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IATP News from Western Eurasia

April 1-30, 2005

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MOLDOVA

Valeriu Gheorghiu (left) and Ion
Osoianu join the online conference
at the IATP access site in Chisinau,
Moldova

Alumni Discuss Moldova’s Integration into European Union during Online Chat
On April 14, over 50 citizens of Moldova, including alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs, journalists, students, social activists, and NGO representatives gathered at eight IATP access sites across the country for an online conference on Moldova’s course for integration in the European Union (EU). The keynote speakers in the chat were Valeriu Gheorghiu (IV 01), program coordinator at the Institute for Public Policy (IPP), Igor Munteanu (IV 97), director of the Viitorul Institute for Development and Social Initiatives, and Ion Osoianu, director of House of Europe, a non-political, non-profit organization that promotes the development of high moral standards and participatory democracy principles among local youth. The integration plan outlines priorities such as sustained efforts toward a viable solution to the Transnistria conflict, further strengthening the stability and effectiveness of institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law, and stepping up the fight against organized crime, including human trafficking. Alumni had the opportunity to post numerous questions to the experts and learned that Romania is expected to join the EU by 2007. Munteanu concluded, ‘’In the parliamentary elections held on March 6, for the first time all parliamentary factions agreed on the necessity of getting EU membership.” IATP sponsored countrywide chats both before and after the parliamentary elections, and the conference on Moldova's progress toward European integration continues the online coverage of pressing issues facing the country.

In his online course, Sergiu Ostaf
gives practical tips on integrating
volunteers in organizations

Human Rights Expert Conducts Online Course on Management of Volunteers
On April 13, IATP distance learning (DL) consultant Sergiu Ostaf, finished teaching his DL course on management of volunteers. Ostaf is the executive director of CReDO, a non-profit organization in Chisinau, Moldova, which offers organizational and institutional development services throughout the country. Ostaf was one of eight DL consultants in Moldova hired by IATP as consultants in November 2004 to develop and conduct online courses. The course includes tests and forums in Romanian that were created with the help of Moodle, a software package designed to help educators create better quality DL courses. The course is addressed primarily to college students and NGO leaders. During the course, which began on February 12, a group of 12 attendees learned about the importance of volunteerism, its impact in countries with long-established democratic traditions, and techniques of recruiting volunteers. Demonstrating the flexibility and reach of the DL format, the participants took the course from various cities of Moldova, such as Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Giurgiulesti, and Stefan Voda. Course participant Natalia Cojohari, a representative of Future Business Leaders Association in Balti, remarked, “During the course, I learned that volunteers, like all individuals, have many needs, and that by discovering these needs and seeking ways to meet them, one can take motivation of volunteers to the highest possible level and do wonders in managing volunteers as an integral part of a given organization.” The IATP-hosted DL course is part of a masters in organizational development post-graduate educational program offered by CReDO and the Institute of Management and Leadership in Chisinau. The DL course on volunteerism could not have come at a better time as Moldova, like any developing nation, needs volunteers who can lead by example and serve as role models in various fields. The IATP DL server at www.dl.iatp.md currently hosts 90 distance learning courses on various topics, and over 250 Moldovans have graduated from them so far.

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UKRAINE

William Bistransky (left) answers
questions from chat participants;
Olga Akulenko assists

Ukrainian Citizens Discuss US Visa Procedures with Consul Online
On April 13, fourteen IATP access sites throughout Ukraine hosted 31 alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs, students, journalists, and other interested people for an online chat with representatives of the Consular Section of the US Embassy in Ukraine. Consul William Bistransky, Vice Consul Molly Stephenson, and consular assistants Olga Akulenko and Tamila Lakhovich visited the IATP access site in Kyiv to answer the questions of the online chat participants. The aim of the chat was to help participants better understand the US immigrant visa process. Immigrant visas for Ukrainians were previously processed at the US Embassy in Poland, but will now be processed in Ukraine. Bistransky and Stephenson began the chat by answering a series of questions that had been submitted in advance. A woman from Kyiv asked, “Under what circumstances can my daughter, who has the status of permanent resident and a green card, invite me to visit?” Stephenson answered, “Each visa applicant is considered on their own merits. Non-immigrant visa applicants must prove their strong ties to Ukraine.” The consular representatives also directed participants to the website of the US Embassy, which has complete information about visa requirements. The online chat was the third in a series on US visa issues sponsored by IATP. On January 27, IATP hosted an online chat on non-immigrant visas, and on March 31, a second chat was held on student visas. Unscrupulous private mediators in Ukraine often take advantage of the population’s ignorance by promising to obtain visas for large sums of money and then not following through on their promises. In hosting the chat, IATP assisted the Consular Section in its outreach efforts and helped the population obtain access to reliable information about the visa process.

Local government officials discuss
e-government in the Poltava region

Local Officials Explore E-Government in Poltava, Ukraine
On April 21, the IATP access site in Poltava, Ukraine, hosted 12 employees of the municipal governments of Dykanka and Zinkiv and staff of local non-profit organizations for a seminar on electronic government (e-government). IATP site administrator Hanna Kiyaschenko introduced the audience to the basic principles of establishing both local and global electronic information systems for effective communication between citizens and government, starting with Web portals. She also explained the broader concept of e-government as complete integration of information technology in the work of officials at every level of government. The participants studied international experiences in implementing e-government standards. For example, the government of the United Kingdom established a “Government Gateway” for individuals and businesses to enable them to sign up online for the government’s services. The participants also visited the website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which allows for communication with citizens, and other online resources. The participants then began planning an e-government initiative in their region to increase transparency of their operations and improve communication with the population. With this seminar and others like it, IATP is fostering transparency and accountability in government through increased citizen communication and involvement in governmental affairs.