OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER...As the Open World Program prepares for its sixth year of operation, I am pleased to present our annual report for 2003. This was a milestone year in

O P E N W O R L D L E A D E R S H I P C E N T E R

Annual Report

2003

As the Open World Program prepares for its sixth year of operation, I am pleased topresent our annual report for 2003. This was a milestone year in which Open Worldgrew in size, scope, and responsibility thanks to the vision and support of the UnitedStates Congress. This report chronicles our continuing work in Russia as well as ourrecently authorized expansion to other countries of the Newly Independent States andthe Baltic republics.

On behalf of the Open World Leadership Center Board of Trustees, I want to thank ourmany partners who have made a year of record achievement possible: the U.S.embassies in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Lithuania and our net-work of host organizations and volunteer hosts in 50 states and the District ofColumbia. The commitment and hospitality of our volunteer partners throughoutAmerica has consistently been a key to the success of the Open World Program.

To illustrate the distinctiveness of these local programs, we are highlighting in thisyear’s report two exemplary American hosts and multiple host communities inWisconsin. Participation in Open World has been rewarding to our U.S. hosts, as wellas to our 7,500 Open World alumni. Profiles of three outstanding Russian alumnireveal how they have effectively applied the knowledge, experience, and friendshipsgained through Open World to build a civil society and the rule of law.

The 2003 Annual Report is a brief snapshot of a dynamic program that brings peoplefrom all over Eurasia to regions all over the United States. Please visit our website(www.openworld.gov) to join or learn more about our work in 2004.

Sincerely,

James H. BillingtonChairman, Board of TrusteesOpen World Leadership Center

Board of TrusteesThe Honorable Ted Stevens, United States Senate – Honorary ChairmanDr. James H. Billington,The Librarian of Congress – ChairmanThe Honorable Bill Frist, United States SenateThe Honorable Carl Levin, United States SenateThe Honorable Amo Houghton, United States House of RepresentativesThe Honorable Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr., United States House of RepresentativesThe Honorable James W. Symington, Former Member, United States House of RepresentativesThe Honorable James F. Collins, Former U.S.Ambassador to the Russian FederationMr. George Soros, Founder of the Open Society Institute

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Program Overview

The U.S. Congress established the Open World Program in1999 to bring emerging Russian political and civic leadersto the United States to meet their American counterpartsand see American-style democracy and free enterprise inaction. The initiative grew out of discussions betweenLibrarian of Congress James H. Billington and Members ofCongress, led by Senator Ted Stevens (AK), on ways toincrease mutual understanding between the two coun-tries and support Russians’ efforts to create a civil society.In December 2000, Congress established a permanent,independent agency to house the program: now theOpen World Leadership Center at the Library of Congress.

In February 2003, Congress in Public Law 108-7 expandedthe scope of Open World to include the 11 other FreedomSupport Act countries, as well as the Baltic republics, andauthorized a new initiative for Russian cultural leaders.The year 2003 also saw the refocusing and strengtheningof the alumni program for Open World’s Russian partici-pants, who now number approximately 7,500, as well asthe launch of the new dual-language Open World website,which now allows hosts, prospective participants, andalumni to communicate with each other.

Program LeadershipThe Open World Leadership Center is an independententity in the Legislative Branch governed by a board oftrustees. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington chairsthe Open World Leadership Center Board of Trustees, andSenator Ted Stevens (AK), the principal sponsor of the leg-islation creating and continuing Open World, serves ashonorary chairman. Board members appointed by theCongressional leadership are Senate Majority Leader BillFrist (TN), Senator Carl Levin (MI), Representative AmoHoughton (NY), and Representative Robert E.“Bud”Cramer (AL). Citizen board members appointed by theLibrarian of Congress to three-year terms in 2001 are for-mer U.S.Ambassador to Russia James F. Collins, former

Representative James W. Symington, and the founder ofthe Open Society Institute, George Soros.

Open World’s Board met on May 8, 2003, to review plansfor the new Russian cultural leaders initiative and todecide which countries to recommend to theCongressional Appropriations Committees for the firstexpansion pilots: Lithuania, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Program Management

Open World, although an independent entity, is housed atthe Library of Congress. Staff in Washington, D.C., and atthe U.S. Embassy in Moscow manage all aspects of theprogram collaboratively with Open World’s logistical con-tractor, American Councils for International Education;Project Harmony (alumni relations); and The PBNCompany (press relations). Geraldine M. Otremba isOpen World’s Executive Director. Washington, D.C.-basedstaff for 2003 were Aletta Waterhouse, ProgramAdministrator; Britta Bjornlund,Vera De Buchananne,Lewis Madanick, Program Managers; Igor Inozemtsev,Designer; and Shelly Seaver and Donna Wilson, ProgramAssistants. Alexander Khilkov is Senior Cultural AffairsSpecialist for Open World at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

The Open World Leadership Center Board of Trustees andstaff gather for the May 2003 annual meeting, held in theCapitol.

Senator Ted Stevens and Dr. James H. Billington announcekey elements of the Open World 2003 Program at the U.S.Consulate in St.Petersburg, Russia.

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On behalf of my Open World colleagues inWashington, D.C. and Moscow, I want tothank our American host partners and ourOpen World alumni and 2003 delegates fortheir generosity, professional expertise, andcommitment to the spirit and goals of OpenWorld. Our deepest thanks are due to Dr. Billington for his continued leadershipand devotion to the program.

Geraldine M. OtrembaExecutive Director

OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTERProgram ObjectivesOpen World is designed to enable emergingleaders from participating countries to:

< Build mutual understanding with their U.S. coun-terparts.

< Observe government, business, volunteer, andcommunity leaders in the United States carrying outtheir daily responsibilities.

< Experience how the separation of powers, thesystem of checks and balances, freedom of the press,and other key elements of America’s democratic sys-tem make the government and society more account-able and transparent.

< Develop an understanding of the U.S. free enter-prise system.

< Learn how U.S. citizens organize and take initia-tive to address social and civic needs.

< Share their approaches to challenges their U.S.counterparts also face.

