Young North African Leaders To Attend Active Citizen Summit in U.S.

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC

October 19, 2012

The U.S. State Department, in partnership with the American Council of Young Political Leaders, is hosting a 10-day Active Citizen Summit for 60 young leaders (ages 18-35) from the Middle East and North Africa from October 21-31. The program will feature leadership development workshops, short internships, policy discussions, and capstone presentations.

The program will begin with two days of communications and leadership development workshops in San Francisco, and will be followed by short internships in California, North Carolina and Utah. It will culminate with a two-day session in Washington, D.C. featuring discussions with U.S. government officials and presentations from the delegates at the Newseum. A small number of American youth counterparts and young leaders from Arab-American Diaspora communities will also participate in the program.

The Active Citizen Summit provides an exciting opportunity to positively respond to the opportunities and challenges facing youth in the Middle East and North Africa.
The program’s goals are
(1) to expand capacity for young leaders to participate in civil society and contribute as active citizens
(2) to provide young leaders a window into the American political process and society, and
(3) to strengthen and expand relationships with and among young leaders in the Middle East and North Africa.