BDA Call for Nominations - Arab & American Business Fellowship
Arab & American Business Exchange Fellowship Program
Call for Nominations from the United States
October 9-28, 2008
Program Overview
Arab & American Business Fellowship
The Arab American Business Fellowship (AABF) is a partnership between the Young Arab Leaders (YAL), Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD), and the National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) designed to foster mutual understanding and respect between Arab and American business worlds.
The program is designed to encourage dialogue between Arab business executives and their American counterparts and create an environment in which informed opinions and knowledge flow in both directions. As such, AABF is not an internship program for students or entry-level employees; instead, it is structured for high-potential executives from participating Arab countries and the U.S. who are between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five.
The fundamental objectives of the AABF Program are:
Improve the strategic planning process of participating companies with better knowledge and understanding of the Arab and American cultures, which will be transferred to other employees and company training programs.
Gain insights regarding two critical different regions of the world, which will ultimately help shape the future of the national economies of the United States and countries in the Arab world.
Expose more Arab and American communities to each others leaders, culture, etc through presentations and discussions with local business organizations, schools, universities, non-profit organizations and the media outlets.
2008 Program Schedule for American Fellows
Following a highly successful pilot program in 2007, the 2008 program will not only increase the number of Arab Fellows from seven to twenty, but also expand the program by bringing American Fellows to two Arab countries- United Arab Emirates¿ city of Dubai and Kuwait. Ten American Fellows will be selected for the first American AABF Business Fellow Exchange.
The program will run for a three-week period beginning October 9, 2008 and ending October 28, 2008. The 10 American Fellows will be divided in to two groups of five and the program outline is as follows:
Program Schedule
*For detailed calendar, download the pdf version of this application
October 9: Departure from the U.S. Arrival in Dubai and greetings from the YAL;
October 9-17: Group A: Dubai, UAE Orientation to the Arab world; on-site mentoring with UAE-based companies; social and cultural events with UAE organizations;
Group B: Kuwait On-site meetings with Kuwaiti host companies; social and cultural events with Kuwaiti organizations;
October 18-24: Group A: Kuwait On-site meetings with Kuwaiti host companies; social and cultural events with Kuwaiti organizations;
Group B: Dubai On-site mentoring with UAE-based companies; social and cultural activities with UAE organizations;
October 25-26: Both Groups: Dubai, UAE Cultural tour of Dubai;
October 27: Arab and American Fellows: Dubai, UAE On October 27, a special forum event will include a debriefing and presentations on program experiences by both Arab and American Fellows, hosted by YAL. Companies from throughout the region and the U.S. will be invited to attend;
October 28: Departure to the U.S. from Dubai
Expectations
The Fellows are expected to share their ideas, insights and business experience as well as receive information during their participation in the AABF program. Since a key objective of the program is to foster a meaningful dialogue between Arab and American cultures, the U.S. Fellows must be prepared to make at least one presentation and/or lead one roundtable discussion at each of the two host companies at which he/she will spend a week on-site.
Additional opportunities for constructive engagement with the Kuwait and Dubai host company staff, as well as memberrs of the local communities in which they will be located, will also be planned.
The host companies will host Fellows over a one-week period each at their headquarters or another office/location in Dubai and Kuwait. During those periods of on-site interaction with the Fellows, the host companies will designate senior executives to meet with the Fellows and expose them to company operations, decision-making processes, and management philosophy in as broad a manner as possible.
It is also expected that the host companies will provide an internal forum for the Fellows to discuss their experiences and perspectives as managers in the United States, with a larger group of employees throughout the company.
Expenses
Fellows will be responsible for all airfare to and from the United States and airfare within the Arab World and any personal expenses. All other expenses will be paid for by the sponsoring organizations in Dubai and Kuwait including housing, meals, and ground transportation. AABF is fully funded by American and Arab corporations, foundations, and individuals in the private sector.
Nomination Process and Criteria for Selection
U.S. employers will nominate employees who have demonstrated top achievements and excellence in their career along with the prospect of becoming a top leader in his/her chosen field. The ideal candidate will have five years work experience in recognized positions with a keen concern in intercultural exchange. The candidate must be a graduate with proven academic skills and able to demonstrate he/she possesses the personal qualities to benefit from the program. The candidate must be an American citizen twenty-five to forty-five years of age.
Once chosen by the U.S. employer, the candidate should submit their nomination form including basic candidate and employer information, an essay or statement of intent written by the candidate, a recommendation by the employer, and a current CV/resume online to Thomas Miller, Vice President of BDA at thomas.miller@ddb.com.
The American Business Fellow nominations will be reviewed by staff from BDA, USCCD, and NUSACC. Final interviews will be held by phone with YAL, BDA, USCCD, and NUSACC via conference call.
Deadline
Nominations must be postmarked by August 10, 2008. Finalists will be notified no later than August 15, 2008.
Sponsoring Organizations
Business for Diplomatic Action is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to enlist the U.S. business community in actions to improve the standing and reputation of America in the world. Business for Diplomatic Action is leading the private sector effort to provide constructive business solutions for public diplomacy programs and initiatives. www.businessfordiplomaticaction.com
Contact Information for BDA
Tom Miller, Vice President
437 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022
thomas.miller@ddb.com
212-415-2185
National US Arab Chamber of Commerce is America¿s longest serving organization dedicated to U.S.-Arab business. NUSACC works closely with top business leaders and high-level policymakers in the United States and throughout the Arab world. As the only entity in the United States with official recognition conferred by the League of Arab States and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, NUSACC serves as the U.S. point of contact for the national chambers of commerce in the 22 Arab nations. www.nusacc.org
Contact Information for NUSACC
Marleine Davis, Director, Operations
1023 15th Street, N.W., Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20005
mdavis@nusacc.org
202-289-5920
U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy is a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the many U.S. organizations active in citizen diplomacy through development of resources which will enable the establishment of best-practices in citizen diplomacy and recruitment of persons to serve as U.S. citizen ambassadors to the world. www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org
Contact Information for the USCCD
Ann Schodde, Executive Director
525 SW 5th Street, Suite A ,Des Moines, IA 50309
aschodde@uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org
515-243-4535
The Young Arab Leadersis a network of Arab men and women eager to trigger change in the world around them. The group believes that leadership is not measured by an official title or by how many people follow you, leadership is an attitude that stems out of a belief in one¿s own abilities, no matter where one stands in a professional hierarchy. The values the group support and follow are: Excellence, Meritocracy, Accountability, Entrepreneurship, Tolerance and Candor. www.yaleaders.org
Contact Information for YAL
Nathalie Nakad, Strategy and Programs Coordinator
nathalie.nakad@yaleaders.org
(+971) 4 365-0522
For More Information Please go to:
http://www.uscenterforcitizendiplomacy.org/us-center-programs/special-events/arab-american/CallForNomination08/index.php
