DEPARTMENT OF STATE

El-Djazair Alumni Newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 19 August 2011

The YLP Experience

the first 4 days in Washington D.C. It was my favorite city. We visited different museums, and we had the chance to see the white house and take a picture close to it. But the most interesting visit we had was in the State Department where we were fortunate enough to meet the Ambassador of the United States in Algiers who shared with us some of his future projects in strengthening the relations between The United States and Algeria that Ive found inspiring. After that, we finally flew to The biggest little city in the world, Reno, where the biggest part of the program was waiting for us. Before we went to Reno, we stayed in Virginia City, a little town next to Reno. Our moments in Virginia City were purely unforgettable. We first met our counselors and people who work in the staff of Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC). I found them incredibly interesting because each one of them had his or her own personality, and they made the charm of the program. Then, the first day in Virginia City was the day when we met the 10 American participants. I only wish I could go back to that day, the contact was very easy with them and they seemed all interested about us and our culture. There was even a girl who told me that she thought we were all blacks and that she will have to struggle in order for her to be understood by us. So I think that it was also a great opportunity for us to show the American participants who the Algerians are. The next 6 days were all exciting not only because we had to study civic engagement in classes and do a lot of fun activities and community services but also because we got to all know each other and being surrounded by such wonderful people was just amazing! Following the six days we spent in Virginia City, we went back to Reno where we had to start our courses in the University of Nevada, Reno. I have always seen American universities, but only in T.V. So having the chance to visit an American University and take classes there was just unbelievable. The Journalism classes that we took with Mr. Todd Felts really helped me to develop our listening skills and taught us various things about Medias. Besides, spending the weekend in San Francisco was just enormous, weve finally discovered the city we were dreaming about. I was so happy to be with the entire group, enjoying the city.

Inside this issue:

The YLP Experience 1 The YLP 2011 W2W 2011

Since I was young, one of my precious dreams has always been to go to visit the United States. I have always wanted to discover and live the culture of the new country and at the same time I had another dreamto become a leader in my country. The U.S Department of State heard my voice and created the Youth Leadership Program for me and for all those who have had the same dream. The week we spent in Sidi Fredj opened my eyes about what we could contribute to our community because we had to visit many different NGOs and learn more about them. I was surprised to see that there are so many different organizations that exist close to my neighborhood. Thanks to the first part of YLP, I created contact with different people working in those organizations, and now I am determined to join an organization that prevents AIDS. Also, the first week was a chance for me to meet Carina, Justin and the other youth leaders that now have become like my brothers and sisters. We spent

FLTA Meeting with Ambassador

ACCESS Graduation 3

Tribute

Before departure
Finally, the last seven days we spent in Tahoe were full of emotions because it was the end of the program, we were all enjoying each second, each minute, each moment with the American participants, we got much closer and spent memorable moments. I think that the AYLP has not only built and fortified my leadership skills, but it has also made me understand that fabulous people still exist in this world, and thanks to them, thanks to their support, I feel that I gained enough life experience to face all challenges that my future holds for me. Anis Akli Mehnaoui YLP 2011

Interfaith Dialogue 4

Visiting the White House

Page 2

El-Djazair Alumni Newsletter

W2W 2011: Empowering Women

For the second year in a row, the U.S. Embassy in Algiers sent a group of young girls to Lesley University in Boston, MA, to take part in the Womenn2Women conference 2011 in its 6th edition. The conference took place from July 26 to August 3 and had young representatives from 35 countries, ages 15 to 19. Following the success of last years conference and the impact it had on the Algerian participants (see El Djazair Alumni Newsletter August 2010), the Public Affairs Office in Algeria selected thirteen delegates to represent Algeria during this conference, three more than last year. importance of such an event, Bethea, the PAO, also sent a clear message to the Algerian representatives, praising their abilities and their role as young ambassadors for Algeria. One very special moment during this event was the young delegates speeches on their expectations from Women2Women program and the role they are aiming to play in their future as women in the Algerian society. The delegates had also the opportunity to hear from Yousra Bettioui, 2010 W2W Alumna, on her experience and how attending W2W changed her view on many her role as a woman. The thirteen delegates left Algeria the next day, with heads full ideas, hopes and one sole objective, to be the best representatives of Algerian women. A.B

W2W 2011 Algerian delegates.

