Call for Entries: Hostelling International Exchange Program

April 8, 2008

Application Deadline: April 30, 2008

For two weeks this summer, young people ages 20-25 from Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, France, and the United States will gather in Ismailia, Egypt, for Hostelling International’s fourth annual IOU Respect international exchange program. Aiming to bridge cultural divides and facilitate friendships that transcend the program, IOU Respect guides participants through an intensive experience of living, sharing, and learning together with peers from Arab and Western countries.

This year’s program runs from July 25 - August 8, at HI-Ismailia on the Suez Canal, 70 miles northeast of Cairo. Through a series of engaging, fun, challenging workshops and time spent living and exploring Egypt together, participants learn how to:

• Develop awareness, open-mindedness, and respect for other cultures and civilizations.
• Recognize the similarities between the people and cultures of different countries while learning about each other’s — and the host — countries.
• Gain communication tools to respectfully engage others in dialogue that leads to mutual understanding.
• Develop and use skills that enable them to be effective advocates for peace beyond the IOU Respect program.

Anyone between the ages of 20-25 who is fluent in English and who has not participated in a prior Hostelling International exchange program is eligible to apply. Selected participants are responsible for their flights to and from Cairo. HI-Egypt will cover all remaining costs in Egypt including local transportation, meals, accommodation (including four nights in Cairo, one night in Alexandria, and ten nights in Ismailia), and site visit entrance fees. Scholarships for airfare may be available through your country’s hostelling association.