Meridian International Centerand

The Center for the Studyof the Presidency and Congress

An Initiative of

Foundation for International Understanding

“…A Marshall Plan for the Minds and Spirits of the World’s Youth.”

-- Ambassador Edward N. Ney

Reviving Global Engagement

The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, in partnership with Meridian International Center is leading an initiative to revitalize America’s engagement with the world.

The principal goal of this initiative is to establish an independent grant-making Foundation for International Understanding (FIU).

Foundation for International Understanding (FIU)

STRATEGY: Support the use of media productions and interactive digital technologies to engage and connect people around the world.

MISSION: Promote mutual understanding, expand learning opportunities, and facilitate people-to-people collaboration across borders, cultures, and religions.

Promoting Positive Social Goals

The FIU will expand opportunities for learning and collaboration to advance positive social goals, such as:

• Public health

• Sustainable development

• Interfaith and cross-cultural understanding

• Ethics and good governance

• Learning in science and technology

The FIU will support the full range of media and interactive collaboration tools, including:

Media Tools

• Cell phones and mobile media

• Educational video games (serious games)

• Virtual worlds and virtual classrooms

• Television and radio programming

• Web-based social networking

• Expand educational opportunities through distance and interactive learning

Reaching Youth

• Counter misperceptions and negative stereotypes before they become fixed beliefs

• Foster peer-to-peer dialogue and collaboration

While sponsoring initiatives for all age groups, the FIU will have a special focus on reaching young people to:

Fostering Peer-to-PeerInteraction and Collaboration

The FIU will support joint problem-solving across national boundaries through social networking sites, virtual reality environments, Web-based video conferencing, and other multi-user media formats.

The FIU will also support projects that use interactive technologies to link classrooms and other learning environments for collaborative learning.

Mobilizing Social Entrepreneurs

The FIU will identify and support entrepreneurs working to promote international understanding and to advance positive social goals in their own countries and around the world.

The FIU will also convene practitioners to share best practices, leverage resources, and promote innovation as technologies change.

Co-Productions and Joint Projects

By supporting international co-productions and joint ventures, the FIU will draw on local knowledge of different cultures, languages, patterns of media use, and media preferences.

In locations where production capacities and the diffusion of media technologies are lagging, joint projects will facilitate local capacity-building and training of indigenous talent.

A Public-Private Partnership

The FIU will use a combination of public and private funding to marshal talent and innovation from media providers, content developers, and social entrepreneurs around the world.

The FIU will also be a resource multiplier, using matching grants and co-funding partnerships to leverage financial participation from corporations, foundations, and other donors worldwide.

Cooperating Media Providers

Africa Broadcasting Network Layalina Productions

America Abroad Media Meedan

Dancing Ink Productions National Geographic Society

Developing Radio Partners Peace Games

ERTV-Afghanistan (Kabul) Population Media Center

Empower Peace Rapid Blue (Johannesburg)

Impact Games Scenarios from Africa (Ougadougou)

Jed Wolfington Productions Search for Common Ground

KBS Global (Seoul) Serious Games Initiative

Development of the FIU ConceptThe Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress(CSPC) developed the FIU concept from a proposal, put forward by the Council on Foreign Relations, to create a Corporation for Public Diplomacy. This non-profit Corporation would draw on private sector expertise to strengthen America’s engagement with populations overseas. The Advisory Group on U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Arab and Muslim World subsequently endorsed this recommendation in its final report to Congress.

To push this proposal forward, Congress requested that CSPC develop a business plan and strategy for the proposed Corporation. After consulting widely with media providers, international communications professionals, and Members of Congress, CSPC recast the proposed Corporation as a grant-making “Foundation for International Understanding.”

Together, CSPC and Meridian International Center are now leading efforts to create and capitalize the FIU.

Center for the Study of the Presidency and

Congress

1020 19th Street, NW Suite 250

Washington, D.C. 20036202-872-9800

www.thepresidency.org

Meridian International

Center

1630 Crescent Place, NW Washington, D.C. 20009

202-667-6800www.meridian.org