Russia

Growing up in the United States, it seemed like everyone was volunteering all of the time and the spirit of volunteerism was something I took for granted. I’ve now lived in Russia for a little over three years and realize that that spirit isn’t necessarily entirely universal. But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t volunteering in Russia, there just isn’t the same cultural acceptance of volunteering that there is in America.

One of the things I love about my job is getting to meet young people from around the world who are working to make their communities better places to live.

One of my favorite things about working for IREX’s media development division is the chance to learn more about what kind of media makes people tick all around the world. In Ukraine, one television station we worked with developed a strong following for a series on the history of World War II and its impact on southern Ukraine.