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Improving Volunteering in the US & Philippines July 17, 2013 by Tom Kelly In honor of Nelson Mandela and Mandela Day, IREX is pleased to highlight the work of two individuals dedicated to community service and helping increase the impact of volunteers: Chris Reyes in the Philippines and Willie Bolden in the US	Transcending Grammar: From Linguistics to Revolutions July 16, 2013 by Ana-Maria Sinitean Dr. Frances Trix, a professor of Linguistics and Anthropology at Indiana University-Bloomington, and a recent fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars first received an IREX grant in 1987 to study Albanian language and grammar at the University of Pristina in Kosovo. Since then, she has expanded her expertise to Muslim migration in the region, Sufism, and disaster studies. In a recent interview, Dr. Trix discusses her career path.
IREX VP to Advise on Affordable Internet July 15, 2013 IREX congratulates Vice President Robert Cronin on his appointment to the first ever Advisory Council of the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). Cronin, who heads IREX’s Center for Collaborative Technology and leads the Beyond Access team, will serve alongside representatives from Google, Cisco, Intel, Ericsson, USAID, DFID, CTO, US Department of State, Omidyar Foundation, New America Foundation, and Women in Global Science and Technology.	Azerbaijan Celebrates Girls in ICT Day July 11, 2013 Young Azerbaijani women with an interest in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) celebrated their achievements at a special conference in Baku on April 25th, entitled “Girls in ICT Day.” Hosted by IREX, with a keynote speech from a representative of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Education, the conference highlighted the contribution of young women working in the ICT field and awarded prizes for the winners of Tech Age Girls project.
Students, Teachers & Advocates: Education’s Frontline Defenders on Malala Day July 11, 2013 by Randal Mason The situation is grave: 12 million children in Pakistan have never attended school (two-thirds of them girls), Pakistani teachers killed for educating young women, and the bombing of girls’ schools. Female students have been targeted for attacks including the well-known shooting of Malala Yousafzai and her peers. That’s why hundreds of youth from around the globe are taking over the United Nations on July 12 to advocate for their right to safe education.	Thomas Jefferson Scholars Prepare for U.S.-based Training Program July 9, 2013 The future of the Tunisian workforce is looking brighter as 66 highly motivated Tunisian students prepared this weekend for a year of U.S. based training through the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program. The 2013-2014 Thomas Jefferson scholars come from 22 of Tunisia’s 24 governorates and will study at community colleges and universities across the United States. With the goal of preparing Tunisian youth to contribute to Tunisia’s economy, the Thomas Jefferson scholars will develop professional skills through training in leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, and professional excellence; attend courses in their fields of study; and complete professional internships in the U.S.
Tax E-Filing Now Available in Ukrainian Libraries July 9, 2013 Hundreds of Ukrainians can now visit their public libraries to find assistance in completing and submitting their tax forms online. According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, Ukraine’s tax burden (time to prepare and file taxes) totaled 192 hours, making it one of the highest in Eastern Europe. As a result, the Ukrainian government introduced an online filing system to not only lower tax-related burden, but to also increase the percentage of taxes collected each year.	Preparing Workforce Ready Global Citizens July 8, 2013 by Jessica Anduiza Working to meet the needs of today’s global workforce, IREX is proud to join with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State to implement the Community College Initiative (CCI) program. This program recruits and selects underserved participants from 12 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Africa, East Asia, and Western Hemisphere regions for training in the fields of Information Technology, Business Administration, and Agriculture at U.S. community colleges.
7 Ways to Work with LGBT Communities in International Development July 7, 2013 by Randal Mason "These people are fighting for survival in societies that are hostile to their very existence," said Dr. Chloe Schwenke, who described LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people as being "embattled." She, along with three other global LGBT experts -- Urooj Arshad, Victor Mukasa, and Ryan Ubuntu Olson -- spoke at a recent IREX event on how the international development community could best work with LGBT populations globally. As the vulnerability of LGBT people around the world has been well-documented by organizations such as the UN and Human Rights Watch, the experts offered these key recommendations for those working with LGBT groups abroad:	IREX Fellow Appointed Kennan Institute Director July 3, 2013 IREX congratulates 2013 U.S. Embassy Policy Specialist (EPS) fellow Matthew Rojansky on his new role as Director of the Kennan Institute, division of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars that focuses on Russia, Ukraine and other states in the region. Mr. Rojansky will lead the Kennan Institute’s efforts to publicize and integrate new research on the region into the policy community through scholarships, lectures, workshops, and publication programs.