Over 20 Humphrey Fellows from around the world spoke to various history, government and journalism classes Oct. 25 about their native cultures, goals for the fellowship and experiences in the United States so far.

The Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, gives professionals from developing countries or countries in a state of transition the chance to study in the United States for a year in the middle of their careers. Once the fellowship ends in June 2012, they will bring back home lessons learned to generate change in their own communities.

“The Humphrey program is a cultural exchange program,” communication officer Zvikomborero C. Zimunya said. “It is designed to promote cultural exchange between the United States and other countries.”

Zimunya, who is from Zimbabwe, is studying writing and political communication at the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. Other speakers included Lundi Siwundla, a political activist from South Africa studying at the University of Minnesota, and Lubna  Benjamin, a Pakistani broadcast journalist studying at the University of Arizona. Other speakers came from Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Brazil, among other countries.

All 204 current Humphrey Fellows are in D.C. Oct. 23 to 27 for the 2011 Global Leadership Forum, and some visited Whitman while in the area to gain a sense of the American education system.

In front of a journalism class, the speakers shared their thoughts on the differences between news media in their native countries and in the United States.

“Where I come from, there are established agencies [that] monopolize the news sector,” Siwundla said. “But here, there is more of a mix.”

Despite the monopolization of the news sector, Siwundla finds that communication is generally more open in South Africa.

“Sometimes we feel that there is not an open environment for the engagement of ideas,” Siwundla said. “Minnesota is a wonderful place, but I have not experienced much of the sharing. People like to keep to themselves.”

Spending just one year in the United States can have massive benefits for fellows in the Humphrey program. Siwundla, a children’s and women’s rights activist, said spending time in the U.S. will help him to reach his goals back home.

“It will put me in a better position in order to implement the policy initiatives that we have started as a country,” Siwundla said.

The program encourages cultural understanding and partnership between the United States and other countries, but overcoming stereotypes is challenging for both sides.

“The moment people hear I’m from Pakistan the first thing they say is ‘Tell me about bin Laden,’” Benjamin said. “The terrorism and extremism is all still there, but there is another side to it that has never been shown by the media. And that side is quite beautiful.”

Benjamin also discussed the gender inequality she’s faced in Pakistan as a woman pursuing a career in journalism, a field typically dominated by males. She said she does her best to fight prejudice, but stereotypes still linger. She said she hopes her year in the United States will have a positive effect on both her and her country.

“The challenge is still ahead because when I go back, there are many expectations for me,” she said. “It’s going to be a year of innovation when I get back.”