Tajikistan Visitors

Rotary International

Open World Program

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) What is the Open World Program?

The Open World Program, managed by the Open World Leadership Center (OWLC) and funded by the U.S.

Congress, is a special program available to Rotary clubs in the United States. Participating Rotary districts or clubs

host six Open World (OW) civic leaders in their communities and develop a program based on one of the Open

World civic themes. A few examples of OW hosting civic themes:

1. Accountable Governance

2. NGO Development

3. Higher Education and Innovation

4. Social Issues, focusing on Health-care Provision, Social Services including special education

2) What is the purpose of the OW Program?

a) Its original purpose was to promote mutual understanding between the United States and countries of

Eurasia1 by introducing current and emerging Eurasian leaders to their U.S. counterparts and to U.S.

democratic and free-market institutions. Additionally, the program emphasizes professional development,

exchange, and cooperation. Key concepts for exchanges include transparency, accountability, civic

initiative, and volunteerism.

3) What is the host Rotary club(s) expected to do?

a) A club is expected to coordinate all on-the-ground logistics:

i) Provide home-stay for 6 OW participants (5 delegates and 1 facilitator) for 8 days and nights; provide

home-stay for a professional interpreter from out-of-town (an U.S. based professional interpreter);

ii) Meet and greet at the airport, provide transportation between scheduled events/activities, attendance at

Rotary club meetings etc.;

iii) Prepare a substantive program schedule that includes a variety of professional meetings in accordance

with the selected hosting theme, cultural activities, and opportunities for interaction and sharing

between OW participants and U.S. host communities;

iv) If a professional interpreter is available locally, please send his/her resume to RI for review and

approval (professional, meaning that one does interpreting and translating full time, not just some one

who speaks both language). See question 8 for more details;

v) After hosting a club (a host coordinator) is responsible to submit a Final Report (Host Narrative, final

agenda, articles, etc.) and an Expense Reimbursement Report/Request Form with corresponding

materials to RI.

Host Rotary clubs/districts should provide first hand experiences with professional counterparts within their

daily work routine and give a view of American life through participation in community and cultural activities

and home stays. OW visits often lead to ongoing contact and collaboration between delegates and their

American hosts and presenters.

4) Who are the OW participants?

a) A six-person group of OW participants includes five delegates and one facilitator. Delegates are young

professionals (aged mid 20s to 40), whose occupations include civic leaders in health, economics,

environment, education fields, business owners, mayors, attorneys, journalists, NGO (non-governmental

organizations) or NPO (non-profit/not-for-profit organizations) directors, educators, and political party

officials. The facilitator is usually a young person who is fluent in English and in many cases has spent time

in the United States as a student or intern.

5) How long will our Rotary club be responsible for hosting the group?

a) The participants stay in the host community for 8 days and nights. The host Rotary club is responsible for 8

nights of home hosting and 8 days of programming and meals. The program schedule should provide

1 Eurasia here means Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Serbia, Tajikistan, and

Turkmenistan.

RI Open World Program

FAQ

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Updated Jan. 2014

professional activities for a minimum of 4 full working days (32 hours) in addition to cultural and social

events during the evenings and weekends and time that the participants will spend with host families.

6) What should be the focus of the program?

a) OWLC identifies hosting themes for each programming year. A host Rotary club should select one of the

hosting themes and build an 8-day professional development and cultural program around the selected

theme. More information on each theme is available from RI. Additionally, the club should specify a subtheme

for its program, as themes are broad and focusing on a smaller topic would be helpful. Choosing a

sub-theme for the program depends on the club’s interests and local resources availability. OW will do its

best to match the right delegates with your choice of a theme and sub-theme with the right delegates.

7) What funds are available to Rotary club hosts?

a) Reimbursement of eligible expenses up to $3,660 for hosting and program expenses is available from

Rotary International (as a grantee of the OWLC).

8) Do we need to hire a professional interpreter?

a) No. A professional interpreter will be hired by OW for all formal program events planned for Monday-Friday.

However, if you have a professional interpreter available locally, please send his/her resume to RI for

review and approval (professional, meaning that one does interpreting and translating full time, not just

some-one who speaks both language). The delegation’s facilitator will be able to cover interpretation during

informal events and on weekends, evenings and lunches.

9) What types of expenses are eligible for reimbursement?

a) Transportation: rental of vehicle to transport visitors, airport transportation, mileage reimbursement for

usage of private vehicles (current government rate per mile); business related meal/food costs – the

purpose of the function at which food is served must be explained (for instance, lunch with business

executive as part of the discussion on economic issues or informal social events, e.g., a potluck dinner or

informal banquet); community-wide event, local cultural and recreational events i.e., concerts, museums,

field trips, hikes, etc.; programming costs associated with planned civic theme activities: press conference

set up, rental of speakers, microphones, and facility; attendance at a Rotary club meeting; small gifts or

souvenirs for participants. For more information please see Financial Guidelines and Applying for

Reimbursement Instructions.

10) What types of expenses are ineligible for reimbursement?

a) Payment to host families and/or visitors; cash to visitors, fines, entertainment (hiring dancers, musical

bands for entertainment at dinners or banquets), alcoholic beverages, and promotional materials for Rotary

(Rotary pins, merchandise or literature), etc. Please see Financial Guidelines for more information.

11) How are we reimbursed for our expenses?

a) Within two weeks after the hosting is complete, a host club/coordinator must submit RI Open World

Program Expense Reimbursement Request Form along with corresponding materials including original

receipts/invoices (for any expenses that are equal or above $25), organized by date, to the Open World

Program Officer at RI headquarters in Evanston. Note: NO ALCOHOL EXPENSES ARE COVERED BY THE

PROGRAM. Please see Financial Guidelines and Applying for Reimbursement Instructions for more

information. Note: RI can reimburse only a host Rotary Club.

12) How can we get more information on the program?

a) Contact RI OW staff person via email OpenWorld@rotary.org or phone: (847) 859-7530.

Visit RI Web site at www.rotary.org (https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/exchange-ideas/club-connections)

Visit an official OW Program Website at www.openworld.gov