Mike Burgess has been selected by the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) as a delegate to South Africa for a fourteen-day political study program this fall.  He will join six other young political leaders from across the United States to study South Africa’s political system, engage in dialogue on bilateral issues and forge professional relationships.

“ACYPL targets young political leaders likely to assume future leadership positions in their governments,” said Brad Minnick, ACYPL’s Executive Director. “Our international exchanges build bridges between emerging leaders in the U.S. and other countries to promote mutual understanding and respect for each others political cultures and ideologies.”

Burgess will join other delegates in Washington, DC, for briefings by the U.S. Department of State and the Embassy of South Africa before flying on to Johannesburg. The U.S. Embassy in Johannesburg and the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) are assisting in organizing the visit. 

“I am honored to represent ACYPL in Johannesburg,” said Burgess. “This will be a chance to better understand the current political dynamics in South Africa, and help people there better understand the United States.”  

U.S. delegates are selected from a competitive, bipartisan field of several hundred nominees for participation in ACYPL’s international exchanges. Nearly 40 current members of Congress, six sitting Governors and several current and former Cabinet secretaries were ACYPL delegates earlier in their careers.  Reciprocal visits bring young leaders from abroad to the United States for an introduction to American democracy and culture and our federalist form of government. 

ACYPL is a nonprofit bipartisan international exchange organization funded in part through a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is considered the nation’s premier international exchange organization for emerging political leaders.