YES
On 13 May United States Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey honoured the Egyptian young men and women who will be participating in the 2009/10 Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programme, together with their families in a reception at her residence. The YES participants come from nine governorates in Egypt. In addressing the students, the Ambassador said, “The most rewarding work that we do is trying to create understanding and relationships between the people of Egypt and the people of the US. Even though our world has instant messaging through computers and cell phones and every other modern technology, technology and rapid communication don’t necessarily mean understanding. The opportunity to spend time in a foreign country with friends and family that cherish you, I think, is the truest way to genuine cultural understanding.”
Established in 2002, the YES is a youth exchange programme supported by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), with the aim of establishing long-lasting ties between the US and other countries, promoting mutual understanding as well as leadership development. YES provides scholarships for secondary school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the United States.
Captivated by acapella
In cooperation with the Egyptian Integrated Care Society, the The United States Embassy in Cairo arranged for The Yale Spizzwinks, America’s oldest underclassman a cappella singing group , to perform in Cairo last month. The Spizzwinks love of fine singing, fun and fellowship has earned them a reputation of entertaining any audience anywhere in the world with perfect harmony, infectious enthusiasm and timeless wit. Audiences in Cairo were no exception. The Yale Spizzwinks performed to a full house of captivated young people who cheered the band on as they sang such favorites as Accidentally in Love, Blue Skies, Old Man River, Bohemian Rhapsody and others.