The Dialogue Institute, along with the the International Center for Contemporary Education, hosted 20 young adult students from Southeast Asia (Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand), January 10-February 14.
The five-week program, focused on Religious Pluralism in the United States, is run in conjunction with the U.S. State Department (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs), and its Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) and Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).
The first four weeks were spent primarily in Philadelphia, along with a few days in New York City, and included an opening community-building retreat, interactive workshops on dialogue, critical thinking, communication and leadership, religious and historical site visits and a weekend staying with American host families. The fifth week began with a study tour in New Mexico and Arizona, with a particular focus on the rich cultural and religious identity of Native Americans. The final few days in Washington, D.C. included touring, embassy visits and various meetings with government officials.
This was the 9th Institute the DI has facilitated since 2010, and plans are already underway for the 10th - hosting 20 students from the Middle East this summer. These 20 students now join a growing network of nearly 200 SUSI alumni.
Click here to see pictures.