< Participate in American family, community, andcultural activities.

< Establish lasting personal and professional tieswith their U.S. hosts and counterparts.

What Makes Open World UniqueOpen World exchanges are:

Participation is targeted to current andfuture political and civic leaders, who

must be nominated by designated U.S., international, orin-country organizations, or by Open World alumni.Applications undergo multistage vetting by U.S. Embassyand Open World staff.

English is not required, thusextending the scope of OpenWorld to a different and

untapped generation of leadership. Open World’s grantsallow a significant investment in professional interpreta-tion for the delegates’ programs.

Open World exchanges typically last 10days (but cultural programs are some-

what longer), beginning with an orientation program ina major U.S. city. The core of the exchange is a workingvisit with a professional host in a U.S. host community.

Visits are overseen by competitivelyselected U.S. nonprofit organizations

and institutions with experience hosting foreign leaders.Program staff review and finalize all proposed agendasand monitor visits.

Open World organizes delegations inthematic groups in order to respond

dynamically to each country’s challenges. The 2003themes for the civic Russia program were economicdevelopment, education reform, the environment, feder-alism, health, rule of law, women as leaders, and youthissues. Civil society was the theme chosen for theLithuania, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan pilots.

Programs provide interaction with pro-fessional counterparts, and hands-on

activities and high-level meetings that directly relate todelegates’ interests. Most participants stay in privatehomes, allowing them to experience American familyand community life, and to build personal as well as pro-fessional relationships in the United States.

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Selective

Open to Non-EnglishSpeakers

Intensive

High-Quality

Theme-Based

Individualized

2003 Civic Themes

< Economic Development< Education Reform< Environment< Federalism< Health< Rule of Law< Women as Leaders< Youth Issues

Open World hosted 2,120 participants fromRussia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan in 2003. In total,7,547 participants have traveled to the UnitedStates on the Open World Program since 1999.

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OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER

NEW PROGRAMSCultural LeadersIn 2003, at the request of Congress, the Open WorldLeadership Center Board of Trustees approved an impor-tant new dimension for the core Russia program—theinclusion of cultural leaders. The cultural leaders initia-tive was recommended by Members ofCongress and is a logical and appropriateaddition to a program founded upon Dr. James Billington’s and the lateAcademician Dmitri SergeevichLikhachev’s original vision of cross-cultur-al communication. Dr. Likhachev, who athis death in 1999 was one of the newRussia’s most revered figures and whoserved as Open World’s honorary cochair-man in its first year, often stressed theimportance of cultural interactionbetween Russia and the West as well asthe political importance of cultural lead-ers in the Russian context.

The cultural program aims to forge better understandingbetween the United States and Russia by giving Russiancultural leaders unique opportunities to observe andexperience American cultural and community life first-hand. Russian and American cultural leaders learn from

each other’s experiences, discuss similar challenges—especially funding for cultural institutions—and developcollaborative projects, such as exhibit exchanges.

Forty-eight Russian cultural administrators, visual andperforming artists, and cultural librarians participated inthe 2003 pilot cultural initiative. Many delegates werefrom regional cultural institutions that, though less wellknown in the West than those of Moscow or St. Petersburg, are especially vibrant—institutions like

the Kizhi State Reserve Museum, the Kareliya RepublicCenter of National Cultures, and the Samara RegionalMuseum of Fine Arts. Participants spent three weeks inthe United States in order to have sufficient time to col-laborate with their counterparts and examine U.S. cultur-al management and funding in depth. The NationalPeace Foundation hosted the delegations for OpenWorld, and the National Endowment for the Arts con-tributed valuable advice.

Participants enjoyed a specializedorientation in Washington, D.C.,followed by an intensive local pro-gram in either Michigan or NorthCarolina, and wrapping up with adebriefing in New York City.Among the topics covered werefundraising, marketing, and staffdevelopment. From performinglive on Interlochen Public Radio,to studying how to market indige-nous crafts at the OconalufteeIndian Village in North Carolina,the delegates had many opportuni-ties to share their talents and see

how their American counterparts expand cultural par-ticipation in their communities. Participants learnedvaluable and transferable cultural management tech-niques. Visiting with Representative Charles H.Taylor,who had first proposed the cultural initiative, in hishome in Brevard was a special highlight for the NorthCarolina delegates.

UkraineThe Center’s Board of Trustees wanted to implementone pilot in a country within the European sphere of theformer Soviet Union, and a second in Central Asia.Ukraine was selected because of its strategic position inEurasia and its potential to contribute to regional stability.

Dr. Sergiy Korsunsky, Minister-Counselor of the UkrainianEmbassy, meets with visiting delegates from Ukraine.

Russian cultural leaders learn about the history of exhibits atthe National Gallery of Art during their November 2003 orientation program in Washington, D.C.

Cultural Program –Host Communities< Asheville and Brevard,

North Carolina< Interlochen and Ann

Arbor, Michigan< Grand Rapids and

Detroit, Michigan

OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTERThe overarching theme for the first 2003 Open WorldUkraine exchange was “civil society.” Open World select-ed this theme after thoroughly reviewing bilateral rela-tions and U.S. assistance programs inUkraine, and consulting with StateDepartment officials, staff of the U.S.Embassy in Kyiv, and Ukraine policyexperts. Each delegation concentratedon one of three aspects of civil society:NGO development, independent media,or electoral processes.

Open World hosted its first delegationsof leading Ukrainian journalists, lawyers,and NGO representatives in December2003. Delegations were hosted for theirprofessional programs in Atlanta,Georgia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Memphis,Tennessee;Washington, D.C.; andYoungwood, Pennsylvania. The Academy for EducationalDevelopment; Friendship Force International; theInternational Institute of the Graduate School, USDA; andVital Voices Global Partnership served as the host organi-zations.

