…contributing to the growth of democracy in the former Soviet Union.
Long-term Training (3 weeks or more)
The Community Connections program offers homestay-based practical training opportunities in the U.S. for entrepreneurs, local government officials, legal professionals, non-governmental organization leaders and other professionals from the former Soviet Union.
Managed by the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and administered by World Learning, Community Connections is designed to promote public diplomacy through the exchange of cultural ideas and values among participants, U.S. families and local community host organizations. It seeks to establish and strengthen links between U.S. communities and communities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Since 1994 The Worlds Affairs Council of Oregon has hosted nearly 45 Community Connections groups with over 450 Russians and nationals of the other former Soviet republics.
Short-term Training (less than 3 weeks)
Since its founding by Congress in 1999, the Open World Program has enabled current and future Eurasian leaders to experience American democracy, civil society and community life; work with their American counterparts; stay in American homes; and gain new ideas and inspiration for implementing change back home.
Open World currently operates exchanges for participants from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.
Open World’s goals are to build mutual understanding between the United States and participating countries, to create a network of emerging Eurasian leaders dedicated to effecting positive change in their home countries, and to connect these leaders with their American professional colleagues and hosts who are interested in post-visit cooperation and collaboration that will generate concrete results.
Programs for professionals who do not speak English are less individualized, more group focused, and use a variety of training methodologies. All professional programs are implemented with the assistance of U.S.-based locally hired interpreters. Since 1994 The Worlds Affairs Council of Oregon has hosted nearly 40 groups with over 400 Russians and nationals of the other former Soviet republics.
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