Local hosts sought for government officials from Pakistan

The MMA is seeking communities to serve as hosts for the final visit by government officials from Pakistan under a grant from the U.S. State Department.

The 15 visitors will be in the United States for six weeks. Four of these weeks will be spent in Massachusetts communities.

The first timeframe for hosting is April 16 to 26, and the second is April 30 to May 9. Pakistani participants will be placed in groups of two or three in communities for a total of about nine days.

Communities that have hosted in the past, now totaling nearly 40, report that they have found the experience to be rich and deep, as they learned about a culture and government on the other side of the world. Many friendships have developed, and the visitors say they have found their hosts to be especially gracious.

During “professional attachments,” participants will reside in local hotels and spend each day with a town or city department or at a relevant event. Hosts will be asked to place the participants in a variety of municipal offices so they can gain an understanding of how professional services are coordinated and delivered.

In addition to building their professional capacities, the goal is to have the Pakistani government officials build professional and personal relationships with their American counterparts. Positive cultural exchanges have occurred with the hosts from two previous visits.

In preparation for the professional attachments, the MMA and the Institute for Training and Development, a nonprofit based in Amherst (www.itd-amherst.org), will provide host communities with detailed suggestions. Support will be offered throughout the placements, and a hosting stipend will be awarded to offset expenses of the community and the local coordinator assigned to the Pakistani guests.

The first week of the six-week program will feature an orientation to U.S. public administration, including lectures from practitioners and academics and site visits to local organizations and government offices. The last week will begin with individual and group reflection on the professional attachments and preparation of action plan projects that the participants are expected to implement on their return home.

Lastly, the participants will travel to Washington, D.C., for more site visits and a debriefing at the State Department.

The Pakistani participants were recruited by the Fulbright Commission in Pakistan. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad will vet the participants, including thorough background checks, and will assist them in obtaining U.S. visas.

All expenses for the Pakistani participants are covered by the grant, including travel, accommodations, meals and materials.

The project is funded by the State Department’s Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.

Communities that are interested in participating in this program should contact Paul Bockelman at (617) 426-7272, ext. 111, or pbockelman@mma.org as soon as possible.