Quilombola Leadership Visit the U.S. to Learn about Protection of Minority Group Rights

USAID/Brazil collaborated with the U.S. Department of State to send four Quilombola leaders and a representative of local NGO-partner Conservation Amazon Team (ECAM) to the U.S. as part of an International Visitor Leadership Program project entitled “Protection of Minority Group Rights.” The group visited Washington, DC, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Miami, Florida to learn about a variety of actors that work on minority rights.

The visit allowed participants to learn about U.S.domestic policy for social inclusion, particularly focusing on African Americans and Native Americans, and improved their understanding of the protection and promotion of the rights of minority and underrepresented populations. The visit also strengthened ties between Brazil and the U.S. by promoting institutional linkages between the U.S.Government, NGOs, and other institutions with their Brazilian counterparts working to promote and protect Quilombola rights.

 Launched in 1940, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and other nations through carefully designed professional visits to the United States for current and emerging foreign leaders. These visits reflect the visitors' professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the U.S. Government. Through these encounters, participants gain a greater understanding of the cultural and political influences in U.S. society and enjoy a firsthand experience of the United States, its people, and its culture.