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September 12th 2004 Business Section

Special to the E-E

Russians are coming to Oklahoma
Russian Restaurant Executives learn from American counterparts.

Eleven small-business entrepreneurs will arrive on Sept. 16 from their native Russian Republic to learn U.S. best business practices and ethics from Bartlesville citizens and businesses.
Bartlesville Daybreak and Noon Rotary clubs, under guidance from the Center for Citizen Initiatives, are taking on a joint mission to provide accommodations, business and ethics training, and an initiation into the “ real” U.S. culture and community spirit in and around Bartlesville.

The non-English speaking delegation of men and women will travel to Oklahoma with a Russian facilitator and one interpreter. Members of the sponsoring Bartlesville Rotary Clubs and other community volunteers will open their homes to the Russian restaurateurs for their three week stay in the United

" The home-hosting component of the program allows the Russians to experience American life firsthand," said Sharon Tennison. CCI president.

The Russian entrepreneurs, who all own or manage small cafes and restaurants with 10-45 employees, will take part in the program which assists Russian citizens; in securing economic and political reforms and fosters cooperative relationships between the U.S. and Russia. These Russians will return to more than 450 communities to utilize and share their newly acquired business and civic knowledge. This is the catalyst for the development of a free market economy in Russia.

A healthy free market brings opportunity, which in turn fosters empowerment. And after all, with empowerment comes the ability to make a significant and lasting change! These entrepreneurs are Russia's window of opportunity for the future.

The interns will attend events in the Bartlesville community such as football games, Oklahoma Indian Summer. tours of Woolaroc and the Tallgrass Prairie, not to mention Oklahoma picnics, BBQs and "pot lucks."

They will also visit Tulsa businesses and Oklahoma City for business training at SYSCO food distribution warehouse and do a little site seeing as well. Testing of the latest food and viewing of the finest equipment products from a SYSCO vendor is sure to be a new venture for many of them.

The program has graduated more than 4,000 from such internships, in many different business professions. CCI, with a small staff of 30, directs the pro bono work of over 20,000 dedicated volunteers, just like Rotarians in Bartlesville, who train these interns across 45 U.S. states. Rotarians from around the United States have partnered with (CCI) more than 400 times to bring Russian delegates to the U.S. for specialized training.

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