6/17/2008 - Local Exchange Student Changes Perceptions of Muslim Cultures
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PROGRAM, ALONG WITH AFS INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMS, MAKES PARADIGM SHIFT POSSIBLE
Ardani Prawira arrived from Indonesia last August with certain preconceived notions of what America would be like. Shift forward ten months, and his view has completely changed; plus, he’s shown people in his local Illinois community that “Muslim” does not equate to the negative stereotypes so common in the post-9/11 United States.
Prawira is participating in an exchange program sponsored by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State with AFS Intercultural Programs. The Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program was created after September 11, 2001 in an effort to build bridges of peace and understanding between the citizens of the U.S. and countries with significant Muslim populations.
Prawira attended Thornton Fractional Township South High School in Lansing, IL and has had multiple life-changing experiences during his stay, including expressing his artistic talents at his high school and local art galleries through photos. Prawira has always been interested in photography and art; when he found out that he could take an art class that would allow him to display his talents, he was excited.
“We don’t have access to art class in Indonesia, so it was really great to hear that it was offered at my school,” said Prawira. “Not only has the art been great, but all the different cultures I have experienced have been wonderful too.” AFS Intercultural Programs was started after World War II by former American Field Service volunteer ambulance drivers with a mission to build a more just and peaceful world. AFS is founded on promoting intercultural understanding and a diverse worldview. Today, this vision is carried out by exchange students like Prawira and the host families who volunteer to take these students into their homes.
“Ardani is just like any other teenager,” said Odell Newton, Prawira’s host father. “This is my first time hosting a YES student and it has been a great experience. I definitely recommend hosting to everyone.” Having participated in the YES program every year since it first began in 2003, today AFS is one of the leading nonprofits bringing high school exchange students from countries with significant Muslim populations to the U.S.
“The YES program provides an opportunity for Americans to make a positive contribution towards peace—as host families, volunteers and educators,” said Keri Dooley, manager at AFS. “Families who volunteer to host YES students are making the program possible—they’re a critical component in our being able to build bonds of friendship between the U.S. and the countries participating in this program.” Shortly after Ardani returns to Indonesia in July, AFS will welcome approximately 375 new exchange students to the U.S. through the YES program. In Chicago and surrounding areas, host families are needed to open their homes and share their everyday lives with high school YES scholars who will arrive in late summer. Host families and their exchange students will be supported by experienced, local AFS volunteers who will also place students in local high schools.
About AFS
For more than 60 years, AFS Intercultural Programs has been leading international high school student exchange. AFS was founded by volunteer American Field Service ambulance drivers from World Wars I and II who believed—as AFS believes today—that the way to build a more just and peaceful world begins when people from different countries meet, learn about each other and begin to understand each other. AFS is a 501© 3 nonprofit organization and is largely a volunteer-driven organization, with more than 6,000 U.S. volunteers and 30,000 worldwide. To contact AFS, visit http://www.afs.org/usa or call 1-800-AFS-INFO.
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