The first workshop will be conducted in Tver for women from Tver, Novgorod, Pskov, Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions, as well as for women from Belarus. The second workshop will be held in Yekaterinburg for women from Perm, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and Bashkotorstan regions.

Both workshops will be interactive and participant-driven and will include grassroots training such as. prioritizing issues, assessing citizen knowledge of an issue, identifying stakeholders, conducting nonpartisan civic education programs, building coalitions, working with government, promoting media coverage of an issue, fundraising and exploring evaluation methodologies. The workshops will also include simulation activities to give participants hands-on experience in lobbying, conducting media interviews and organizing candidates' forums.

Application Process:

Women NGO leaders, women political and regional activists, and women planning to run for public office are encouraged to apply. The LWVEF is particularly interested in reaching out to a wide spectrum of participants, including those with diverse ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, the LWVEF encourages young women, in particular, to apply. Those interested in participating are requested to submit an application with the following information:

1. Full name
2. Date of Birth
3. Home address
4. Name of organization; job title
5. Work address, telephone, fax and e-mail, if applicable.
6. How did you learn about the upcoming LWVEF workshops?
7. What are your expectations for the workshop? What specific skills do you plan to acquire by participating in the workshop? What would you like to learn?
8. If you have previous experience in political or social organizational work (i.e. lobbying, election campaigns, etc.) please describe this work in detail.
9. Please indicate the travel costs from your place of residence to the workshop you plan to attend (Tver or Yekaterinburg).
10. Have you participated in previous women's leadership/ women's rights conferences, workshops or forums in Russia or elsewhere? If so, please describe.
11. Please feel free to elaborate on any other personal information that will elucidate your background and experience.

**Note: For a complete workshop announcement and application in Russian ,please send a message to: [email protected] or [email protected]

Workshop grants will be offered to several participants to cover travel and accommodation costs. Knowledge of English is not necessary. Completed applications should be forwarded to Svetlana Kupryashkina, in-country project director, by fax at: 095-952-77-16, e-mail at [email protected] or by mail at 113054 Moscow Ulitsa Dubinskaya, 65-2-35. In addition, applications may be sent to Kendra Davis, project manager for international relations, League of Women Voters Education Fund, by fax at 202-463-3692 or by e-mail at: [email protected]

Applications are due by July 31st. (Postmarks will be accepted.) Applicants are reminded to include all pertinent contact information on their forms. Notification will occur in late July.

Voices for Women-Forces for Change is made possible by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Information Agency under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended.

Last updated: June 29, 1998

Center for Civil Society International [email protected]