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Open World
Since its founding by Congress in 1999, the Open World Program has enabled more than 14,000 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. Some 6,000 American host families and their communities in all 50 states have partnered with the U.S. Congress and Open World to make this ambitious public diplomacy effort possible.
The program’s short but high-intensity exchanges emphasize hands-on practical activities—such as workshops, job shadowing, and site visits—related to the delegates’ professional or community work. Other key featur
es of Open World are its large size, competitive selection process, emphasis on young regional and local leaders, home stays, lack of an English-language requirement, and focus on fostering mutual learning, partnerships, and long-term results.
Participating Countries. Open World currently operates exchanges for participants from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.
Objectives. 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.
Focus Themes. Open World delegations and professional agendas are organized around a handful of timely and topical themes, which vary by country. The Center evaluates these themes at the outset of each program year for their continuing relevance to Open World’s mission, the participating countries’ needs, and U.S. foreign-policy objectives. Rule of law, accountable governance, and social issues are three of the most common themes for exchanges.
Source: Open World Website
Since 2001, World Services of La Crosse has hosted over 1000 Open World participants in partnership with local host partners in over 20 states. In 2009, Open World participants from Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Kazakhstan will share their culture and professional work with U.S. citizen ambassadors coast – to – coast. See World Services Open World 2009 hosting calendar that outlines U.S. host cities, countries hosted, and program themes.