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American Council of Young Political Leaders

American Council of Young Political Leaders For over 50 years, ACYPL has introduced young leaders to international affairs and to each other through exchange.

ACYPL was founded in 1966 and has conducted, with generous support from the US Department of State, corporations, foundations and individuals, exchange programs with 120 countries and territories. These exchanges have produced a global network of over 8,000 alumni, including over 40 current members of the Congress, 6 sitting governors and ambassadors, cabinet ministers and parliamentarians, around the globe.

We are so proud to have 2 alums in new leadership positions.Congratulations to New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Chris Hi...
01/26/2023

We are so proud to have 2 alums in new leadership positions.

Congratulations to New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins MP (2012) and new Deputy PM Carmel Sepuloni MP (2010)!

Love to see the ACYPL network on the world stage!

Calling all ACYPL alumni!We encourage you to apply for the Global Ties U.S. Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund to win funding...
01/25/2023
Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund - Global Ties U.S.

Calling all ACYPL alumni!

We encourage you to apply for the Global Ties U.S. Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund to win funding for public service projects.

Learn more & apply by March 15: https://www.globaltiesus.org/CDAF/

2023 Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Application Open Date Wednesday, January 18 Application Close Date Wednesday, March 15 Apply Are you an alumni of a U.S. government sponsored exchange program ready

 is off and running! So far, delegates have met the Governor of Tokyo 小池 百合子, had a meeting at アメリカ大使館 U.S. Embassy Toky...
01/23/2023

is off and running! So far, delegates have met the Governor of Tokyo 小池 百合子, had a meeting at アメリカ大使館 U.S. Embassy Tokyo, visited a robot cafe, and of course sampled local cuisine!

Five of our alumni are headed back to Japan today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of exchanges between ACYPL and Japan...
01/20/2023

Five of our alumni are headed back to Japan today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of exchanges between ACYPL and Japan Center for International Exchange.

Follow along at !

 to our 2019  trip in partnership with U.S.- Mexico Foundation where emerging leaders toured sites including the Frida K...
01/19/2023

to our 2019 trip in partnership with U.S.- Mexico Foundation where emerging leaders toured sites including the Frida Kahlo Museum & Teotihuacan ruins, met with experts in the Foreign Ministry, & more.

Onward to more exchanges with U.S.- Mexico Foundation in the years to come!

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of you...
01/16/2023

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."

Today we're remembering & honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

To our alumni community: thank you so much for your End of Year contributions! Your thank you note and sticker are en ro...
01/13/2023

To our alumni community: thank you so much for your End of Year contributions! Your thank you note and sticker are en route - be on the lookout in your mailbox in the weeks ahead.

We love to see it! 🇺🇸 🇲🇰
01/11/2023

We love to see it! 🇺🇸 🇲🇰

We are thrilled to be renewing our partnership with the U.S.- Mexico Foundation on another great year of  exchanges to M...
01/10/2023

We are thrilled to be renewing our partnership with the U.S.- Mexico Foundation on another great year of exchanges to Mexico City and Monterrey! 🇺🇸🇲🇽

Stay tuned for more details on what are sure to be incredible trips.

5 ACYPL Japan alumni are headed back to Japan later this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of exchanges between th...
01/09/2023

5 ACYPL Japan alumni are headed back to Japan later this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of exchanges between the ACYPL and JCIE.

Last week, the alumni met virtually with Japan Center for International Exchange & journalist Toshiaki Miura.

We tragically lost a member of our alumni community yesterday, Quentin Williams.He will be so missed.
01/06/2023

We tragically lost a member of our alumni community yesterday, Quentin Williams.

He will be so missed.

We are so thrilled that Trustee Cassie Folk is joining our Board leadership this year as our new Secretary! Cassie has b...
01/05/2023

We are so thrilled that Trustee Cassie Folk is joining our Board leadership this year as our new Secretary! Cassie has been a Trustee since 2015 and has traveled on exchanges to China & Taiwan (2014) and Mexico (Fall 2022).

We’re also excited to welcome Justin Gray as our newest Trustee! Justin has been a devoted alum and supporter and has traveled to Israel, Palestinian Territories, & Jordan (2014) and Mexico (Winter 2022).

