2011-2012 humphrey newsletter
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Rocky Gap: Looking Back, Gazing Forward
June 2012
Hubert H. Humphrey
Fellowship Program of
Syracuse University
News and Events of the 2011-
2012 Hubert H. Humphrey
Fellowship Program at the
Maxwell School of Citizenship
Syracuse University
Humphrey News
Tech Garden 7
Reflections by Sheng 8
Dialogue featuring
Secretary Clinton
11
Kristine’s Scrapbook 12
Rezwana at Foreign
Service Academy
13
First Birthday 14
On becoming a host 14
Alum Updates 15
Volunteering at the
Samaritan Center
4
Touring City Hall 3
Reflections by
Kristine
5
Syracuse COE 7
Fellows in NYC 2
Syracuse Year-End
Celebration
3
Signs of Spring 4
Rocky Gap– Year-
End Celebration
1
Each year, IIE gathers all 200+ Fel-
lows from the 18 campuses for a
final series of workshops and semi-
nars. The retreat is capped off
with a celebration attended by
Department of State representa-
tives, fellows, campus coordinators
and IIE staff. The fellows received
a certificate signed by President
Barack Obama and Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton.
It was a bittersweet time as they
reconnected with fellows from
other campuses. They shared
memories of October’s Global
Leadership Forum, pre-academic
training and the various Enhance-
ment Workshops they attended in
February and March. It was also a
time to celebrate their accomplish-
ments and take (even more) pho-
tos!
After the Fellows departed Rocky
Gap, the campus coordinators had
a day of sessions where they too,
got to reconnect with their coun-
terparts from the host campuses,
in addition to IIE
staff and State
Department rep-
resentatives.
Above: Fellows hold aloft their certificates that
were signed by President Obama and Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton. Right: Fellows and
Syracuse University staff gather for one last
group photo outside Rocky Gap Retreat. From
here Fellows went on to complete their Profes-
sional Affiliations in NYC, Washington, D.C.,
Atlanta, Miami and Syracuse.. From front row,
left to right: Tammy Salisbury, Sania Battalova,
Margaret Lane, Elena Marchan, Kenyatta
Mwawashe, Prateek Mohanty, Rezwana Sid-
diqui. Middle: Kristine Jaunzeme. Back row:
Hazim Hamed, Humayun Tarar, Brahmanand
Thakur, Phone Myint Win, Gang Sheng and
Sulaiman Al-Shandoudi.
Page 2
The Humphrey Fellows took New York City by storm in
March for a combination of professional site visits and sight-
seeing opportunities. The week was unusually warm, which brought Manhattanites
out by the droves to Highline Park. The Fellows were treat-
ed to a private tour of this new park, which is a collabora-
tion between the City of New York and the nonprofit Friends of the High Line. They learned how redeveloping
this formerly abandoned elevated rail line has spurred much
economic development in the Chelsea neighborhood of
lower Manhattan. They also visited the United Nations for a tour and had the
opportunity to attend a Career Expo in conjunction with
NYU and a Maxwell alumni networking event hosted by
Career and Alumni Services. The Fellows visited the Acumen Fund, a philanthropic organ-
ization which harnesses the investments of donors into pa-
tient capital- financially supporting on-the-ground businesses
and organizations in targeted countries in order to help
alleviate poverty. Acumen works in many of our Humphrey
Fellows’ countries so there was great interest in how Acu-
men fulfills its mission.
Humphrey Flags Throughout the News-
letter you’ll notice the
flags representing the
countries of Humphrey
Fellows since 2009.
Kenya
India
Moldova
Sierra Leone
Fellows Take a Bite out of the Big Apple
NYC’s 311 Center was also on the
agenda, which is a centralized call
center where customers access
information about NYC govern-
ment services. 311 handles over
61,000 calls per day! The IT as-
pect to this was of great interest to
the Fellows in addition to the level
of service and the “one stop shop-
ping” customer-centric aspect to
government services. There was also time for a visit to
the 9/11 Memorial, located at the
site of the World Trade Center.
Fellows spent free moments ex-
ploring the Empire State Building,
walking around neighborhoods of
Murray Hill by the hotel and ex-
ploring Times Square by night. A busy and productive 48 hours in
New York!
Above: Fellows stand in and outside the hallowed halls of the United Na-
tions. Below: Fellows met with Joe Morrisroe, Executive Director of the 311 Cen-
ter to learn how his department handles over 22 million non-emergency
calls to NYC government annually.
The Fellows came together for a
year-end celebration at the Gold-
stein Student Center at the end of
April. It was a night filled with frivol-
ities, music, and memories. Humayun
Tarar was chosen by his peers to
represent the group and reflected
upon his year as a Humphrey Fellow.
