[CivilSoc] 2,600 Russian Political Leaders to Visit U.S. in 2002 Under "Open World" Program

[Civil Society International]

This item comes from
Johnson's Russia List
#5579
4 December 2001
A CDI Project
www.cdi.org
2,600 Russian Political Leaders to Visit U.S. in 2002 As Part of Center for
Russian Leadership Development Open World Program
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The newly formed Center for Russian
Leadership Development will invite 2,600 emerging Russian political leaders
to the United States in 2002 to participate in the Open World Program at the
Library of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress,
announced today in Washington, D.C.  The Open World Program fosters mutual
understanding between the people of the United States and the Russian
Federation by giving young Russian leaders firsthand experience with
America's democratic institutions and free-market system.
"The Open World Program will focus on themes we believe are responsive to
the Russian government's agenda to build its democracy and market economy:
rule of law, education reform, federalism, health, the environment, economic
development, women as leaders and, at the excellent suggestion of U.S.
Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow, youth issues," Dr. Billington said.
As in the past, a high-level parliamentary exchange will be conducted as
part of the Open World Program that will emphasize issues of critical
importance to the Russian legislature.
The U.S. Congress passed an initial appropriation of $8 million to fund the
Center as an independent agency, and President Bush signed the legislation
into law on November 12, 2001 (P.L. 107-68).  The Library will continue to
provide space and administrative services to the Center. The legislation
also established a board of trustees to guide the program that includes both
senior Members of Congress and leading private citizens.
Eight of the Center's nine trustees have been named.  Senator Ted Stevens of
Alaska, chief sponsor of the Center legislation, will serve as Honorary
Chairman of the board of trustees.  Dr. Billington will serve as interim
chair until the board is fully appointed.  The congressional leadership has
appointed Senators Carl Levin of Michigan and Bill Frist of Tennessee and
Representatives Amo Houghton, of New York and Robert E. "Bud" Cramer, Jr.,
of Alabama to the board.  Private sector members are former U.S. Ambassador
James Collins, financier George Soros, and former Representative James W.
Symington, executive director of the 1999 Open World Program.
This will be the fourth year of the Open World Program (first known as the
Russian Leadership Program), which has been housed since its inception at
the Library of Congress.  The program has brought nearly 4,000 young Russian
leaders from 87 regions to 680 communities in the United States, including
150 members of the two houses of the Russian Parliament, the Federation
Council and the State Duma.
The Russian leaders participating in Open World's 2002 program will be
invited from all levels of government in Russia and all regions of Russia.
The Open World Program seeks to host them in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia in 2002.  All participants will attend orientation sessions in
Moscow and Washington, D.C., then spend a week pursuing an intensive program
in their host communities.
The Center today releases grant guidelines for an initial round of $5
million for the support of program activities.  The nomination process is
currently underway in Russia and delegations will begin to arrive in the
United States in February 2002.
The rule of law component of Open World, which to date has brought 169
Russian judges to the United States, will be expanded in 2002.  In
partnership with the Judicial Conference of the United States, the program
will invite an additional 300 judges.  Ambassador Vershbow recently stated
that Open World's rule of law programming is making an "invaluable
contribution to the judicial reforms currently taking place in Russia."
The board of the Center has approved the formation of a bilateral corporate
advisory council and has received pledges of major gifts from two Russian
companies--Tyumen Oil Company (TNK) and YUKOS Oil Company.
As in past years, the Russian participants will stay in the homes of
citizens in the towns and cities they visit.  They will participate in a
wide range of political, civic, and cultural activities.  Host organizations
may include nonprofit and governmental organizations with expertise in
operating exchange programs.
The Russian Leadership Program was proposed in 1999 by Dr. Billington, a
leading scholar of Russian history and culture, who suggested that Russia
would greatly benefit from something similar to the program in the
post-World War II Marshall Plan that brought groups of emerging young German
leaders to the United States.
The Center today launches a new Web site, http://www.open-world2002.gov ,
with complete up-to-date grant guidelines and program information in both
Russian and English, including the alumni bulletins that Open World now
distributes to the nearly 4,000 alumni in 87 regions throughout the vast
Russian Federation.  Alumni communication and professional development will
remain a strong focus of the program.  Regional meetings of alumni were held
last year in 10 widely scattered cities in Russia.
SOURCE  Center for Russian Leadership Development and Library of Congress