IRI Hosts Delegation Young Russian Political Leaders

September 17, 2002

IRI hosted a delegation of 20 young Russian political leaders from August 25 to September 4 as part of the Library of Congress' Russian Leadership Program.

Participants were briefly in Washington DC, then traveled to Boston, Massachusetts; Concord, New Hampshire; and San Francisco and Los Angeles, California to observe current gubernatorial and congressional campaigns.

The delegation gained experience from established political youth organizations, elected officials, and political institutions. The participants gained a more comprehensive view of the American electoral system, and the positive features of the system, compare with the Russian one.

The program is intended to expose the next generation of Russia's young leaders to the American electoral system in different states. It places emphasis on grassroots community involvement and allows participants to identify "best practices" that could be replicated in the Russian Federation.

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