At K-School, a Lesson in Diplomacy

A two-week program that wrapped up last Friday at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government offered 28 members of the Russian Duma, or parliament, a glimpse of the U.S. government at work.

And along the way, their hosts got some experience in diplomacy.

Members of the Duma, the first body elected under Russia's new constitution, came to Cambridge to see which lessons from the United States might apply to their fledgling democracy.

They emphasized that they were not seeking instruction in how to run their country.

"We didn't come to the United States as people come to professors," said Valentin A. Kovalyov, deputy chair of the Duma and head of the delegation. "We came for equal discussion."

For organizers, that required a special sensitivity. Lecturers had to remind themselves not to treat the Russians like graduate students.

"Practitioners don't like to be preached to," said Robert Blackwill, a former Bush administration official who chaired the program.

Blackwill was hesitant to discuss the program's benefit to the Russians. He preferred to speak of "reciprocal activity."

Still, after several days of sessions, at least one Russian questioned the relationship between the lecturers and the parliament members.

"We were told in Moscow that it would be an equal exchange,' said Sergei V. Kalashnikov, a member of the Liberal Democrat party, which is led by ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky. "It seems some people here consider us to be students, that we come here to be taught."

Zhirinovsky did not attend the conference.

The program was modeled after the Kennedy School's training conferences for members of the U.S. Congress and for U.S. and Russian military officers. Professors engaged the Duma members in discussions about elective politics, political parties, the separation of powers, foreign policy, constituent representation and other issues common to national legislative bodies.

"The opportunity to spend this time in direct discussions with the people building democracy in Russia today is very exciting," said Dean of the Kennedy School Albert Carnesale, who spoke to the Duma last Thursday on the effects of the end of the Cold War.

"The need for cooperation is increased with the end of the Cold War," Carnesale said, speaking both of international politics and Harvard's program.

In addition to classes led by senior Harvard scholars and talks by U.S. members of Congress, the program included a series of presentations by Russian political leaders about their country's political structure and process.

Simultaneous translations were used in each session. All major parties of the lower house of the parliament, the 450-member State Duma, were represented, including Russia's Choice, which supports President Boris Yeltsin.

Kovalyou said participants wanted to see what works and what doesn't in the U.S. political system.

"We are all well aware from books about the American system of democracy, how it works," he said. "But we would like to know how it works in reality, in actions, in deed."

Events included one talk about Congress and the Pentagon by U.S. Rep. Glen Browder (D-Ala.) and another about the separation of powers, by former Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), who is now a Kennedy School lecturer.

Edwards told Duma members that if they wanted to see an efficient government, they came to the wrong country. He discussed the constitutional system of checks and balances and the tortuous process of passing legislation.

"The emphasis here is not on efficient government," Edwards said. "The emphasis is on protecting liberty."

The Carnegie corporation funded the program. Its president, Dr. Devid Hamburg, has long been active in efforts to improve U.S./Russia relations.

This story was complied with Associated Press wire dispatches.

In addition to classes led by senior Harvard scholars and talks by U.S. members of Congress, the program included a series of presentations by Russian political leaders about their country's political structure and process.

Simultaneous translations were used in each session. All major parties of the lower house of the parliament, the 450-member State Duma, were represented, including Russia's Choice, which supports President Boris Yeltsin.

Kovalyou said participants wanted to see what works and what doesn't in the U.S. political system.

"We are all well aware from books about the American system of democracy, how it works," he said. "But we would like to know how it works in reality, in actions, in deed."

Events included one talk about Congress and the Pentagon by U.S. Rep. Glen Browder (D-Ala.) and another about the separation of powers, by former Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), who is now a Kennedy School lecturer.

Edwards told Duma members that if they wanted to see an efficient government, they came to the wrong country. He discussed the constitutional system of checks and balances and the tortuous process of passing legislation.

"The emphasis here is not on efficient government," Edwards said. "The emphasis is on protecting liberty."

The Carnegie corporation funded the program. Its president, Dr. Devid Hamburg, has long been active in efforts to improve U.S./Russia relations.

This story was complied with Associated Press wire dispatches.