FULBRIGHTedge CELEBRATING 37 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM | 1977-2014 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 11 FEBRUARY-MARCH 2014 Support Fulbright Funding – Say No to $30.5 million cut! levels of public service, business, Help prevent an un- academia, and more. These com- 3. Engage Your Social Media. Ukraine precedented $30.5 By Isaac Webbs million cut to the bined efforts over the next six Use #SaveFulbright on our Face- 2013-2014 Fulbrighter in Kyiv. months will increase ledgislators book, Twitter or Linkedin pages Fulbright Program! U.S. Embassy staff in Kyiv like to describe the knowledge of our programs to demonstrate your support. By Stephen Reilly progression of events in Ukraine over the past impact and hopefully stem the three months as a “drip-drip:” tensions escalate impending cuts. 4. Become More Involved With Yes, you read that correctly. slowly, leaving everyone glued to twitter feeds The Fulbright Association. The President’s budget request and news channels waiting for day that the lev- The larger and more vocal our includes a massive cut of $30.5 Sign the Save ies finally burst. Drips frequently take the form organization, the more people million or roughly 13.5% to the Fulbright.org petition of repressions of journalists and free speech know about our positive, lifelong Fulbright Program. This would now! advocates. As a journalist, each drip highlights impact across each sector, each represent a unprecedented re- the importance of my job as a Fulbrighter: I continent, and each demograph- duction in the number of grants What You Can Do work to ensure that accurate information is free- ic. We are working to address the and the U.S. commitment to the About It Now ly disseminated to all corners of Ukraine. near term budget crisis while Fulbright program. As members I planned on using my Fulbright grant to speak 1. Sign the Petition. building a longer term effort to of the alumni community we with Ukrainians about the importance of the Sign the SaveFulbright.org broaden our advocacy efforts on must act NOW to prevent these freedom of speech. However, it has been the petition to let President Obama, a more proactive basis. We need cuts from passing the final bud- will of Ukrainian journalists over the past three key Cabinet leaders and Congress your continued support to build get. Members of the appropria- months that has reinvigorated my own commit- know how valuable Fulbright is to a stronger foundation to help tions committees in Congress are ment to fight for free speech. I have witnessed the world and why cutting funds preserve the program. Encourage now discussing this funding so we gross violations of freedom of speech in Kyiv now, when international tensions Universities and fellow alumni to must voice our strong opposition and elsewhere in Ukraine. Former President are at a peak, would not be in join or re-join in order to save to these prospective cuts. Yanukovich’s regime routinely attacked journal- our country’s best interest. Over funding to the program or con- ists in Kyiv. Now, in Crimea, journalists face the 20,000 signatures have been col- tinue the lifelong commitment to The President’s request for the same dangers, this time at the hands of Russian lected but we need all Fulbright the ideals of Fulbright. Department of State’s Fiscal Year “self-defense” soldiers. But Ukrainian journalists alumni and friends of Fulbright to 2015 budget is available HERE have refused to give in to these campaigns of support this effort immediately to (refer to pages 831-832 for educa- intimidation, boldly pursuing the truth despite have the most impact! tional and cultural exchange pro- receiving nearly constant threats. grams). The Congressional Budget “It is critical the voices On February 18 the flood we’d been expecting 2. Write To Your Elected Officials Justification is availableHERE . of the American and for months finally breached the levies. Yanu- Directly. international alumni kovich’s violent crackdown claimed the lives Get on your computer and draft We are building a plan of action and supporters of the of dozens of protesters and activists standing an email, letter, tweet, or other and advocacy platform for the fu- Fulbright program on Kyiv’s Independence Square. This hit close means of communication, to key ture. By signing our petition and come out in force to to home: two of my close friends were beaten policy makers in Washington; contacting your congressman you support this effort!.” unconsciousness by riot police. An unnamed outlining both the diplomatic will be part of our ongoing efforts hero carried them away from the front lines and and economic benefits of your to not only preserve and advocate John Vogel, President, through the sights of snipers perched on build- Fulbright experience. Austerity for Fulbright funding but also to Board of Directors, ings