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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
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