Leaders From Central Asia - Caucasus Examines Local Government Louisville, KY

April 7th, 2025                                                       

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Louisville, KY — The Congressional Office for International Leadership (formerly known as the Open World Leadership Center), an agency of the U.S. Congress, in partnership with the Rumsfeld Foundation & Central Asia-Caucasus Institute Silk Road Studies Program, sent a delegation of community leaders from Central Asia and the Caucasus from April 5th to 9th, 2024. The delegation consisted of five professionals and was accompanied by a bicultural/lingual facilitator and an interpreter. While in Louisville, the Open World program participants were hosted by the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

In Louisville, delegates collaborated on best practices for Local Government and Community Engagement. Delegates met staff of Senator Rand Paul and Senator Gerald Neal of Kentucky and local leaders in the Louisville Metro Area and Southern Indiana. Additional activities included meetings with Louisville Metro Council Members, site visits with prominent non-profits in Kentucky and Southern Indiana, and activities that amplified Kentucky’s culture. The delegation stayed in the homes of local residents who served as hospitality hosts.

More than 30,000 current and future leaders have participated in the Open World program. Open World offers one of the most effective U.S. exchange programs to promote mutually beneficial options for depolarized engagement between future national leaders. It is a unique but no less powerful tool for Congress to engage legislatures in critical regions of the world.

COIL, a Support Agency of the Congress

Founded in 1999 by Congress, the Congressional Office for International Leadership maintains a vast network of more than 30,000 alumni in partner countries. Its Open World program supports legislative diplomacy efforts for Members of Congress by conducting exchanges that establish authentic communication and enduring relations that are maintained through its extensive alumni network. Program participants are provided with exposure to the work of Congress, American politics, accountable governance, and volunteerism while being home hosted by American families. To learn more about the Open World program, please visit www.openworld.gov/