nearby. of diplomacy should not be a help bring greater awareness of Fulbright Association. But rather than discouraging Fulbrighters liv- Congressional policy. While ev- the impact the Program has in the ing in Ukraine, the tragedies of the Euromaidan ery letter counts, reaching out to world. Our grass roots efforts will movement has reminded us of our mission, members on the Appropriations continue to engage thousands which is to share values and build intercultural Subcommittees as well as your of members at the local level understanding. elected representatives is partic- through our chapters. Our grass In Crimea, the drip-drip analogy is again per- ularly important. Click here to tops effort will engage alumni tinent. With each drip, each bout of violence learn more about how to contact who have reached the highest against journalists and protesters, we’re remind- those lawmakers directly. ed that a second flood may decimate Ukraine. I, however, take solace knowing that no flood can wash away Ukrainians’ desire for a democratic * Have something newsworthy? Email [email protected] future free from corruption and tyranny.1 1 Teaching Arbitration in Ukraine I received an invitation to give a questions, and then open the floor remained with us. Already we lecture in the Department of Pri- for discussion. I began with brief thought of a possible vate International Law, Institute comments about studying law in return, due to the fine reception in of International Relations,Taras the United States and then pro- Kyiv and initial acquaintance with Shevchenko National University ceeded to the principal subject of Lviv’s history, beauty, cuisine, Ital- of Kyiv, a 177-year-old university international commercial arbitra- ian renaissance architecture, Euro- named for a person of renown tion. It worked! pean flair, fashion and culture. in Ukrainian cultural history. I The students asked excellent My first stop in Krakow was the declined due to insufficient time questions on international arbi- law school at historic Jagiello- to prepare, but plans to visit the tration, legal studies in the United nian University, a short walk in Roy B. Gonas is a founding officer Institute remained, along with the States, and its jurisprudence. It the city’s old section where we of the International Law Section of goal of conveying the interest of seemed the bell sounded quite stayed. The university’s origin the Florida Bar. In 1978 he started Florida International University’s soon, but they were not finished. is traced to 1364. The main law the instate international law sem- College of Law in possible collab- Students lined up in the aisle to facility is a grand nine- teenth inar series for the Bar and created oration between students and ask more questions. I was happy century neo-Gothic building. I the first twoseminars. He is a faculty of both institutions. to accommodate. After the lecture was received by the immediate graduate of Cumberland School of I was happy to carry the mes- we were hosted by two young past dean and also spoke with a Law, Samford University, and also sage. In Kyiv, the second full day lawyers who had graduated from professor who recently added an studied international law in Lon- into our journey, we were warmly the Institute. They were coaches emphasis on international com- don, England, and at The Hague received by a young, impressive of a pre-moot student arbitration mercial arbitration. A second pos- Academy of International Law. He law professor in the Institute. team, although arbitration was itive response was received with is an arbitrator. Others soon joined. An older law not yet taught there. Curriculum regard to collaboration with the professor approached me- quite and the team’s strengths were College of Law atFlorida Interna- Let us start at the beginning. face to face-in a moment’s time discussed. The visit ended with tional University; the third was in Even when speaking with peo- and introduced himself stating, another meeting with the host Copenhagen. Soon after our re- ple in the United States having “I have given you my class. You professor. There remained no turn home, a request arrived from advanced academic degrees, have one hour, twenty minutes.” doubt of the Institute’s desire to Lviv for my curriculum vitae. Later I including lawyers, it needs to be My “diplomatic hat” straightened reach out to western universities, received an invitation to teach and said Ukraine is not Russia. It is not further. “Thank you,” I said. an impression reinforced by com- was given the discretion to select even in Russia. Adopting words Fortunately, my host professor ments this year when I returned. dates and conduct a course on in- from a Ukrainian jurist, “Ukraine overheard and certainly knew Lecturing in universities has fre- ternational commercial arbitration is a new country starting in1991.” what was planned.