KINGSTON, Jamaica – Two Jamaicans have been selected to participate in the U.S. Department of State-sponsored International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) this month. They are Rohan Longmore of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) and Kingsley Roberts of the CVM Communications Group.
The U.S. State Department IVLP sends up-and-coming leaders from all over the world to the United States each year to meet and confer with their professional counterparts and experience the country and its institutions first-hand.
Rohan Longmore, the Assistant Director in the International Economics Department at the Bank of Jamaica, will participate in the IVLP on U.S. Trade Policy, May 15 to June 5. Longmore, who has been with the BOJ since 2000, is responsible for preparing forecasts of the balance of payment and foreign exchange cash flows, as input into the foreign policy making process at the Bank. His work also facilitates the Bank’s dialogue with multinational financial institutions and other agencies.
During his multi-city program, Mr. Longmore and 22 other participants from across the globe will visit Washington D.C., New York City, Seattle and other cities to explore the structures and fundamentals of U.S. trade policy. According to Mr. Longmore, one of the functions of his department is the monitoring and advising on developments relating to trade policies of major partners such as the U.S., and “the program will therefore provide a first-hand perspective on these policies”.
A journalist at CVM television, Kingsley Roberts will participate in the IVLP on Investigative Journalism May 22 to June 13. The program will provide opportunities for him and his counterparts to discover the U.S. journalistic landscape and how the media helps to pride accountability in society. They will have the opportunity to observe how investigative journalists work and serve the community. Participants will also benefit from various sessions, meetings and professional activities to provide insights into American life and values.
Earlier this year, another Jamaican, Allison Stone, Deputy Director in the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, participated in the IVLP on U.S. Foreign Policy. During her three-week visit, she met with key officials to discuss the U.S. foreign policy-making process, security issues in foreign policy, foreign policy legislation and lobbying efforts, and the U.S. foreign economic policy.
