Department of State March 17, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs invites proposal submissions to conduct the 2012 spring and fall End-of-Program ``Professional Exchanges Congresses'' for individuals from Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia and the Western Hemisphere participating in the Legislative Fellows Program, the Women's Empowerment Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs Program. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct two three-day Professional Exchanges Congresses in spring and fall 2012. These professional exchange programs support and encourage young government and civil society leaders, roughly ages 25-38, from eligible countries to gain knowledge of U.S. practices and techniques in their field of expertise, explore governance principles and practices in both public and civil society institutions in the United States, and gain a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, and people. These professional exchange programs are also designed to provide U.S. participants the opportunity to share their professional expertise with counterparts in eligible countries and gain a deeper understanding of the societies, cultures, and professional arena of their foreign colleagues.

The Cultural Programs Division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for a series of 2-4 week group programs for approximately 55-65 young (average age 19-35) foreign musicians and music professionals from selected countries that will highlight artistic collaboration, improvisation, mentoring, and professional training opportunities. One Beat is a programmatic refinement of the existing Fiscal Year 2010 Cultural Visitors program. The original Cultural Visitors Program was initiated in Fiscal Year 2005 and targeted key countries in the Muslim world and on priority youth audiences in those countries. Vital to the innovative use of the arts in foreign policy are the elements of artistic collaboration, audience engagement, professional enrichment, and artistic production. By concentrating on music, One Beat seeks to combine these elements into cohesive group programs which enhance cross-cultural understanding and demonstrate democratic values such as collaboration, cohesion, and innovation to strengthen the leadership and professional potential of the participants as well as enrich their American counterparts. The program should seek innovative ways to incorporate new media to enhance the program offerings and extend the impact of the program. The goals of the program are to: Energize the work of international musicians in their own countries; Provide unique opportunities for musical collaboration, engagement, and performance among the international participants and with their American peers and American music professionals; Provide participants with instructive and informative experiences in their art form; Provide exposure to the creation and performance of world- class American music; Create opportunities for sustaining relationships with U.S. arts professionals; and Provide opportunities for educational outreach to American audiences and students. Pending the availability of funds, ECA will provide approximately $1,000,000 to the award recipient to implement this program through a cooperative agreement. The agreement will cover project activities from September 1, 2011 to September 30, 2013.