Margaret Lane, Steve Lux and IIE
Humphrey Fellowship Director Judy Gibson, visiting from Washington,
D.C., also offered remarks. Fellows
offered roses to program staff in
addition to a Mithila painting of the
Hindu Goddess of Knowledge
"Saraswati" to thank all who had
helped them throughout their year.
Fellows Gather to Celebrate with Family and Friends
Page 3
Fellows Tour Syracuse City Hall: Meet Officials, Learn
About Resident Ghost
Humayun, Brahma, Phone and Kenyatta pose with the
“pride of City Hall”- the Golden Snowball Award, given to the
snowiest city in Upstate New York. Syracuse has been a
recent perennial winner, but with limited snow this season,
was edged out of the competition by Rochester.
The Fellows had an opportunity to meet exten-
sively with Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner’s top
administrators for an afternoon. They learned
how the city fulfills its mandate and mission to its
citizens amidst challenging economic times.
Chief of Staff Bill Ryan provided a framework of
how the city is governed. Director of Admin-
istration Beth Rougeux offered her perspective
on how the various departments within the city
government are managed and interact with one
another. Director of Mayoral Initiatives Tim
Carroll talked about economic development and
the challenges of pensions and healthcare man-
dates. The Fellows also met managers from a wide-
ranging array of departments during a tour pro-
vided by Director of Constituent Services Lind-
say Speicher. Finally, the Fellows toured the
historic building’s basement, learning about the
legend of a resident ghost. No strange
presences were noticed, however! Host Frank
Kelly helped arranged productive afternoon as
he previously worked for City Hall in the 1970’s.
Fellows spent an early spring afternoon helping to serve lunch at downtown Syracuse’s Samaritan Center.
This soup kitchen serves 250-350 meals per day, 365 days a year. The Fellows were just a few of the 800
volunteers who assist the Center each month in helping to bring breakfast and lunch to anyone in need.
Before their volunteer shift, they met the Samaritan Center’s Executive Director, Mary Beth Frey, to gain
insight into the organization’s mission and to learn a little about how the Center fits into the broad spec-
trum of social services available to people in Onondaga County. The talk provided an excellent example of
the myriad of government agencies and nonprofits who serve the poor in the Central New York area. She
emphasized the reward of getting to know the community members they serve in addition to befriending
the myriad of volunteers. In addition, she stressed this personal connection and the importance of dignity,
remarking how community members who eat meals there also wish to lend a hand to help in any way they
can.
Before long, it was time to don
aprons, hats and gloves to
serve lunch. Some Fellows
were on the food line, serving
the meal while others had
clean up detail, washing trays.
Well over 200 lunches were
served that Friday, with count-
less more memories of service
to the Fellow’s adopted com-
munity.
Volunteering at the Samaritan Center
Page 4
Latvia
Nepal
Azerbaijan
Kyrgyzstan
Signs of Spring in Central New York
Above: Brahma, Sulaiman, Phone and the
Tarar family at Tinker’s Falls south of Tully.
Central New York is filled with scenic parks and
trails for visitors to enjoy!
As previous Fellows will remember, winter in Central New
York can be a challenge. This year, program staff prepared
the Fellows a little too well for winter- instead of anywhere
near the 179 inches the 2010-2011 Fellows experienced, this
year’s cohort barely had 50 inches- so little, that the winter
outing to Highland Forest was cancelled, not due to too
much winter, but not enough! Instead, the Fellows experienced a sure sign of spring in Cen-
tral New York- maple syrup season. As the weather warms
and days get longer, the sap of sugar maple trees begins to
run and people tap the tree to initiate the pain-staking pro-
cess of turning sap into sweet maple syrup.
Fellows who weren’t attending enhancement workshops
joined host Barry Kogut at Critz Farms to learn about (and
taste!) maple syrup, learning the about process where 40
gallons of sap will be boiled down to 1 gallon of syrup. After
a brunch of pancakes and fresh maple syrup, Barry took the
fellows on a brief hike to Tinker’s Falls in northern Cortland
County, not far from his country home in Fabius. While not
exactly Niagara Falls, Tinker’s Falls did allow time to walk off
the morning’s pancakes. They also explored Labrador Hollow
Unique Area. They finished the pleasurable jaunt with a stop
at Barry and Kathy’s home.
Right: Fellows help get the
lunch meal ready at the Sa-
maritan Center. They served
about 235 lunches that day
to those in need of a hot meal
and warm conversation.
It takes me quite a while to sit down
at my laptop and to write a reflec-
tion about my Humphrey year. I
know any words will fail me and
any words will be too small to em-
brace and describe this time of my
life. The world suddenly has be-
come so, so small and America so
big. Leaving home has led me back
home. My impatience with life and
work has calmed down. I have dis-
covered myself and world from
anew so many hours and days this
year. Let me tell you three things:
about being impatient and discover-
ing myself, about coming home and
about a small, small world.