Welcome, Justin! We’re so glad to have you!

As the year kicks off, we want recognize our outgoing Secretary and former Chair Stacie Fujii for her 10 years of servic...
01/04/2023

As the year kicks off, we want recognize our outgoing Secretary and former Chair Stacie Fujii for her 10 years of service on the Board of Trustees.

We are SO grateful for Stacie’s decade-long commitment to our mission of giving emerging leaders a global perspective.

Thanks for everything, Stacie! 🙌

01/03/2023

Thanks to all our alumni & supporters who made generous gifts to our End of Year campaign.

With your incredible support, we hit our goal and are ready to kick off 2023 with a full roster of life-changing global exchanges.

Let’s get to work!

01/01/2023

From our whole ACYPL team, Happy New Year!

With just hours left in the year, we would be so appreciative if you made a tax-deductible gift to ACYPL to help power l...
12/31/2022

With just hours left in the year, we would be so appreciative if you made a tax-deductible gift to ACYPL to help power life-changing exchanges & inspire emerging leaders across the aisle and around the world.

We'd be so grateful for your support: https://www.acypl.org/contribute/

12/27/2022
2022 in photos

What a year 2022 has been!

From the resumption of in-person exchanges to 2 YSEALI Professional Fellows Programs to hosting our innovative Elections Program, it’s been an incredible year - all thanks to the support of our partners & alumni.

Happy holidays from the ACYPL team!We are so thankful for all our amazing alumni around the world, and we wish you and y...
12/23/2022

Happy holidays from the ACYPL team!

We are so thankful for all our amazing alumni around the world, and we wish you and your family a joyful holiday season.

We had a packed 2022, from exchanges to New Zealand & Mexico to hosting our Elections Program, and so much more.And it w...
12/21/2022

We had a packed 2022, from exchanges to New Zealand & Mexico to hosting our Elections Program, and so much more.

And it was all thanks to our amazing alumni community hosting delegates, nominating leaders, & supporting our work!

Take a look at 2022 in numbers:

 is officially in the books, another exchange filled with new connections, a better understanding of diplomacy, meeting ...
12/19/2022

is officially in the books, another exchange filled with new connections, a better understanding of diplomacy, meeting neighbors across the border including U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen & Mayor Mike Savage of Halifax, and more.

Onward to more life-changing trips in 2023 & beyond!

 delegates have gotten the chance to tour the Parliament and observe proceedings, meet local officials, visit the U.S. E...
12/13/2022

delegates have gotten the chance to tour the Parliament and observe proceedings, meet local officials, visit the U.S. Embassy Ottawa, soak in the culture of Ottawa and Montreal, and make lifelong memories & connections along the way!

 is off and running!
12/09/2022

is off and running!

 is off and running in Belgium where emerging leaders have met with officials to learn about European foreign policy, yo...
12/06/2022

is off and running in Belgium where emerging leaders have met with officials to learn about European foreign policy, youth participation in politics, and more -- and even had the chance to take a chocolate making class!

 had meetings in DC today, including at the Delegation of the European Union, before flying to Belgium this afternoon!
12/02/2022

had meetings in DC today, including at the Delegation of the European Union, before flying to Belgium this afternoon!

This week.  volunteered with A Wider Circle, sorting and packing clothing and food for those in-need.
12/01/2022

This week. volunteered with A Wider Circle, sorting and packing clothing and food for those in-need.

This , we hope you'll make a gift to help emerging leaders learn about diplomacy and make new connections across the ais...
11/29/2022

This , we hope you'll make a gift to help emerging leaders learn about diplomacy and make new connections across the aisle & around the world.

Plus, your gift will be matched & if you give $25+ we'll send you an exclusive ACYPL sticker!
https://acypl.org/contribute

This Thanksgiving, we're thinking of all the ACYPL alumni, partners, supporters, & friends who have worked to help inspi...
11/24/2022

This Thanksgiving, we're thinking of all the ACYPL alumni, partners, supporters, & friends who have worked to help inspire emerging leaders & build new connections across the aisle and around the world.