Highlights included meeting with Ambassador CarlosPascual, Coordinator of U.S.Assistance to Europe andEurasia and former ambassador to Ukraine, inWashington, D.C.; with the director of CNN WorldReport at CNN headquarters in Atlanta; and with themayor and city council of Memphis. Discussions focusedon the role of the media during an election cycle, thedevelopment of effective NGOs and advocacy cam-paigns, and the role of a vibrant free press in a democrat-ic society. Most delegates had home stays, whichallowed them to participate in American family and com-munity life.

The U.S. deputy chief of mission in Ukraine, MarieYovanovitch, met with Open World alumnae, whoreturned to Ukraine enthusiastic to contribute further

to their country’s democratic transi-tion. One of the alumnae stated,“Itwas important for us to see Americanwomen in leadership positions—self-confidence promotes leadershipqualities.”

UzbekistanUzbekistan is a Muslim republic thatfell within the former Soviet Union’sreach into Central Asia. Encouragingdemocracy and a market economy inUzbekistan is central for stability inthe entire region.

The Uzbekistan pilot focused on the theme of “civil soci-ety,” with concentrations on economic development,health, and independent media. Open World selectedthis theme after thoroughly reviewing bilateral relationsand U.S. assistance programs in Uzbekistan, and consult-ing with State Department officials and staff of the U.S.Embassy in Tashkent, as well as representatives fromUzbek organizations.

Immediately before the Uzbek delegation left for theirOpen World visit to the United States, Open World held apress conference in Tashkent that was attended by morethan 35 journalists, a number of whom wrote articles onthe program. The first 48 participants from Uzbekistanarrived in Washington, D.C., in December 2003 andincluded senior representatives from Uzbekistan’sMinistry of Finance, Ministry of Public Health, andCentral Bank; prominent journalists; NGO leaders; and

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Independent journalists from Uzbekistan meet with WashingtonPost foreign editor David Hoffman (center) during theirDecember 2003 Open World visit.

Former Ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual (center fore-ground) meets with Ukrainian NGO leaders.

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Ukraine Program –Host Communities< Atlanta, Georgia< Cincinnati, Ohio< Memphis, Tennessee< Washington, D.C.< Youngwood,

Pennsylvania

entrepreneurs, many of whom were women. Delegateswere hosted for their professional programs inBethlehem, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; Des Moines,Iowa; Grapevine,Texas; Huntsville,Alabama; Kent, Ohio;Lexington, Kentucky; Los Angeles, California; Santa Cruz,California; and Seattle,Washington. The AmericanInternational Health Alliance, the Academy forEducational Development, and Rotary Internationalserved as the host organizations.

Highlights of the various delegations’ visits includedmeeting with Washington Post foreign editor DavidHoffman, holding discussions with Lieutenant GovernorKatherine Baker Knoll of Pennsylvania, meeting withRepresentative Jim McDermott (WA), and participating

in a roundtablewith Huntsvillebroadcast journal-ists. The Uzbek visi-tors focused discus-sions on the role ofgovernment in eco-nomic reforms;investment andinternational coop-eration; women inbusiness; ruralhealth;TB/HIV anddrug abuse preven-tion; and a demo-cratic media. Alldelegates lived withhost families, whointroduced them toAmerican familyand community life.

Former U.S.Ambassador to Russia James F. Collins, amember of Open World’s Board of Trustees, met withmany of the delegates during a recent trip to Uzbekistan.The new alumni commented on the value of makingprofessional contacts in the United States and seeinghow American society addresses challenges that also faceUzbekistan. They also appreciated having the opportuni-ty to educate Americans about Uzbekistan. AmbassadorCollins heard how alumni are putting their Open Worldexperience to work in their communities by writing arti-cles for the local press, establishing Rotary clubs, draftingproposals for developing child and maternity health careservices, and planning new programs for children withdisabilities.

Lithuania

Lithuania was selected for a pilot because of its commit-ment to democracy and market economy and because of

Congressional interest in including a Baltic republic. Thefirst Lithuanian delegation—made up of mayors, districtadministrators, youth activists, newspaper editors, com-pany directors, andother political andcivic leaders—arrived in theUnited States inFebruary 2004.“Civil society”served as the pilot’smain theme, withentrepreneurship,the environment,local administra-tion, media, NGOdevelopment, andyouth issues amongthe subthemes.

The Academy for Educational Development, FriendshipForce International, and the International Institute of theGraduate School, USDA, hosted the inaugural Lithuaniandelegations in Burlington,Vermont; Chicago, Illinois;Detroit, Michigan; Fort Collins, Colorado; Moorhead,Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska; and Portland, Oregon.Highlights of these programs included briefings at theChicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, a round-table at Colorado’s Court Appointed Special AdvocatesOrganization, and visits to Lithuanian cultural centers.

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Jeff Nelson, Executive Director of the U.S.-Baltic Foundation,speaks at the first Lithuania Program orientation, withfacilitator Jolanta Taruskiene translating.

OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER

Lithuania Program –Host Communities< Burlington, Vermont< Chicago, Illinois< Detroit, Michigan< Fort Collins, Colorado< Moorhead, Minnesota< Omaha, Nebraska< Portland, Oregon

Uzbekistan Program –Host Communities< Bethlehem, Pennsylvania< Cleveland, Ohio< Des Moines, Iowa< Grapevine, Texas< Huntsville, Alabama< Kent, Ohio< Lexington, Kentucky< Los Angeles, California< Santa Cruz, California< Seattle, Washington

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In 2003, a total of 1,201 families in542 host communities in 46 statesprovided home stays for OpenWorld participants.

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OPEN WORLD HOSTSSeventeen nongovernmental and governmental organiza-tions from across the United States received grants incalendar year 2003 from the Open World LeadershipCenter to administer the program’s community visits. Allwere competitively selected for their expertise in con-ducting international visitation programs. These nationalhosting organizations either provided the programmingthemselves, or worked through a network of local organ-izations and institutions, such as universities, communitycolleges, civic groups, sister-city associations, and non-profit education and training corporations.

