October 29th, 2019, New York (USA): Today, the Open Hands Initiative (OHI) has launched an international fellowship to foster dialogue and goodwill between students and young leaders from the U.S. and Morocco. The “Salaam Fellowship for Conflict Resolution” being held in the cities of Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakesh, Morocco, is aimed at providing critical skills in conflict resolution and negotiation.
Twenty-one students and emerging young leaders from the U.S. and Morocco will hear from experts in academia, the public and private sectors throughout Morocco including senior representatives from the US Embassy. This intensive training will help participants build a foundation in key communication skills needed for effective negotiation and peacebuilding. The Fellowship is sponsored by the Open Hands Initiative, a public diplomacy foundation based in New York City.
Jay Snyder, Chairman and Founder of the Open Hands Initiative, stressed the importance of the exchange for strengthening bilateral relations, “Morocco is an important American ally with many shared interests among our governments and peoples. Recent events in countries throughout the world emphasize the importance of constructive engagement and communication between all citizens of the world. My hope is that this effort will not only expand networks and create new opportunities for further engagement between the citizens of our countries.” He added, “We are thankful to have great collaborators from the U.S. and Morocco playing a critical role in this work.”
The Bridgeway Group, based in Cambridge, Mass., will provide intensive practical training to the fellows while in Rabat, Morocco. Elizabeth McClintock, Executive Director of the non-profit, brings more than 25 years of experience in implementing negotiation, conflict management, and leadership training programs for both private and public sector organizations around the world.
“The Bridgeway Group is delighted to participate in the Salaam Fellowship supporting the Open Hands Initiative and our shared missions of promoting cross-cultural understanding and empowering young people with the skills to more effectively manage differences, promote dialogue, and engage the world.”
The highly regarded International University of Rabat (UIR) is the local academic partner for the Fellowship, providing lectures from their esteemed faculty and other experts in the field of conflict resolution through their Mediation Center.
Before the program concludes in Marrakesh, the Salaam Fellows will engage with rural communities through a collaboration with the High Atlas Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on rural development and capacity building.
For more information about the program, visit here.
About The Open Hands Initiative
The Open Hands Initiative is a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving people-to-people understanding and international friendship through exchanges and other projects that focus on our basic shared values and common humanity. It was founded in 2009 by Jay and Tracy Snyder.
For more information, please contact:
media@openhandsinitiative.org
Image by ahmadreza heidaripoor from Pixabay
