IRI Sponsors Youth Forum in St. Petersburg

May 30, 2003

IRI and the St. Petersburg League of Women Voters organized a Youth Forum in Saint Petersburg targeted at increasing youth participation in the upcoming State Duma election. One hundred young political activists from Yabloko, SPS, Narodny party and Unity Youth political parties, elected officials and NGO leaders took part in the Forum. Speakers included State Duma Deputy and Chairman of the Education Committee Alexander Shishlov and City Assembly Deputy Andrei Timofeev, while Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov and State Duma Vice-Speaker Irina Khakamada sent letters of welcome to the participants. USAID Assistant Administrator Kent Hill and U.S. Consul to Saint Petersburg Michael Klecheski were also in attendance. The Forum - the product of a long association between IRI and the League of Women Voters - featured presentations on political participation by American youth and on message development by IRI Moscow staff. NGO leader from Perm Yuri Isaev led a mock election exercise in which the youth affiliates of political parties in attendance went head-to-head in a competitive role-playing game.

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