At the local level, hosts planned and carried out the pro-fessional programs, and they arranged participants’ hous-ing, local transportation, meals, and after-hours communi-ty and cultural events. Much of this support was provid-ed as an in-kind contribution by the host organizationsand the many host families whowelcomed Open World partici-pants into their homes. In 2003,a total of 1,201 families in 542communities in 46 states provid-ed home stays for Open Worldvisitors. Fully 83 percent ofOpen World’s 2003 participants resided in private homesduring their visits, enabling them to participate inAmerican family and community life.

Open World owes a special debt of gratitude to the dedi-cated individuals who coordinated local hosting for theprogram in 2003; to the federal and state judges who sowillingly gave of their time to serve as judicial hosts forthe specialized rule of law program in the past year; andto the host communities and host families who providedsuch warm welcomes to their Open World guests. Thehosts and host communities presented here exemplifythat generous spirit.

Dot Cada

Profession: Certified Financial PlannerHost organizations: Rotary International and

Friendship Force InternationalHost communities: Northern Colorado and

Wyoming (various cities)Delegations hosted: 7Host since: 1999Sister-city relationship: Saratov

Coloradoan Dot Cada is one of Open World’s “pioneer”hosts. During the program’s initial 1999 pilot year, sheserved as host coordinator for two of the exchangesconducted by Rotary District 5440, and assisted with

another three. Her report on her hosting experiencethat year helped shape the next stage of the Open Worldpilot. In 2002–2003, Cada organized local programs for a

total of five economicdevelopment and healthdelegations hosted by theNorthern Colorado chapterof Friendship ForceInternational. By design,nearly all the delegates Cada

has welcomed since 2002 have come from Saratov, aplace with which she has a special connection. In 1996,two years after she had visited this large industrial cityon the Volga River for the first time, Cada returned tostart a micro-credit project that has led to the creation ofnew businesses in a range of industries. She receivedRotary International’s Service Above Self Award in1999–2000 for her work on the project, which is ongoing.

Cada has found Open World an ideal vehicle for expos-ing Saratov’s emerging leaders to American-style freeenterprise and civic activism. A certified financial plan-ner by profession, she helps her delegates visualize andplan for their own and their city’s future using theexpertise she developed working with her clients. Andwhenever she returns to the place she now considersher second home, she always makes sure to check onhow “her” alumni are implementing the ideas andinsights they gained during their Open World visits toNorthern Colorado. Below are some of her thoughts onhosting Open World participants.

On Open World delegates …

The Open World Program helps me to really get the verybest young talent to experience our market-driven econ-omy and also the humanitarian nature of Americans.I can’t say enough about how Open World’s additionalscreening for community involvement produces candi-dates that tend, in my opinion, to be the forward

An October 2002 political rally in Colorado provides an intro-duction to American-style electioneering for Russian OpenWorld participants hosted by Dot Cada (back row, left).

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27 U.S. Members of Congress, 8state governors, and 70 mayorswere actively involved in the OpenWorld Program in 2003.

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OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTERthinkers, the ones who can get above the problems nowand see a better Russia.

On host families’ Open World experience …

Almost everyone, even those that have hosted Russiansfrom other programs, have just felt like their efforts wereso worth the time and inconvenience. They also seem tohave more hope for Russia because of these young leaders.

We had some of the delegates tear up at the way hostsand Friendship Force members just tried so hard to fillall their desires. They did not realize the capacity we asAmericans have to give, and thought that I was just theunusual one.

On Open World home stays …

This is absolutely, in my opinion, the way to bridge thegap of understanding. Participants see how a realAmerican family works and how, usually, the men in thehousehold help with “housework” and the women mayshovel the snow or take trash or recyclables to the curb.That recycling observation is something we try andencourage families to fit in. We also try to have someprogressive suppers so they get in at least two or threeother homes in the group. If there are children in thehost family, we try and have the participants take lunchwith them at school. Wehave been lucky that therehas usually been a fund-rais-er of some sort or a healthfair or other communityevent, so they see howsome of the higher govern-ment officials are rightthere with the local mechanic.

I’d guess about half of the delegates that have e-mail arestill in some form of contact with their host families.Also, I end up delivering photos and small gifts from the

Americans and usually taking gifts back from theRussians for their host families. The alumni always askme if I’ve seen their hosts and how they are.

On Open World’s experiential approach …

This firsthand experience has been a “light bulb” comingon to most. That is the moment that is most fulfilling tome. The participants can see how all the theory tiestogether and how people like themselves have “made it.”They get excited about the new concepts and know thatI will be coming to see what they were able to Russifyinto their situation. They love to show me how theyhave adapted an idea they picked up here to work undertheir system. It’s amazing to me, that sometimes it seemseven better.

On what participants learn from the host com-munity …

In 2002 it was election time, and our visitors that yearabsolutely could not believe they could just go up andtalk to candidates without days of contact effort. Theyhad pictures taken with many of them at a political rally.They really all seem to come away with the knowledgethat we in the end have the same needs and cares forour families and countries and world peace.

Judge Michael M. Mihm

Profession: U.S. District JudgeHost court: U.S. District Court, Central District of

IllinoisHost community: Peoria, IllinoisDelegations hosted: 3Host since: 2001Sister-court relationship: Vladimir Region Court

Judge Michael M. Mihm of Peoria, Illinois, has beeninvolved with the Open World Program since 2000,when, at the request of Dr. Billington, he helped design aspecialized rule of law program for Russian jurists.

Through his past service aschairman of the U.S. JudicialConference’s InternationalJudicial Relations Committee,and as the Committee’sRussia liaison, Judge Mihmhad gained the trust andrespect of the most seniormembers of the Russian judi-

ciary. Judge Mihm not only helped design the programand ensure its acceptance by both his Russian and hisAmerican colleagues, he also served as one of the hostsfor the inaugural specialized rule of law exchange in July

Dot Cada (left) with Russian delegates Dmitry Sakseltsev(center) and Svetlana Timoshok (right).

838 Russian judges and legal profession-als have been hosted by 74 U.S. federaland state judges as part of Open Worldvisits focused on the rule of law.

