Understanding the U.S. Heartland
The 2023 program dates will be August 20 to August 26, 2023
A Program to the United States for Staffers of German Bundestag Representatives
Cultural Vistas invites staffers of German Bundestag Members (MdBs) to apply to the Beyond Washington program, an eight-day professional exchange that provides participants with a deeper understanding of the U.S. heartland.
The transatlantic relationship is undergoing profound changes. Decades-old norms in foreign policy are being replaced by new approaches to international affairs by both the United States and Germany. In the U.S., these changes in foreign policy positions are rooted in domestic policies and issues that are not always apparent to foreign observers or experts, but that have been shaping the development of U.S. local and national politics for decades. In the midst of these developments, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, further impacts U.S.-German relations.
To provide context and a deeper understanding of the political changes taking place in the United States, Cultural Vistas offers the Beyond Washington: Understanding the U.S. Heartland program. The program invites staffers who work for MdBs from all of the major political factions represented in the German Bundestag to take part in an eight-day visitor program to the United States. The 2023 program will take place in Little Rock, Arkansas and the surrounding area.
The primary goal of the program is to promote a deeper understanding among MdB staffers of U.S. domestic and resultant foreign policies. The program aims to strengthen transatlantic relations by allowing this group of MdB staffers to connect with Americans beyond the political hubs and the capital. Beyond Washington focuses on the following themes:
- Local and State policy and budget priorities
- Economic and social driving forces
- Climate action and social justice
- The importance of public diplomacy and means to foster multi-lateral relations
Cultural Vistas arranges high-level meetings with leaders from government, business, civil society, and other relevant contacts that bring into focus a set of regional challenges that are echoed in other areas of the country.
Eligibility
Up to 18 staffers who work in the offices of Members of the German Bundestag (MdBs) will be accepted to participate in the program each year. A broad representation of political parties is sought in participant selection; the program aims to include three individuals representing MdBs from each of the six Fraktionen in the Bundestag participate in the exchange each year.
Applicants must be primarily employed in the office of a German MdB, have an interest in U.S. affairs, and speak English proficiently, in order to be able to engage in meaningful conversations while in the United States.
Special consideration will be given to staffers whose MdBs represent districts that have shared challenges with the area to be visited in the U.S. Staffers employed directly by their MdBs in Berlin, as well as staffers working in district offices are all encouraged to apply. Applicants who have not previously spent a significant amount of time in the United States will also be given special consideration in the application process.
Participants in the Beyond Washington program will share the lessons learned during the program with a wider audience via a post-program report and an event in the district of their MdB, acting as multipliers and spreading an understanding of the primary issues impacting the United States’ heartland.
2023 Timeline
Sunday, May 28, 2023:
Application Deadline
June: Notification of selected participants
Early August:
Pre-departure meeting in Berlin
August 20, 2023
Group Flight from Berlin to Little Rock, AR
August 21-25, 2023
Meetings in Little Rock, AR and surrounding area
August 26, 2023
Return Group Flight to Berlin
September 2023 through November 2023:
Participants organize events to share the lessons learned during the program with a wider audience in the electoral districts of their MdBs.
Costs
The program covers most of the program-related travel costs (including roundtrip group flight from Berlin to Little Rock, AR, accommodation in Little Rock, AR, transfers in Little Rock, AR, and Health Insurance) in the U.S. Accommodation in the U.S. includes breakfast.
Participants need to contribute financially by covering travel costs from/to their homes to Berlin Airport upon departure to the U.S. and arrival in Germany, as well as meals (lunch and dinner) during their stay in the U.S.
What Participants Are Saying
“Auf der persönlichen Ebene hat sich mein Verständnis für die USA als Land wie auch der US-amerikanischen Politik grundlegend erweitert… Doch die Erfahrungen, die wir in Springfield gemacht haben, überstiegen bei weitem meine Erwartungen.”
“Die Möglichkeit, mit so vielen Personen zu reden und Einblicke in das amerikanische Leben zu bekommen, war für mich einzigartig. Meine Erwartungen vor der Reise wurden übertroffen und meine Ansicht, dass man die Menschen vor Ort erstmal treffen muss, um sich eine Meinung zu bilden, bewahrheitet.”
“Die dringende Frage unserer Zeit ist, wie man diesem Polarisierungstrend etwas entgegensetzt. Und dies ist die Frage, die nicht nur in den USA relevant ist; überall auf der Welt scheinen Länder mehr oder weniger von diesem Phänomen betroffen zu sein. Deutschland ist keine Ausnahme, und ich halte dies für eine der zentralen Fragen der Zukunft. Daher werde ich dieses Thema nach dem Beyond Washington Programm in einer Diskussion mit den Bürgern im Wahlkreis meines MdBs erörtern.”
“Neben den neuen Geschichten und Lernerfahrungen, die ich Washington DC und Pittsburgh sammeln konnte, hatte ich auf meiner Rückreise aber ein noch bedeutenderes „Mitbringsel“ im Gepäck – nämlich das Interesse an den USA. Dieses neue Interesse hat dafür gesorgt, dass ich mich nach diesem Programm weiter und intensiver mit US-amerikanischer Politik, Gesellschaft und Kultur beschäftigt habe.”
“In unserer täglichen Arbeit erleben wir momentan, dass die außenpolitischen Positionen der Vereinigten Staaten ihre Ursprünge in der amerikanischen Innenpolitik haben. Nur vor Ort kann man wirklich verstehen, wie Politik in den USA funktioniert und wie diese Politik die transatlantischen Beziehungen beeinflusst.”
“Ich habe viel gelernt, was sowohl im beruflichen als auch privaten Kontext hilfreich sein wird.”
The Beyond Washington program has been administered by Cultural Vistas since 2018, with a different cohort of MdB staffers being selected each year to visit a different U.S. region each year. Programming locations and meeting partners will be adjusted according to the most important U.S. domestic issues as they evolve during the five-year program.
The application phase for the fifth iteration of Beyond Washington is: Monday, March 21, 2023 until Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Please select “Request an Application” to begin the application process.
Weitere Informationen finden Sie in unserer Programmbroschüre (auf Deutsch)
Following a review of all applications by Cultural Vistas and an approval of the final selection by the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, applicants will be contacted by early June with information on whether or not they have been accepted as a participant in the Beyond Washington program.