The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative, which brings together 20 emerging young civic leaders from India and the United States to advance civil rights, social justice, and inclusion on the local, national, and international levels by exploring the histories and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was announced today by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The late Honorable John Lewis championed this transaction.
On June 15, 2022, the exchange will begin with a one-week virtual programme and orientation, followed by a two-week academic residence at Alabama A&M University, an HBCU, and the University of Alabama. Participants will tour civil rights sites in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia, in addition to classroom study and debate. The Indian and American participants will meet again in India in January 2023 to visit important sites, communities, and organisations as part of their academic curriculum, which is centred on the academic themes of peace, nonviolence, and conflict resolution, and to strengthen their leadership capacities. Contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov if you are a member of the media.