Global Service Fellowships: Like the Scott Family Fellowships in Liberia!

Seeking a way to engage American volunteers and Congress in "concrete initiatives that lift up the lives of the poor throughout the world," a proposal for Global Service Fellowships has just been floated by our friends across the street at Brookings: David Caprara, John Bridgeland and Harris Wofford:

We propose that Congress establish a program of Global Service Fellowships to support American volunteers - nominated by congressional members - serving abroad with qualifying nongovernmental organizations, faith-based groups, and universities that are committed to advancing peace and development.

The benefits: the positive connection across countries that comes with community-level diplomacy; the fruits of the volunteers' service; and greater understanding by Americans of the realities of developing countries. Presumably there is also a benefit to involving Members of Congress; the selection process would present a "teachable moment" for those who are otherwise spending their time thinking about domestic policies and programs.

Interestingly, while the proposal describes a way to use public funds to support work in private organizations, a parallel volunteer program - using private monies to support work in the public sector - is already underway. The Scott Family Liberia Fellowships, just established, offers Fellows the opportunity to work as a "special assistant" to government officials in Liberia. This simultaneously provides the Government of Liberia with some extra hands-on-deck for the first years of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's administration, and the Fellows with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help and learn.