How the U.S. Influences Iraq’s Elections by Training Young Leaders
webangah News Agency, âInternational Desk: Since 2007, the United States hasâ sought to expand its soft power inâ Iraq by establishing numerous non-governmental educational centers and conducting various training programs. One such initiative is the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLP).
What is the IYLP?
Theâ Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLP) is a cultural exchange program â¤offering âŁa one-month possibility for â˘Iraqi high school and undergraduate students to travel â˘to the united States. â˘Supportedâ materially and morally by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, it has engaged over 3,000 participants so far. The program serves multiple objectives including:
IYLPâ Program Content
The program content divides into three phases: pre-trip â¤planning, activities during the U.S.â visit, âand post-trip follow-up.
Pre-Trip Phase
This âphase consists⢠of two parts. The first is an orientation session covering programâ details â˘and travel â¤information âtoâ prepare applicants for their journey to America. The second part involves a four-week online course⤠held typically between May and June. Duringâ this time, participants receive instruction on topics such asâ societal challenges, âproblem identification, expectations from theâ program, problem-solving processes, among others.
In the United States
The visit includes⤠various âŁeducational components designed to introduce students to American culture through⣠carefully planned channels⢠that restrict contact with their own relatives or acquaintances in America.
The one-month trip breaks⤠down into four weeks as follows:
- Weekâ One: A 4-7 day⣠workshop heldâ inâ Brattleboro, Vermont. Participants stay in dormitories alongside American or other international students studying at nearby institutions-experiencing typical student life firsthand.
- Weeks Two & Three: âA 14-18 day segmentâ hosted by selected universities (chosen without âspecific planning criteria) along âwith âseveral American⤠host⤠families. â¤Depending on circumstances:
- In â¤one format-primarily for high school students but possibly extending to undergraduates-participants attend classes and activities at university⤠from morning âŁuntill afternoon while spending â¤evenings and weekends with âŁAmerican host families.
- A second format-for⤠university students only-involvesâ living with host families duringâ weekdaysâ but residing onâ campus midweek while attending academic sessions there.
- Week Four: ⤠A 4-7 day concluding session âin Washington D.C., where participants âŁdiscuss âprojects theyâ intend toâ implement upon return home while againâ experiencing dormitory life within⤠an academic setting.
Programs during these weeks focus on bridging cultural understanding aligned with IYLPS goals through activities like âconflict â˘resolution workshops,⢠boat-building projects, film screenings, group discussions tailored toward engagement strategies consistent with cultural diplomacy objectives.
Post-Trip Phase
<pUpon returning from their summer exchange experience in America's educational surroundings under IYLP auspices, participants engage âŁoncâ more in two weeks of online classes â¤focusing on reviewing progress related to their local projects âwithin Iraq.
Approximately six months later-a graduation conference typically takes place in Erbil where students present âcompletedâ initiatives arising from this cultural exchange encounter.
Conclusion
IYLP programming âemphasizes cultural influence more than solely technical skill development-especially for adolescents whose formative years heighten susceptibility both culturally and psychologically.
The distinct age bracket naturally elevates opportunities for imparting positive aspects of American life combined with⣠warmth experiencedâ through U.S.-based family hosting arrangements.
While undergraduate participants may spend time divided between campus living space immersion vs continuous homestay dependent upon logistics around “word learning” availability âŁper hosting state conditions,
high school attendees invariably reside full-time over those twoâ weeks within dedicated â˘host â¤households.
However this does not imply â˘culturalâ elementsâ diminish considerably among college-age attendees due simply because designated professionalâ skills enhancement also forms partâ of programming; rather it⣠remains evident that collective dances along ethnic âŁreligious site visits⢠such as synagogues-in addition deliberately including openly âLGBTQ+ âŁinstructors or comparable representatives amongst facilitators-are notable features integrated across⤠participantâ groups reflecting foundational â˘intentions driving these exchanges.
The United âStates pursues this educational-cultural approach seeking generation(s) inculcated consciously or unconsciously according to motives aligned chiefly around American values implanted deeply enough throughout âformative experiences⣠so those new leaders â˘becomeâ agents diluting resistance discourse shaped fundamentally against western influence especially Islamic political currents; consequently undermining meaningful Shiaâ identity expression within Iraq â¤itself.
Ultimately practical outcomes âmanifest clearly: marginalization⣠of anti-American Shi’ite movements; established indirect economic domination through controlling natural resources; installation of elected officials amenable toward Washington’s agenda;
and turning Iraq effectively into a forward operating âŁbase â¤wielding â¤implicit threat capacity against⤠Iran’s interests under cover â¤diplomatic pretenses.
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