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International Visitors Program
Purpose
The Visitors Program is designed to
provide specialized on-the-job training in the U.S. for foreign nationals from
other countries. Foreign officials are given opportunities to gain a
better understanding of ecosystem-based assistance by observing and discussing
conservation programs in the U.S., in order to transfer applicable methods back
to their home countries.
Administration
The International Programs Division (IPD)
administers the program. Requests for training programs are reviewed by IPD to
determine agency Development participation, and evaluated to identify training
objectives. Programs are tailored to meet individuals training needs and
foreign government needs. The IPD usually develops and coordinates assignments
for international visitors. There are times, however, when NRCS employees
are contacted directly by universities or other institutions in order to provide
assistance to these visitors. When this happens, please inform the IPD of
the request received and the assistance provided. We would like to
document all participant activity in our annual report.
Funding
IPD has no authority to fund
international training programs. Funding sources vary from program to
program. Examples of funding may include:
- U.S. Agency for International Development.
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- World Bank.
- Foreign Governments.
- International Foundations.
- Self-funding of Participants.
Types of Visitors
Foreign nationals are designated as
students, experienced technicians, scientific and technical exchange
participants, administrators, observational visitors, farmers, or
volunteers. Specific programs are prepared for each category.
Programs may be specialized and of short duration or may last as long as one
year and involve academic study. Most of the programs are hands-on and
field oriented and are individually tailored to the needs, capabilities, and
desires of the visitor to provide maximum benefits. Programs are conducted
by NRCS employees in the course of their normal on-the-job duties rather than in
a classroom situation.
| Students |
Many people are brought to this country for both undergraduate and
graduate work in natural resources conservation and related
subjects. In addition to their formal academic training at a college
or university, students gain practical experience by participating in
informal on-the-job programs with NRCS in the field during vacation
periods or after completion of their academic training. They are
usually expected to gain enough knowledge and experience during this
period so that they are able to conduct similar work or studies in their
home office. |
| Experienced Technicians |
Scientists, engineers, or other officials who have been working
on-the-job in their home country come to the U.S. to see and to learn new
skills and in many cases to update their academic training with or without
obtaining a degree. Technicians work with field office staff
members, conservation districts, and other partners as they assist in
developing individual conservation plans and applying soil and water
conservation measures on all private land. |
| Scientific and Technical Exchange Participants |
Exchange of technical knowledge and information between NRCS employees
and foreign governments is a continuing effort. Participants work
with their NRCS counterparts in the U.S. to share data and new
technologies for natural resources conservation. |
| Administrators |
Policymakers visit NRCS to study the way our work is planned,
organized, and administered. They usually spend a short time in
National Headquarters, institutes, centers, state or field offices to
observe the function and operation at each level. This is an
important part of the international program -- without support from the
top, the people will have a difficult time adapting and using the
principles they have learned. |
| Observational Visitors |
NRCS employees may make available to any visitor the ordinary
assistance that common courtesy requires. Visitors usually have
limited time available and typically have specific objectives to
accomplish. This assistance does not include tours that entail
travel expenses or absence from usual duties for an extended period. |
| Farmers |
American farmers have made great strides in reducing cropland erosion
using soil-conserving practices such as crop residue management, contour
tillage, stripcropping, and land retirement. Farmers from other
countries visit our farms and local organizations serving farmers to
discover for themselves many of the fundamental aspects of our way of
life. The time they have with us is usually short but the value of
showing them the importance of natural resources conservation is great. |
| Volunteers |
Foreign nationals sometimes participate in our Earth Team Program,
working at a particular site to gain knowledge and experience. |
Benefits
NRCS has a commitment to help individual
landowners and local organizations and governments identify and address natural
resource issues and problems. We have a real opportunity to help people
from other countries plan and apply effective conservation measures. Many
countries have been conserving resources for thousands of years and have
established their own programs. Our involvement in international
conservation efforts has brought different technologies to NRCS that
include: better nutrient management, erosion control and residue
management; improvements in conservation buffer, water quality, bioengineering,
plant materials, and agroforestry technologies; more effective animal waste
management and disposal systems and small dam design and maintenance; and better
understanding of desertification, climate change, environmental indicators, and
non-point source pollution control.
Visitors should be encouraged to think of possible adaptation of NRCS methods or
policies when appropriate. The benefits of our assistance will be measured
by the extent that their home conditions can be improved. We can logically
help them explore the possible changes that can be made in their present system,
but we should avoid trying to tell them how they should change their
systems. Without a clear understanding of their local conditions, it is
very difficult to make appropriate recommendations for changes. Better
assistance can be given if we understand something about the country from which
they come and the jobs they have at home.
Remember that most of our visitors are very important officials in their own
country. They are people of prestige, influence, and standing. Do
not underrate them if they are not always up-to-date on all our technical
advances. We anticipate a continuing need for hosting international
visitors, and we encourage you to recognize that our International Visitor’s
Program is an important part of our job. We invite you to consider the
ways in which the Program has, or can be, an influence in your career -- in your
personal as well as professional development goals.
Hospitality and Community Service
We must assume that our visitors are
unfamiliar with our customs, our methods, our slang, our language, and other
matters at least until we have talked with them and found out what they know
about these things. It might be a good idea to use visual aids to
illustrate or demonstrate the subjects under discussion. We should avoid
trying to impress our visitors with the biggest or the best in our country and
we should not stress the highly advanced stage of our agriculture as compared
with that of other countries. Encourage them to ask questions, but do not assume
they are not interested if few questions are forthcoming. Because of their
culture and traditions, many foreign nationals are reluctant to speak out.
There are many ways in which we can make our visitors feel at home and avoid
embarrassment in a strange land. They are interested not only in
agriculture, but also in American customs, institutions, and our way of life in
general. Advice and assistance on where to stay and eat, help with
transportation problems, what to do and see on weekends or holidays, contacts
with local churches, and help in case of sickness are a few ways in which you
can make the visit one to be remembered. Contacts with the press, radio,
or television stations can serve as a means of showing them they are welcome in
our communities as well as provide for dissemination of interesting and useful
information to the public. Visits to private homes, community clubs, and
organizations offer special experiences of seeing how we live and observing how
we carry out our daily tasks. Some will be proud to speak to groups
about their native land or the purpose of their visit to this country and how
they will use the knowledge, skills, and information gained when they return
home.
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