The League in action globally: the Russians came!

The League's long tradition of hosting international visitors continued when the LWV was selected, through a competitive proposal process, to host a group of Russian visitors for the Open World Leadership Center's 2005 Russia Civic Hosting Program. The Open World, the administering agency, is a unique nonpartisan U.S. Congressional initiative located in the Library of Congress. Through this State Department program, Russian leaders are introduced to U.S. democracy and experience everyday American life. This was the League's first experience with this program, which has brought more than 7,000 Russian leaders to the U.S. since 1999, and it was a huge success!

The six host Leagues were the LWV of Calvert County, MD; the LWV of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC; the LWV of Claremont Area, CA; the LWV of Duluth, MN; the LWV of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff, IL; and the LWV of Portland, OR. Each League, selected through a competitive proposal process to represent diverse communities nationwide, hosted an eight-day, home-stay program for the Russian leaders during fall 2005.

A total of 30 young leaders--men and women from various Russian regions--reflecting the country's ethnic and political diversity, took part in this program. They arrived in small groups at different times during the fall. Each host League put together stimulating, educational and cultural programs for its visitors.

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For example, the Charlotte-Mecklenberg LWV arranged meetings with City Council members, County Commissioners, judges, legislators, social service agencies including Legal Aid and Council for Children, and university professors and students. It also organized a visit to the mountains, exposure to African-American religious music, and evening meetings with local League members.

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Speaking for his delegation, one visitor to the Calvert County LWV exclaimed, "in our wildest dreams, we could never have anticipated what we experienced during our visit to Calvert County, Maryland!"

One Lake Forest/Lake Bluff LWV visitor noted that "one of the week's strongest lessons came not from an agency visit but simply by seeing how hard ... members of the League of Women Voters worked to plan their week. 'This is a very good example of social responsibility and it could be an example on the international level.'" (Pioneer Press, 11/10/05)

From the Portland LWV: "As he followed a tour through the tidy streets at New Columbia ... [Maxim Yerin, 23, a deputy chairman of the Center for Regional Studies in the central Russian city of Kostroma] marveled at the cooperation it took among private, nonprofit and government agencies to build the mixed-income community of 850 units, with housing for low-income people, seniors and the disabled. 'This is a completely different way of life--the relationship between the government and local community is very different,' he said ..." (The Oregonian, 10/5/05)

The Duluth LWV reports that one of the most eye-opening experiences was a Soup Kitchen where the visitors helped serve over 200 people a nutritious lunch. One of the Russians gave the week an "A+."

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The Claremont LWV hosted the elected mayor of a Russian village municipality administration, the elected deputy rural town head of a Russian village and a director of a municipal television company. Each of them had specific goals. The mayor noted: "I would like to find a way to build up the election system." The television director was interested in how citizens influence local government decision making and the role of media in this process. Citizens' role in government has long been an interest of the deputy rural town head. She wanted to learn what drives citizens to be active in policy making.

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All six host Leagues reported that much learning and sharing was accomplished. Congratulations to them for a job well done! The grassroots component of the League and the League's global outreach came together to make this international program a resounding success.

RELATED ARTICLE: LEAGUE VISIT TO RUSSIA

In August 2004, the LWVEF Global Democracy Program director traveled to Russia to meet with the leadership of the League of Women Voters of St. Petersburg. The purpose of this trip was to learn about this organization and others that use the name League of Women Voters. Such organizations have no formal affiliation with the League, but are modeled after the League. The St. Petersburg League was founded in 1995 as a non-governmental organization, working to change the system under the slogan "Democracy Less a Woman is Not a Democracy." Its goal was to create similar organizations all over the Russian Federation. In 1999, it spearheaded an initiative to create an interregional League of Women Voters. Today that group brings together more than 25 different Leagues from various regions of Russia. Its mission is to promote women in government, protection of human rights, and oversight/accountability of the elected deputies to the legislative assemblies.

RELATED ARTICLE: OTHER INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO THE LEAGUE

The LWVUS office regularly receives requests to meet with a wide spectrum of international visitors under the auspices of U.S. government agencies. The hosting normally includes an introduction to the League--its history and its current and future activities. In recent times, among those we have welcomed to the League are an elections and democratic governance expert from the People's Republic of China, a Member of Parliament from Tanzania, six media professionals from Azerbaijan, 30 teachers from Germany, Qatar's Chairman of the Permanent Elections Committee of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, seven journalists from Iraq, a member of the Swedish Parliament, a delegation of elected men and women from Tajikistan, a member of the Indonesian Parliament, a Korean League of Women Voters member, members of the Kosovo Women's Network, Iraqi peace activists, eight Iraqi women members of the U.S.-Iraq Women's Network, and a media group from Azerbaijan.