The South Africa-Washington Internship Program (SAWIP) is based on the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership (WIP) which has been successfully serving Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland’s need to develop a new generation of young leaders who are committed to building on the peace and progress of the past decade and growing a stronger civil society on the island of Ireland.

WIP’s extension to South Africa affords university students from South Africa, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland a unique opportunity to find common ground through a course of mutual understanding in the multicultural environment of the United States of America.

SAWIP was an initiative of WIP alumni and volunteers who were inspired by their involvement in WIP and believed that this model of reconciliation, mutual understanding and youth developemnt should be used for countries enveloped in similiar circumstances. In June/July 2007 SAWIP embarked on a pilot program with the backing of the WIP Board and assisted by a WIP Alumni Seed Grant, as well as private donors.  The pilot invited, after a rigorous selection process, five young South Africans from the University of Cape Town to join peers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in the WIP’s established internship and leadership curriculum in Washington, DC.  The pilot received endorsements and support from the Phelps Stokes’ Fund, the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, the South African Embassy in Washington, DC, the Ambassadors of Ireland and the United States of America in South Africa, Professor Kadar Asmal, Dr. Mamphela Ramphele and Helen Zille.  Such was the success of the pilot that SAWIP has expanded its class size and now has the distinct privilege to work with the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape with the goals of developing a more distinct and targeted South Africa-specific program. Today, SAWIP has become a means for young South Africans to take on great responsibilities as they encourage others to contribute to positive social change.

To this end the Board of Directors in both Washington, DC, and South Africa have begun to develop strong networks of support across sectors  -  government, civil society, business and academia  -  and are encouraged by the positive responses received and sincere desire expressed to assist with the development of SAWIP.