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I was honored to be selected to participate in the IVLP’s “Promoting Human Rights” exchange, along with four other representatives of human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Israel. The goal of the program is to help “strengthen U.S. engagement with countries around the world and cultivate lasting relationships by connecting current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term visits to the United States.” Our niche trip focuses on understanding the historical context of human rights in the US, the role of civil society in politics, and the organizational structure of various human rights organizations.

Our first stop was Washington, D.C. where we met with a variety of speakers from civil society and participated in discussions regarding federalism in the US. A primary concern at the majority of meetings was changes in the US administration and how they will affect human rights work.