On behalf of the whole ACYPL family, Happy Thanksgiving!

Program Officer Charles Ogden traveled to Malaysia last week to begin the process of selecting YSEALI Professional Fello...
11/23/2022

Program Officer Charles Ogden traveled to Malaysia last week to begin the process of selecting YSEALI Professional Fellows Program fellows for 2023.

And he also got a chance to catch up with alumni at a social hour!

11/18/2022

Yesterday, our group traveling to Brussels and Paris in 2 weeks got a primer on all things EU history and policy from Prof. Simon Hix. Follow along at ! And thanks to our partners at EDYN!

We’ve got two more outbound exchanges planned this year – and we’re already working on 2023 as well! Know an emerging le...
11/17/2022
Nominations - ACYPL

We’ve got two more outbound exchanges planned this year – and we’re already working on 2023 as well!

Know an emerging leader or up-and-coming public policy professional who might be a good candidate for one of our trips? Nominate them today: acypl.org/nominations

A state or local elected official, political operative, policy, corporate, or labor advocacy professional, or grassroots organizer who is poised to become a leader in shaping politics and policies.

Program Officer Charles Ogden met with YSEALI Professional Fellows Program alum Sanusha Sritharan in Singapore this week...
11/16/2022

Program Officer Charles Ogden met with YSEALI Professional Fellows Program alum Sanusha Sritharan in Singapore this week!

Thanks to our  state hosts Steve Schale, Dallas Harris, Amol Naik, Matt Dollar, & Ashley Spicola who worked tirelessly t...
11/15/2022

Thanks to our state hosts Steve Schale, Dallas Harris, Amol Naik, Matt Dollar, & Ashley Spicola who worked tirelessly to ensure the emerging leaders had memorable and informative visits to key swing states.

That’s a wrap on our 2022  Program, with emerging leaders from North Macedonia, Hungary, Croatia, Kenya & Botswana trave...
11/14/2022

That’s a wrap on our 2022 Program, with emerging leaders from North Macedonia, Hungary, Croatia, Kenya & Botswana traveling to DC & swing states to observe our democratic process in person.

Our  delegations in NV, GA, & FL spent Election Day meeting candidates from both parties, observing polling places, and ...
11/09/2022

Our delegations in NV, GA, & FL spent Election Day meeting candidates from both parties, observing polling places, and attending Election Night watch parties.

And today they’re hearing from experts from both sides of the aisle to recap the midterm results.

Our  Program delegations are visiting swing states across the country leading up to Election Day, and the trips are off ...
11/07/2022

Our Program delegations are visiting swing states across the country leading up to Election Day, and the trips are off to a jam-packed start!

The delegation from North Macedonia kicked off their visit to Florida meeting with Florida Department of State & Mayor John Dailey, touring the old & new state capitols, and having dinner with Barry Richards, State Representative Allison Tant, & alum Ashley Ellis Spicola!

In Georgia, the delegation from Hungary & Croatia met Herschel Walker at a rally, attended a UGA football game, toured the state capitol, and were hosted at the homes of our incredible state hosts Matt Dollar (Indonesia & Malaysia 2011) & Trustee Amol Naik!

Our delegation from Botswana & Kenya arrived in Nevada on Friday & began their packed schedule meeting with Nevada Secretary of State, Nevada State Treasurer’s Office, watching Melanie Scheible for NV Senate District 9's door knocking operation, meeting Governor Steve Sisolak & Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, & touring Allegiant Stadium with state host Senator Dallas Harris!

🙌🗳
11/07/2022

🙌🗳

Meeting with Nevada Secretary of State and Nevada State Treasurer



It’s been a great week for the  program as emerging leaders from 5 countries have heard from experts in political strate...
11/03/2022

It’s been a great week for the program as emerging leaders from 5 countries have heard from experts in political strategy, social media, campaign finance, and media in DC before they head to GA, NV, and FL to observe Election Day in-person.

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(Today) Ceylon Today:(Editorial page) Doctrinal Transitions And Balancing Strategies To Pursue Interdependent Foreign Policies By Dr.Srimal Fernando( 100 Foreign PolicyColumns )
This week we celebrated 50 years of collaboration with the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) on our US-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program!

