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Letter from Laura Alami
Dear BIP Alumnae:
I have recently
had the pleasure of welcoming the second cadre of
MEPI-BIP women to the United States – such a
wonderful group! Their enthusiasm for their careers,
both present and future, is inspiring and their courage
participating in a program halfway across the globe
is admirable. This program will be such a great experience
for each of them, as it was for you.
Now that it has
been over one year since each of you have returned
to your respective homes and jobs, I am sure that
you are applying the skills and experiences you acquired
during your BIP program. You are probably settled
back into your lifestyles that you had prior to your
program, only now you are wiser, stronger, and more
internationally aware.
You may find,
however, that the ambition and drive you felt just
as you returned home is not always as easy to generate
as it was in the weeks after you came back. There
is no doubt that it takes work to keep that enthusiasm
thriving once you have returned. As BIP alumnae, I
challenge each of you to seek ways to revive the inspiration
you had when you were in the U.S. Remind yourself
of the feelings and ideas you had – look at
your pictures; read emails from your fellow alumnae.
You might call other BIP women just to say hello and
rekindle the camaraderie or be even more proactive
and plan an alumnae event with BIP women in your town,
country, or region. Encourage each other to fulfill
the goals you spoke of at your orientation.
This new group
of women described their aspirations for the program
and for their return home. Each in their own way revealed
their eagerness to succeed as individuals and as women
in their countries and in the region. Look back to
your first days, your own BIP orientation in Washington,
DC. Recall your aspirations and your enthusiasm and
let that motivate and guide you to obtain your goals.
Laura Alami
Program Officer
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
AlamiLT@state.gov
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| New
MEPI-BIP Participants Arrive |
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Group
shot of 2005–6 MEPI-BIP participants with
Erin Walsh and IREX staff
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November 14 marked the start of the second annual
U.S. Business Internship Program for Young Middle
Eastern Women, part of the U.S. Department of
State's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI-BIP).
This year's thiry-eight MEPI-BIP participants
are from sixteen countries throughout the region,
and were chosen from over nine hundred applicants
based on their leadership potential, entrepreneurial
spirit, and determination to affect the business
environment in their home countries.
A wide range of professional specialties
are represented in this year's group, from brand
management to youth camp administration, quality
assurance, computer security, and defense against
money laundering. Participants include lawyers,
financial analysts, marketing executives, and
engineers, many with advanced degrees and fluency
in multiple languages.
Continue...
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Being
an Extraordinary Leader Through Tough and Challenging
Times
November
14 marked the start of the second annual U.S. Business
Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women, part
of the U.S. Department of State's Middle East Partnership
Initiative (MEPI-BIP). |
Looking
Back: MEPI-BIP Advice
MEPI-BIP participants
leaving for the United States this fall had a better idea
of what to expect thanks to support from last year's pioneering
group. |
Selecting
MEPI-BIP Participants
Nidhal Hadiji Kefi
of Tunisia discusses her involvement as a 2004–2005
MEPI-BIP alumnae in helping to choose 2005–2006
participants. Such activities can be a simple yet fulfilling
way to stay involved with MEPI-BIP and to meet emerging
women leaders in your own country. |
Four
Tips for the Journey
Speaking at the
November 16 reception for new MEPI-BIP participants, Erin
Walsh, Senior Adviser on Women's Issues in the U.S. Department
of State's Bureau of Near East Affairs, offered the following
suggestions for making the most of the program. |
Question
of the Quarter
Before every
issue, BIP News asks all MEPI-BIP alumnae to
provide their own personal thoughts and experiences related
to a particular topic. |
Training
Opportunities
Event information is provided
as a resource only. Inclusion here does not signify approval
by AMIDEAST or the U.S. Department of State. |
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About
BIP News
BIP News
is a forum for the BIP alumnae community to express
views, share experiences and stay connected. Published
quarterly, BIP News is sponsored by the Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department
of State and produced by AMIDEAST.
How to
participate in BIP News:
Submit your alumnae
updates, professional achievements, community activities,
points of view and recent photos to Lia Hutton at
lhutton@amideast.org.
Submission guidelines:
Submissions may be edited for
style and language. Not all essays/comments submitted
will be printed. All submissions must include your
name and contact information including email address.
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About
MEPI
The Middle East
Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is a U.S. Presidential
Initiative founded to support economic, political, and
educational reform efforts in the Middle East and champion
opportunity for all people of the region, especially
women and youth. The initiative strives to link Arab,
U.S., and global private sector businesses, non-governmental
organizations, civil society elements, and governments
together to develop innovative policies and programs
that support reform in the region.
About the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department
of State
The Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs (ECA) fosters mutual understanding
between the United States and other countries through
international educational and training programs. The
bureau does so by promoting personal, professional,
and institutional ties between private citizens and
organizations in the United States and abroad, as well
as by presenting U.S. history, society, art, and culture
in all of its diversity to overseas audiences.
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