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has cohosted a delegation headed by Russian SupremeCourt Justice Yuriy Ivanovich Sidorenko, Chairman of theRussian Federation Council of Judges, who has become aclose friend, and hosted another composed of judgesfrom the Vladimir region in central European Russia.Judge Mihm’s court now has a sister-court relationshipwith the Vladimir Regional Court, and he visits “his”alumni there and elsewhere in Russia regularly.

Judge Mihm has been honored by the Council of Judgesfor his work with the Russian judiciary, and in summer2004 he will receive the U.S.Agency for InternationalDevelopment’s Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award.Some of his reflections on hosting Open World rule oflaw program participants are below.

On the strengths of the Open World Program …

Open World is such an unqualified success because itinvolves the “total immersion” of the Russian visitors intoour judicial, legal, and social systems. The two-day orien-tation in Washington is a good introduction to our legalsystem, and it gives our Russian colleagues the opportu-nity to observe the status of judges in our nation’s capi-tal. Often the members of a delegation have the oppor-tunity to meet their host judge in Washington, so friend-ships are already being forged before the delegation trav-els to the host city. The heart and soul of the programbegins when the large delegation splits into smaller dele-gations on the first Saturday and the judges travel towherever: Brooklyn, Minneapolis, New Haven, Nashville,Chicago, Cleveland,Tampa, Seattle, Los Angeles, Peoria,etc. In the host community the Russian judges quicklycome to understand who we are as people, how we per-form our jobs on a daily basis, how we interact withother segments of the community, the respect that wereceive from our fellow citizens, what others expect ofus and what we expect of ourselves. We bring them into

our homes as honored guests. By the time they leave aweek later they are members of the family.

On the impact of Open World onsite experiences …

The onsite aspect of the Open World Program isabsolutely essential. There is no other way that we couldeven begin to adequately describe who we are as peopleand how we live our professional and personal lives, anymore than they could do the same. Living in theAmerican community for a week lets them see how ourcourts “really” function, warts and all. They see how weinteract with other people. Again, they see the consider-able standing we have in our communities. They cometo understand that when we rule, even if the ruling isvery unpopular, our people abide by the ruling. Thus thephrase “Rule of Law.”

On reactions from other Open World U.S. hostjudges …

The American judges who have hosted an Open Worlddelegation will tell you, almost without exception, thatthe experience has been one of the most rewarding andenjoyable experiences of their lives. In fact, many haveused the same words—that it was a “defining moment”in their professional and personal lives. Interestingly, if Iam with a group of American judges who have hostedOpen World delegations, and we are talking about theirvisits, most of us get teary eyed in the process. When Iam in Russia and meeting with a group of Open Worldalumni, they are all teary eyed.

On judicial reform in Russia …

I am very optimistic about the future of the Russian judi-ciary. The judicial reforms that were enacted in 2001,such as empowering judges to sign arrest and searchwarrants, limiting how long a person can be held with-

U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm (right) accompaniesRussian Supreme Court Justice Yuriy Ivanovich Sidorenko (left)during a visit to Chicago, which local Russian-American attor-ney Olga Loy (center) helped conduct.

Judge Michael Mihm (second from right), and his wife, Judy(center), attend an event at the Russian Academy of Justice inMoscow with three of their guests: (from left) Judge VladimirPoletov, Judge Yuriy Sobina, and facilitator Vladislav Nepovinnov.

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OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTERout being taken before a judge, extending the use of jurytrials in certain cases to the whole country—these aremajor accomplishments. A lot ofobservers look at Russia and say,“Ithas been 10 to 12 years, and still theyhave all these problems.” On the otherhand, I would say,“Russian judges haveaccomplished many important goals inthe past 10 years. My Russian friendstell me that much still needs to beaccomplished in the future to reach the day where theywill be satisfied with the state of their judicial system, butthey will not rest in their efforts until that day arrives.”

On Open World memories …

My favorite moments from hosting three Open Worlddelegations in Peoria have all occurred in our home,where my wife, Judy, and our children and grandchildrenhave made an effort to make our Russian guests trulyfeel like part of our family. Before the first delegation

arrived in 2001, my wife and I panicked a few daysbefore the arrival. We worried that our cultures were

too different tointerface on ahome-stay basis.(We later learnedfrom our newRussian friendsthat they wereeven more worried

than we were. They thought living with us in our homefor a week would be a disaster and would ruin theirgreat adventure.) Instead, it was one of the most won-derful experiences of our lives. Making pelmeni(Siberian dumplings) from scratch in our kitchen; plant-ing a tree in our front yard to commemorate their visit(we now have planted three “Russia Trees”); my wife,Judy, presenting each of them with a real key to ourfront door—these are memories that warm the heart onthe coldest nights. All of our Russian guests are often inour thoughts, and we know that we are often in theirs.

Selected Examples of 2003 Delegates and Program Activities by Theme

THEME POSITION ORGANIZATION U.S. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

Economic DirectorDevelopment

Education DirectorReform

Environment Department Head

Federalism Head

Health Chief Physician

Rule of Law Chief Judge

Women as Deputy Leaders Administration

Head

Youth Issues Chairperson

Ust-Kut City Job Center, Irkutsk Region

Kaliningrad College of Social andPedagogical Studies, Kaliningrad Region

Nizhniy Tagil MedicalEpidemiological Control Center, Sverdlovsk Region

Kandalaksha City Administration,Murmansk Region

Center of State Sanitary andEpidemiological Control inKikvidzensk Provincial District,Volgograd Region

Chuvashiya Republic SupremeCourt

City of Ryazan, Ryazan Region

Parents of Disabled ChildrenAssociation, Pskov City, PskovRegion

Director of government relations for the Employment SecurityCommission of North Carolina discusses workforce developmentand labor market issues such as occupational wage rates and long-range employment trends.

President of Panola College in Carthage, Texas, reviews the commu-nity college’s role in meeting the needs of people in its area withservices like distance learning.

A water-treatment program manager at the Tennessee ValleyAuthority briefs delegates on major water-quality problems andrelated research and development efforts.

Budget director for the governor of Wisconsin gives a presentationon how the governor’s budget was shaped with local governmentsand services in mind.

