Paul R. Smith

Being Ambassadors of Change
Chat Transcript, Monday May 10, 2004

Katy Pearce The online event will begin shortly. Thank you. In this online event you will be allowed to submit questions to the speaker. Please be aware that many students are participating and not all questions will be able to be answered. We will begin in a few minutes. Thank you.

Katy Pearce, the moderator, will read your question and give it to Mr. Smith. Please be aware that many students are participating and not all questions will be able to be answered. Thank you. While Mr. Smith is typing, please write more questions...

And now, to present Mr. Paul Smith. Paul Smith has recently retired from the Diplomatic Service after having served as U.S. Consul General in St. Petersburg, and later as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Mr. Smith has extensive experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of academic and professional exchanges...

Paul Smith's first contact with Eurasia was in 1973 as a graduate student in Russian working on an American cultural exchange exhibit touring the USSR. That began an involvement with the region that has remained constant to this day. In 1974, Mr. Smith began a career in the American Diplomatic Service that has included multiple assignments in the USSR, and later Russia, Poland and Germany...

He is going to answer students' questions about Being Ambassadors of Change, as well as questions about his professional experiences, teens in volunteer service, questions specific to your project plans, networking and resources in Eurasia and the experience of being an exchange student, among others...

Again, welcome all students and adults, on behalf of Project Harmony we appreciate your enthusiasm for this event. Thanks for joining us. Students, you may begin asking questions.

Mr. Smith, to begin, can you please tell us more about your interactions with Eurasia and some more background about you?

Paul_Smith You hit the high points. I studied Russian in college, and just before going into a doctoral program to investigate the 17 basic sound changes from Protoslavic to Old Russian, I took six months off to work on a cultural exhibit that traveled to Ufa, Chisinau and Tashkent. Best choice I ever made.

Katy_Pearce Thank you Mr. Smith. Many of the students are curious about your personal opinion of Eurasia. Could you please speak to this?

Paul Smith Having spent most of my diplomatic career in Eurasia, I join thousands of Americans in saying that "it gets under your skin." The same goes for my wife. Having asked myself hundreds of times, "why," I think it boils down to the people. Whether Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek or Moldovan, there is a special quality in the way people in Eurasia relate to one another. I just came back from a trip to Bishkek and Almaty and it was marvelous.

Akbarjon_Saidov_from_Tajikistan Mr. Smith, What was on of the most important assignments for you in the former USSR?

Paul_Smith Probably Kyiv in 1978-79. The US was trying to build a Consulate in Kyiv and the Soviet Union was trying to build a Consulate in New York. Neither side wanted the other so we had to negotiate every brick. Finally we closed both efforts down and waited until the 1990s.

Olga_Charnysh_from_Belarus Mr. Smith, your work has been connected with Eurasia since 1973 when the Soviet U nion still existed. How have the countries of the former Soviet Union changed since then? Did all of them changed approximately to the same degree? When would the consequences of the communist regime be overcome entirely?

Paul_Smith I think there is no doubt that every country of the former Soviet Union has changed, in some cases dramatically for the better, in others only with glacial speed. I tend to agree that the secret for democratic change is connected with generational change. When new younger leaders with new ideas take the places of those of the Soviet era, there is a chance for change. But, one should not rely totally on a new generation because it is also clear that young people can become just as corrupt as those they replace.

Farida_Hasanli_from_Azerbaijan Mr. Smith, have you ever been an exchange student? If yes, how did it change your life? If no, then would you want to become an exchange student? Why?

Paul_Smith I spent one year in Germany as a high school student and learned that there IS a world outside.

Akbarjon_Saidov_from_Tajikistan Mr. Smith, from your experience being involved with Eurasia, what do you think is the main obstacle of development of democracy in our societies? Specifically in Central Asia?

Paul_Smith Insufficient dialoge with democratic countries and the flow of new ideas. Even within Central Asia one sees differences. Those differences I believe are directly related to the flow of information.