Honestly?! I came to U.S. so tired
and frustrated with my work back
home in public administration of
Latvia. I wondered how one can be
so tired and almost hopeless after
only seven years in public service?
How will I go on at a service to our
people in Latvia when I am so emp-
ty already? My impatience and
eager willingness to see the impact
of the work and not being able to
see it for several years had led me to
permanent feeling to be wasted. I
was lucky to work on local govern-
ment reforms and legislation, thus I
could see impact and results in be-
ginning of my career in public ser-
vice. But after that, all I could see
what the procedures and papers, one
after another, so many broken
promises to our people and political
circus. The Humphrey seminar with our
wonderful professors Catherine
When One is Taken to the Mountaintop
- Reflection by Kristine Jaunzeme
Page 5
Turkey
Dominican Republic
Oman
Colombia
Bhutan
Gerard and Steven Lux, public ad-
ministration and democracy class
with professor Tina Nabatchi, NGO
class, negotiation class with profes-
sor Robert Rubinstein and so many
other seminars and workshops,
group discussions, insights and
views of professionals from all
around the world – my good friends,
Humphrey Fellows, and idealistic
students of the Maxwell School, it
was like a wellspring of life, like
fresh air for me. Suddenly I was able
to breathe and I was breathing deep-
ly. I was brought to a mountaintop
to reflect on previous experiences,
different meetings and battles about
bringing change in our public ad-
ministration in Latvia; I was brought
to places where I was jumping out of
my skin to make change, to make an
impact and where that wouldn’t help
anyways. Through classes and semi-
nars at the Maxwell School, I
learned so much about leadership,
public policy and administration.
Many times what was a celebration
of intuition before became a
knowledge and insight now. Yes,
but even more I learned about my-
self from day to day, from self as-
sessments, group projects and role
plays, from rela-
tions and differ-
ent situations- I
was discovering
the person who is
living through
me, the eyes
which are look-
ing in this world.
I was brought to
a mountaintop to
reflect, to discov-
er myself, world
and my country
from anew, to
find and see new
perspective. I
also was preparing to walk down
from a mountaintop in every day
path and work challenges. Now – re-
charged, better equipped and pre-
pared, with new aspirations and
ideas, more patient, knowing myself
better and with much greater emo-
tional intelligence.
Leaving home led me back home. I
have always taken the life, all what I
love back home for granted. This
year I have re-discovered my loved
ones back home and my Latvia
from a distance and I found myself
loving home so passionately and
eagerly. I knew that I would miss
my extended family, my Riga’s St.
Old Gertrude church, but I didn’t
know that I would miss them as
much as I did. I didn’t know that
they are such a big part of me and
my roots are so deep. Now I know
better. Throughout the year, I was
following all the chaos after the
2011 Parliament elections in Latvia
in the news on the web and griev-
ing about tendencies of our new
democracy and misuse of power.
At a same time in all my class read-
ings whatever theory I would read
or class discussions would partici-
pate - I would always compare and
try to apply it to a situation and
systems at home whether it would
be about tensions between democ-
racy and bureaucracy, citizenship,
building social capital, new public
management approaches or other
topics. I remember good times in
Seattle and rushing through the city
one Saturday night in February
with Humphrey Fellows from Pan-
ama, Nepal and Pakistan trying to
find the place to vote in our latest
referendum relating to Latvian and
Russian languages. I could never
just study, do an internship or just
live in America. I was always find-
ing myself in thoughts being back
home in Latvia. Home is where
(con’t next page)
Page 6
South Korea
Pakistan
Iraq
Madagascar
Tunisia
When One is Taken to the Mountaintop (Cont’d)
my heart is. My heart is in Latvia.
Wow!! And world has become so, so
small after this year and America so
big!! We were 11 nationalities in our
Maxwellian Humphrey group. We were
93 nationalities in our 200 Humphrey
Fellow 2011-12 cohort. We made
friends for a lifetime from all around the
world and from America. I remember
reading the list of participants of some
of the Humphrey enhancement work-
shops and a smile appearing on my face
so many times, seeing the names of
friends I would meet in the workshop.
In every workshop, of course, we made
new friends and professional contacts
with peers from all around the world. I
remember my surprise and great joy
meeting Humphrey Fellow Shaymaa
from Egypt in the American Manage-
ment Association seminar in San Fran-
cisco. I remember a warm welcome in
Washington D.C., staying a couple of
days with Humphrey Fellows from University of Maryland: Chao from China, Zvik from Zimbabwe and Sind-
hu from India whom I get to know in the Humphrey enhancement workshop in Atlanta. I remember all the
great joy we had with our Maxwellian Humphrey cohort, all the discussions and fun we had in Syracuse and in
our travels. Our discussions and sharing ideas – that was a mil-
lion!! Kenyatta, I will miss your ideas and insights forever when
our walks separate and we depart home. Sharing cultures and
meals, doing sports together. Tennis with Hazim and swimming
lessons with Rezwana. Seeing Prateek’s loving care for his fam-
ily and Phone’s tirelessness wanting to learn more. Whenever I
see a library now, I think about Phone. Whenever I hear some-
thing very extraordinary now, I see Sulaiman in my thoughts.
