Kaitlyn Bistline of Lancaster is participating in the first-ever Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative. The University of Alabama (UA), Tuscaloosa, Ala., received an award to implement the initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, partnering with Alabama A&M University in the new program.

The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative aims to inspire and develop a group of 20 aspiring young civic leaders from India and the United States, encouraging them to work together to advance civil rights, social justice, and inclusion locally, nationally, and internationally by exploring the histories and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The program is part of the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act, advocated for by the late Congressman John Lewis and passed by Congress in 2020.

Participants will examine the themes of peace, nonviolence and conflict resolution while building a network of young leaders from the U.S. and India. The program employs a multi-pronged framework using social studies, art, and counseling to discuss academic themes, process and reflect on program activities, and build participants' leadership capacities.

The exchange opened with a one-week virtual program and orientation followed by a two-week academic residency hosted at UA and Alabama A&M University this summer. In addition to classroom learning and discussion, participants visited civil rights sites. In January 2023, all the Indian and U.S. participants will reconvene in India for an experiential learning component focused on civic movements inspired by Gandhi.