2024 U.S. Speaker Program

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The U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to carry out its U.S. Speaker Program. The Speaker Program brings dynamic U.S. citizen experts to North Macedonia to engage professional and student audiences throughout the country on topics of strategic importance to the United States and North Macedonia. Specifically, the program seeks to engage local audiences on rule of law reforms; judicial independence; government accountability and transparency; professional journalism practices; combating foreign malign influence; cybersecurity; climate and security issues; diversity, equity, and inclusion; encouraging civic action at the local and community level; culture, arts, and advancing women’s economic empowerment through the shared knowledge, expertise, and know-how of U.S. experts. The program also seeks to establish concrete networking and contact-building opportunities among U.S. experts and local audiences. Programs may take place in person or virtually. We highly recommend potential applicants collaborate and coordinate with project partners in North Macedonia in order to implement the requested programs successfully. We expect to select one or more program implementers for grant awards of up to $50,000. U.S. Speakers address strategic policy priorities identified by the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia. The U.S. Speaker Program promotes an understanding of U.S. policies and institutions as well as the political, economic, and social context from which they arise. Speakers can be programmed with a variety of professional audiences in a wide range of disciplines. In this regard, the U.S. Speaker Program intends to support the overall PAS outreach strategy, which focuses on two defined audiences: established leaders and emerging voices. For more details on the program target audience and their definitions, see below under the “Participants and Audiences” subheading.