RUSSIAN LEADERS EXAMINE SOCIAL ISSUES IN HICKORY
Six Russian leaders participating in the Open World program will spend February 28-March 8 in Hickory examining social issues related to substance abuse. The Hickory Rotary Club will host the delegation. Managed by the Open World Leadership Center, a support agency of the United States Congress, the Open World program is designed to enhance understanding and capabilities for cooperation between the United States and the countries of Eurasia by developing a network of leaders in the region who have gained significant, firsthand exposure to America’s democratic, accountable government and free-market system. The Open World program works to link Members of Congress to Eurasian leaders and is an instrument for Americans engaged in citizen diplomacy.
While in Hickory, the delegates will meet with directors of treatment facilities and several local agencies to develop a better understanding of how we approach social issues related to substance abuse in our community..
The visiting delegates are Aleksy Borzov, Deputy Chief of Expert Work at Ivanovo Regional Narcological Clinic, Anatoliy Dernov, Deputy Chief Engineer at Institute Giproagrotehprom,, Sergey Povasaris, Head of the Daytime Drug Treatment Hospital at Ivanovo Regional Narcological Clinic, Valeriya Rodinova, Clinical Resident at Ivanovo State Medical Academy and Lyubov Zubareva, Teacher-Psychologist at Apelsin Child Development Center. Natalia Pavlova from Moscow accompanies them as a facilitator.
In Hickory the Open World delegation is scheduled to meet with directors at Catawba County Social Services, Hickory Police Department, Catawba Valley Medical Center, Frye Regional Medical Center South Campus, Exodus Homes, Safe Harbor Rescue Mission, the Women’s Resource Center, Cognitive Connections, Oakwood Recovery Place and Lifecenter of Galax.
Homestays will allow the Open World delegates to experience American family life. They will also take part in several cultural and community activities including a Hickory City Council meeting, two Rotary Club meetings and several arts and athletic performances.
The Open World Leadership Center has awarded a grant to Rotary International to administer this and similar exchanges in 2015.
Since its founding by Congress in 1999, the Open World program has enabled some 18,000 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. More than 7,100 American host families and their communities in all 50 states have partnered with Congress and the Open World Leadership Center to make this ambitious public diplomacy effort possible. The Open World program currently operates exchanges for political and civic leaders from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
For more information, please contact Suzanne Trollan of the Hickory Rotary Club at (828)310-5318 e-mail suzanne_trollan@thecounselinggroup.com or Maura Shelden, Open World Public Affairs Officer, at 202-707-6197. For more information on the Open World program, please visit http://www.openworld.gov.
(Left-Right) Aleksey Borzov, Valeryevna Belichkina, Nataliya Pavlova, Lyubov Zubareva, Sergey Povasaris, Anatoliy Dernov
