Revive (and also a blog by email test)
Hi there. It's been a good 14 months since I've touched this blog. A lot has happened over the past few years when I wasn't blogging. Mainly good stuff. Perhaps I'll update you on it later.
For now, I'm happy to simply announce that I will be reviving this old blog of mine. The reason is that I'm about to embark on a new "adventure" and have been encouraged by the adventure-organiser to blog about it. I myself would like to document my thoughts and experiences of this adventure for my own sake, to help me reflect upon it and to share for the benefit of others who I hope may learn from whatever my achievements and my failures may be.
The adventure I'm about to begin is the 6-week Legislative Fellows Program run by the American Council for Young Political Leaders with funding from the US Department of State. I am one of 3 Malaysians who have been successful in our applications and been invited to take part in this programme from late March to mid May 2010. I believe that this experience will be life-changing.
To quote from the documentation provided:
ACYPL's Legislative Fellows Program will provide international participants with an in-depth, hands-on exploration of the vital role that a diverse civil society plays at all levels of our country's political processes and how this involvement informs and enhances American democracy. In doing so, foreign participants will strengthen their understanding of American governance, politics, and the legislative process.
The American program participants will gain knowledge and insight into the government and political dynamics of the country in which their hosted fellow lives and works. By traveling overseas, they will gain personal insight into the challenges and opportunities of local political and government systems and share professional perspectives, strategic advice, best practices and shared aspirations.
These exchanges will serve as a foundation on which to establish sustainable two-way partnerships between the young professionals from East Asia and the Pacific Rim and their American counterparts, with the goal of promoting and strengthening civil society, transparent politics, good governance, and mutual understanding and trust.
This program will place the three of us in the state of Oklahoma for most of April where we will be hosted by Oklahoma State Representative Joe Dorman. We will have meetings with the Oklahoma Senate, Oklahoma House of Representatives, Oklahoma State Government, Oklahoma Republican Party, Oklahoma Democratic Party, civil society organisations, lobby groups and corporations.
I've also expressed to the organiser my interest and desire to meet with and learn from relevant stakeholders in the areas of:
- investment, trade, industry and technology transfer promotion - because these are most relevant to my work portfolio
- tax - because Barisan Nasional is proposing to implement a new tax, the Goods & Services Tax from mid-2011 onwards which will have serious repercussions on all segments of Malaysian society
- native American civil society organisations - because I am deeply concerned about the marginalisation of indigenous people in Malaysia. I call it an insidious form of genocide by the federal government
- political fundraising - there're so little resources for so much work that needs to be done
- academics and their universities - because I enjoy learning and I miss being a grad student
I hope that the people and organisations I meet may find our meetings and talks beneficial for them too. May we forge genuine and lasting friendship. Wish me luck and say a prayer for me.
Lastly, I want to say thank you to my boss, my colleagues, my fiance, my family and so many friends for being so supportive and encouraging of me in this pursuit. Without whom, all this would not have been possible. As the saying goes, "If I have seen further, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants."
Oh yeah, if there are any people, organisations, topics or issues that you think I should look into while in Oklahoma, DC or NYC, do let me know.
8 Comments:
Hola! congrats for your selection to the program! Its really nice to hear that your concern for the welfare and justice of your fellow countrymen is being recognized. Buena suerte!
-Ricardo T.
obrigada ricardo :)
Hi Adriene,
Best of luck and have a great time there!
Tjek
Hi Adriene,
We wish you the best of luck, have a great time and share it with us when you are back!
Sidney
www.bigboysoven.com
Thanks all.
Sidney, thanks. May I know how you surfed onto my blog? Cheers.
hey dear,
congratulations - happy for you! :) i'm sure you will do well, and i'm glad your aspirations for our country is being recognised and rewarded as such! lookin fwd to your stories ya.
tq tq sno flek :)
Congrats! I know you'll go places! but just curious, what about......in the beginning of May?
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