Open World is a ten-day program administed by the Congressional Office for International Leadership that brings emerging leaders from

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...

to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

to engage with professional counterparts. The program was established in 1999 to foster cultural and political ties with Russia but has since expanded outreach to other countries of the post-Soviet region. Since its inception the program has brought over 30,000 delegates to 2,300 communities throughout all 50 states.

Program Structure

COIL administers rule of law, parliamentary, and civic program themes. Delegates have a one-day orientation in Washington D.C. before traveling to a hosting community. The delegates home-stay with local families and participate in a series of meetings, interviews, presentations, and panel discussions with experts in their fields.

Congressional Office for International Leadership

The Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL), formerly known as the Open World Leadership Center, administers the Open World program. The agency is part of the U.S. legislative branch and is housed in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The librar ...

in Washington D.C. Every year, through the Senate and House Subcommittees on Legislative Branch Appropriations,

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

decides upon funding for COIL. The agency then confers grants to a variety of national organizations including Rotary clubs and other service organizations, community colleges and universities, sister-city associations, and international visitor councils. COIL has a board of directors with eleven members. The founding chairman of the Board was James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress. There are three members from the House of Representatives and three members from the Senate. In addition, there are four individuals outside of the government who have an interest in improving relations between COIL's focus countries and the United States.

External links

Open World's website

References

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