Congressional Briefing on the Global Service Fellowship Act

On May 24, 2007, Brookings’ International Volunteering and Service Initiative hosted a briefing for policymakers on the importance and impact of global service. Senators Russell Feingold and Norm Coleman announced their recently proposed Global Service Fellowship Act of 2007 (S. 1464), which aims to expand the number of American volunteers serving overseas through NGOs, faith based organizations, universities, and the private sector by providing fellowships to help reduce financial barriers to volunteering and open up more flexible opportunities to a wider range of Americans.

Top leaders of international service organizations, researchers and policymakers gathered at the briefing to discuss how expanding the number of American volunteers overseas can enhance and reinforce key objectives of U.S. international development programs and public diplomacy initiatives.