“Where?” This is a fairly typical response throughout Northwest Ohio when the six visitors are introduced from Moldova, a small European nation nestled between Ukraine and Romania.
The delegates are participating in the “Regional Sustainable Economic Development in Moldova,” a program of the GLCAP/Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development, and partner organization the World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio.
The program is sponsored by the Open World Program and administered by the Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL,) an organization that supports international outreach efforts for members of Congress.
After a brief orientation in Washington, D.C., the delegates arrived in the Toledo area on Nov. 4. The visitors are staying with host families to better understand the surrounding community and local family life.
The focus of this particular exchange includes community outreach and engagement, tourism, regional economic partnerships, small manufacturing technology, agriculture/food processing, business development, ethnic art & culture, art-related economic development, and minority & youth business development.
“With such a broad range of engagement and only a week here in the area, we really keep them moving. This is one of the more intense programs with which I have been involved,” said Bill Hilt, president of the World Affairs Council of Northwest Ohio. He works closely with Dr. Elizabeth Balint, who is the project manager with GLC/GLCAP.
Highlights included a visit to downtown Fremont, the Rocky Point Winery in Marblehead, meetings with the Regional Growth Partnership, Fulton County Visitors Bureau, Fulton County Museum, Sauder Village, BIG FabLab, Perrysburg High School, Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen, BGSU, Toledo-Lucas County Library, Nana’s Kitchen at Sophia Quintero Arts and Cultural Center, and Common Space/Arts Council Lake Erie West.
At one special event, the delegation was joined by U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur at dinner, who made a special appearance and discussed a wide variety of topics, and offered advice to help them meet their objectives.
After returning home, this delegation will share their experience and ideas learned in the U.S. with a network of 300 government and civil society partners in rural Moldova in addition to their own communities.