Lilia_Fusa_from_Moldova Mr. Smith, how openly do you think our friends (teens in the CIS countries) will react to our ideas of change?

Paul_Smith That is an excellent question. You will all experience culture shock after a year in the US. Many of your friends will be interested in hearing about your experiences and some will not. There will be those who may not be interested in the new ideas you will bring. This may be the source of your greatest frustration when returning home. But, be patient. The key is to go slow, find others who want to hear what you have to say, and not to be discouraged over the cultural and generational differences you will encounter.

Tanya_Vuytsyk_from_Ukraine Mr. Smith, I am from Ukraine and my project is about Nuclear Pollution. I really feel like this problem needs a lot of attention but while people are trying to get attention , the government is being ignorant , because of one reason-many individuals make big money on nuclear power plants, how do you think young people could gain attention of government officials?

Paul_Smith By joining together, and expanding the dialogue beyond the borders of Ukraine to other countries in the region who have as much to loose as you in Nova Kakhovka. Your web site is a good start.

Ilya_Korobeynikov_from_Russia Dear Mr. Smith! As you worked in The USSR and Russia in the difficult times of the hostility between our nations, you probably experienced dealing with misunderstanding and unfriendliness. As we come back home, we would probably face similar difficulties. Would you have any advice on overcoming people's hostility to your ideas? Do you have any example of your own that we could use? Do you think it is easy to overcome cultural differences, as you emerge from one culture to another?

Paul_Smith This is all part of the cultural shock that you will experience when you return home. I experienced it every time that I lived in a foreign country as well. The key is to stay in contact with those you have met who believe the same as you do and to slowly expand your network to include people you are able to meet back home. The Internet makes it a lot easier now than 10 years ago.

Anna_Yershova_from_Russia Mr. Smith, it's such a pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to you. I have a question that I guess we all are concerned with. A lot of us are going home shortly. How can we stay the Future Leaders and Technology Ambassadors and benefit our communities back home?

Paul_Smith You have had a very intense experience here in the US and will return home with lots of new ideas. Your challenge is to establish a realistic pace, identify realistic opportunities to discuss your new ideas, be patient and NOT GIVE UP. Network, network, network.

Farida_Hasanli_from_Azerbaijan Mr. Smith, Do you have any kids? Would you like them to become exchange students?

Paul_Smith I have a son who is a high school senior and a daughter who is attending graduate school in Warszawa, Poland. They both grew up as "tsigany" children of the American foreign service, moving from one country to the next every four years. They hated it then, but now realize it was a one in a million opportunity.

Aliya_Amanzholova_from_Kazakhstan Mr Smith I'm graduating from high school and going to devote myself to international diplomatic communication. Could you please tell me from your personal experience what it is to work in another country and be a person who "connects worlds"? I love communicating with people from different countries, but sometimes you see that there are some moral obstacles on the way of communication. Have you ever met such things working in Eurasia (cultural difference, peoples' mentality, the way of life etc)?

Paul_Smith The greatest challenge for a diplomat of any country is not to see the country where they live and its culture through their own eyes. One of the greatest mistakes diplomats of any country make is to evaluate the country where they are living through the values of their native country. Always try to look through the eyes of those of the country where you are serving.

Olesya_Fedun_from_Ukraine Volunteering is not developed in my country as here in U.S., so what are the ways we can interest people in it, and show how important it is?


Paul_Smith I saw some remarkable ideas in your projects. Setting up web pages for young people, starting small projects with youth who you "convert" to volunteerism. The key is to start small. You won't change the world, or even Lviv, in a day. Take it a step at a time. Network, network, network.

Anna_Yershova_from_Russia What do you think we as FLEX alumni can do to benefit our home communities as the FLEX alumni? How can we make a difference being teenagers?


Paul_Smith There is tremendous power in numbers. Eurasia is full of young people just like you who have participated in an exchange experience that has changed their lives. It is important to communicate with each other. Several web page projects I saw were designed to keep FLEX alumni from a particular region in touch with each other. You had some good ideas on your web page about Empowering Russian females. Now you need to share those ideas with other FLEX alumni from the Cherepovets region.

