* International Youth Leadership Conference
Prague, Czech Republic
20-25 July 2003 and 27 July to 1 August 2003
For further information, please see: http://www.czechleadership.com
Attention all students between the ages of 18-24 are invited to participate in the 5th International Youth Leadership Conference. Join 150 fellow students from all over the world in a fun week-long forum on the future of world leadership and international relations.
Activities include historical walking tours of the glorious old city of Prague, exclusive visits to Czech Parliament, Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Embassies and other historical venues. Participants will also be participating in a Model Parliament simulation based on World Trade Organization (WTO) ratification. There will be a United Nations Security Council meeting, in which all participants role-play the characters of international diplomats, and an International War Crimes Tribunal, in which justice is sought for violations of international human rights.
Participants will be diplomatic representatives of their respective countries, making new friends with students from all over the world. The most recent conference hosted 200 students from 70 different nations worldwide.
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Minnesota SVU Chapter Event:
Issues Facing Young Czechs and Slovaks Abroad

What are the issues facing young Czechs and Slovaks living abroad in the year 2001? This germane topic was passionately explored by forty members of the  Minnesota SVU Chapter and their guests in November. The number of young people choosing to live outside of the Czech and Slovak Republics while hoping to remain true to their own culture has grown since the Velvet Revolution. Their decisions to live outside of their native countries do not come without the challenge of finding a balance between reasons for staying abroad and reasons for returning to their homelands.

During the discussion several major reasons for remaining abroad surfaced; they are grouped into categories of opportunities, societal issues, and economics. Many young people initially move abroad in order to find a job in their preferred field. Once in America they quickly become attracted to a change-oriented society that is both individualistic and egalitarian. A higher standard of living and solid infrastructure satisfy not only their basic needs but also desires that are costly to fulfill in transitional societies. In America they are able to realize many aspects of the "Czech/Slovak Dream" that as of now cannot be easily achieved in their native countries.

Quite unexpectedly, several young women in the meeting addressed a highly controversial issue, that of the changing role of women and how it is viewed in the two societies. Areas such as childrearing, maternal leave, choice of work over family, etc. were seen as issues affecting women all over the world. In American public forums such as this one, it becomes clear that Czech and Slovak women are eager to openly debate topics of great importance to them.

Problematic for young Czechs and Slovaks living abroad and are often mentioned as reasons for returning to the Czech and Slovak Republics. Parents who wish for their children to have many opportunities also want them to be aware of their cultural heritage and native language. In America, it is difficult, outside of the SVU and other organizations, to find connections with many Czech and Slovak people. Therefore, children can easily lose their Czech/Slovak identity.

Another frequently mentioned reason for returning to Europe stems from the varying degrees of acceptance of foreigners by Americans. Many people who  attended the meeting expressed that, as a result of this, they were still experiencing great culture shock and having difficulty adapting to American society. Even the young people who consider themselves to be integrated into the culture still express difficulties connecting with people outside of their immediate friends and family.

The fundamental question remains as follows: How can young Czech and Slovak people find ways to balance the pros and cons of living in either place? The following questions raise possible answers: Are there opportunities to return to the Czech/Slovak Republics and then come back to America? What skills and opportunities would enable them to float between the two cultures and is this a feasible option? Are there ways in which they can use their cross-cultural understanding to improve the situation back home?

This evening proved that there are many controversial and pressing issues that young Czechs and Slovaks living abroad are confronted with daily. The amount of energy that flowed in the room on this cold November night in Minnesota clearly shows that the young members of the SVU play a crucial role in the organization's future.

December 3, 2001
Anna Vysoka (Chair of the SVU Youth Advisory Committee)
Amy Garrett (Member of the SVU Youth Advisory Committee)
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