The Longer Term Impact
"The John Smith Programme has become a driving force in my professional and personal development. Attending the programme in Britain has broadened my horizons, but being a John Smith Fellow I have been inspired to achieve further in Kyrgyzstan every day. After you take part in the programme, you are not just a citizen, a professional, a wife, a mother: you are a John Smith Fellow. Being a JS Fellow has meant a lot to me, and even though it has only been a few months since the programme finished, it has affected my life very deeply."
Gulnara Abdykalykova (2003 Fellow)
These words illustrate the long term objective of our Programme - to inspire
Fellows to accomplish their goals and use their experience for the benefit of
their countries. Gulnara's achievements are a tribute to our Programme.
Gulnara has worked closely with her attachment hosts, Responding to
Conflict and International Alert (IA), developing long term partnerships with
both organizations and undertaking a number of co-operative projects - including
a Central Asian regional conference she has organized, funded by IA. She has
returned to the UK twice since her Fellowship to participate in a course run by
Responding to Conflict, and again at the invitation of IA accompanied by key
staff from the Kyrgyz government. In addition, with backing from the US
Institute of Peace, this year she will conduct conflict management training for
multi-ethnic professionals of the Ferghana valley.
Similar examples can be cited for nearly all our former Fellows. These include:
Denys Zhmayev, Ukraine
Denys has organized a round-table discussion on the subject of youth enterprise and employment, drawing on his experience of Maidstone Borough Council to design the format of the meeting. This was the first event in his city where representatives of very different spheres, including business, were gathered around one table. As a result, Denys is in the process of establishing a number of new projects for the City Council. Amongst these are projects to give small grants to urban NGOs in Cherkassy, a programme to promote entrepreneurship amongst young people, and an 'Anti-Drugs Action' campaign. In Denys's words,
"Taking part in this programme has meant that I can feel part of a team guided by an outstanding politician: John Smith. I now feel immensely proud to be a Fellow named after him. There is a strong atmosphere in the programme, and you feel a sense of connection to an extremely special part of British history… The knowledge I've gained through the programme was totally unique, and has been extremely important for my future as a whole."
"Before I attended the programme, there were many simple ways to improve my work that I just didn't notice. Since my time in Britain it has become clearer how to change things, and I have been trying to make many improvements since I came home. Of course, it is not always easy to apply new ideas, and I have run into heavy opposition from some more conservative people. Many others, who are looking for new approaches in life in the Ukraine, have been very interested and excited about the ideas I developed in Britain. Personally, this programme helped me to open my eyes widely and look at things another way."
George Katcharava, Georgia
Within the National Security Council, George is responsible for policy on international relations - especially conflict resolution, regional security, relations with Russia, the US, and the Caucasus. George has been active in the political settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia and has prepared papers to promote the effective development of the peace process, liaising with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Parliamentary Commission and representatives of international political organisations. George's experiences on the Fellowship Programme have had a profound impact on his work:
"I prepared a report about my activity and experience in the UK, where I expressed my position about sharing the experience of Devolution between Georgia and the UK. Since that time I think I've been the most active promoter of the British system of Regional Governance here in Georgia. The strongest argument for this is asymmetric structure of Devolved Administrations in Britain, which, I think, can be used successfully in Georgia as well. My report was the subject of discussions at the executive and legislative level. In the Autumn of 2001 there were military actions in the Kodori Gorge (which is under control of Georgia). I was deeply involved in the process of settlement of this terrible situation, and was in the group which deliberated this issue in Berlin in December 2001. After Berlin I worked on the Draft of the Resolution of the UN Security Council regarding the settlement - The Resolution was adopted at the end of January 2002."
George is working with the new Georgian government to continue progress on these issues. He can take the opportunity to co-operate with another former Fellow, George Ugulava (2002), who has recently been appointed as the Deputy Minister for State Security.
Doina Straisteanu, Moldova
Doina works as a Legal Advisor for Torture Cases/Programme Co-ordinator for the Moldovan Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, which aims to promote the protection of individual Human Rights through legal advocacy. As Legal Advisor, Doina represents the victims of police abuse, dealing with allegations of torture and illegal arrest. This includes representing cases before national and international committees, developing the relationship between the public authorities and the civil sector, and preparing cases to go before the European Court of Human Rights.
"After participating in the programme I accumulated the courage and skills which I used when advocating for the prevention of torture at a UN Committee Against Torture briefing for Moldova. I am saying this to you because this success is a direct outcome of the John Smith Fellowship Programme. I learned that even an NGO activist can count heavily in promoting its values. Now I have done it by myself, I feel more confident that I (an unknown lawyer and human rights activist) can influence and change a lot."
Yulia Antonyan, Armenia
Following her attachment in
Luton Borough Council, Yulia gave a presentation to 10 regional municipalities
in Armenia on ways of involving civil society organizations with local
government and decision making. She explained how the Luton Forum worked, the
structure of Local Strategic Partnerships, about Luton's work with community
centers, children and disabled people. The municipal representatives were
especially interested in how local organizations worked in financial
partnerships with Luton through a grant giving system. There was a significant
interest in applying this to Armenian municipalities. Yulia is now preparing two
big initiatives to push forward the ideas of partnership, mobilization and more
optimal use of local resources.
