Some people wonder, "Will there ever be peace in the Middle East?". Well, we know there won't be if lots of different parties don't contribute something to make it happen.
I'm Kevin, a CVO at GeoVi
sions
. Today I was reviewing a file full of applications for our Work and
Travel US Exchange program. On this program, university students from around the world come to the US to work in seasonal jobs. I don't know why this particular file attracted me. But I started looking through the applications. In this file, I spotted two students from Jordan, then one from Lebanon.
I liked that. But as I went further, there was a student from Iraq. Then one from Israel.
All these students are going to work together in Ocean City, Maryland this summer, and I got to thinking about how programs like ours do bring people together who otherwise would probably never get to know each other. Our Work and Travel program is a part of the US State Department's public diplomacy effort. Students from around the world get to know about the USA, but they also get to know each other. Abraham Lincoln once said "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."
Our Work and Travel students always tell us that one of the greatest benefits of our exchange program is that they got to make friends from all over the world. GeoVisions ... hopefully we can help a little bit to convert enemies into friends. My file folder gave me hope!
We can also help you go to countries in the Middle East to volunteer and teach. You can be a Conversation Corps or Conversation Partner tutor in Lebanon or in Jordan. Live with a family, help people improve their English conversation skills, learn about a fascinating part of the world. Make your own contribution!
In this article we identified four countries, but showed six flags from Middle Eastern Countries. Can you identify all of them?
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