Embassy of the United States Baghdad, Iraq

Are you interested in a leadership role in the Iraq alumni community?  If so, the Cultural Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad would like to work with you to organize an Alumni Advisory Council.

The Alumni Advisory Council will be made up of Iraqis who have participated in a U.S. government exchange program. The purpose of the council is to lead the development of programs and activities to strengthen the alumni network in Iraq, to be a primary point of contact for the U.S. Embassy on a range of program topics, and to work with the Cultural Affairs Office on educational and cultural exchange projects.

The Alumni Advisory Council will meet periodically throughout the year.  Committees of the Council will also meet on an as-needed basis. Participation in the Council is voluntary and is not a paid position. It is for the benefit of the Iraqi alumni community and for the purpose of establishing a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship between Iraq and the United States.

If you are interested in being part of the Alumni Advisory Council, please request an Alumni Advisory Council form by sending an e-mail with your name, program name, and program year to: IraqCulturalAffairs@state.gov

Alumni Small Grant Program

The United States Embassy in Baghdad is pleased to announce the Alumni Small Grants Program.  Alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange and training programs are invited to apply.

The Alumni Small Grants Program is intended to enable alumni leadership in activities in Iraq that support the implementation of the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement (PDF 647 KB), especially those activities that contribute to the establishment of a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship, support the success of the political process, reinforce national reconciliation and build a diversified and advanced economy that ensures the integration of Iraq into the international community.

Proposals for grants may come in the form of service projects, community development programs, educational initiatives, special projects or other concrete initiatives that creatively address key issue areas in the Strategic Framework Agreement.

Grants will be awarded for proposals that address at least one of these issues and meet other specified criteria.  Priority consideration will be given to applicants who:

• Work with an American Corner to implement the grant
• Cooperate with other alumni or alumni from different programs to implement the grant
• Share with a wider community the knowledge or skills gained in the exchange program or training

Please note that grants for projects that are purely research are not eligible for this competition.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will be accepting grant applications on a rolling basis until September 1, 2011 or until funds are exhausted.

Successful proposals will bring together alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs to work together on a project together. At least one of the alumni involved in the project must have participated in a State Department/U.S. Embassy/Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA)-sponsored exchange program, although alumni of exchange programs sponsored by USAID and other U.S. government departments and agencies are also welcome to participate.

Grant proposals must: 

1. Demonstrate how participating alumni will use their exchange experience to benefit others in Iraq;
2. Show how alumni will work together;
3. Explain how the project will enhance alumni professional development;
4. Specify how the project will be evaluated by project participants; and
5. Demonstrate sustainability once funding for the project ends.

Project results must be presented in written, photographic or video format to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for posting to the State Alumni website (https://alumni.state.gov) and/or the U.S. Embassy website: http://Iraq.USEmbassy.gov

All alumni involved in the project, including the primary grant contact and all other participating alumni, must register on the State Alumni website.  Alumni are encouraged to review successful alumni projects in the Alumni News section of the State Alumni website. 

Project budgets should include cost-sharing and may only include allowable costs.  Proposals will include both narrative text and a detailed budget. 

Proposals must be submitted in English.

All those submitting proposals are encouraged to take a short, on-line training on Proposal Writing, offered by the Foundation Center of Washington, DC at: http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html) 

Alumni wishing to receive a copy of the Alumni Small Grants Application should send an e-mail to IraqCulturalAffairs@state.gov, giving their full name and the name of the U.S. Embassy exchange or training program they participated in.

During his speech in Cairo, the President emphasized strengthening ties on issues like entrepreneurship and connecting people in the U.S. with people around the world, including through online platforms.  At the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, Secretary Clinton outlined the structure of the E-Mentor Corps to fulfill these objectives. This initiative to promote the Web-based platform by U.S. Embassies and partners aims to expand the number of users - both mentors and entrepreneurs - from hundreds to thousands.

E-Mentees will be recruited through the U.S. Department of State's existing network of thousands of alumni from exchange programs focusing on entrepreneurship, and others who express serious interest in entrepreneurial guidance.  E-Mentors have been initially solicited from among participants in the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, and the U.S. Department of State has already received Statements of Intent from leading U.S. organizations signifying their commitment to provide E-Mentors.  These include: Accenture, AMIDEAST, Babson College, Business for Diplomatic Action, Ernst & Young, Endeavor, Financial Services Volunteer Corps, Global Business School Network, IBM, Intel, The Kauffman Foundation-Global Entrepreneurship Week and TechWadi. 

Through the E-Mentor Corps platform, mentors are able to request connection to mentees, while mentees can also reach out to potential mentors.  This networking platform is currently available in English and Arabic, but is meant to serve entrepreneurs in developing countries worldwide. 
E-Mentor Corps can be reached at http://www.imagine-network.org/about/e-mentor-corps.  It is directed by the U.S. Department of State's Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) and managed through a partnership with ImagineNations Network. 

Any questions about the overall E-Mentor Corps program may be directed to the Global Entrepreneurship Program Team at entrepreneurship@state.gov. 

Alumni are invited to take advantage of opportunities provided by the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

On-line Gobal Community for Alumni
Sign up and take advantage of all the benefits of being a part of the Global Alumni community

Alumni E-mentoring Program
Get connected with a Mentor on this Arabic and English language on-line platform

Alumni Advisory Council
Become a leader in the Iraqi Alumni Community

Alumni Small Grants Program
Have a great idea?  Apply for a Small Grant Program to help put it in action!