Center For Internationalundersstanding

THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING, INC. (CIU), A NON-PARTISAN, 501(C) (3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ENGAGES APPALACHIA IN CAPACITY AND DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION BUILDING FOR INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONALS FROM EMERGING DEMOCRACIES WHOSE SHORT-TERM US-BASED VISITS ARE SPONSORED BY US CONGRESS'S OPEN WORLD PROGRAMS, USAID, AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE. THESE SOFT DIPLOMACY PROGRAMS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR SUSTAINING TRADE AND OTHER TYPES OF RELATIONS WITH EMERGING DEMOCRACIES AND ALSO FOR ENSURING THE US'S NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS. IN COLLABORATION WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR ENTITIES IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, AND THE WASHINGTON DC AREA, THE CIU HAS HOSTED PROFESSIONALS FROM ALMOST 100 COUNTRIES WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENABLING YOUTH LEADERS, ENTREPRENEURS, NGO LEADERS, AND PUBLIC SECTOR DECISION-MAKERS ON TOPICS SUCH AS ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING REFORM; AGRIBUSINESS AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS; ARTS AND CULTURE; BUDGET FORMULATION; BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT; CORPORATE GOVERNANCE; DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION BUILDING; DEMOCRATIC POLICING; ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING; EDUCATIONAL REFORM; ELECTIONS; ENERGY AND MINING; ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION; FORESTRY AND FORESTRY-RELATED INDUSTRIES; HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION; HOUSING, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE; INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE; LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES; LOCAL AND REGIONAL ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING FEDERALISM; PRINT, BROADCAST, AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA; PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT; RULE OF LAW; RURAL/PUBLIC HEALTH; SOCIAL SERVICES DELIVERY; TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT (ECO-, AGRI-, AND GEO- TOURISM); TELECOMMUNICATIONS; WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT; AND, YOUTH ISSUES/LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT/ADVOCACY. THE CIU IMPLEMENTS THE OPEN WORLD PROGRAMS FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP. MOST RECENTLY, THE CIU HAS TRAINED JUDGES FROM MONGOLIA WHO NOT ONLY LEARNED ABOUT THE US JUDICIAL SYSTEM BUT ALSO PROVIDED INSIGHTS TO THEIR PROFESSIONAL COUNTERPARTS IN WEST VIRGINIA ABOUT MONGOLIA'S UNITARY COURT SYSTEM (COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF OUR STATES' JUDICIAL SYSTEMS, PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS OF JUDGES AFTER SUCCESSFUL PASSAGE OF EXAMS AND RECOMMENDATION OF NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL, NON-JURY TRIALS BUT WITH PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE, INVESTIGATIVE ROLE OF ADMINISTRATIVE COURT JUDGES (OUR ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES ARE HOUSED IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, E.G. SSA, IRS, HHS, ETC.). IN SUMMER 2022, THE CIU WILL IMPLEMENT AN OPEN WORLD PROGRAM ON RULE OF LAW FOR JUDGES FROM ESTONIA. IMPACT: EVERY OPEN WORLD PROGRAM CONSISTS OF 5 DELEGATION MEMBERS FROM A SPECIFIC SECTOR. THESE 5 ARE PLACED WITH HOME STAY HOSTS IN BLUEFIELD AND PRINCETON AND OVER A 5 DAY PERIOD THEY INTERACT WITH PROFESSIONAL COUNTERPARTS AT THE MUNICIPAL/CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS NUMBERING BETWEEN 15 - 200 INDIVIDUALS. PUBLICITY GIVEN THE PROGRAMS BY LOCAL MEDIA, PRINT AND ELECTRONIC, HAS A MULTIPLIER EFFECT AS THE LARGER COMMUNITY LEARNS ABOUT THE VISITING DELEGATION'S PRESENCE IN THEIR MIDST AND THE REASON FOR THEIR VISIT. THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING, INC. IS THE ONLY ENTITY IN WEST VIRGINIA THAT IS CALLED UPON TO HOST THE OPEN WORLD PROGRAM BY THE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ITS PRIMARY CONTRACTOR, FHI 360, TO HELP THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF RURAL WEST VIRGINIA, UNDERSTAND BETTER THE IMPACT OF GEOPOLITICS AND THE NEED TO SUSTAIN PEACE AND PROMOTE GREATER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE US AND OTHER NATIONS.