameroon. Mr. Leke is the Executive Director of LOYOC Cameroon, a youth-led organization combatting violent extremism and encouraging peacebuilding, conflict prevention and youth empowerment. Homeboy Ind. is an economic development program that seeks to provide jobs to former gang members and help keep at-risk youth away from crime, drugs and violence.

It is always a pleasure to hear from our IVLP Alumni and know that their time in Los Angeles contributed to their professional and personal passions. It is wonderful to know that such experiences have a profound impact on our alumni and the tools they learn here help inform their interactions with their communities.

Read more about Mr. Leke's work on his blog HERE

Ambassador Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor for International Affairs for the City of Los Angeles, was a moderator last week for the Woodrow Wilson Center’s virtual conference, Mayors Delivering Democracy Daily. Mayors and municipal leaders from around the world shared their initiatives and innovations to strengthen local democratic institutions. Watch the full conference in the video below.

The conference also served as a prelude to the White House Summit for Democracy which took place December 9-10. You can watch the summit at the link above. The sessions centered around three key themes: defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights. Renewing democracy in the United States and around the world is essential to meeting the unprecedented challenges of our time. This summit was the first of two summits the President will host, which will bring together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle through collective action the greatest threats facing democracies today. As President Biden stated on the International Day of Democracy, “No democracy is perfect, and no democracy is ever final. Every gain made, every barrier broken, is the result of determined, unceasing work.”

In an effort to build global awareness about democracy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), which IVCLA coordinates in Greater Los Angeles, are partnering on a special initiative titled Mayors Delivering Democracy Daily (M3D). This special IVLP initiative will involve two new activities to be carried out over the next 12 months:

Over the coming months, M3D will develop the Cities Declaration for Democracy among mayors, city networks, think tanks, and other city and subnational government organizations around the world. The declaration will be made public at the World Urban Forum scheduled for June 2022.

IVCLA knows global dialogue is more important than ever. Covid-19 has had a profound impact on everyone. Without in-person programming and events these past couple of years, IVCLA needs your support now more than ever to ensure that we can continue our work.

We are hoping for a partial return to in-person programming in 2022. By supporting IVCLA’s work, you help make sure we are able to create programs for international change-makers to speak candidly with L.A. business and civic leaders in their offices, share meals with our members in their homes, and experience Los Angeles’s rich cultural mix first-hand.

Each dollar you donate goes towards building valuable global relationships. With your help, we will work even harder to provide the common ground necessary to resolve differences and heal our planet. 

Please contribute below, any amount makes a difference!

Your donation made by December 31^st is 100% deductible for your 2021 taxes

Afghanistan: A Look Back at the Whole-of-Government Enterprise featuring Ambassador Crocker, Ambassador Neumann, and Professor Bishop

The event takes place December 13^th at 12:00 p.m. EST

World Learning Inc. grew out of their flagship program The Experiment in International Living, which has offered intercultural exchange programs abroad for high school students for 90 years. The Experiment allows students to immerse themselves in new cultures as they develop the skills they need to solve the challenges of tomorrow. The Experiment also now offers the option to earn college credit on select summer 2022 programs.

To facilitate global educational programming, World Learning Inc. is providing its partners the opportunity to pass on a $750 discount on any summer 2022 Experiment program abroad. We encourage you to pass this discount to any high schooler you know who wants an unforgettable educational experience with The Experiment.

Click below to enter your name and the name of the student you want, to use this discount. Revisit the page as many times as you’d like to pass on the discount to other students. After providing the name of the student on the link below, you simply need to let the student know you've registered them for the discount and provide them with the link to the summer 2022 Experiment programs.

· This discount may not be combined with other discounts, though an applicant who receives a discount may also apply for need-based scholarships.

· This discount does not apply to students who are nominated by and receive funding from a sponsoring institution or mentoring organization.

·  Students using the discount must apply for a program and pay their $400 program deposit by Dec. 17, 2021. This discount will be applied to their account after they submit their deposit.

Students must apply by December 17^th!

The COVID-19 vaccines are allowing many countries to begin their path to more normal lifestyles. However, that is not the case for all countries - as the infographic global report in the link below illustrates. IVCLA’s staff and board send good thoughts to all our colleagues and international alumni around the globe. We can all do our part to lend support to others, not only in Los Angeles, but all over the world. This unprecedented global crisis will be solved by coming together to share all of our knowledge, expertise, and goodwill. We are stronger together!       

An informative, infographic global report of the COVID-19 data is HERE

Free COVID-19 Testing Available for Angelenos HERE

Now Free COVID-19 Vaccination Without Appointment HERE

Dec 15: A Global Moment in Time: Reflections on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Dec 15 - 16: Social Influencers for Social Good

IVCLA's in-person programming will partially resume in 2022.

We look forward to welcoming more remarkable visitors from around the world as soon as it is safe. In the meantime, as the entire world works together to put an end to the pandemic, IVCLA continues to reach out and stay in contact with our international alumni. If you are an IVLP Alumni who would like to share your thoughts about your L.A. IVLP experience, or if you are an IVCLA member or resource who has stayed in touch with alumni and would like to share your experience, please contact Eleanor Alberg at [email protected].

Editor: Eleanor Alberg

Share your comments with me at [email protected]!

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