Good habits die hard

Before the delegations departure, and as the established habit, all members and their parents were invited to a reception hosted by the new Public Affair Officer, Tashawna Bethea and with, as a special guest, the New U.S. Ambassador in Algeria, Henry Ensher, who spoke to the young delegates about the importance of empowering women and the

PAO, Bethea discussing with delegates.

Ambassador Ensher addresses the W2W delegation.

FLTA Meeting with Ambassador Ensher

Ambassador Henry Ensher gave welcome remarks to Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant during their pre-departure briefing held on July 26. The six participants will travel to the U.S. to various American colleges and universities to assist in teaching Arabic at select institutions. The FLTA program is part of a suite of Fulbright programs that focus on educational exchange opportunities to increase mutual understanding between American and other countries. The FLTAs will go to the U.S. for an academic year; in turn, they will improve their own professional English language teaching skills to return to enhance English language learning and instruction at their various institutions in Algeria. The students recently returned from a week-long orientation program in Istanbul, Turkey where they learned their roles and responsibilities for the program. Cultural Affairs Specialist and Fulbright Program Coordinator, Nadia Ouhenia, attended the program in Istanbul and led the pre-departure briefing. PAO, Tashawna S. Bethea, also attended the session.

Ambassador H. Ensher and PAO, T. Bethea posing with FLTAs.

Volume 2, Issue 19

Page 3

ACCESS Graduation: Batna

The month of July was the beginning of the Access graduation ceremony in different schools, starting from Batna and Constantine. On July 13th, the Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer (ACAO), Regina Cocco headed to El Badr School in Batna to share local students special moment for their completion of the Micros Scholarship Access Program 2009/2011. Because they wanted to make it their very special day, the certificates ceremony took place at the town theatre In a way to have a larger audience with parents and local Access alumni. The ceremony started with a speech by Regina Cocco, who complemented the students, teachers and all the staff from El Badr school for the efforts they have put during the two-year Access training; the ACAO pointed out, during her speech, the importance of such a program for the American Government. She congratulated the students on their graduation day and for their invaluable success. Later on, the activities started by a reading of verses of the Quran by a student who translated them to the audience into English, this was followed by the American and Algerian anthems. One of the greatest tradition during any of the Access ceremonies but is also their pride, is students presentations. The first presentation was a comparison between Algeria and the US with their different sides (religious, social, cultural, and geographical etc). After that Student Sofiene presented a report about Martin Luther King followed by a video called North and South, showing the contrast about the Algerian geography The students presented two other videos about Deaf People, and Let me tell you. The first one was about people who are deaf at birth or became deaf at infancy before acquiring mastery of a spoken language, and the second one is about colonialism and how our Algerian Martyrs fought bravely to get our independence. The last show was named The six candles. Every candle hold by a student symbolizes a moral value (love, happiness, friendship, peace, faith, hopeetc) but all die as people are not giving it importance until hope comes at last to lighten the other candles. Their last message was no one can live without hope. A.B

Access students from El Badr School Batna.

The ACAO pointed out the

The ACAO, R. Cocco handing the Access certificates to stu-

importance of the Access program for the American Government.

Students performing on their graduation stage.

