Campaign 2004: Fulbrighters Take an In-Depth Look at American Electoral Politics with Metro International

New York City, October 23, 2004 - Metro International brought the 2004 American presidential election into focus for a group of 20 Fulbright scholars from 15 different countries (Austria, Cameroon, Denmark, Estonia, Indonesia, Germany, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom).

The Fulbright scholars discussed the U.S. electoral process with a variety of critical people, including Doug Israel, the Directory of Advocacy at the Citizens Union of the City of New York and Mark Berkey-Gerard, the Senior Editor of Citizens Union Foundation’s GothamGazette.com; Seth Gladstone who gave scholars a first-hand look at politics in action at the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign headquarters; and Mary Lou Urban, the Co-President of the League of Women Voters of the City of New York and Barbara Barr, also of the League of Women Voters.

Together with their American hosts, the Fulbrighters debated the advantages and disadvantages of advanced voter registration and the Electoral College, and shared information about the electoral process in their home countries. After hearing a detailed explanation of ballots, voting machines and more from Ms. Urban and Ms. Barr of the League of Women Voters, Katja Ziehmayer, a Fulbrighter from Austria, was particularly enthusiastic when she stated: “I hope their other educational efforts are just as successful as the meeting with us!”

The overall impression of the day was that it was “a major way of gaining information and understanding directly related to the current presidential election,” as was articulated by Shaohua Liu, a Fulbright scholar from Taiwan.

“Presidential Campaign 2004” was a success. As Cate Conmy, Director of Enrichment Programs at Metro International commented, “It was fascinating to hear the students react to what they learned. Their impromptu comparisons of the voting systems of their various countries offered insights into our American system for the speakers we heard from, for me, and for one another.”

Metro International creates global learning opportunities for students, educators, and the community, in New York City and beyond. Metro was founded in 1977 to provide international undergraduate and graduate students with a bridge between their isolated campus environments and the broader New York community. Today Metro International’s programs and services promote interaction between international visitors and New Yorkers in settings as diverse as local neighborhoods, school classrooms, businesses, and cultural institutions. Metro serves as the officially-designated coordinator of enrichment programs for visiting Fulbright scholars in New York and is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in providing substantive and innovative educational programming.

For further information on Metro, go to www.metrointl.org.