The U.S. Consulate General Kolkata is delighted to announce that our International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumnus Arman Ali from India has been selected to represent India this year as one of three Gold Star exchange alumni. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by honoring three Gold Star alumni in July 2020 — Fadi El Halabi from Lebanon, David Anyaele from Nigeria, and Arman Ali from India. (More about ADA at https://www.dol.gov/odep/ada30/ ).
Arman, a renowned disability rights activists, is presently the Executive Director at National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People in New Delhi. He is also on the board of NGO Shishu Sarothi in Guwahati, Assam.The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States. (more info at – https://eca.state.gov/ivlp/about-ivlp).
The Gold Star initiative highlights the work of IVLP alumni who have made a significant impact in their home communities, and this year will focus on alumni doing exceptional work in advancing disability rights. Linking alumni and their U.S. counterparts, and providing opportunities to share the impact of the IVLP with the Global Ties U.S. network, these projects provide an interactive platform for alumni to reconnect and exchange experiences promoting inclusion of people with disabilities. This is the first time the U.S. Government is piloting Gold Star programs as virtual exchanges – each Gold Star will participate in an individual virtual IVLP with several components, including a public online presentation, professional meetings, home hospitality, and cultural activities.
