Ukrainians look to learn from Rhode Island during Open World visit

By John Howell
Posted 11/24/15

Before menus were even handed out, there was an order for clamcakes.

Immediately, there were collective looks of curiosity, followed by a babble of words directed at interpreters, who weren’t …

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Ukrainians look to learn from Rhode Island during Open World visit

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Before menus were even handed out, there was an order for clamcakes.

Immediately, there were collective looks of curiosity, followed by a babble of words directed at interpreters, who weren’t sure what to say. They hadn’t had clamcakes. They turned to Michelle Manchester for a description. Manchester, who was prepared to take orders with Laurinda Paolino, looked relieved to have someone who understood English.

Manchester gave a description of clamcakes that Natalia Klimova interpreted for everyone. There were nods of comprehension and looks of anticipation.

The entourage of six Ukrainians, an interpreter and their hosts had just arrived at Iggy’s Boardwalk. It was about 2 p.m. Thursday, a half-hour later than their planned arrival, but then as Micheline Lombardi of the Scituate Rotary Club explained, just about everything during the Ukrainians’ weeklong visit to Rhode Island was subject to change.

Lombardi said members of the visiting delegation came from two towns in Ukraine and had been nominated for the visit under the program run by the Open World Leadership Center in partnership with Rotary International. According to its mission statement, the center focuses both on assisting Congress in its oversight responsibilities and on conducting exchanges that establish lasting professional relationships between the up-and-coming leaders and Americans dedicated to showcasing U.S. values and democratic institutions.

The Scituate Rotary Club has been involved with the program for years and has hosted delegations of similar size from countries that were former members of the Soviet Union. Depending on collective interests of the visiting group, Lombardi sets up an itinerary and makes arrangements. All of the visitors with the exception of Roman Vitaliyovych Oleksenko, who speaks English and served as facilitator, stayed with Rotary Club host families.

A stop at Oakland Beach for lunch was wedged into the schedule between a visit with Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, a tour of departments at Cranston City Hall, and a trip to Allie’s Tack Shop in North Kingstown so the journalist and editor in the group, Ruslan Anatoliiovych Solonets, could buy a genuine cowboy hat. The hat wasn’t part of the original plan, but when the request came up Lombardi made inquiries and the scheduled shopping stop was converted to the hat trip.

Lombardi said the Rhode Island visit has been like this from the start. On Wednesday, she had planned to be in Newport with a tour of the mansions and a walk around town. The group, however, ended up at the landfill in Johnston.

A member of the delegation is in the business of dealing with hazardous waste and was interested in seeing Rhode Island Resource Recovery operations. So Lombardi got on her phone and worked her political and Leadership Rhode Island network in surely what had to be one of the more unique visitor requests where the dump trumped the mansions.

High on the group’s agenda is changing government to make it more accountable to the electorate, as became evident after questions were answered about the Boardwalk menu and orders placed. One objective, as elementary as it would seem, is for legislation requiring a record of how elected officials voted.

Through an interpreter, Kateryna Mykhailivna Rozora, who owns and runs a small hotel and café and described herself as a political activist, said, “We are trying to make changes.” She and others in the delegation are working on legislation requiring voting records.

Rozora was a member of the Ukraine “Orange Revolution” for increased government transparency and change.

Of interest in their trip here was going through the state archives and obtaining copies of legislation, some of it dating back to the 1800s, which establishes guidelines for open government. They were also interested to learn the role of the news media in reporting and how might the social media assist in bringing change.

Rozora has had a personal view of the Ukrainian political system. Her husband ran for mayor and for parliament. He did not win and the process would seem to be complicated as, Sviatoslav Myroslavovych Hrabovskyi explained, there are 10 “well known” political parties and corruption is rampant.

Hrabovskyi, who was recently elected to a post similar to the city council, agreed that corruption is a problem. He said that ultimate control belonged to the oligarchies. There were nods of agreement from around the table.

And then the focus shifted from government to food. The clamcakes were savored and cameras and cell phones came out when platters of fried clams, baked stuffed shrimp, salmon and steak appeared. Pictures were taken of the food and the menu, and then there was more conversation about government, what they had seen in Rhode Island, and the news.

It was nearly a two-hour meal, and by the time they were finished Lombardi was questioning if there was the time to get the cowboy hat. No one seemed put off by another change in plans. The Ukrainians were finding with every turn there was something new to learn, and they were soaking it in.

Comments

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  • richardcorrente

    I learned 2 things from this story.

    1. That even Cranston Mayor Alan Fung knows where to bring his guests; to Oakland Beach and Iggy's for their world famous clancakes.

    2. That in the Ukraine, as in Warwick, there is a need for greater transparency. It's called the Orange Revolution" in the Ukraine and it's just as needed here.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all.

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Tuesday, November 24, 2015 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    Read the story a little more closely next time.

    Wednesday, November 25, 2015 Report this