By BILL LEUKHARDT | The Hartford Courant
June 1, 2009

WEST HARTFORD — - Next week, five Russian officials will visit what to them is a must-see Connecticut tourist attraction — West Hartford Town Hall. The Russian delegation, interpreter in tow, plans to drop in June 9 to meet with Ron Van Winkle, the interim town manager, and Chris Johnson, the finance director. They hope to learn about the town manager-town council form of American government.

The five are guests of the Open World Program, founded by the U.S. Congress in 1999. Since the program began, more than 12,000 people from Europe and Asia have come to America to study democracy, society and community life. They work with their American counterparts and stay in American homes.

The delegation plans to visit West Hartford and Mansfield town halls; New Haven's economic development administration; Yale; the Mark Twain House and Museum; the state Capitol and Legislative Office Building; the state Supreme Court; the state Department of Economic and Community Development; the state comptroller; and the Windham Area Chamber of Commerce.

"We included West Hartford in the program because it was one of the first towns in the country to adopt a council-manager form of government, where a council acts as the elected policy board and a town manager serves as the chief executive officer," said Mary Lou Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the group coordinating the trip, the Global Training and Development Institute at the University of Connecticut.

The Russian delegation will be in Connecticut from June 5 to 13 and stay with host families to experience the American family life. "The goals of the Open World Program are well-aligned with UConn's desire to foster global citizenship as part of our outreach mission," said Roy Pietro, interim director of the institute at UConn. "We believe this program will lead to future educational program and cultural exchange opportunities with Russia."

STORRS, CT – May 29, 2009 – UConn’s Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI), located within the Center for Continuing Studies (CCS) will host five Russian leaders and a Russian facilitator from June 5 through June 13 through the Open World Program. Open World is managed by the independent Open World Leadership Center at the Library of Congress. The Open World Program enables young Eurasian elected officials, political candidates, and emerging political and civic leaders to observe the American democratic system firsthand. The guiding philosophy is that principles of accountability, governance, and the role of citizenry in government are most effectively illustrated through direct interaction between participants and their U.S. professional counterparts and through hosted community and cultural activities.

The Russian delegation (aged 30-46) will examine the theme of Accountable Government in a program that addresses federalism and representative government. The delegates are national, city and district government officials with responsibilities for budget planning, financial management and economic development. During their 8-day stay, the delegates (5 females and a male) will stay with local host families, which will allow them to experience American family life.

“The goals of the Open World Program are well aligned with UConn’s desire to foster global citizenship as part of our outreach mission,” said GTDI Interim Director Roy Pietro. “We believe this program will lead to future educational program and cultural exchange opportunities with Russia.”

GTDI designed the program so delegates could exchange views with influential representatives of Federal, State, and local government agencies; civic organizations and other NGOs; and the business and education communities. Delegates will receive an overview of the relationships among: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government; the business and civic communities and government; and individual citizens and government.

The Russian leaders will participate in community events to gain an understanding of the role of community organizations’ interactions with the government, and share their professional expertise, as well as information about their own culture, history, and current affairs with their U.S. hosts. Networking with American professionals and hosts interested in maintaining contact beyond the eight-day community visit for ongoing cooperation and collaboration, is an important aspect of the visit.

The delegation, along with GTDI staff escorts, will attend professional meetings and enjoy cultural site visits, at a number of places including the Mansfield Town Hall, West Hartford Town Hall, New Haven Economic Development Administration, Yale University, Mark Twain House and Museum, CT State Capitol and Legislative Building, CT Supreme Court, CT Department of Economic and Community Development, CT State Comptroller, and the Windham Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Open World Program is a unique, nonpartisan initiative of the U.S. Congress designed to build mutual understanding between the United States and Eurasia. Over 12,000 Open World participants have been hosted in all 50 U.S. states since the program’s inception in 1999. Delegates range from members of parliament to mayors, from innovative nonprofit directors to experienced journalists, and from political party activists to regional administrators.