By Leslie Hunter
Washington File staff writer

Washington -- International educational exchange programs can play an important role in the war against global terrorism by providing young people with the educational tools they need "to succeed, to become contributors to society, builders of communities," says a senior State Department official.

To that end, the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has shifted the traditional focus of its exchange programs in an effort to involve more young people, according to Patricia Harrison, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs (and currently the acting under secretary of state for public diplomacy).

Focusing predominantly on the "elites" -- current opinion makers and leaders in other countries -- is no longer sufficient, she said, emphasizing the importance of reaching out to younger populations to foster mutual respect and understanding at much earlier ages --in order to get "beyond the distortion of the headlines." Harrison spoke at the State Department's Foreign Press Center on November 25.

In fact, these youth exchange programs are taking place now, "at a time when headlines are focused on terrorist acts," she said, adding that the programs "underscore that these young people -- with help from, and guidance from teachers and their communities -- are preparing to ensure very different headlines to define their futures."

Harrison cited effective exchange programs, such as Partnerships for Learning (PFL), which provides scholarships for secondary school students from countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, enabling them to spend an academic year in the United States. Such programs, she said, will begin to close what Queen Rania of Jordan has called "the hope gap," which she described as "the divide among the young people who are underemployed and undereducated ... and have no hope for the future" and "the group we see on these exchange programs, who really believe they have a future." The youth that have little hope "really are susceptible to the siren song of radical extremism," she added.

The Bureau has already sponsored exchanges for 131 high school students from abroad through the Partnerships for Learning program, Harrison said. She also observed that despite the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul, the first Partnerships for Learning international conference would still be held in that city in early 2004.

When participants return home from exchange programs, "at a minimum, they share these experiences with their family, their friends, their colleagues" Harrison said, adding that over time they will impact the lives of untold numbers of people. She also said that the power of the exchange process lies in its capacity to break down stereotypes and "increase mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and other countries."

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs oversees the International Visitors Program, the Fulbright program, Humphrey Fellowships, Citizen Exchanges, and other programs. There are over 35,000 professional, academic, and cultural exchanges each year and over 80,000 volunteers from across the globe help make these exchange programs a success, said Harrison. Today, there are over 700,000 alumni of these programs, who represent over 140 countries.

In addition, the State Department and the U.S. Department of Education jointly sponsored International Education Week (exchanges.state.gov/iew/), held November 17-21 with events and activities in more than 83 countries and 46 U.S. states and territories.

Harrison said the week's events affirmed that "people of good will," no matter what their background, share education as a common value.

The assistant secretary also referred questioners to a new website -- www.unitedstatesvisas.gov -- as a valuable source of information to guide potential exchange program participants through the visa process.