U.S. Public Health Service official conducts training in Bethesda,Maryland, on preventive health practices developed by the NationalInstitutes of Health and other medical research institutions.

Federal judges in Springfield, Illinois, and delegates participate in aroundtable on the American jury system and jury selection process.

City commissioners of Great Falls, Montana, discuss the role ofwomen in public administration and politics.

Administrators and teachers at a middle school in Denver,Colorado, illustrate how the Individuals with Disabilities EducationAct (IDEA) influences the services they offer to special needs chil-dren and their families.

Open World has brought 153 membersof the Russian Federation Council andState Duma to the United States.

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OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTERProfile of La Crosse and the Fox Cities,WisconsinWorld Services of La Crosse,Wisconsin, and its presidentand chief executive officer, Sandra McCormick, firstcame to Open World’s attention in December 2000,when the New York Times reported on the ground-breaking work in Dubna, a small city about 100 milesnorth of Moscow. Thousands of medical professionals,community leaders, and ordinary citizens in La Crosseand Dubna had been working together since 1992 toaddress, on a micro level, some of Russia’s most pressinghealth challenges, including heart disease, decliningbirth rates, alcohol and substance abuse, and domesticviolence. Thanks to this remarkable part-nership, Dubna had set up a women’s well-ness center; medical facilities for diabetes,renal dialysis, and cardiac rehabilitation;and a comprehensive program for prevent-ing domestic violence.

McCormick and her Wisconsin colleagueswanted to do more. They had learnedvaluable lessons in Dubna, and they had avision of creating similarly dynamic part-nerships between other American andRussian communities. In 2002,WorldServices applied for the first time to hostOpen World exchanges, and the organiza-tion included a promising model for com-munity development in its proposal.Multidisciplinary teams would be recruitedfrom the same community, with an effortmade to include one or more governmentofficials. During their visit, members of agiven team would focus on specific issuesalready identified as priorities by theircommunity, and do intensive planning forfollow-on activities that they would under-take as a team on their return, with techni-cal support from their U.S. partner com-munity. Ultimately, in 2002–2003,WorldServices hosted 323 participants for OpenWorld. During its first year alone,WorldServices hosted Open World delegations in10 different communities.

With help from Open World,WorldServices has extended its reach across theUnited States and Russia to establish thesevibrant, committed sister-city partnerships:

< Appleton/Fox Cities,Wisconsin •Kurgan/Shchuchye, Kurgan Region< Livermore, California • Snezhinsk,Chelyabinsk Region

< Los Alamos, New Mexico • Sarov, Nizhniy NovgorodRegion< Blount County,Tennessee • Zheleznogorsk, KurskRegion

These partnerships extend the idea of “wellness” farbeyond health care to embrace education, economicdevelopment, environmental protection, and civic devel-opment—all issues central to Russia’s efforts to build acivil society. And the Americans involved have benefitedas well. Assessing the impact on the citizens of her ownhometown, McCormick says,“La Crosse volunteers havegiven generously of their time to achieve successful out-comes in Russia, but there is no one involved who does

not believe that what we havegained by our experiences has farsurpassed our contributions.”

The culmination of McCormick’svision for a new model of communi-ty development came in October2003. That month,World Servicesand the Fox Cities/Kurgan SisterCities organization hosted a majorconference in Appleton,Wisconsin,that brought 37 Open World politicalleaders from the five partner cities towork intensively with their Americancolleagues and each other to refinethe model so that it might be usedbroadly in Russia to address majorissues in health, education, and theenvironment. The environment wasa major focus at the conferencebecause two of the partnership com-munities, Kurgan city and nearbyShchuchye, are home to enormousstockpiles of chemical and biologicalweapons—stockpiles so poorlyguarded that the United States isbuilding a huge disposal plant there.Meanwhile, Shchuchye’s citizens lacksafe water, reliable power supplies,and any dependable warning systemfor environmental emergencies.

Open World is fortunate to have par-ticipants hosted by the dedicated,generous, and farsighted communi-ties of the Fox Cities and La Crosse.The cooperation that links Wisconsinto Russia has provided an opportuni-ty for Open World to help strengthenthe new generation of political lead-ership in multiple communities inRussia, while allowing the five part-nered American communities to coa-lesce around the gift of good work.

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FOX CITIES< City of Appleton< City of Kaukauna< City of Menasha< City of Neenah< Village of Combined

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Senator Bill Frist (TN) compares noteswith fellow heart surgeon Dr. NatashaFilinova (right), as other members of aWorld Services delegation fromZheleznogorsk look on.

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“Through our public diplomacy programs, especially ourcultural and educational exchanges, we work hard toexpand ties between key institutions and ordinary citi-zens in both nations. The Open World Program hasmade an extraordinary contribution to this effort, bring-ing 2,100 of Russia’s emerging political and civic leadersto America last year alone to see first-hand how our soci-ety confronts the challenges of democracy.

Open World participants take the lessons they learn aboutour democratic society back to Russia. My colleagues atthe Embassy and I have been very pleased to personallymeet with many of Open World’s 7,500 alumni through-out Russia this past year to learn first-hand about theimportant work they are doing to shape Russia's demo-cratic future. I am grateful to the Congress of the UnitedStates for continuing to support the Open World Programat this important juncture in U.S.-Russian relations.”

Alexander VershbowU.S. Ambassador

to the Russian Federation

“Last year, 48 citizens of Uzbekistan got the chance of alifetime to participate in the Open World Program. Forthese Uzbeks, Open World provided the only opportuni-ty many of them may ever have to experience life in theUnited States. Open World plays a critical role in expos-ing promising young people to many of the values thatwe believe are important for any country to reach its fullpotential in the world. Uzbeks want and need to knowmore about the U.S., and Open World is one of the bestways to do this.”

Jon R. PurnellU.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan

“The expansion of the Open World Program to Ukrainecomes at an important stage in Ukraine’s transition to ademocratic society. Bringing together U.S. and Ukrainianpolitical and civic leaders assists in this transition andstrengthens bilateral relations. I personally met the firstgroup of Ukrainian Open World delegates and wasimpressed by their professionalism, enthusiasm and com-mitment to democratic reform in Ukraine. Our meetingswith the alumni since their return from the United Stateshave confirmed that exchange programs such as OpenWorld inspire young leaders and serve to reaffirm theircommitment to democracy.”

