Travel opportunity to Greece AHIF Accepting Applications for 2012 Foreign Policy Study Abroad Program

Mon Feb 27 15:10:36 EST 2012

Please circulate.

Eligible applicants please feel free to get in touch with me or any other faculty of the Hellenic Studies Program should you need assistance with your application.

Best,
George Syrimis

------ Forwarded Message
From: athanasios grammenos <athanasiosgrammenos at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:10:41 +0200
To: MGSA List <MGSA-L at uci.edu>
Subject: [MGSA-L] AHI E-news: AHIF Accepting Applications for 2012 Foreign Policy Study Abroad Program

AHIF is Accepting Applications for its Fourth Annual
College Student Foreign Policy Study Trip to Greece and Cyprus
June 13-29, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC—The American Hellenic Institute Foundation (AHIF) is accepting applications for its program directly aimed at our young Greek American college students to travel to Greece and Cyprus to better understand the core foreign policy issues important to the Greek American community. The program is open to Greek American and Cypriot American college students who are in good academic standing and who are studying political science, international relations, history, government, law and foreign affairs. The 2012 trip is scheduled for June 13-29. During the two-week trip to Washington, DC, Greece and Cyprus the students will have the opportunity to see and experience first-hand foreign policy issues affecting Greece and Cyprus, their relations with the U.S., and the interests of the U.S. in the region. While the schedule will be packed with briefings and meetings with officials the students will also have free time to visit historic and other cultural sites in both Greece and Cyprus. Prior to departure students will meet in Washington, DC prior to attend a mandatory briefing about their trip. They will also attend meetings and briefings with Greek, Cypriot and U.S. officials in Washington, Greece and Cyprus. Emphasis will be placed on understanding Greek-Cyprus-Turkish relations, issues affecting Greek interests in the Balkans, the resolution of the Cyprus problem, the participation of Greece and Cyprus in the EU and other international and regional issues.

Eligibility The program is open to undergraduate or graduate students (rising sophomores to second-year graduate students) with a full-time enrollment status (12 credit hours per semester), and have a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA. Program size is limited, and participation is contingent upon acceptance by the program review committee. The deadline to apply is April 10, 2012. AHI President Nick Larigakis will lead the group to Greece and Cyprus. “Since its inception AHIF, has promoted a better understanding of Hellenic issues and strived to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and the United States and Cyprus,” he said. “Over the years we have held conferences on the future of Hellenism in America, and conferences pertaining to our issues to educate and inform U.S. policy makers. Through the College Student Foreign Policy Study Trip to Greece and Cyprus we are now able to offer a hands-on experience aimed at our college students to help them have a better understanding and connection of the issues that affect our community and better prepare them to be responsible leaders of the Greek American community.”

Cost and Accommodations: Hotel accommodations, local transportation and most meals in Washington, DC, Greece and Cyprus will be covered by AHIF. The students will be responsible for the airline tickets from Washington, DC, to Larnaca, Cyprus and Athens, Greece and return to the United States (approximately $2,400). The AHIF has secured the services of a travel agency to ease with your travel needs and all arrangements will have to be made through this travel agency. Students will have to make their own arrangements to get to Washington, DC. However, the travel agent will be available to help those that need assistance. Those who wish to extend their stay in Greece should contact the travel agent directly to make those arrangements and make a notation of the dates in the application form.

Please note that the cost for an extended trip will be higher. $250 Refundable Deposit: A $250 refundable deposit is required along with your application. You have the option to pay the deposit with a credit card or check payable to “AHIF.”

The $250 deposit will be returned to you at the end of the trip after the evaluation forms have been received by AHIF. If you are not selected for the trip or if you cancel prior to the May 1st deadline, the $250 deposit will be refunded directly to your credit card or your check will be returned back to you.

You will only lose your deposit if you were confirmed on the trip and accepted and later cancel.

Who is eligible? The program is open to Greek/Cypriot American undergraduate or graduate students (rising sophomores to second-year graduate students) with a full-time enrollment status (12 credit hours per semester), and have a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA. Fields of study include: political science, international relations, history, government, law and foreign affairs.

How to Apply? Submit all the items listed below.

All items must be received by April 10, 2012 to consider an application complete. Late applications will not be considered. Students with an expired passport should not wait until they have been accepted to the program to renew their passports. After we have received your completed application forms with all the items listed below (including the $250 deposit), you will receive an email from AHIF confirming that your application is under consideration and asking you to provide us with a date/time to schedule a phone interview. The review committee will review your application and interview report and inform you of your status (acceptance, denial) shortly after May 1st.

Check List of items to be submitted by April 10, 2012:

  1.  completed application clicking here <http://ahiworld.com/pdfs/2012policytripform.pdf>  (86KB PDF);
  2.  $250 deposit payable to AHIF;
  3.  sign the waiver of liability/indemnification form;
  4.  provide proof of insurance;
  5.  a resume;
  6.  official transcript;
  7.  a recent photo; and
  8.  8. two letters of recommendation.

Students selected for participation will have 5-business days to reply to the offer e-mails, before the offers may be made to other qualified applicants.

Mail Application Forms to:
AHIF Foreign Policy Study Trip to Greece and Cyprus
American Hellenic Institute Foundation
1220 16th Street, NW
 Washington, D.C. 20036

 Or email directly to Yola Pakhchanian at: yolap at ahiworld.org

How to make your travel arrangements? Upon acceptance to the program a form will be emailed to you asking you to state the dates of travel and the cities that you will be traveling from. This form will be forwarded to the travel agency. The approximate cost for the round trip ticket from Washington, DC-Larnaca-Athens-back to the US is $2,400. There is an additional cost for those who pay by credit card.

