Dear Readers,
Today we cleared out some of the clutter from the office. The rest of the day for me was spent trying to contact local government officials and waiting to hear from those that I have already contacted. While waiting for e-mails I also updated some of the resource directories on the state department website.
Best Regards,
Joe
Dear Readers,
Today could be described as a Spring cleaning day, although it was in the middle of the summer. We got the office looking good once more after a busy week last week. On Thursday I got a chance to spend the entire day with a group from several South American contries studying energy. We visited UCF’s solar energy facility and research center at Coco Beach and also took a trip to a Progress Energy site to view their Hydrogen powered cars and refueling station. Overall it was a good day and the visitors really enjoyed themselves and learned a lot. In the coming days I should have a proposal done for a group coming from Japan that is studying Prison mannagement. I am also working on one related to public health.
We have a group from China coming in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more annoucements.
Best Regards,
Alex
Dear Readers,
Today I did a lot of work on seperate projects. Firstly I worked on getting the membership information straightened out as some of the addresses had changed again. Secondly I worked on the interfaith dialogue project that will be taking place in early August. Lastly I pitched in on the project folders and other essentials for the group that is arriving this evening. The group arriving is a group from several different South American countries. They are all involved in new types of energy or energy regulation in their home countries and will be visiting several state of the art facilities that we have here in the Central Florida area. I will be traveling with them to their destinations on Thursday and Joe will be spending time with them on Wednesday. I look forward to meeting them and we’ll keep you updated on this interesting project.
Best Regards,
Alex
Dear Readers,
Today Joe and I worked on a new proposal for a program coming in early August which is focused on interfaith dialogue. The group is from Yemen and includes two Imams. I also finished working on the membership data, so that should be set for mailings coming in the next few weeks. Mr. Stewart was gone today, and is still in Louisville Kentucky attending a conference there. He will be back by Tuesday.
Joe got the folders done for the visitors that are coming on Wednesday. That group is focused on energy and are from a variety of South American countries.
Other than a few power losses in the early afternoon today, everything went pretty smoothly here at the Sanford office. We’ll keep you updated with information regarding the group arriving on Wednesday next week.
Best Regards,
-Alex
Dear Readers,
Today I accomplished quite a bit. I was able to update much of the membership invoice information as well as start working on some new proposals that are for programs starting in early August. I’ll continue to work on the membership invoices on Thursday and will likely finish two more proposals if not get them very close to completion.
I also checked on an update on the project coming in mid-July involving the Italian gentleman I spoke of earlier. As it turns out I actually mispoke about his position. He is actually a member of the government of the city of Milan. In any event I look forward to hearing back on the program proposal I sent in and as to whether or not it will be approved.
Mr. Stewart will be traveling to Louiesville Kentucky over the next several days, so it’ll just be us interns running the office on Thursday.
Best Regards,
-Alex
This week Alex and I worked further on our program proposals. I finished the proposal for the international visitor interested in immigration enforcement. This week was met with some disappointment as well. Alex and I had found out that two of the programs on environmental issues were either shortened or canceled. Hopefully we will have better luck with our other programs in the future.
-Joe
Today I heard back on another proposal that I had sent out. Unfortunately the program had been shortened and would no longer be leaving DC at all. Joe and I continue to work on new projects including another environmental project coming in early July. I’m currently working on a proposal for a foreign policy project which will be coming in mid-July, whose sole participant is a member of the Italian Parliament.
I’ve really had a good experience here so far and it has been very fun and interesting. I am learning vast amounts about Orlando as I do research to create program proposals for the International Visitors. We’ll be looking for and working on additional programs that will be taking place in early August in the next several days.
We are expecting some very interesting groups in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for further information!
Regards,
Alex Janesick
Today, Joe and I were able to get the ball rolling on two proposals. We e-mailed the Program Officers to get additional information. I was rather early in sending mine out, which is based on film and will take place in mid August. I was able to send the proposal out however, and it has been placed in the project file. Joe and I are working on two additional proposals, that we will complete this week, that are for projects surrounding the environment.
-Alex
ICCF had a wonderful group from multiple countries (Slovakia, Ghana, Brazil, Montenegro, and Mozambique). The group had 3 members of parliament, a professor, and a reporter. The conversations were very engaging and the group made some very good contacts in Orlando. Since the center of the program focused on Accountable Government, we met with many of the political, governmental, and academia in Central Florida.
The majority of the trip was focused on the issue of “Sunshine Laws” (all laws in the sunshine), this made for much of the conversation to see how each level of government dealt with their role.
The event (in case you missed it) was a wonderful way to get to know the visitors a little better with much of the conversation revolving around not business but culture and history. A few of the ICCF members also had a lively conversation on the issue of the week, the Air France flight coming from Rio, where coincidentally our visitor (Marcelo) is from.
Regards to all
Max Stewart
ICCF