John HerbstU.S. Ambassador to Ukraine

“In November 2002, President George Bush stood inRotuse Square in Vilnius and spoke about the coopera-tion between Lithuania and America. The Open WorldProgram is an invaluable opportunity for continuing thiscooperation and allowing more Lithuanians andAmericans to become acquainted through home staysand meetings.

The Open World Program has been one of the most effec-tive public diplomacy programs the United States govern-ment has created and funded. When, as ambassador, Ilearned that Congress and the Open World board pro-posed to expand the Open World Program to Lithuania, Irecognized at once the important opportunity theEmbassy had been offered. I know that our first delega-tions found warmth, insight, and new ideas during theirthe visits to the U.S. The unique Open World intense,practical focus has benefited not only the participantsbuilding a civil society in Lithuania, but also the commu-nities and organizations these leaders head in Lithuania.”

Stephen MullU.S. Ambassador to Lithuania

U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation AlexanderVershbow (center) and Open World Program Manager VeraDe Buchananne prepare to address the librarian alumniconference in St.Petersburg in November 2003.

U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Stephen Mull and Open WorldProgram Manager Britta Bjornlund greet the Lithuaniandelegates in Vilnius before their trip to the United States.

OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTER

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OPEN WORLD LEADERSEnvironmental Leadership – Aleksandr Eduardovich VrishchFor Open World alumnus and ecologist AleksandrEduardovich Vrishch, a typical day at the office meansfighting poachers and combating the illegal wildlifetrade. From saving the Siberian tiger population to coor-dinating biodiversity conservation projects,Vrishch,through the Vladivostok-based Phoenix Foundation, istaking on urgent environmental issues facing the RussianFar East.

In March 2003,Vrishch traveled to Alaska on an OpenWorld exchange, heading first to the former gold-miningtown of Girdwood to take part in an international con-ference entitled “Sustaining the Bering Sea.” The confer-ence itself, an excursion to the Alaska coast, and a visit toa local fish-processing facility stood out as especiallyworthwhile experiences. “I valued the opportunity tospeak with the directors of the fishery and fishermen,”commented Vrishch. “They were so open and honest,very specific and detailed.”

The Open World trip allowed Vrishch to share environ-mental ideas with his American counterparts and to briefthem on the ecological dangers of the increased tankertraffic from the oil and gas fields off Sakhalin.

His host, Jennifer Castner Eyres, Russian Program Officerfor Pacific Environment, noted that “based on his experi-ence fighting poachers in the Russian Far East,AleksandrVrishch brought a unique perspective to the discussionabout ways of combating the illegal fishing that plaguesthe Russian side of the Bering Sea. Aleksandr stood out… for his high-energy, enthusiastic participation in everyaspect of the Alaska trip.”

At an Open World alumni conference on the environ-ment held in October 2003 in Khabarovsk,Vrishch

spoke about his efforts to educate the public on theregion’s unique flora and fauna and to defend theregion’s wildlife. He shared his ideas on raising aware-ness about the environment—both its beauty and itsfrailness—among the general population, and children inparticular. He spoke not just as an activist but as an edu-cator, as he also teaches biology at Far Eastern StateUniversity’s college of preuniversity education. Vrishchis now working with other participants from theKhabarovsk conference to create a network for programalumni interested in environmental issues, developstrategic plans for the upcoming year, and design a web-site to house information about all their projects.

Political Leadership – Olga Yevgenyevna PakOlga Yevgenyevna Pak moved from Moscow to herhometown of Novokuznetsk in Kemerovo Region severalyears ago intending to work full-time on promotingwomen’s rights and combating domestic violence, as shehad done at the ANNA Moscow Crisis Center for Women.In 2002, she cofounded Clean World, an organizationdevoted to preventing domestic violence, and joinedwith other Novokuznetsk activists to provide outreachand services to affected women. When Pak applied thatsame year to take part in an Open World “women asleaders” exchange focusing on human trafficking, shehad only recently started hearing that trafficking was aproblem in her region.

The Washington Post described Pak and the 12 otherdelegates who arrived in the nation’s capital on October 24, 2002, as “leaders in democracy-building andin the fights against human trafficking, sexual exploita-tion, and domestic violence.” Their visit marked the firsttime that a delegation combining high-level federal offi-cials and grassroots activists had come from Russia to

Aleksandr Eduardovich Vrishch studies the Alaska fishing industry during his March 2003 Open World visit.

Activist Olga Pak (third from right) and fellow members of her“women as leaders” delegation gather before a sculpture of pio-neering U.S. suffragettes in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

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OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTERthe United States to work on preventing human traffick-ing, which claims many thousands of Russian victimsevery year. Vital Voices Global Partnership, the delegates’host organization, lined up the most experienced andprominent trafficking experts in the United States tomeet with the delegates. In addition to exchanginginformation with their U.S. counterparts, the delegatesparticipated in sessions on legislative analysis, leader-ship, and advocacy.

Says Pak of her visit,“I was introduced to a new topic—the hidden world of organized crime and my country-women whobecome victims ofthis ‘business.’”She had found anew mission.

Back home, Pakshared her tripexperience withClean World’s three other cofounders, and they beganstrategizing on how to counter the “EmploymentAbroad” and “Marry a Foreigner” ads in local newspapers.Pak could understand the appeal of such ads in a regionwhere constant downsizing in the largest enterprises—metallurgical works and mines—had left thousands ofwomen unemployed.

Pak and her associates have undertaken a number ofnew initiatives since Open World inspired her to focusmore of Clean World’s work on trafficking prevention.Training and background information on human traffick-ing is being given to city crisis-hotline workers andschool psychologists. Education and outreach materialsare distributed to women at risk of being trafficked. Twoinformal surveys have been conducted among highschool girls to assess their awareness of the danger. AndPak hopes to create a television show on women’s issuesthat will provide a vehicle for alerting women to thishuman rights abuse.

