American Council of Young Political Leaders

I used to be really interested in politics, but over the past decade I’ve come to the realization that business is usually a better way to enact positive change than public policy is. While I might have lost most of the faith I had in the political process, I still realize that it’s necessary for a functioning society. The only way that it’s going to get better is for better people to go into politics. American Council of Young Political Leaders is a Washington, DC based non-profit (big surprise there) that is “recognized as the pre-eminent catalyst for introducing rising political and policy professionals to international affairs and to each other.” The organization was founded in 1966 by leaders from both American political parties because they saw how important fostering cooperation and understanding could be at the height of the Cold War.

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Considering that American Council of Young Political Leaders has been around for nearly fifty years, you’d hope that they’d have a pretty solid track record. They do. You have to look no further than their Notable Alumni page to see the effect that ACYPL has had on the American and International political landscapes. Most of ACYPL’s work is done through Exchanges/Delegations, which are “unique international educational exchanges for young elected, political, and policy leaders with often divergent points of view to explore common concerns and points of difference.” If you’d like to help continue the tradition that ACYPL has been building, take a look at the organization’s jobs on Idealist. Right now they’re looking for a Development Coordinator.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• ACYPL.org
• Jobs at American Council of Young Political Leaders (Idealist)
• About American Council of Young Political Leaders
• American Council of Young Political Leaders’ Team
• American Council of Young Political Leaders’ Blog

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