The greatest night in U.S. in New Orleans in the emergency
room in hospital with Humayun and Brahmanand, and Fellows
from Boston University Cisem from Turkey and Margarita from
Mexico. Last night with Sania and Elena in Washington D.C.
A smile appears on my face. So many stories to tell, so many
pictures saved and so many fingerprints on my heart. We made
friends for lifetime!! And yes, America suddenly became so
big!! No matter how much I have traveled from place to place
this year (and, of course, I am not even close to our big brother
Sheng), I have seen only a little bit from this big, beautiful and
so diverse country. Even New York City through my internship
in the City seemed so big for me. But I think I have seen the
most important part because I had a privilege to get to know, to
make friends and professional contacts with wonderful Ameri-
can people, the real and most true ambassadors of America. Our
friends in Executive Education office at Maxwell School of
Citizenship and Public Affairs and our professors. Margaret,
Tammy, Martha, Catherine, Steven, Tina, Vadym, all the pro-
gram staff – we cannot thank you enough. Host families, Ploy
and Rich, Sandi and Frank, friends, Pat, Joe, everyone who was
American part of our 2011-12 Syracuse Humphrey family – you are our Americans!! Thank you for your love
of your country and for your warm welcome in your homes and families. Thank you for your friendship and
thank you that you do care.
Page 7
The Humphrey Fellows travelled to the Syracuse Tech Garden, a center for innovation and entrepreneurship
in the technology sector. They were given a chance to explore the physical aspects of the Garden, and dis-
cuss strategies of encouraging innovation and tech pioneering with experts at the site, including incubator
projects and the “student sandbox.”
Syracuse Tech Garden - Fellows and Innovation
Israel
Myanmar (Burma)
Tajikistan
Philippines
China
Right: During a tour of
Syracuse Tech Gar-
den, a technology
incubator collabora-
tive, Fellows had the
opportunity to meet
with the Garden’s
director, Linda Dicker-
son Hartsock (right;
back to camera).
From the left: Hazim
Hamed, Sulaiman Al-
Shandoudi, Rezwana
Siddiqui, Kenyatta
Mwawashe, Elena
Marchan, Sania Bat-
talova and Gang
Sheng.
Fellows visit the Syracuse Center of Excellence This spring, Fellows had the opportunity to visit the Syracuse Center of Excellence (COE) to explore an
example of a public-private collaboration in the sustainability sector. COE is a place where research and
application join forces, housing many cutting-edge environmental innovations. The Center is located in a
boat-shaped building that is extremely energy efficient, having received a LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) Platinum Accreditation score just this year! Fellows were led on a tour by the COE’s
Carissa Matthews, where they were able to see and interact with the modern technology that makes the
building unique. The group was amazed at how open and accessible the energy and water infrastructure of
the building was. The Syracuse Center of Excellence is one of seven Centers of Excellence in New York
State and is the only one
that focuses specifically
on environmental re-
search.
Left: Syracuse COE’s
Carissa Matthews, back
to camera, explains the
Center’s innovative
green roof to the Fel-
lows. The roof has a
layer of plant material, a
variety of sedum, to
absorb water and mini-
mize runoff. They are
standing on the third
floor of the building. A
portion of the downtown
Syracuse skyline can be
seen in the background.
Page 8
Page 8
Ecuador
Saudi Arabia
Liberia
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
My HUMPHREY Year: Human Understanding Makes
Partnerships with Humor, Respect, and Equality
Yours,
Dr. Gang Sheng
As my Humphrey year draws to a close, it is a pleasure to look back
upon the past, make a summary of the year, and share experiences
gained and lessons learned. Generally speaking, my impressions about
the Humphrey Program could be expressed as one sentence, an acro-
nym for HUMPHREY: Human Understanding Makes Partnerships with
Humor, Respect, and Equality Yours. Every day, I have met new people
and faced new challenges. This experience enables me to think with a
global perspective and combine Eastern and Western ways of thinking. I think I could summarize my days in the Humphrey Program with three
famous sayings of Confucius, which represent “Learning,” “Friendship,”
and “Understanding” respectively. “To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learned, is that
not, after all, a pleasure?” “That friends should come to one from afar, is this not, after all,
delightful?” “To remain unsoured even though one’s merits are unrecognized
by others, is that not, after all, what is expected for a gentleman?”