Judicial Leadership – Chief Judge Lyubov Fedorovna OlyuninaIn St. Petersburg’s Pushkin District, home of some of theczars’ most lavish palaces, a modest brick structure hous-es the court of a jurist helping lead the way for judicialreform in Russia: Chief Judge and Open World alumnaLyubov Fedorovna Olyunina. Judge Olyunina is anHonored Jurist of the Russian Federation and a recipientof the Medal of Honor, one of the highest awardsbestowed on Russian judges. In recognition of her lead-ership role, she was among eight St. Petersburg juristsOpen World invited to visit St. Petersburg and Tampa,Florida, on a November 2002 rule of law exchange—an

exchange that also helped launch the joint celebration ofthe Russian St. Petersburg’s 300th anniversary and itsAmerican namesake’s 100th anniversary in 2003.

Judge Olyunina was part of a delegation hosted by thenChief Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich and U.S. MagistrateJudge Elizabeth Jenkins of the Middle District of Florida,St. Petersburg College President Carl Kuttler, Jr., and theRotary clubs of St. Petersburg and Ybor City. The delega-tion’s professional program responded to the manychanges that Russia’s judicial system was—and still is—undergoing as a result of major judicial reform legislation

enacted in 2001. A mock trialdemonstrated evidence-pres-entation technology and gavethe Russians, who were serv-ing as jurors, a firsthandexperience with jury-trialprocedure. There was stronginterest in this event, sinceRussia would begin adopting

jury trials for serious crimes on a nationwide basis in2003. One-on-one and roundtable discussions with U.S.federal and state judges during the course of the visitallowed the delegates to ask questions about the finepoints of the discovery process, pretrial detention proce-dures, case management, and other topics.

The trip also provided the delegation with hands-onexposure to court automation processes, another areathat Russia’s judiciary is working to modernize to makeits court proceedings more efficient and transparent.These demonstrations deeply impressed Judge Olyunina,who reports,“My visit to the U.S. provided me with anoutstanding opportunity to see the high level of adminis-tration and automation in U.S. courts. As a result of myvisit, my court has implemented processes to assigncases randomly by computer and the court’s case pro-cessing statistics have been automated.” Her court nowalso uses court clerks to handle all the intake of petition-ers’ cases, rather than having judges involved in theprocess.

Chief Judge Lyubov Fedorovna Olyunina.

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Open World sponsored 306 alumni activitiesthroughout Russia in 2003, including individ-ual consultations, professional developmentworkshops, regional thematic conferences, andinformation technology training seminars.

OPEN WORLD LEADERSHIP CENTERJudges Kovachevich and Jenkins had the opportunity toobserve these and other changes Judge Olyunina hadmade since her Open World visit when they spent a dayin her court during a July 2003 trip to Russia. JudgeJenkins praises her Russian colleague as “a dedicated,compassionate jurist who strives to provide justice forall litigants and an efficient and supportive work envi-ronment for the judges and clerical staff in her court.”Both U.S. judges noted the respect accorded to her by allthose associated with the court.

The progress that the Pushkin District Court has madeunder Judge Olyunina has earned her another, more tan-gible form of recognition: the Judicial Department of theRussian Federation is building her a new courthouse.

Open World AlumniIn 2003, Open World continued its core commitment tomaintain contact with its Russian alumni and provideopportunities for their personal and professionalgrowth. A multifaceted alumni outreach program basedin Russia now offers professional development work-shops, thematic conferences, seminars, networkingopportunities, web-basedforums, and a newsletter to itspast participants, activitiesdesigned to strengthen man-agement and communicationsskills. The nonprofit organiza-tion Project Harmony, Inc.,conducts the program withassistance from 26 regionalalumni coordinators.

Open World collaborates close-ly with the U.S. Embassy inMoscow and other U.S. gov-ernment programs in Russia tocontinue contact with itsalumni. The intensive OpenWorld U.S. visit is a catalyst forlong-term communication.

Alumni conferences held in2003 focused on the environ-ment, information manage-ment, and health. Alumni fromEastern Siberia and theRussian Far East met in Khabarovsk to share projects,study strategic management, and develop an ecologyresource network to encourage government, NGOs andbusiness to cooperate on environmental protection.Library leaders from European Russia met at theNational Library of Russia in St. Petersburg to consider

the role of libraries in the community. The conferencewas opened by U.S. Ambassador to the RussianFederation Alexander Vershbow; the Russian Ministry ofCulture’s head of libraries, Evgeny Kuzmin; and RussianNational Library Director and conference host VladimirZaitsev.

The topic of health care brought Volga Region alumnito Novokuibyshevsk (near Samara) for the final confer-

ence of 2003, whichresulted in plans to pro-mote antismoking cam-paigns, curb the spread ofinfectious diseases, anddevelop a reform modelfor Samara’s regionalhealthcare system.

Open World’s alumni alsoremain engaged with theprogram, each other, andtheir U.S. hosts by takingpart in in-country follow-up activities organized bymembers of the AmericanInternational HealthAlliance, RotaryInternational, and otherOpen World national hostorganizations; by partici-pating in U.S.–Russia sis-ter-court and co mmunity-to-community health part-

nerships; and by forming their own independent alum-ni organizations, which now exist in, among othercities, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Moscow, Perm, Samara, St.Petersburg, and Tula.

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Open World alumni from the Russian Far East and EasternSiberia work on an exercise at the environmental conferenceOpen World conducted in Khabarovsk in October 2003.

< Barnaul< Blagoveshchensk< Irkutsk< Kaliningrad< Kemerovo< Krasnodar< Krasnoyarsk< Makhachkala< Nizhniy Novgorod< Novgorod< Omsk< Perm< Petrozavodsk

< Rostov-na-Donu< Samara< Saransk< Saratov< St. Petersburg< Tomsk< Tula< Tver< Ufa< Vladivostok< Voronezh< Yaroslavl< Yekaterinburg

Regional Alumni Coordinator Locations