The Alliance is very pleased to announce that Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, will be the keynote speaker at the 2010 Alliance Membership Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for October 5-6, 2010, in Washington, DC. Assistant Secretary Stock will speak at the opening luncheon on October 5.

The American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) is looking to fill the position of Sales Development Manager for Au Pair in America in their Stamford, Connecticut office. See the full position description below, and visit this link for further information and to apply.

The National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) is looking to fill the position of Program Associate for Communications in their Washington, DC office. See the full position description below, and visit the NCIV website for further information.

Earlier this week, the Alliance sent out a call to contact your Senators and urge them to support full funding of the President’s $58.8 billion FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request. According to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, only 12 Senators have signed the bipartisan letter in support of full funding for the IR budget [new signers to date: Akaka (D-HI), Cardin (D-MD), Casey (D-PA), Collins (R-ME), Gillibrand (D-NY), Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Shaheen (D-NH)].

The Alliance moved its offices today from our previous location at 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 620. Our new address is:

1828 L Street, NW, Suite 1150
Washington, DC 20036

Phone, fax, and emails all remain the same. Please update your contact information for us accordingly!

The Alliance will hold its 2010 Membership Meeting in Washington, DC, October 5-6. The primary venue for the meeting will be the DuPont Hotel, located right in DuPont Circle at 1500 New Hampshire Avenue, NW.

[Please note that participation in this meeting is reserved for Alliance Full Members only.]

With a record number of participants—83—the Alliance held its 10th annual Advocacy Day on Thursday, March 4. Alliance members participating in this year’s Advocacy Day visited 104 House and Senate offices and represented a record 26 states, as well as the District of Columbia.

(At right: Advocacy Day participant Ana Gil-Garcia, representing the Fulbright Association, with Illinois Senators Roland Burris and Dick Durbin.)

The Alliance released its 2010 Position Papers today in anticipation of its upcoming Advocacy Day events, to take place March 3-4 in Washington, DC.

The 2010 Position Papers can be downloaded here.

The Alliance held its ninth annual Advocacy Day last Thursday, February 26, 2009. Seventy-one Alliance members participated in this year’s Advocacy Day, visiting 73 House and Senate offices, and representing 18 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam.

The Alliance convened a meeting of its State Department Task Force on Wednesday, February 11, to discuss the position papers that will be used for the conclusion of FY 2009 appropriations, as well as the FY 2010 appropriations season. Colleagues from the American Councils for International Education, the Fulbright Association, the Institute of International Education, IREX, NAFSA, and Sister Cities International participated. The main issues discussed and decided during the Task Force meeting include: