Academy for Educational Development

Uzbek Leaders Experience the U.S. Through Exchange

In October, 25 professionals from Uzbekistan came to the U.S. and experienced everything from farms in Arkansas to the statehouse in Boston.

By the end of 2004, AED will have brought nearly 400 emerging leaders from Eurasia to the United States through the Open World Leadership Program, the only international exchange program funded directly by Congress.

Since 1999, the program has brought over 8,000 Russian delegates to the United States. Last year, three new countries were added: Ukraine, Lithuania, and Uzbekistan

To make their visits as interesting and rich as possible, the AED Center for International Exchanges has worked to team the delegates with local hosts who could help them gain a better understanding of how work in their respective fields is conducted in the United States, and about our political system.

The delegates visit the U.S. for 10 days, the first two of which are spent in Washington, D.C. The other eight are spent in communities throughout the country. While there, the delegates reside with local host families.

AED has developed a database of roughly 200 communities around the country that are eager to host delegations from other countries, said Mara Schlimm, a senior program officer who oversees AED’s work with the program.

“Not only does AED provide this network of local communities,” said Schlimm, “we also have extensive experience in coordinating these kinds of exchange programs.” That experience helps inform the local community’s decisions about how to design the visits.

From Uzbekistan to Arkansas

Relevant, hands-on experiences are particularly important for the delegates, Schlimm said. In October, 2004, a group of delegates from Uzbekistan who specialized in agricultural finance traveled to Arkansas and spent a week there learning about the state’s farming industry.

The visit included a trip to London, Arkansas, which has a population of 3,500. There the four delegates learned about farm credit and the relationship between the local bank and the farming community.

Of particular interest to this group was that financial lending, farming, wholesaling, shipping, and marketing, are all carried out by separate entities, which is a system the group said they would be interested in implementing when they returned home.

Later in the week the group visited the Arkansas State Fair, which was a “highlight of their trip,” according to a report from their facilitator. “The group was particularly impressed with the size of some of the livestock on display,” the report said.

Focus on Federalism

Through their experiences in the U.S., the delegates are introduced to federalism in the United States, Schlimm said. “We focus on the different ways the government, businesses, and NGO’s work together on social and economic problems in the U.S.,” she said.

For instance, during their trip a group of women  from Uzbekistan visited a woman-owned business in Hyannis, Mass., and learned about how the business grew from a small store-front operation to a corporate giant.

The next day they went to Boston to meet Kerry Healey, the state’s Lieutenant. Governor. During their meeting with Lt. Gov. Healey, the group discussed ways women can prepare for serving in public office, barriers they face, and some success stories. The Lt. Governor also spoke about domestic violence, a topic on which she has a great deal of expertise.

Later in their trip the group met with State Senator Therese Murray to talk about the legislative process of creating state budgets and the leadership positions women hold in the state legislature.  They also met with the president of the local community college, and the local Rotary Club.

Democracy in Action

During the 2004 elections, three groups of delegates from Russia had the opportunity to visit polling places and witness the excitement of Election Day in the U.S.

One delegation went to Baltimore, Md., where they went to the polls with their host families, and then had lunch with the local chapter of the League of Women Voters to discuss their experiences.

While they were there they had the opportunity to meet several political candidates on the local and county levels, and later that night they watched the election results with their host families.

“These delegates were able to see democracy in action at its most exciting time.” said Beverly Attallah, vice president and director of the AED Center for International Exchanges. “Their experiences will undoubtedly influence their participation in civil society activities back home.”
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For more information on AED’s work in International Exchanges, contact Beverly Attallah.

Visit the Open World Web site for more information on their work in international exchanges.