...with any new concept there must fits be a need,
then a right time, then a right place...
For the World Showcase,
the time is now,
the place is Walt Disney World...
and the need was never greater."
The World Showcase will be a showcase of the world ... and a showcase to the world. It will be a permanent international exhibition.
It is designed to bring together the people of the world in the true "family of man" spirit ... and to provide a unique opportunity for the nations of the world to communicate their culture and heritage, their tourism and trade, their history and dreams.
If the communities of tomorrow are to serve the people of tomorrow, the ideas and aspirations of today's young people must be known and considered. A key concept in planning the World Showcase has been an emphasis on "people to people" contact among the youth of the world.
Each nation represented will be invited to send young adults to learn while operating the attractions, shows, restaurants and exhibits in the pavilion of their native land. In this multi-faceted experience, these students will live, play, learn and work together, thus forming that spirit of unity which best characterizes the World Showcase itself.
World Showcase Fellowship Program
The scope of this program requires the expansion or the definition of a Fellowship Program. Aside from the idea of scholarship, the "World Showcase Fellowship" implies an interpersonal, educational, and work experience program in an environment which fosters cultural exchange. The World Showcase Fellowship Program is an _international people-to-people exchange_ that provides a truly unique combination of learning, living, working, recreational, travel and cultural experiences.
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Better understanding is fundamental to improved relations among world neighbors. This is the essential premise of EPCOT, Walt Disney's greatest dream. This, too, is the motivating force behind the World Showcase Fellowship Program, a reflection of Walt Disney's basic belief in youth. By living, working and learning together, these students, our future world leaders, will discover the possibilities of unity among all persons. Therefore, they deserve the support and encouragement of all who aspire for a better world; a world truly fashioned in the "family of man" spirit.
The time is now, the place is Walt Disney World ... and the need was never greater.
