FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTED STUDY GROUPS WITH GERMANY, JAPAN, EUROPE AND KOREA TO PROVIDE THE MEMBERS OF PARLIMENT IN THESE COUNTRIES WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRANK DISCUSSIONS WITH CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES ON KEY ISSUES AFFECTING THEM THROUGH ONGOING, UNOFFICIAL AND INFORMAL FORA. THESE STUDY GROUPS WERE MAINLY SUPPORTED BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GERMAN MARSHALL FUND OF THE UNITED STATES, ATLANTIK BRUECKE, THE SASAKAWA PEACE FOUNDATION, AND PRIVATE CORPORATIONS.

THE GOAL OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC SERVICE, TEACH ABOUT CONGRESS AND STRENGTHEN REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, WHILE KEEPING ITS UNIQUE MEMBERSHIP CONNECTED AFTER LEAVING CAPITOL HILL. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS DOMESTIC PROGRAMS, MOST NOTABLY THE CONGRESS TO CAMPUS PROGRAM, WHICH SENT BIPARTIAN TEAMS OF FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO ALMOST 30 COLLEGE CAMPUSES. THIS PROGRAM ALSO INCORPORATED A WEBCAST SERIES (THE CIVICS CONNECTION), AS WELL AS A COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO INCLUDE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND OTHER INTERESTED CITIZENS. IN ADDITION TO A SMALL ADMISTRATIVE FEE CHARGED TO THE UNIVERSITIES VISITED, THE CONGRESS TO CAMPUS PROGRAM WAS SUPPORTED, BY THE PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, AND THE STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICES. IN ADDITION, VIA FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM LEGACY INTERNATIONAL, THE ORGANIZATION HOSTS VISITING DELEGATIONS FROM EMERGING DEMOCRACIES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. THE ORGANIZATION'S MAIN DOMESTIC FOCUS FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS HAS BEEN A NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO RESTORE CIVIC EDUCATION IN PUBLIC CLASSROOMS. BIPARTIAN TEAMS OF FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WORK WITH LOCAL ENTITIES AND NON PROFITS TO REACH MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AS WELL AS EDUCATORS, IN AN EFFORT TO EDUCATE ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILTY THAT COMES WITH CITIZENSHIP, ABOUT THE ROLE OF OUR THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, AND ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.