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Latest News
Want to make a difference? Come work for us! July 12, 2001 San Francisco - The Center for Citizen Initiatives is always looking for talented people to join our organization. Check out CCI's career opportunities.
June 5, 2001 San Francisco - The Center for Citizen Initiatives has improved its web site design and navigation to enhance the visitor's experience. Each page now features a Highlights and Quick Links section so you can jump from page to page with ease. Please enjoy the new site and send any comments or suggestions webmaster@ccisf.org
Congressional Report Urges PEP Expansion January 10, 2001 Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert appointed a Task Force in March to study US policy towards Russia. The resulting 200+ page report made ten policy recommendations for the future of US-Russia relations. Near the top of the list was a call to expand the work of CCI and a handful of other programs. From the Advisory Group's Report: "Recommendation #3. Engage the Russian people, not just the Russian government. US relations with Russia should be more broadly based than institutional relations among governmental bodies. The Advisory Group endorses expansion of existing people-to-people exchange programs such as the Library of Congress' Russian Leadership Program and the Center for Citizen Initiatives program, as well as programs run by the State Department such as the Fulbright Program, the Internet Access and Training Program, the Russian-U.S. Young Leadership Program, and the International Visitors Program." You can read the full report and recommendations here.
CCI is on Russia's Agenda for Renewal January 10, 2001 In a recent report entitled Agenda for Renewal, available at http://www.ceip.org/files/Publications/newagenda.asp, compiled by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Center for Initiatives' program in Russia was highlighted. Read below. On Page 41: "Programs that increase the flow of information about entrepreneurial and civic ventures throughout Russia should also be encouraged. The demonstration effect of a successful NGO in Samara will mean much more to a future NGO in Novosibirsk than an example from Chicago. More generally, programs that increase contacts between Russians and Americans must be expanded. America's most effective tool in promoting markets and democracy is the example of the United States itself. The more Russians are exposed to this model, the better. This exposure can come from military-to-military programs, sister city programs, or internship programs in U.S. businesses and nongovernmental programs. For instance, Russian entrepreneurs who visit and intern in Western companies through programs organized by the Center for Citizens Initiatives learn first-hand how companies operate in a market environment. Russia still has a dearth of market-oriented managers. Likewise, Russian party organizers visiting the United States during an election period have learned more in two weeks about campaign strategies, party organization, and NGO participation in the electoral process than in years of academic study." PEP Support Center Opens! November 29, 2000 San Francisco - The Productivity Enhancement Program's (PEP) effort to support American volunteers has taken another leap forward by opening PEP Support Center (PSC). Providing volunteers with a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions and documents, the PSC has enabled PEP to assist American Volunteers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To visit the PEP Support Center, click here.
PEP Highlighted in the Washington Post October 12, 2000 Washington DC - From the article: "Consolidating its reputation as Silicon Valley East, Northern Virginia increasingly is becoming a key destination for visiting high-tech entrepreneurs from abroad. Among the latest to tour the information-technology nerve center are 11 Russian telecommunications executives hosted by nine Northern Virginia Rotary Clubs. Their visit, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 22, is sponsored by the Productivity Enhancement Program of the San Francisco-based Center for Citizen Initiatives, a nonprofit group funded by the State Department that is dedicated to aiding Russia's transition to a market economy and training its entrepreneurs in US business practices." For the full text of this article, click here.
PEP Fellows on Parade October 12, 2000 San Francisco, CA - The annual PEP evaluation trip conducted by CCI staff and volunteers began June 3, 2000, and concluded on July 14, 2000. CCI evaluators conducted 243 one-on-one interviews with PEP graduates. The itinerary for the evaluation team included the following cities: St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Penza, Voronezh, Illovlia, Kamyshen, Novokubyshevsk, NovoVoronezh, Kalach-on-Don, Dubovka, Moscow and Dubna. CCI's president conducted press conferences and CCI's Russian partner offices organized large group gatherings in central CCI cities to publicize the achievements of PEP and to recruit new applicants to the program. Detailed write-ups of PEP Fellows after their US internship experiences are being highlighted in a series called "Russian Profiles." Click here to download the first 12 Russian Profiles,
PEP in the News September 28, 2000 Appleton, WI - CCI's Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) was recently highlighted as the cover story in the Post-Cresent's Fox Valley, Inc business magazine. The story details how Wisconsin Rotary Clubs and businesses teamed up in an unprecedented effort to "Reach Out" and "Transform a Nation" by providing an unforgettable training experience for eleven Russian insurance professionals. PEP will not be soon forgotten in the hearts of their US hosts or the Russians themselves. For more information and quotes from participants please click here to download the article in PDF format. |
Highlights
Russian Citizens Express Sympathy Want to make a difference? Come work for us! Congress Urges Expansion of PEP Quick Links
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