Aliya_Amanzholova_from_Kazakhsta Mr. Smith you know that the "Soviet Era" had several decades (parts I can say). If I talk to my grandma remembering her childhood she'll tell me about the Stalin's repressions and the fear of educated and wealthy people. But if I talk to my parents remembering their college life, I'll be told about absolutely different times - when everything was "just fine". Being here as an exchange student I learned one thing: most American citizens look at the USSR as Russia and even nowadays call that area "communistic". What do you think about the Soviet Union times in general? Was it really that bad?

Paul_Smith It was very bad for many, but for many others it provided security and stability. The secret to survival during the Soviet era was not to ask, "why." Millions learned not to ask that question and in so doing found security and stability.

Lilia_Fusa_from_Moldova Mr. Smith, my project is focused on cleaning up the drinking waters (or at least trying to do so) in my home city, Chisinau. I understand this is a very big project for me to do it by myself, but I hope to gain the community's support. It is well known that the big businesses are the main pollutants, and my question is: how do I cope with those "big businessmen" who'll oppose my project? Because I know there will be some opposition (involving financial problems)... what are some ways to communicate with them?

Paul_Smith Lilia, the challenge you face is no different in Moldova than it is in Michigan. Big business interests buy political influence wherever they are. You face a second challenge in educating a population of the horrors of drinking well water polluted by local business and convincing them that by joining together and establishing a dialogue with the local government you can improve the quality of life for the entire community. It will not be easy for you, but, again, grass roots democracy starts with individual citizens. I thought your web page on "Water for Life" and the story it told was very powerful.

Anna_Mussman Mr. Smith, do you think computer technology will make Eurasia a better place? How can we help?

Paul_Smith It already has. Your job is to join others with the same ideas together by networking and developing those ideas and to pass along the skills you have developed during the past year to others..

Anna_Yershova_from_Russia Mr. Smith, what obstacles do you think we might encounter after we come back and begin to try to make a difference?

Paul_Smith Becoming frustrated and discouraged because a lot of people will not be interested in hearing what you have to say. Don't give up. There will also be people who will want to hear more.

Akbarjon_Saidov_from_Tajikistan As TAP participant, I see that all other participants have their own point of view about the use of technology in the development of our communities, but personally, how do you think the use of Technology can benefit in the advancement of our societies?

Paul_Smith Technology is only a tool. It will not create change or advance society by itself. It needs creative, enthusiastic people like you to use it. THEN it can and will make change. I am convinced after reading many of your projects and looking at your web pages that, in the words of Stepan from Armenia, "...world, get ready, because we are going to change you!"

Inna_Li_from_kazakhstan Mr. Smith do you believe that a group of young people with new prospective on the lives in our countries can lead us to a faster development? And do you have any specific suggestions about that?

Paul_Smith YES you can. But you democracies are created and maintained by the collective will of citizens. You have to work together. Kazakhstan has many, many FLEX alumni. Work together.

Aliya_Amanzholova_from_Kazakhstan Mr. Smith my project is about the situation with mentally challenged children and children with disabilities. Living in Russia and observing its ordinary life (if you know about Kazakhstan even better), what can you say about the situation? What do you think is the main problem in this area? Is it people's stereotypical stigma on those who are "different"?

Paul_Smith I think stereotypes have a lot to do with it. It remains a problem all over the world, even in the US.

Aliya_Suranova_-_Kyrgyzstan Mr. Smith, in your opinion, what is the biggest problem that concerns all of the post-Soviet Union countries? And how can we make good changes towards solving it? Because now that we (TAP students) all are connected, I'm pretty sure that we can work something out together, and it would be great to hear opinion of somebody like you. Thanks.

Paul_Smith The transition from an authoritarian society to one that will eventually become truly democratic is not easy when entire generations have grown up under the old system. Developing an understanding of the importance of volunteerism is an important beginning and is an area that you can work with in very small steps with very few people who believe the same as you. When the greater community sees how the volunteer efforts of a few youth can improve life in their own community, it begins to take hold.

