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Open World Program Alumnus Rufat Safarov Honored with U.S. Department of State Human Rights Defender Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL) proudly recognizes Open World program alumnus Rufat Safarov, who has been named a recipient of the 2024 Secretary of State’s Human Rights Defender Award. Safarov is the head of Defense Line, an organization that monitors politically motivated arrests, prosecutions, and government corruption, while also…

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Presidential Management Fellow Joins COIL

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL) is pleased to welcome its first Presidential Management Fellow into the role of Congressional Relations Specialist. Chris Radcliffe is a recent graduate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Chris brings years of congressional, public and private sector experience to…

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COIL Welcomes Civil Society Activists from Georgia

Tags: Georgia

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL), an agency of the U.S. Congress, welcomes a group of civic activists from Georgia on the Open World program this Thursday. The delegation will consist of five professionals and their facilitator. The delegation of civil and legal activists fighting for European integration includes the activist seen in media…

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Signing of MOU to Establish Sister City Partnership Between Helena, Montana and Stepanavan, Armenia

Signing of MOU to Establish Sister City Partnership Between Helena, Montana and Stepanavan, Armenia WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL) is excited to announce that as a result of our Member of Parliament delegation from Armenia, a sister city partnership was established between Helena and Stepanavan. In April 2024, COIL sent a delegation…

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On the Passing of Open World Program Alumnus Alexei Navalny

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Congressional Office for International Leadership expresses its sincere condolences to the family of Alexei Navalny, a 2005 Open World program alumnus. The Open World program was Mr. Navalny’s first trip to the United States. His local governance-themed delegation was hosted by the World Affairs Council of Greater Dallas, where he stayed with a host family,…

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Polish Open World Alumni Elected to Parliament

Tags: Poland

WARSAW, POLAND — Three alumni of the Open World program – Agnieszka Buczynska, Jolanta Niezgodzka, and Bartosz Romowicz – have been elected for the first time to the parliament (Sejm) in October 2023, representing a new generation of Polish leadership. "The Open World program is a critical effort that demonstrates Congress’ commitment to spreading the values of legislative…

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10th Anniversary Delegation of Nelson Fellows from Ukraine

Tags: Ukraine

WASHINGTON, DC — To recognize a decade of the Senator Ben Nelson Fellows program, a delegation of five battlefield healthcare professionals will take part in the Open World program November 7-18. After an extended orientation in Washington, DC, the Nelson Fellows will be hosted in Omaha for the remainder of their program where they will be hosted at the University of Nebraska Medical…

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Congressional Office For International Leadership

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Open World Leadership Center (the Center) is announcing that the United States Congress has approved a name change to the Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL). The Board of Trustees' voted to adopt the name Congressional Office for International Leadership to more accurately reflect the mission and Congressional affiliation of the agency. The…

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COIL Hosts First Latvia Program And Renewed Lithuania Program

Tags: Lithuania, Latvia

March 9, 2023 WASHINGTON, DC - The Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL) launches its first Latvia program and a renewed Lithuania program this week with the arrival of two delegations from each country. These four delegations will be traveling on civic themes as part of a renewed push for programming in the Baltic countries. COIL's first-ever Latvia delegations'…

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OWLC Is Now Congressional Office For International Leadership Official Name Changed Announced

WASHINGTON,  DC - President Biden's signature on The Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act last night formally changed the name of the Open World Leadership Center to the Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL). The name-change language was among many measures included in the bill. As COIL, the agency will continue to administer the Open World program,…