We hosted a group of five alumni from the past two decades of exchanges in Tokyo and Nagano. Participants had opportunities to meet with Japanese Diet members, government officials, businesspeople, and more to deepen their understanding of the US-Japan relationship on a diverse range of issues.

Some highlights included a visit to Zenkoji, one of the oldest temples in Japan, and a visit to a local middle school to join their English class as well as meetings with three Diet members and the governor of Tokyo.

A big thank you to everyone who met with the group and looking forward to organizing many more delegations to come!

About the program:https://www.jcie.org/programs/political-exchange-programs/us-japan-young-political-leaders/
About the Trip: https://www.jcie.org/programs/political-exchange-programs/us-japan-young-political-leaders/2023-2/
Amazing!!

Keep up the great work Chris Hipkins MP and Carmel Sepuloni MP 👏

American Council of Young Political Leaders continues to deliver on its development and support of successful leaders 🧡
Thank you American Council of Young Political Leaders City of Cedar Rapids Iowa Government and the People of North Macedonia for this experience and for the honor of getting to know you. May this proclamation of gratitude serve as a small role of my thanks for all your generous welcome spirit and kindness to our delegation 🙏🏻 ❤️

🇺🇸 🤝 🇲🇰
Despite of the political turmoil in Sabah over the past one week, I will continue to advocate what I believe in regardless.

Over the past three years, I spent most of my free time participating, initiating, organising and planning activities for international NGOs such as American Council of Young Political Leaders, The Young SEAkers and Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.

I'm going to continue advocating civic participation and youth development under International Republican Institute (IRI) and JCI Malaysia during this new year. From now on, I will not limit my postings to my engagement with Party Warisan only. I will also update my national, regional and international engagements.

Attached photo is some of my major achievements in civic society space:

1. Founded The Young SEAkers (TYS) Malaysia Chapter, a country chapter that advocates on ASEAN-China integration among Malaysian youths in January 2021.

2. Involve in Arus Anak Muda, a local youth organisation that advocates on employability, political and international awareness among Malaysian youths.

3.Selected to join YSEALI Good Governance and Civil Society Workshop 2021. Also successfully organised a series of youth employability workshop with Malaysian, Bruneian and Singaporean youths.

4. Co-authored a book chapter with my mentor, Dr. Ei Sun OH 胡逸山 under a book titled "Sabah From The Ground: The 2020 Elections & The Politics of Survival"

5. Run as Vice President (International) at JCI Lintas 億達國際青年商會 together with President Desmond Chong and Secretary Rebecca Wong in 2023.

6. Shared my research findings on youth employability with a group of experts (i.e., politicians, grassroot activists and researchers) in July 2021.

7. Shared my experience on leading TYS Malaysia Chapter via Malaysia Youth SDG Summit in November 2021. Also explained how my curated masterclasses series, industry insights and cultural exchange programs help to enhance skillsets and cultural exposure among Malaysian youths.

8. Wrote more than 140 articles and received numerous media interview requests from my research findings ranging from socio-economic issues, politics and concerns among East Malaysians.

I still believe that politics is the way to change people's life and create better policies for the people.

Will see what I can achieve more for a better Malaysia in 2023! 🙌👐💪🇲🇾

[Malay and Chinese captions come later]
I saw a post today on social media with Q’s wall-to-wall smile, and smiled to myself. But when I looked at that post closer my heart shattered into pieces. I cannot process that he is truly leaving this world and adequately find the words to honor the brilliance that is State Representative Quentin Williams. Never have I met someone who so generously shared their joy with the world. You could not avoid smiling when he was in your presence because his spirit was so infectious.

And beyond that, he was so good at showing up for his community. I fell in love with Connecticut even though it’s one of the 14 states I have not have the privilege of visiting yet. But he radiated pride for Middleton and his state. He was a champion for housing and it was one of the topics we most daydreamed about solving throughout the US.

As one of my favorite people in politics, and an incredible friend, this world will miss out on decades more of his leadership and kindness. Every place he went he brought people up and into the circles he was in, always making room for others, always welcoming them in like family. He was my regular conference buddy.

