NCSL Leads Second Delegation of Sub-Saharan Parliamentarians and Senior Staff

on Study Tour to the United States

April 5-19, 2006

Parliamentarians and senior staff from 6 different countries visited the cities of Washington, DC; Nashville, Tennessee; Dearborn and Lansing, Michigan over the course of this, the second activity in NCSL's Representing Diversity program sponsored by the US State Department. Delegates enjoyed the opportunity to study both the diversity of America and to compare situations among their respective countries and were impressed by the legislators and legislative experts they encountered, inspiring them to improve in their outreach and constituent relations efforts. Likewise, they were very impressed by the several organizations and government departments working to improve the situations of marginalized immigrant and refugee groups. As a result, the delegates have grown to understand better the U.S. and its system of government, and rapports were built both with Americans and between the six countries involved that will certainly last beyond the end of the tour.

The tour had many highlights and built well upon the experiences of the previous trip. In Washington, NCSL's Spring Forum proved a sparkling opportunity to tap in on legislative expertise on subjects such as legislator back-to-school programs, interns at the legislature, and immigration policy. Visits to the Brookings Institution, to NCSL's office for a briefing by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, and to the offices of Congressman Danny K. Davis of Illinois and Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick of Michigan, leaders in the Congressional Black Caucus, among others helped the participants appreciate the nature of diversity and its challenges on a national scale.

Following Washington, delegates enjoyed some Southern hospitality at the hands of the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville, enjoying a welcome from the Governor followed by an insightful interview with Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. Meetings with numerous legislators and immigrant groups active in the community allowed the delegates to see firsthand how new immigrant groups are being integrated into an already-diverse community.

Finally in Michigan, the delegation gained exposure to multiple facets of American society. From the Arab influence of Dearborn evident in its mosques and on a visit to the Arab-American Museum, to a presentation at Wayne State University on the troubled demographic history of Detroit, to meetings at the State Capitol with Hispanic, women, and African-American legislators and staff, the delegates came away with a deeper appreciation of the struggles America has had to overcome in dealing with diversity and how these lessons could translate to their own work at home in Africa.

To see pictures of the tour, click here.

Africa & Middle East Programs