Learning To learn and at due times to
repeat what one has learned,
is that not, after all, a pleas-
ure? For a long time, I have
dreamed of studying in the
US, and the Humphrey Pro-gram has made my dream
come true. Throughout the
past year, every morning,
when I wake up, I ask myself,
“Imagine, if this was the last
day of the program, how will
I spend it more meaningfully
and effectively?” I cherish
every single minute, and I
have learned a wide range of
knowledge, covering topics such as time man-
agement, strategic planning, crisis management,
social media, civic engagement, NGO manage-
ment, and so on. As a result, I have discovered
three essential elements for productive learn-
ing: a teachable mindset, experiential learning,
and critical thinking. First, the empty cup mentality. Learning is like
filling a cup: one has to empty himself or her-
self to prepare to be teachable. Nothing can be
added to a full cup. Illustrating this teachable
mindset, my Oregon classmate, Mina Aryal
from Nepal, and my Syracuse classmate, Phone
Myint Win from Myanmar, have set good mod-
els for me. Inspired by their diligence and
(continued on next page)
Page 9
(con’t from previous page) passion, I try to open my mind so as to embrace new information and gain new inspiration. Except for par-
ticipating in scheduled courses, I have devoted every minute that I could to listening to as many lectures as
possible. During the past nine months, I have attended over 100 lectures, focusing on different topics, which
have really expanded my comprehensive understanding of the world. Second, the experiential mentality. Seeing is believing, and first-hand experience creates real knowledge.
There is a Chinese saying, that a wise person should read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.
Similarly, Huck Finn said, “I never let school get in the way of my education.” (Mark Twain) As a comple-
ment to class study, travelling is the best way to observe a nation. Through travelling, I have been impressed
by the abundance and diversity of this country. Even the same things in various US cities can be very differ-
ent. The more places I visit, the more I feel that I still need to learn. This kind of experience has greatly
stimulated my aspiration to keep studying and exploring. Third, the critical thinking mentality. The ultimate goal of learning is practicing. Theory and practice should
be combined, and we must think critically in order to find the most effective approach and serve people
better. I was especially impressed by the “question boy,” Iqbal Ahmed Detho from Pakistan, who is good at
asking insightful questions that demonstrate this kind of critical thinking. The course studies, seminars, and
presentations are very valuable and highly important. However, we have to acknowledge the gap between
academic study and the practical world. Therefore, we need to be innovated to close the gap.
Is it not a pleasure to learn? In short, these three mentalities contribute to the pleasure found in learning.
Friendship That friends should
come to one from
afar, is this not,
after all, delightful? Nowadays, peace
and development
are two main
themes of the
world. However,
due to numerous
differences, con-
flicts never stop.
To cope with this
challenge, global
vision and under-
standing are neces-
sary. The Humph-
rey Program has
enabled me to have
the chance to share ideas and
observe other
cultures closely. It
provides for a rich diversity in friendship among and between Fellows and American people. Delight from friendship with fellows. Gathering from all corners of the globe and all walks of life, our peer
fellows are representing the world. Before attending this program, I only had a few personal connections
with people from the US, Australia and Singapore. However, through the English training in Oregon and my
studies in Syracuse, as well as different activities outside of class, including the Global Leadership Forum, the
Humphrey enhancement workshops, the professional affiliation, host families, and so on, altogether I have
made nearly 300 connections from nearly 100 countries. It is a wonderful experience for me to get to know
people from different regions and understand what, how and why they think of the same things from differ-
ent angles. Delight from friendship with American people. As a student from the other side of the world, understanding
American society is not easy. Yet, through the Humphrey Program, I have been able to explore and under-
stand American society deeply. As of now, I have visited over 60 companies and organizations in 30 differ-ent US cities. I try my best to be a bridge between the US cities and my city, Chengdu, and promote bilat-
eral exchange in different areas, such as education, culture, and business. I have participated in efforts to
foster the exchange of education between universities, strengthen the friendship between sister cities, and
have promoted investment and cooperation between China and the US. For example, my recent visit to the
Universidad del Este in Puerto Rico reinforced the value of cultural exchange, as my peer fellow, Ruishan
Zheng, and I were able to give presentations and an interview about city development and emergency man-
agement in Sichuan Province, where we are from. All these experiences give me insight into the importance
of promoting mutual understanding.
(con’t on next page)
Page 10
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(con’t from previous page) Is it not delightful to have international friends? In short, interacting with such a diverse range of people
through the Humphrey Program contributes to the delight found in friends.
