Alexander Andreev came from Russia to join U.S. political analysts from both Republican and Democratic parties and over 60 political leaders from 17 countries—the “new generation” of politicians. The three day workshop was held in Ohrid.

"It was probably the best international experience I ever had” said Andreev, President of the Progressive Youth Union, a democratic movement in Samara, Russia.    “What was apparent was that political leaders—even young ones--can work as a team to promote a common result, notwithstanding any bias from our past . . . we share a belief in the values of freedom and democracy.”

This is exactly the outcome the organizers had in mind.

“Young politicians should ignore boundaries,” said Jay Footlik, one of the senior U.S.  political advisors involved.   

Footlik, a Democrat, and senior Republican political advisor Judy Black spent the week of October 23rd in Macedonia.  Footlik was Special Assistant to President Clinton in the White House Office of Public Liaison and served as a senior advisor for the Kerry/Edwards campaign during the 2004 Presidential race.  Black is the former Chairman of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) and served in the Reagan Administration as Special Assistant to President.

“The involvement of a new generation of politicians is critical to the future of democracy in this region” said Black. “Young politicians have a shared aspiration for progress and they innately know that gender, religion, ethnicity and geographic boundaries should not stand in their way.”    

The Young Political Leaders Seminar was designed to energize and connect politically engaged youth.  The four-day program featured intensive workshops, forum sessions and action plan development designed to engender shared experience, build relationships and provoke discussion about steps participants could take to build a renewed consensus behind democratic principles and boost civic participation among youth at home. 

This innovative initiative drew strong support from political leaders in both Macedonia and the U.S.  Ljupco Jordanovski, President of the Macedonian Parliament, welcomed participants at an opening dinner in Skopje.  In Ohrid, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino delivered the inaugural keynote address on modern challenges to political leadership and ethics.

The men and women gathered, ranging in age from 18 to 30 years, represented a wide assortment of political parties and civic groups.  

Most participants were initiated into political activism as students in their teens and have already acquired considerable experience, despite their youth.

Ileana Dimitriu, the 29-year-old Chief of Staff for the Social Democratic Party in Romania’s Parliament, is one example.  As a student, she was the Vice-Chair of her county’s Social Democratic Party youth organization and founded the Young Women’s Action Group to raise awareness of economic, social and political issues that impacted women within the party and to train grassroots organizations to become more effective advocates for Romania’s women.  For Ms. Dimitriu and her colleagues from across the region, the seminar offered a valuable opportunity to network, exchange best practices and learn to collaborate.         

“We drew upon our collective experience on how to improve people’s lives and promote the values of freedom and democracy in our countries,” she says.  “And established contacts amongst our political parties and organizations for future cooperation.” 

The program was implemented by the International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), ACYPL, and World Learning in cooperation with USAID.  The seminar marked the first time that these organizations have collaborated on a regional basis.

“This was a unique way for USAID to gather emerging leaders from developing democracies to reach across party lines in working toward the shared goals of peace, prosperity and liberty,” reports Brock D. Bierman, Chief of Staff for the Bureau for Europe & Eurasia and lead organizer of the conference.

Participants have already reported success in applying their new skills.  Learning how to plan a municipal budget and work cooperatively as a member of a team comprised of elected officials representing diverse interests and backgrounds motivated Andreev, a fixture on the regional political landscape, to join the finance committee of the local Samara City Council’s Public Council upon his return to Russia.