Those who wish to extend their stay in Greece should note that the cost for an extended trip will be higher. Those interested in learning more about this unique trip can visit the AHI website to read the press release from the 2009-2011 trips at http://www.ahiworld.org/press_releases/2009_065.html, the 2010 trip http://ahiworld.org/press_releases/2010_055.html <http://www.ahiworld.com/press_releases/2010_055.html>  and the 2011  http://www.ahiworld.com/media-center/press-releases/2011/1499-college-students-complete-third-annual-ahif-foreign-policy-trip-to-greece-and-cyprus.html . For more information contact Yola Pakhchanian at yolap at ahiworld.org.

The American Hellenic Institute Foundation, Inc. (AHIF), established in 1975, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt educational and research organization devoted exclusively to the study of the issues confronting the Greek American community. From our Hellenic House headquarters, just steps from the White House, AHIF’s professional staff works to advance the best interests of the U.S. on issues of importance to Greek Americans. # # #

Students from the 2011 Trip Recall “A Once in Lifetime Experience”
“The AHIF Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus was a once-in-lifetime experience that I will never forget. It allowed me to see firsthand what I have read in books thereby enhancing my understanding of the issues. In Cyprus we were able to go to the ‘occupied area’ and see the desecration of a Greek Orthodox Church and the ghost town of Famagusta, which is still surrounded by barbwire. Combined with the official meetings we had every day, the trip was very insightful and brought a present day perspective to the long standing issues that affect Cyprus. “In Athens, we were fortunate to be in the heart of the city while traveling to different locations for our meetings. These official meetings proved extremely informative because it showed us how the government and other organizations are striving to keep Greece in the forefront politically, culturally, and economically. The AHIF student foreign policy trip can be described as nothing less than a powerful and exceptional experience. During the trip we were briefed on policy by high-level officials from the governments of Greece and Cyprus, professors, business leaders, as well as a world-renowned economist. Following the briefings we had a unique opportunity to ask questions and thus achieve a thorough understanding of the many dimensions of the issues.  As a result of these meetings, and our visit to the occupied area of Cyprus, we will bring key findings back to our communities. We have developed a deep understanding of the issues AHI fights for on a daily basis, an understanding of which is far beyond what can be gained through books and university lectures. - Aspasia Bartell
________________________________

The AHIF foreign policy trip to Greece and Cyprus was of tremendous personal value to me and I would eagerly recommend it to any student at the undergraduate or graduate level. As a Greek, I came to realize the current strength and future potential of the Greek American community to incite change in U.S. foreign and domestic policy. I was further enlightened not only by the program’s focus on illuminating the concerns behind key Greek and Cypriot issues, but also by its emphasis on the pivotal role they play on the international stage. As a student, I was given an extraordinary opportunity to be exposed to diplomats who, both in the United States and abroad, represented the pillars of actual policymaking. Interactions both on and off the record with the various speakers were indispensable additions to any academic understanding of diplomacy as well as invaluable resources for information about the issues. Finally, as an American, I was brought to understand the importance of United States interests in Cyprus and the Balkans. The value of the U.S. as a champion of international law and order was clearly demonstrated in Cyprus, where it was lacking the most. I was reminded that as citizens we should always be mindful and active of our country’s role in international affairs, and give it the pressure it needs to stay on course when it begins to stray.  - John Petsagourakis
________________________________

There is no doubt that this trip was an opportunity of a lifetime. Meeting representatives of the United States, Greece and Cyprus is something that many of us could never have dreamed of doing at this point in our life. Having the ability to visit the occupied area of Cyprus and Famagusta are two things that I will never take for granted. The emotions this trip evoked were not something that could have been brought out with pictures and stories. We had to go and see what had happened years ago but, more importantly, what is still happening today. This is an opportunity that one can never forget. Many of us have been questioning the thought process of the political figures working to establish a united Cyprus or even those that are trying to resolve the multitude of issues in Greece. The conversations that we had with the officials helped us better understand how each person approached his/her work. In some cases, we were disappointed to see how various issues were being resolved but these situations showed us that if we wanted to see change, we had to act. As Greek Americans there are a multitude of issues that we face. Through this experience we have learned how much power we have as citizens of the United States and that we can help Greece, the nation that many of us still identify as home. We have been taught the struggles of Greece and Cyprus over the past several decades and with the opportunities that this trip had to offer, we can now see ourselves becoming the change we wish to see for Greece, Cyprus and maybe someday, we can teach the world. - Irene Adamopoulos ###
1220 16th Street, NW | Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone 202-785-8430 <tel:202-785-8430>  | Fax 202-785-5178 <tel:202-785-5178>  | www.ahiworld.org <http://www.ahiworld.org/>

________________________________
The American Hellenic  Institute is a nonprofit public policy organization that works to strengthen relations between the
United States and Greece and  Cyprus, and also within the American Hellenic community.            1220 16th Street, NW | Washington, D.C. 20036
  Phone 202-785-8430 <tel:202-785-8430>  | Fax 202-785-5178 <tel:202-785-5178>  |  www.ahiworld.org <http://www.ahiworld.org>

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And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Constantine Cavafy

«Εσμέν Έλληνες το γένος, ως η τε φωνή και η πάτριος παιδεία μαρτυρεί»
Πλήθων Γεμιστός

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