Understanding To remain unsoured even though one’s merits are unrecognized by others, is that not, after all, what is
expected for a gentleman? It is a quickly changing world, full of diversity. It is also a world full of conflicts. In order to realize mutual
respect and understanding, communication and dialogue are very important. On one hand, people can’t
just let their personal
pride or ego keep them
from seeing others’ per-
spectives. On the other
hand, tolerance and pa-
tience are necessary atti-
tudes to cope with misun-
derstanding. Based on my
experience, I have three
guidelines to share for
avoiding cultural conflict. First, be generous to oth-
ers and try to think posi-
tively. A positive or nega-
tive mentality can lead to
very different outcomes
for a given task. From my Syracuse classmate, Rez-
wana Siddiqui from Paki-
stan, I learned the saying,
“The positive thinker sees
the invisible, feels the in-
tangible, and achieves the
impossible.” Seeing the best in others will make your interaction both more pleasant and more meaningful. Second, be tolerant and try to shift positions. No matter where we are from—our country of origin, our
occupation, or our ethnicity—we are equal. We should stand in someone else’s shoes instead of passing
judgment. We should respect each other and work to see things from the others’ perspectives. Third, be humorous and try to share fun. Life does not lack beauty, but sometimes we need to lighten up
to see the beauty. That is, do not take everything so seriously. From my peers and coordinators, I learned
to have a sense of humor and optimism. If you have fun, I have fun; when we together, our pleasure will be
doubled. Is it not the mark of a gentleman to be humble? In short, having a generous, tolerant, and humorous out-
look will contribute to remaining unsoured by wounded pride or misunderstanding.
Conclusion Before I attended this program, in my heart, there was a metaphorical map that included all of China. As
time goes on, I still have that map; however, it is gradually covering almost all of the world, a world map.
This cross-cultural experience has enabled me to better understand the word “love.” This kind of love is
not just limited to romantic love, but it is a brotherly love, or a Philadelphia love. We come from different
countries and regions, we speak different native languages and dialects, and we have different cultures and
traditions, but we all have similar dreams, which are to create a better life for others and for ourselves. It
is love that can handle all kinds of conflicts and promote cooperation and peace. Hereby, I would like to
use this opportunity to thank my professors, coordinators, peer fellows, and all the people who contribute
to this program. Thank you for your generosity and support! To conclude, I want to quote a saying by a renowned American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Don’t go
where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Facing this ever changing
globalized world, we need vision, courage and wisdom to leave a trail, a trail toward a better world, a
more peaceful and harmonious world with more love! Remember what HUMPHREY could stand for: Human Understanding Makes Partnerships with Humor,
Respect, and Equality Yours!
My Humphrey Year...
Page 11
Syracuse University Humphrey Coordinator Margaret
Lane wears many hats– besides overseeing the Humph-
rey Program, she is in charge of the Executive Degree
Programs as Assistant Director of Executive Education
at the Maxwell School. As part of those duties, she trav-
elled to Moldova and Georgia in March to meet potential
students sponsored by Open Society Foundations.
This provided a wonderful opportunity to catch up with
2009-2010 Humphrey alum Alexei Ionaoscu in Mol-
dolva. He sends his greetings to all!
Catching up with Old Friends
Rezwana Attends Dialogue Featuring Secretary Clinton
by Rezwana Siddiqui
"…societies move forward when the citizens that make up these groups are empowered to
transform common interests into common actions that serve the common good."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Community of Democracies, Krakow, July 2010
Secretary Clinton launched the Strategic Dialogue with the Civil Society (SDCS) in February
2011 to elevate U.S. engagement with partners beyond foreign governments and to underscore
the U.S.’s continued commitments in supporting and protecting civil society around the world. In a continuation of the series of discussions with civil society, the State Department organized a
dialogue with the Secretary of State on May 16th, 2012, in which various national and interna-
tional groups and representatives from civil society were invited. I, along with few other Humph-
rey Fellows from Africa, Central Asia, the Far East and other countries were also in attendance. She apprised the audience about the events that unfolded after the launch of the series of dialogues with
civil society. A number of sessions were held
afterwards, and as a result of the wide rang-
ing discussions, themes were identified for
collaboration between the USA and civil
societies in various parts of the world.
Henceforth, eight policy recommendations
and working groups were established
through dedicated posts, established in the
USA’s embassies around the globe. These
posts were working in close collaboration
with concerned segments of civil societies in
respective countries, for a joint action for a
joint cause. The U.S. embassies in various parts of the world are now acting as a catalyst for change
by joining with various segments of societies
such as religious groups and faith based or-
ganizations, with an aim to promote better
understanding of religious harmony and pro-
tection of rights of religious minorities. Similarly, some working posts are collaborating with labor unions
to promote a better working relationship between governments, industries and the labor-force. Another
group is working with women representatives’ organizations to achieve a common cause of women’s em-
powerment. In the end Clinton managed a Q&A session whereby participants sitting in the Benjamin Franklin Room of
the State Department and those participating through video-calls posed questions that were replied to in
detail.
