Groundbreaking Democracy Seminar Draws Young Leaders from 17
Countries
“Young politicians should ignore boundaries,” says Jay Footlik, a senior U.S. Democratic political advisor. Footlik and senior Republican political advisor Judy Black spent the week of October 23rd in Macedonia, working with over 60 young political leaders from across the region and the U.S. brought together by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Europe & Eurasia.
Footlik was Special Assistant to President Clinton in the White House Office of Public Liaison. During the 2004 Presidential campaign, Footlik was a senior advisor for the Kerry/Edwards campaign.
Black is the former Chairman of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) and served in the Reagan Administration as Special Assistant to President.
“The involvement of a new generation of politicians is critical to the future of democracy in this region” said Black. “Young politicians have a shared aspiration for progress and they innately know that gender, religion, ethnicity and geographic boundaries should not stand in their way.”
The 62 men and women gathered, ranging in age from 18 to 30 years, represented a wide assortment of political parties and civic groups in 16 countries still undergoing transition from command economy, authoritarian regimes to free-market democracies.
Most participants were initiated into political activism as students in their teens and have already acquired considerable experience, despite their youth. Ileana Dimitriu, the 29-year-old Chief of Staff for the Social Democratic Party in Romania’s Parliament, is one example. As a student, she was the Vice-Chair of her county’s Social Democratic Party youth organization and founded the Young Women’s Action Group to raise awareness of economic, social and political issues that impacted women within the party and to train grassroots organizations to become more effective advocates for Romania’s women. For Dimitriu and her colleagues from across the region, the seminar offered a valuable opportunity to network and exchange best practices.
“We drew upon our collective experience on how to improve people’s lives and promote the values of freedom and democracy in our countries,” she says. “And established contacts amongst our political parties and organizations for future cooperation.”
The program, held in Ohrid and Tetovo, was implemented by the International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), ACYPL, and World Learning in cooperation with USAID. The seminar marked the first time that these organizations have collaborated on a regional basis.
“This was a unique way for USAID to gather emerging leaders from developing democracies to reach across party lines in working toward the shared goals of peace, prosperity and liberty,” reports Brock D. Bierman, Chief of Staff for the Bureau for Europe & Eurasia and lead organizer of the conference.
This innovative initiative drew strong support from political leaders in both Macedonia and the U.S. Ljupco Jordanovski, President of the Macedonian Parliament, welcomed participants at an opening dinner in Skopje. In Ohrid, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino delivered the inaugural keynote address on modern challenges to political leadership and ethics.
The four-day seminar featured intensive workshops, forum sessions and action plan development designed to engender shared experience, build relationships and provoke discussion about steps participants could take to build a renewed consensus behind democratic principles and boost civic participation among youth at home.
“We had the opportunity to share experiences and improve our skills with guidance from experienced American advisors who have become mentors for our future political activity,” says Dimitriu.
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| Emerging leaders from across the region and the U.S. gathered at Southeast European University (SEEU) in Tetovo, Macedonia for the dedication of the Liberty Pavilion, erected to commemorate their meeting |
Dignitaries and seminar participants were joined by scores of SEEU students and faculty to celebrate the Liberty Pavilion dedication |
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| New York Times correspondent Nicholas Wood shares professional insights with emerging leaders. |
USAID Bureau for Europe & Eurasia Chief of Staff Brock D. Bierman speaks with local and international press after the Liberty Pavilion dedication at Southeast European University in Tetovo, Macedonia |
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Noted political analysts Judy Black (left), a Republican, and
Jay Footlik (right), a Democrat, facilitated the four-day seminar
which encouraged participants to reach across ethnic, party and country
boundaries to effect meaningful, democratic change. |
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