The Aspen Institute Stevens Initiative, of which MacArthur is a founding partner, announced 10 recipients of its first award competition aimed at using virtual exchanges to improve understanding, respect, and dialogue across cultures and equip young people with the skills they need to succeed in a global economy. The $31 million multilateral, public-private initiative – named in honor of the late Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens – hopes to achieve the largest increase in people-to-people educational exchanges between the United States and the Middle East. The new programs supported by the awards will reach 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa and 25 American states. The first round of the competition was open to U.S. nonprofit organizations. The next round, to open later this year, will also accept applications from the Middle East and North Africa.