Above: Secretary of State Hilla-
ry Clinton also visited the cam-
pus of Syracuse University in
April. She spoke at Hendricks
Chapel to a standing room only
audience— a few lucky Hum-
phreys were able to attend.
Above: Rezwana was an invited member of the audience as
Secretary Clinton addresses invitees during the Strategic
Dialogue with Civil Society session in May.
Page 12
Kristine’s Scrapbook—
Page 12
Humphrey Seminar faculty Steve Lux and
Catherine Gerard
Birthday
Celebrations!
Niagara Falls with Sania and Brahma.
Trip to Boeing in Seattle
Out on the town—Fellows were always on the move!
Kristine’s host family, Rich and Ploy
Chapman with Elena, Kristine and
Sania.
Page 13
Rezwana Speaks to 25 Diplomats at the Foreign
Service Academy Rezwana Siddiqui was recently was invited for a candid talk and presentation
to a cohort of 25 diplomats from U.S. Foreign Service, who are awaiting post-
ing in 25 countries, including Pakistan. Paul Schelp, Program Officer in the Of-
fice of Global Educational Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. State Department, discussed the objectives of the program.
Rezwana talked about the synergies of goals between the Hubert Humphrey
Program and Fellows themselves. She shared her personal experiences with
the audience, highlighting some pleasant surprises she had during her time as a
Syracuse University Humphrey Fellow. She mentioned the professional man-
agement of the program at the host campuses, whereby all systems, processes,
procedures were in place from day one. She also shared her own evolution during this time. Her stay in the U.S. awak-
ened a ‘can-do’ attitude in her, which she considers to be one of the major
takeaways of the program. While there were some unfulfilled aspirations, like
visiting Niagara Falls, there was a lot of time spent sharing her culture through
delicious Pakistani cuisine and music with others in the Humphrey and EMPA programs at the Maxwell School.
She feels that people-to-people interactions are the best way to bridge the information divide, which has
crept into human beings despite living in an information era. This gap exists among countries even though
there is a high density of communication mechanisms including great internet penetration. Rezwana shared her view of U.S., through first-hand exchanges at various levels including people, government
officials, systems, processes and societies as a whole. She found them to be more structured, organized,
schedule-oriented, class and hierarchy-indifferent, risk takers and open to new ideas. She feels that all these
traits are major contributory factors towards the significant position that the U.S. has on the globe and it is
paying a high dividend both at the economic and intellectual levels. She offered view of Pakistan which was a
major departure from the media image of that country. This very candid heart-to-heart talk was viewed by the diplomats with interest and keenness. She shared her
aspiration for a global society free of prejudice, misconception, mutual respect and harmony to make earth a
better living place. It was a great learning and information exchange for the diplomats and Rezwana. The per-
spective and insights from a Humphrey Fellow was an opportunity for the audience of the Foreign Service
Academy to have a first-hand perspective of the Humphrey Program, Rezwana’s Pakistan and the United
States through her eyes.
Above: Rezwana spoke to Foreign Service personnel about Pakistan. She was the invitee of Paul Schelp, the Educa-
tion and Cultural Affairs Department of the U.S. State Department.
Page 14 Page 14
Our HHH Host Family Experience by Frank Kelly I don’t recall how I first learned of the opportunity to be a host family to one of the Hubert H. Humphrey
Fellows visiting Maxwell last year, but know I was interested in learning more. For years, my wife, Sandi and I
have enjoyed meeting people from other countries. As adjunct faculty at Upstate Medical University, we’d
worked with several foreign students. More recently, we’d made friends with foreign graduate students at
Cornell, where our daughter works. But,
being retired, I’ve had fewer opportunities to
meet international scholars in recent years. My first thought was to request a Fellow who
was involved in local government back home,
since that’s where I’d spent the majority of
my public service. But that did not work out.
Instead, we were paired with Sania, a librarian
[though that term is hardly descriptive of her
credentials or responsibilities] from Kyrgyz-
stan. We exchanged email before she ar-
rived but other obligations prevented us from
meeting Sania’s flight in Syracuse. I met Sania
– and her 11 associates - at a picnic organized
by Maxwell staff and my wife did not meet
her until even later. That was yesterday – or so it seems. The
time has evaporated. What began with driv-ing Sania around university neighborhoods
looking for an apartment – and soliciting
friends in Cortland for loaned furniture, mu-
tated again and again as the months flew by.
