International Conference
"Democratization: Perspectives on Development of International Cooperation"

Omsk
March 21-22, 2003

The international conference "Democratization: Perspectives on Development of International Cooperation" sponsored by the US Embassy in the Russian Federation and organized by the Russian-American Academic Exchanges Alumni Association "Professionals for Cooperation" in cooperation with Omsk State Pedagogical University and the Inter-Universities Center for International Cooperation and Academic Mobility, took part in the Hotel "Irtysh" on March 21-22, 2003.

Vladimir A. Varnavsky, Chairman, Legislative Assembly of the Omsk Region and the Head of the Russian Delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Europe, Edward Kulakovski, Cultural Attache, US Embassy in Moscow, Anna Poplavko, Alumni Coordinator, US Embassy in Moscow, Irina Zagatova, Vice-Mayor of the City of Omsk, Director, Department of Informational Policy of the Omsk City Administration, Aleksei A. Televnoi, Chairman, Committee on Science and Higher Education Development, Administration of the Omsk Region, Aleksandr I. Andreev, Deputy Chairman, Committee on Foreign Economics and Interregional Cooperation, Administration of the Omsk Region, and Aleksandr Solomatin, Deputy Director, Department of Education, Omsk City Administration, took part in the Conference. Besides, more than 40 alumni of Russian-American academic exchanges programs from Omsk, and more than 20 from Barnaul, Elista, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tomsk, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Perm and other cities were among the 120 participants of the Conference.

The participants of the Conference presented their papers on international organizations and civil society, new perspectives on regional cooperation in the sphere of human rights, conflict resolution and public opinion development, intercultural cooperation, development of diplomacy and democracy, development of social and economic relations in Russia and abroad, democratization of education and youth affairs.

During the Conference the following issues were discussed: further development of collaboration between Russian and American specialists in International Relations, Civics, Political Science, Education and Culture. The participants of the Conference discussed their international experience in development of democratic processes in Russia and abroad, made the analysis of problems in the field of international cooperation development, targeted the ways of their resolution.

The presentation of the second issue of "PFC Newsletter" - the newsletter of the Russian-American Association "Professionals for Cooperation" - was made in the frames of the Conference, in which the US Government sponsored programs alumni share their experience of civil society development in Russia.

The book of the materials of the Conference was published.