By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Srinagar: Four youths from Jammu and Kashmir have been selected by the American government for 4-week long Legislative Fellowship Program.
The four youths include two Journalist- Fahad Shah and Ruwa Altaf-one lawyer Habeel Iqbal and a researcher Dr Zainab Akhtar.
Shah is a Kashmir-based Journalist and editor of online magazine The Kashmir Walla. He is also the editor of the Anthology Of Occupation and Resistance: Writings from Kashmir. A graduate from London, Shah is also the Director of The Kashmir Institute – a think-tank focusing on policy issues related to Jammu and Kashmir.
Ruwa Altaf is a Kashmiri journalist based in New Delhi, who is currently a staffer at the Hindustan Times and was previously associated with Indo-Asian News Service, BBC, Barcroft Media and the Indian Express.
Habeel Iqbal is a lawyer based in Shopian, who practices law in the district and high court and has been involved with several civil society initiatives.
Dr Zainab Akhter is from Zanskar (Kargil) and has a Doctorate degree in International Relations from JNU. She works as a researcher at the IDSA’s South Asia Centre.
The Legislative Fellows Program for India and Pakistan is a two-way exchange program for mid-level professionals from India, Pakistan, and the U.S. The program goal is to promote mutual understanding and establish networks among mid-level professionals in the US, India, and Pakistan, while also promoting increased knowledge of the legislative process and principles of good governance.
All the four will be travelling to Washington D.C. for the program and will be associated with organizations relevant to their fields of work. This edition of LFP will have 12 participants from India and a group of 14 participants from Pakistan.
The U.S. program begins with an orientation in Washington, DC that focuses on the structure of the US government, the legislative process, and the role of civil society. Following is a four-week fellowship in several US cities, which includes professional fellowships, seminars, homestays, and civic engagement. Participants will then return to Washington, DC for the concluding Professional Fellows’ Congress, which includes workshops, debriefs, and meetings with US government officials, and a program debrief.