- Middle Eastern Women on State Department Elections Exchange Program Tour Visit NCCROW
- Posted November 7, 2008
On the afternoon of Monday, November 3, Newcomb College Center for Research on Women hosted a distinguished group of women touring of the United States through Middle East Partnership Initiative’s Elections Exchange Program. This political training program was developed by the Meridian International Business Center in Washington DC and American University’s Women in Politics Institute, with the purpose of creating a practical and interactive political education program for the benefit of foreign observers. The Elections Exchange Program is a project of the U.S. Department of State.
The women’s journey began in Washington DC, and took them to New Orleans and Chicago for a first hand look at the United States electoral process. Their time in New Orleans was sponsored by the New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council (NODC), a non-profit organization that organizes professional appointments and meetings for more then 350 yearly visitors to New Orleans as part of the U.S Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The visitors stayed in New Orleans for a week, attending programs and discussions led by civic and political leaders from across the city. These local experts represented a comprehensive cross section of New Orleans political climate, providing insight into state and national government. Longtime NCCROW friend Jan Darsie served as a local host to the women traveling on the Elections Exchange Program.
The group’s session at NCCROW began with a discussion led by Tulane Political Science Professor Nancy Maveety and her colleagues Assistant Professor Brian Brox, an American Politics expert, and Visiting Professor Khaled Helmy, a specialist in Middle Eastern politics. The meeting gave members of the delegation to ask incisive questions about American politics and elections. Discussion ranged from the Electoral College system to U.S. regionalism and the eccentricities of American voting habits.
Next up, Linda Walker and Lea Young from the New Orleans League of Women Voters led a discussion of their organization’s activities in influencing public policy and providing citizen’s with free and unbiased political information, with the goal of encouraging increased voter registration and services.
On Election Day the group visited a polling a station, observe the voting process, and learn about America’s restrictions on electioneering and fraud. They spent part of the day following 2nd District Louisiana Congressional Candidate Helena Moreno, and finished the day at re-elected US Senator Mary Landrieu’s campaign party.
The Middle East Partnership Initative (MEPI) aims to provide Middle Eastern women with a first hand look at American politics, allowing them to acquire political and campaign skills for use upon return to their home countries. The Middle Eastern visitors included women from Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabi, Yemen, and Bahrain, all of whom have built distinguished professional careers in journalism, politics, academia, and business.
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