Aliya_Suranova_-_Kyrgyzstan Good evening, Mr. Smith! This is a girl from Kyrgyzstan. In your opinion, why should such programs like FLEX continue existing? It's obvious what kind of benefits WE get from it, but what are the future perspectives for America from this program?

Paul_Smith You have given your host family and your high school class every bit as much as you have received. I don't know where you are staying in the US, but I will bet that few in your school or community knew much about Kyrgyzstan, its history, its culture, and its beauty before meeting you. Now they know. Americans have a vital interest in what you bring in an exchange and we have every bit as much to gain from the experience.

Katy_Pearce Students, we have 5 more minutes for questions, as the event will end at 30 minutes past the hour. Please submit your final questions.

Irina_Kletchuk_from_Turkmenistan Mr. Smith, in Turkmenistan they have very limited technology resources, computers, trainers etc. How would you suggest I help my country widen its resource base to help as many children as I can learn about computers?

Paul_Smith One thing you may want to consider is contacting one of the IATP centers or American Corners in Turkmenistan (there are now American Corners in Dashoguz, Turkmenbashi, and Turkmennabad) and volunteering to set up classes for children in the area.

Anna_Yershova_from_Russia Mr. Smith, why do you think the exchange students have such a great potential? A lot of come back to their home communities and begin to change them. Does it have to do with the fact that being an exchange students expands your views of the world and makes you understand how different we all are and that we all need to work together on solving our problems?

Paul_Smith You answered your own question better than I could. Now spread the word!

Amangeldi_Jumanaliev_from_Kyrgyz Mr.Smith, how do you think? Can democracy be achieved by force like in Iraq? Or what is the best path to a true democracy in your opinion?

Paul_Smith As we are learning the very hard way in Iraq, you cannot force democracy; it has to grow from the ground up, with each individual citizen. And that requires education and is one of the main reasons why many of you are frustrated -- the older generation is still running things the only way they know. Your job is to spread the word. It will happen and you will see it happen.

Tanya_Vuytsyk_from_Ukraine Mr. Smith , you mentioned that FLEX alumni can make a difference by cooperating and being active, but it's of no doubt that we need some help , can you think of any source of support, except for alumni, and how do you think we can inspire elder generation to look up to our ideas, -sometimes they are just not eager to help, because they are living in ideas of Soviet Era?

Paul_Smith And that's just something you will have to learn to try to deal with. My son has the same problem with me. The key is to maintain contact with your FLEX alumni and develop contacts with others in your community. Volunteer to help with projects or organize projects that help your community.

Katy_Pearce Students, we are nearly done with our event. Mr. Smith will answer one more question before we close.

Katy_Pearce Based on the responses, I think that everyone appreciates this. Thank you Mr. Smith. The students, placement organizations, host families, host educators, and all others greatly appreciate this time that you have given us...

Bonnie Smoren Students, I know there are many, many good questions that we did not have time to get to. Please continue brainstorming ideas on the weblog. I will invite Mr. Smith to view your postings and contribute more ideas there...

Tanya_Vuytsyk_from_Ukraine Mr. Smith, what would be your final word for bunch of enthusiastic teenagers that are trying to bring up their projects on a more serious level? Thank you for all you helpful and encouraging answers.

Paul_Smith You had a remarkable experience that has changed each and every one of you. Your parents will not receive the same son or daughter that they saw off at the airport a year ago. Keep the faith. Learn what new ideas will work back home and which ones will not. Share your new skills and ideas with others. Set an example for others by volunteering. There were so many absolutely great ideas in your projects whether having to do with the ecology, drug abuse, teaching children, or making others aware of the need for community service. You guys are the future and every one of us who has had contact with you, either in our homes, our schools, or in a chatroom are proud of you. Stay connected! Good Luck!

Katy_Pearce Students, please log out of the chat room. Thank you.