International Relationships Advisory Commission -- Hostings

Delegations/Hostings

Open World Governance Delegation 2007

Delegates preparing to leave for a day’s tour
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Great Falls Advisory Commission on International Relationships hosted its fifth delegation to the region in as many years September 15-23, 2007. The four participants came from separate regions of Russia. The visit was organized through, and funded by, the Open World Program at the Library of Congress.

As with each of the previous programs this year's program focused on topics that were of special interest to the participants. This year’s topics centered on accountable governance transparency, public-private partnerships, service delivery, strategic planning and citizens’ participation. The Great Falls Commission organized a schedule to include those topics in addition to visiting businesses similar to the three separate businesses of the Russian delegates.

Open World Civic Delegation

Cindy Peterson shows Dr. Sergey V. Lebedev the equipment in OR 2

Cindy Peterson, of Benefis Healthcare, shows Dr. Lebedev equipment in one of the operating rooms.

In October 2004, the Commission hosted a Russian Health Delegation as part of the Open World Program for Civic Delegations. Delegates included: Interpreter Inna F. Dolgushina; Dr. Sergey V. Lebedev, Central Station Head, Vladivostok City Emergency Medical Services; Dr. Lyubov Yuryeva, Deputy Director for Medical Care, "Bonum7" Children's Rehabilitation Center in Sverdlovsk Oblast. The delegates visited the Great Falls Clinic, Malmstrom Air Force Base Clinic, Benefis Medical Center, McLaughlin Research Center, Montana State University School of Dental Hygiene, Missouri River Medical Center in Fort Benton, and other facilities in the community.

Delegates in surgical garb.

Open World Federalism Program

Group photograph of the Federalism delegates with local attendees in the Montana Club in Helena, Montana

Federalism Delegate Maksim Y. Osovskiy and Peggy Carrico, Cascade County Clerk and Recorder.

In June of 2004, the International Relations Committee hosted five Russian citizens under the Open World Federalism Program. Interested in how the different governing bodies work and interact, the delegates met with city, county and state officials including the City Manager of Great Falls, and attended meetings of the city and county commissions. They visited the low income public housing project, toured the Great Falls Tribune offices and traveled to Helena where they met the Montana Secretary of State and officials from the Department of Administration. Delegates from Russia included: facilitator Anton Khovanskiy, delegates Aleksandr Y. Kobyakov, Maksim Y. Osovskiy, Andrey P. Shupletsov, Konstantin Y. Zhuravlev.

The Federalism group stopped at a scenic turnout on the way to Helena.
L to R: Maksim Osovskiy, Andrey Shupletsov, Aleksandr Kobyakov.

Women as Leaders Program for Russian Women

Chairman Harris gives one of the delegates welcome flowers

Chairman Robert Harris presenting flowers to Miss Lavrentyeva upon arrival at the Great Falls International Airport.

In May of 2003, the Commission hosted the Women as Leaders Program for Russian Women under the Open World Program for Civic Delegations. Delegates included: Mrs. Larisa Teshukova, Deputy Director for the "Civil Society Development Institute" in Kemerovo Oblast; Mrs. Yuliya Romanova, Deputy Administration Head for the City of Ryazan; Ms. Dusya Gazzayeva, Head of Production Workshops for Mariinskiy Theater, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia; Dr. Fatima Mittsiyeva, Head of the Gastroenterology Department at the Republican Clinical Hospital, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia; and facilitator Miss Yevgeniya Lavrentyeva, Interpreter/Translator for the British-Russian Regional Administration Reform Project.

Delgate, translator, and Supreme Court Justice

L to R: Dr. Mittsiyeva, local interpreter Tanya Lukenbill and Montana Supreme Court Justice Patricia Cotter.

Women as Leaders group at Great Falls Civic Center

L to R: Yuliya Romanova, Dusya Gazzayeva, Fatima Mittsiyeva, Yevgeniya Lavrentyeva, Larisa Teshukova, Tanya Lukenbill, seated is District Court Judge Julie Macek.

Rule of Law Program (Russian Judges)

Hosted during October of 2002, the Rule of Law Program for Russian judges brought five Russian judges to Great Falls under the Open World Program for Civic Delegations. With the support of the Cascade County Bar Association, the judges received a briefing on state and federal legal system, observed a federal court proceeding, and attended a hearing of the Montana Supreme Court in Helena, the state capital. Judge Robert Holter, retired District Court Judge, currently U.S. Magistrate Judge in Great Falls mentored the judges during their stay.

**Rule of Law Visitors**
Judge Aleksandr Y. Vorotnikov from the Adygeya Republic, currently serves on the Commercial Court of the Kavkazskiy Region. He was formerly Judge of the Supreme Court of Adygeya Republic.	Judge Larisa V. Bogdanova, currently serves with the Commercial Court of the Tomsk Region. Prior to this position, she was Legal Expert of the Tomsk Region.
Judge Olga I. Baranova currently serves with the Commercial Court of the Moscow Region. Prior to this, she held the position of Deputy Department Head of the Supreme Court of Russia. She has worked as an engineer with GKNT.	Judge Sergey N. Dementyev currently is with the Commercial Court of the Kostrama Region. Prior to this position, he was an Investigator in the Office of Public Prosecutor.
Judge Pavel Aprelev served as interpreter for the Rule of Law Program for Russian judges. He is a professional interpreter who lives in Washington.	Dmitriy Seleznev, an Instructor at Irkutsk State University Law Institute, served as the group facilitator. He is from the Irkutsk Oblast, Russia.
Not Pictured Judge Tatyana I. Tsyganova is head of the Council of Judges. She was previously a lawyer with the AFINA Legal Company.