PRESS RELEASE: President Bush and Condoleezza Rice Welcome Russian and American Volunteers to the White House, Praise US-Russia Volunteer Initiative

President Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, recently nominated to be secretary of state, on Friday met with 21 Russian and five American volunteers at the White House and praised the US-Russia Volunteer Initiative (USRVI), a new program providing exchanges of volunteers between the United States and Russia. The IREX-administered program, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), was a direct result from the Bush-Putin presidential summit of September 2003.

Joined by Deputy National Security Advisor Steven Hadley, Russian Ambassador to the United States Yurii Ushakov, and others, President Bush stressed the importance of USRVI for US-Russian relations and of volunteerism for both nations. In response to a volunteer’s question, Bush confirmed that USRVI, now in its initial year, will be continued in future years.

The Russian volunteers also told the president of their experiences in the United States.

Kirill Gusev, who volunteered with Computers 4 Kids in Charlottesville, Va., said after the White House meeting, “Frankly speaking, I never expected to meet the president of the United States and I really appreciated him paying so much attention to our program. I’ve realized from his speech that he expects a lot from the relationship between Russia and the United States.”

IREX president Mark Pomar, who attended the meeting, said afterwards, “IREX, a leading American nonprofit organization, is proud to have been involved in such an important program as USRVI. We truly believe that this program, which features a bilateral exchange of volunteers, can be a key facet of future American-Russian relations.”

USRVI engages both Russian and American citizens, organizations, and businesses in cooperative volunteer activities through short-term bilateral exchanges. The volunteers recently completed their four-week exchange, during which they were placed at organizations throughout the United States and Russia. The host organizations focus on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, the narrowing of the digital divide through the expansion of information and communications technology (ICT), and cultural heritage. The Russian volunteers have worked at nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, including the Whitman Walker Clinic in Washington, DC; AID Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga.; The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wis.; Computers 4 Kids in Charlottesville, Va.; the River City Youth Foundation in Austin, Tex.; and the Inland Northwest Community Access Network in Spokane, Wa.

IREX (the International Research & Exchanges Board) is an international nonprofit organization specializing in education, independent media, Internet development, and civil society programs. Through training, partnerships, education, research, and grant programs, IREX develops the capacity of individuals and institutions to contribute to their societies.