Along the way we got to know some of the other Fellows – and host families – as well: Kristine from Latvia
(who shared an apartment with Sania), Elena from Ecuador (who shared a penchant for shopping with her),
and Humayun from Pakistan (a self-labeled “cop” who I later introduced to a Police Chief I’d worked with on
another volunteer assignment). We shared holiday meals with Sania and had her “down” (we live in Cortland, 30 miles south of Syracuse) for
overnights. We visited her – and other fellows – in Syracuse – for potluck dinners, basketball games and
smaller, informal visits. I went on hikes and bike rides with Kristine, for drinks with Sania and to a play with
Elena. I took a group to Cornell and helped arrange a meeting with senior city government staff in Syracuse,
where I’d previously worked. We introduced Sania and other members of the group to friends and family,
and kept in touch between visits by email and phone. Looking back over the year, it’s abundantly clear that – as much as we gave to this year’s HHH class – we were rewarded several times over, in a variety of ways. Sandi and I love to travel but will never visit all the
countries or learn about all the cultures we’d like to. Serving as an HHH Host Family gave us the opportunity
to learn about several countries and form meaningful connections with people we’d never have met other-
wise. In the process, we’ve made new friends - who we plan to keep in touch with and hope to see again.
You can’t ask for more than that.
By Prateek Mohanty We celebrated the first birthday of our younger
daughter Pernita Mohanty – the “international
citizen” - here in the United States on the 17th of
February, 2012. While mother Maitri laid out the
delicious Indian cuisine, elder sister Panita spent
time dotting the walls with balloons adding color
and festivity. It was attended by “dignitaries” from
many continents of the globe. We shall cherish the
happy time spent with our friends in the Humph-
rey cohort, Tammy representing the Program Staff
from Executive Education and, of course, Molly
(from our host family).
Above: First birthday wishes were in abundance for Pernita Mohanty, daughter of Humphrey Fellow Prateek at his
home in Syracuse.
First Birthday Celebration of an ‘International Citizen’
Above: Frank Kelly (front, seated on floor) and his wife Sandi
Holland (far right) join from left: Kristine’s hosts Rich and
Ploysong Chapman, Humphrey friend Pat Wilson, Elena Marchan
and Sania Battalova early in the Humphrey year.
Page 15
Under construction: We are in the process of
adding a Maxwell Humphrey
Facebook page which will be
public for all to contribute
and learn about the goings on
and wonderful accomplish-ments of current and alumni
Humphreys. Keep your eye
out for it later in July.
But we still want to hear
from you on our Facebook
group, which is designed for
Fellows, alums, coordinators
ans hosts. If you have news,
views, or updates, join our
“Humphrey Fellows- Max-
well School, Syracuse Uni-
versity” group on Facebook.
You can post thoughts, share
photos and join the conversa-
tion– it’s a great way to keep in touch with past and cur-
rent Maxwell Humphrey Fel-
lows!
We always love to hear what
our alums are doing and will
post in the next newsletter.
Please pass along any news you
wish to share- and photos, too!
You can post on our Facebook
group page or email Martha at
mhketcha@syr.edu.
Maxwell’s Humphrey Fellow
Linked In is also a growing
group. Feel free to check us
out at:
http://www.linkedin.com
Maxwell’s Humphrey website http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/
exed/sites/About_Humphrey/
Keeping in
touch… we’re
closer than ever! Khaled AlAjmi, a 2010-2011
Humphrey alum, is the General
Manager of the Saudi National
Unemployment Assistance
(Hafiz). In May, Hafiz won the
International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) prize in the category
of eEmployment. More than 170
agencies from over 50 countries
competed for the prize. The ITU
is the technology arm of the
United Nations. Congratulations
Khaled! (Right: Khaled AlAjmi, front row
third from left)
Alumni Updates
Nimrod Goren, 2009-2010 Humphrey alum keeps his Maxwell
connections going. Recently, a Letter of Understanding was final-
ized between Maxwell’s PARCC, the Program for the Advance-
ment of Research on Conflict and Collaboration and Nimrod’s
NGO, Mitvim - the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.
This initiative aims to strengthen and formalize the connection
between Mitvim and PARCC in the area of teaching and research.
Through this collaboration, PARCC hopes to: (a) become more
aware of the possibilities for new approaches to Israel’s engage-
ment with countries in the Middle East and Mediterranean re-
gions; and, (b) gain a better understanding of the scholars, practi-
tioners, think tanks, and governmental and non-governmental
agencies in Israel, MENA regions, Europe and other countries that
are working to facilitate these new regional approaches.
Miriam Elman, Associate Professor of Political Science at Maxwell
and a faculty member in PARCC, will be travelling to Israel in July
to present a talk on “Spoilers of Peace and the Dilemmas of Con-
flict Resolution: a Literature Review and Lessons for Israel's
Peacemaking.”
Right: 2011-2012 Humph-
rey Fellow Gang Sheng
gave a presentation on
Chengdu’s emergency re-
sponse to its tragic earth-
quake at the Universidad
del Este in Puerto Rico.
This was at the invitation of
Anne L. Howard Tristani (in
yellow), Vice Chancellor for
International, Federal and
Corporate Affairs for the
University. She is Hubert
H. Humphrey’s niece.
Professor
Miriam Elman
Nimrod Goren
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