May 29, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

FOR ACYPL: Mike Garretson: (202) 857-0999 x27 or  HYPERLINK "mailto:mgarretson@acypl.org" mgarretson@acypl.org

FOR Rep. Lewiss: (401) 596-9951

Rising Indonesian Political Leaders Visit Rhode Island

Delegates Study U.S. Political System, Discuss Bi-lateral, Regional & International Issues

WASHINGTON - On the evening of Wednesday, June 4, 2008,  HYPERLINK "http://www.acypl.org/" The American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) will travel to Providence with the first Indonesian ACYPL delegation to visit the United States since 2002. The delegation will visit as part of an eleven day political study tour that began in Washington, D.C. and will be hosted in Rhode Island by State Representative Peter Lewiss, D-Westerly, a 2007 ACYPL delegate to China.

The delegates’ program is designed to promote mutual understanding and introduce them to the American political system at the national, state and local levels. It will also provide them with opportunities to gain perspective on American culture, engage in dialogue on international issues, and forge friendships and professional relationships with American counterparts.

The delegation is comprised of seven promising, young political and policy leaders drawn from a wide range of political parties and regions across Indonesia. The delegates are between twenty-five and forty years of age and hold positions of responsibility in the Indonesian government and political system. They include national and provincial party leaders, members of provincial and local legislatures and a mayor from Aceh Province. Each of them has been selected based on their potential to assume key leadership positions in the national government of Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation. [Please see below for a delegate list.]

While in Rhode Island, the delegates will meet with senior state government officials from the executive, judicial and legislative branches, including Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, Attorney General Patrick Lynch, Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, House Speaker William J. Murphy, Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, and members of the Rhode Island General Assembly. They will also meet with State Democratic Party Chairman William Lynch and State Republican Party Chairman Giovanni Cicone, as well as local leaders such as Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, an ACYPL delegate to Brazil in 1999 and the Philippines in 1996. In addition, they will attend a House session, tour the Rhode Island Statehouse and discuss corporate infrastructure development with executives from GTech Corporation. Prior to returning to Indonesia, the delegates will also travel to Nebraska to gain another perspective on state and local governance.

“Indonesia undertook its first direct presidential election in 2004 and its government and political parties continue to undergo change, reform and growth.  It’s an honor to host these promising young leaders and introduce them to how we conduct state and local government here in Rhode Island,” said Rep. Lewiss, the delegation’s state host.

ACYPL Chief Executive Officer  HYPERLINK "http://www.acypl.org/about_staff.html" \l "Linda%20Rotunno" Linda Rotunno added, “This exchange is a great opportunity for folks in D.C., Rhode Island and Nebraska to interact with these young leaders and to learn about the political landscape of Indonesia and for the Indonesian delegates to observe the dynamics of the current American election cycle.  We have a great deal to share and learn from each other, and ACYPL exchanges are a perfect vehicle for fostering this sort of mutual understanding and friendship building.”

Recognized by the U.S. Congress as a pre-eminent catalyst for introducing rising political leaders and policy makers to international affairs and to each other,  HYPERLINK "http://www.acypl.org/" The American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) is a bi-partisan, not-for-profit international exchange organization based in Washington, DC. Since its founding in 1966, ACYPL has, with generous support from the U.S. Department of State, corporations and individuals, conducted programs and exchanges with more than 90 nations, producing a global network of several thousand alumni. Former ACYPL participants include 38 sitting members of the U.S. Congress, 6 sitting U.S. governors and ambassadors, cabinet ministers and parliamentarians around the globe. For more information on ACYPL, please visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.acypl.org" http://www.acypl.org. 

Abderrahim Qanir

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