ACCESS Graduation: Constantine

Another ceremony took place on the same day, July 13, Constantine. The ACAO, Regina Cocco, attended the Access ceremony at the Universal Language Center (ULC) in Constantine to share the students celebration of their completion of the Access Program 2009/2011. The event took place at a local theater, and over 60 people were present: Access Alumni, New Access students, teachers, relatives, friend, and staff, Was also present at the ceremony, Elizabeth Cole, the English Language Fellow at the University of Constantine. The show started by short movie showing students activities, then two plays were performed, the first one was called the Funny Teacher and The second one was called The Little Boy. Next, was a poem prepared by a group of students called Gandhi inspired to the students from the life of the Indian leader. Activities that reflect the essence of the Access program i.e. inspiring creativity and artistic expression along with academic learning. The ceremony ended with Regina Coccos speech in which the ACAO said that the end of Access Program is the beginning of other opportunities, insisting on their role a alumni, she then thanked them for the excellent performance they made and how happy she was for the excellent level the students have shown through the different activities. At the end of the ceremony,

Access students from ULC School Constantine.

Regina Cocco handed the certificates and took pictures with the students and their teachers. A.B

One student offering a painting made during the ceremony to ACAO, R. Cocco

Access Students reading poetry

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

El Djazair Alumni Newsletter

Ahmed Bensoltane Mohamed1980-2011

In our May edition of El Djazair Alumni Newsletter, we proudly featured Ahmed Bensoltane Mohamed, the Chairman and founder of Al Ajdad, an NGO that helps children suffering of diabetes. Ahmed shared his experience in the US for what it is now, and his last trip outside Algeria, as today, Ahmed Bensoltane Mohamed has left us. Ahmeds life was all devoted to others, orphaned at an early age, he lived in hospital from the age of 11, not because he had diabetes but because he had nowhere to go; during the 18 years he lived in there, Ahmed started experiencing the sufferance of others so to forget his own, diving in community service to see others smiling and so he could smile back to life; being amputated in his 20s did not stop him from acting for the others. He worked in fundraising, clothes collection and helping those in need because there was no cause he did not adopt. In 2008, Bensoltane lost sight because of a surgery, and just two years later he started his Association, Al Ajdad, As he felt the need to structure his action and to help more people Salim Mohamed Benmoumen, co-founder and IVLP Alumni said. During the last two years and through this association, Bensoltane completed many actions and worked hard to fight diabetes and teach others about this disease. In a year of existence, from January 2010, Al Ajdad organized 12 events directed to children, parents, teachers and school headmasters. Salim Mohamed Benmoumen recalls Ahmed As the most active person he ever met, his disabilities never stopped from reaching his goals, creating projects, making up new ideas, although he had no resources except a small pension. In January 2011, Ahmed Bensoltane Mohamed attended the NGO Management Program, in the USA and proudly shared this experience in our May issue, and wrote to describe it: I learned a lot about the differences and similarities between both the Algerian and American cultures. I also discovered peoples friendliness and helpfulness; from the program, I discovered different and more efficient ways to increase my associations effectiveness. Ahmed Bensoltane Mohamed, president and founder of Al Ajdad, IVLP Alumni died of a heart attack on July 28, 2011 at the age of 31, the last conference he gave was in

Email: Boussoufaa@state.gov Public Diplomacy, U.S. Embassy Algiers, Algeria

Ahmed Bensoltane Mohamed

the Sheraton, Algiers, few days before his death, the subject was Diabetes and Ramadhan. A.B

Interfaith Dialogue
The Interfaith Dialogue Essay Contest is an invitation for young Algerians to write an article on the subject of the Dialogue between Religions. This is the third edition of this competition organized by the U.S. Embassy in Algeria. The contest is open to youth aged 15 to 18 and articles can be in any of the three languages (Arabic, French or English), they also have to be less than 600 words, when sending the article, participants must clearly mention their names, contact information (address, email and phone number). To be taken into consideration, articles have to be sent either: By fax to 021 607 335 with the mention Interfaith Dialogue Essay Contest By mail to: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El Ibrahimi El Biar Alger - Section des Affaires Publiques -Concours dcriture sur le Dialogue des Religions By Email to Algiers_webmaster@state.gov with the mention Interfaith Dialogue Essay Contest The jury is made up of religious personalities and members of the press, who will have to select the three best articles. The winning articles will be published in the press and the winners will be rewarded during a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy, Deadline for participation is September 30, 2011.