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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Host Parents Play an Important Role
The best ambassadors for America are being trained every day in the United States in hundreds of high schools across the country. Every day an American host Mom or Dad is taking a student from any part of the world, including, Kazakhstan and Russia, to a soccer game, the mall, or church, just as they would their own child. At our house, his name is Abdumanon Yusupov. He's a quiet kid from southern Tajikistan. In his town of Sarband many of his friends tend sheep and goats and don't think too much about living in America. But already over 14,000 ambitious students like Abdumanon have come to the United States through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX). FLEX was established in 1992 as the centerpiece of the NIS Secondary School Initiative with FREEDOM Support Act funding from the State Department and USAID. High school students from the former Soviet Union experience life in America and go home to promote democratic values and institutions in Eurasia. Great program, and one of many. So where is the national security emergency? The fact is that while the U.S. recognizes the importance of these programs, there are not enough host families to accommodate all the students who are eligible. These are not slackers. These kids go on to be foreign ministers, politicians, and leaders in all sorts of fields, from astronomy to zoology. Georgian President Shakhashvili, for example, was an intern in the United States. The kid whose dirty socks you clean could end up as Prime Minister. Our host son, Abdumanon, likes Honey Toasted Oats and chicken hot dogs, loves American movies, and was on the high school cross country, wrestling, and yes, now the soccer team. He simplified his name to Manon, but now he's known as "Manny" to his friends. He has marveled at the dignity of Arlington National Cemetery. He swam in the ocean for the first time in his life, in Hawaii no less. And he's heard his wrestling coach teach him how to apply the lessons he's learned on the wrestling mat to real life. Like all exchange students he volunteers in the community. Manny helps a local medical assistance group package humanitarian aid supplies for developing countries. Tajikistan is just north of Afghanistan. I served there for two years as a Foreign Service Officer, and I know you probably don't know where it is on a map. I wasn't too sure before the assignment either. But I know exactly where Tajikistan is now. The United States is trying to move Tajikistan in the right direction. We are building a bridge to Afghanistan to deepen their regional economic links. Our development projects are aimed at building transparency, rule of law, and democracy. But Manny and his exchange peers are our best public diplomacy agents. They are motivated, smart, and engaging. They'll ask you about everything and challenge your notion of what it means to be an American. Manny is going to go back to Tajikistan to do great things for his country. He might not always take the U.S. position in international disputes, but he'll understand the American point of view. And he'll join other people in his generation who believe that democracy is indeed a fundamental human right and a new minimum international standard that has to be observed. So, sure, taking on an international exchange student for a year does take some time and effort. Waking up any 17 year old at 6:30 a.m. for school is tough, but the rewards are real and lasting. One of the veteran Moms we know hosts a student every year. And every year at the end of the stay, when the student returns the house key, she says, "Keep it. This will always be your home." Not long ago her current exchange student from Russia opened the door and was surprised to see a Japanese man in the living room. "Who are you?" He said. "Oh," He smiled. "I'm your host Mom's son from Japan from 15 years ago. I've come home." For information regarding the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programs, please contact the following: Tom Armbruster is a Foreign Service Officer who has served in Finland, Cuba, Russia, Mexico and Tajikistan.
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