IVLP Highlights of 2024 Pt. 1
We are just a little over halfway through 2024! Can you believe it? It feels like time has flown by!
Here are a few of our top highlights from our IVLP exchange programs.
First up is our Transparency and Accountability in Local Government program.
Mayor Aftab Pureval shaking hands with international delegates
From January 31st to February 5th, 17 visitors from the countries of Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Haiti, Mali, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe visited many different local resources to speak about the issues the City of Cincinnati faced in the aftermath of the corruption scandal that rocked the city.
During their visit to the City Hall to meet with City Council Mark Jeffrey’s staff, they had the opportunity to attend the raising of the Pan-African flag at City Hall. They were impressed with the speeches of local African American leaders during the raising of the flag. Mayor Aftab Pureval came down to introduce himself to the delegates, welcome them to the city, and shake hands with each of them. He took pictures with them. It was a very special moment for our delegates.
The importance of this moment was that our visitors from Africa were able to view how Cincinnati honors the struggle of African Americans in our city and our world. As City Manager, Sheryl Long, said,
“This flag represents all of us — no matter where we’re from, what our culture is, or what our struggles are. To fly it on the flagpole at city hall is a message to the world that in Cincinnati, we are united as brothers and sisters. To fly it during Black History Month is a reminder of all that we have overcome and a celebration of Black Cincinnatians who are making history right now.”
Mayor Aftab Pureval with International Delegates in front of Cincinnati City Hall
Visitors were also able to see the personal welcome and hospitality of Americans when the Mayor welcomed them to the city and shook their hands.
Our second highlight of 2024 is our Renewable Energy as an Economic Driver program . In April, delegates from Bolivia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Honduras, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Namibia, Pakistan, Republic of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, met with the Office of Environment of Sustainability, Green Umbrella, Dr. Chavez at Northern Kentucky University, and the Chemical and Environmental Master’s Program Faculty at the University of Cincinnati.
Front Center: NKU President Cady Short-Thompson and, front left, Dr. Chavez, sitting with international delegates.
They found that the very last meeting, their meeting with Dr. Chavez at Northern Kentucky University, was the meeting that they had been waiting for through the entirety of their IVLP trip. When they arrived, they were warmly welcomed by the President of the University, Ms. Cady Short-Thompson. Dr. Tony Chavez gave a presentation which gave an overview of Electricity in the United States, Renewable Portfolio Standards, Feed-in Tariffs, Investment Tax Credits and Production Tax Credits, Kentucky’s challenges in investing in renewable energy, transmission of renewable energy, and the storage of renewable energy. They were fascinated by the challenges of creating a nationwide grid. This sparked an interest in how they could connect grids in their own countries and improve the storage of energy.
International delegates at Northern Kentucky University
The international travel of this group sparked interest in creating new and unique projects that our delegates planned to bring back to their home countries to implement.