Little did I know, that Q’s outreach to wish me a Merry Christmas would be the most precious gift I would get from a friend I will miss dearly.

His colleagues words are so wonderfully descriptive of who he was:

“State Rep. Geoff Luxenberg, D-Manchester, said ‘No statement from any friend, colleague, politician or person will ever be able to capture in words his humility, his passion for justice, or his zeal for life. When Q laughed – his one-of-a-kind booming laugh – you felt his joy deep in your soul," Luxenberg said."When he smiled, the room lit up. When he spoke, everyone listened. And when he worked as Chair of this Housing Committee, or in any legislative capacity, you knew with a certainty that was both comforting and rare, the bedrock of his work was a passion and love for the people of Connecticut that was deeper and more authentic and more real than anyone. State legislators come and go but there will never be another Q.’

https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/Cromwell-Route-9-wrong-way-crash-17696048.php

I am so grateful I had his friendship and so very sad for his passing. I wish to lift up his wife, mother, family, friends and colleagues during this time of mourning and ask us all to honor his legacy by being more kind to one another, always making room for others to join and feel welcome, and working to provide all of our citizens shelter.

We will all miss our Young Elected Officials Network, American Council of Young Political Leaders, and The NewDEAL colleague so very much. There is something to be said about the connectivity of these networks. They become a living, breathing, organism that beats with a unified heart. We share ideas and collectively collaborate to make the whole nation stronger and more resilient. As elected officials we work to grow with, learn from, better and look after one another. Today our heart is heaving with sorrow.

Much love Q
🤍🕊️🕯️

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/nyregion/connecticut-quentin-williams-killed-crash.html
Thank you to City of Cedar Rapids Iowa Government and Councilmember Ashley Vanorny for the Proclamation of Gratitude to the People of North Macedonia. Councilmember Vanorny and young political leaders from the United States visited North Macedonia through the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) program earlier this year. The ACYPL program brings young political leaders from North Macedonia and the U.S. exchange ideas about civic leadership, cooperation between political parties, and our countries’ political systems.
“Whereas, the Country of North Macedonia, through the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), invited a member of the Cedar Rapids City Council and other nationwide leaders to experience their culture and political environment; and

Whereas, the ACYPL is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization supported by the U.S. Department of State and other organizations; and

Whereas, the People of North Macedonia were kind and welcoming to the visiting delegation and demonstrated values of bringing people together across borders and across the political spectrum to foster mutual understanding, respect, and friendship; and

Wheres, the People of North Macedonia, from the Prime Minister, to several enthusiastic mayors, expressed inspiring similarities shared by their communities with the City of Cedar Rapids–including historical ties to multicultural citizenship, an emphasis on the beauty of urban tree canopies, and a commitment to building a strong and resilient economy, among many others; and

Whereas, our gratitude extends to the generosity and kindness shown to Cedar Rapids through a proclamation honoring the ACYPL visitors’ arrival to witness budget hearings in Strumica, a welcoming reception by Parliament in Skopje, tours of commercial pharmaceutical production facilities at Alkaloid, tours of the production of local agrarian products–including pomegranates in Valandovo and trout and pearls in Ohrid–and visits to culturally significant sites such as the Painted Mosque in Tetovo; and

Whereas, in Cedar Rapids, Welcome is Our Language is a way of life and the City makes a point to welcome people of diverse backgrounds and share our history and culture with all.

Now Therefore, I, Tiffany O’Donnell, Mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, do hereby extend gratitude to the People of North Macedonia and invite the public to join me in recognizing the shared values of mutual understanding, respect, and friendship demonstrated by the People of North Macedonia and the Cedar Rapids community.

I call upon the People of Cedar Rapids to reflect on our similarities even as we are oceans apart. With open arms, we return North Macedonia’s welcoming spirit with an invitation to visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Signed 12/20/2022”

🇲🇰 🤝 🇺🇸

cc:
American Council of Young Political Leaders
U.S. Embassy North Macedonia
Alkaloid AD Skopje
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