Sec. 203. Program to promote educational and professional development for young adult leaders and professionals
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It is the sense of Congress that routinized people-to-people exchange programs to bring Pacific Islands religious leaders, journalists, civil society members, politicians, and others to the United States, as well as supporting similar exchange participants from the United States to the Pacific Islands, strengthens existing relationships and advances United States interests and shared values in the region. The Secretary of State may develop and implement a program to promote educational and professional development for young adult leaders and professionals in the Pacific Islands with a demonstrated passion to contribute to the continued development of the Pacific Islands.
The program developed under this section may be carried out through— grants provided on a competitive basis to qualified organizations with demonstrated expertise relating to the Pacific Islands; grants in amounts not to exceed $50,000 provided on a competitive basis to qualified young leaders from the Pacific Islands for the purpose of carrying out projects dedicated to the improvement of their communities in the Pacific Islands; regional workshops and professional, vocational, and academic fellowships; and people-to-people exchanges.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, acting through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, should brief the appropriate congressional committees on exchange programs for the Pacific Islands region. The briefing required by paragraph
(1)shall include— an assessment of factors constraining the number and frequency of International Visitor Leadership Program participants from countries of the Pacific Islands; an identification of resources that are necessary to address the factors described in subparagraph (A); and a strategy for connecting alumni and participants of the Department of State’s professional development exchange programs in East Asia, such as the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative and the Young Pacific Leaders programs, to enhance interregion and intraregion people-to-people ties.